CLO(aside)。
Oh,wondrouschance——orwondrousProvidence!
TheswordthatImyselfinMuscovy,Whenthesewhitehairswereblack,forkeepsakeleftOfobligationforalikereturnTohimwhosavedmewoundedasIlayFightingagainsthiscountry;tookmehome;
Tendedmelikeabrothertillrecover'd,PerchancetofightagainsthimonceagainAndnowmyswordputbackintomyhandByhis——ifnothisson——still,assoseeming,Byme,asfirstdevoirofgratitude,Toseembelieving,tillthewearer'sselfSeefittodroptheill—dissemblingmask。
(Aloud。)
Well,astrangeturnoffortunehasarrestedThesharpandsuddenpenaltythatelseHadvisitedyourrashnessormischance:
Inpart,yourtenderyouthtoo——pardonme,Andtouchnotwhereyourswordisnottoanswer——
Commendsyoutomycare;notyourlifeonly,Elsebythismisadventureforfeited;
Butev'nyourerrand,which,byhappychance,ChimeswiththeverybusinessIamon,Andcallsmetotheverypointyouaimat。
ROS。
Thecapital?
CLO。
Ay,thecapital;andev'nThatcapitalofcapitals,theCourt:
Whereyoumayplead,and,Imaypromise,winPardonforthis,yousayunwilling,trespass,Andprosecutewhatelseyouhaveatheart,WithmetohelpyouforwardallIcan;
ProvidedallinloyaltytothoseTowhombynaturalallegianceIfirstamboundto。
ROS。
Asyoumake,ItakeYouroffer:withlikepromiseonmysideOfloyaltytoyouandthoseyouserve,UnderlikereservationforregardsNeareranddearerstill。
CLO。
Enough,enough;
Yourhand;abargainonbothsides。Meanwhile,Hereshallyourestto—night。ThebreakofdayShallseeusbothtogetherontheway。
ROS。
ThusthenwhatIformisadventureblamed,Directlydrawsmewheremywishesaim'd。
(Exeunt。)
SCENEII。
ThePalaceatWarsawEnterononesideAstolfo,DukeofMuscovy,withhistrain:and,ontheother,thePrincessEstrella,withhers。
ASTOLFO。
Myroyalcousin,ifsonearinblood,Tillthisauspiciousmeetingscarcelyknown,TillallthatbeautypromisedinthebudIsnowtoitsconsummateblossomblown,Wellmetatlast;andmay——
ESTRELLA。
Enough,myLord,OfcomplimentdevisedforyoubysomeCourttailor,and,believeme,stilltooshortTocoverthedesignfulheartbelow。
AST。
Nay,butindeed,faircousin——
EST。
Ay,letDeedMeasureyourwords,indeedyourflowersofspeechIllwithyourironequipageatone;
Ironyindeed,andwordycompliment。
AST。
Indeed,indeed,youwrongme,royalcousin,Andfairasroyal,misinterpretingWhat,evenfortheendyouthinkIaimat,Iffalsetoyou,werefataltomyself。
EST。
Why,whatelsemeanstheglitteringsteel,myLord,Thatbristlesintherearofthesefinewords?
Whatcanitmean,but,failingtocajole,Tofightorforcemefrommyjustpretension?
AST。
Nay,mightInotaskev'nthesameofyou,Thenoddinghelmetsofwhosemen—at—armsOut—cresttheplumageofyourladycourt?
EST。
Buttodefendwhatyourswouldforcefromme。
AST。
MightnotI,lady,saythesameofmine?
Butnottocometobattle,ev'nofwords,Withafairlady,andmykinswoman;
Andasaversetostandbeforeyourface,Defenceless,andcondemn'dinyourdisgrace,Tillthegoodkingbeheretoclearitall——
Willyouvouchsafetohearme?
EST。
Asyouwill。
AST。
Youknowthat,whenabouttoleavethisworld,Ourroyalgrandsire,KingAlfonso,leftThreechildren;oneason,Basilio,Whowears——longmayhewear!thecrownofPoland;
Anddaughterstwain:ofwhomtheelderwasYourmother,Clorilena,nowsomewhileExaltedtoamorethanmortalthrone;
AndRecisunda,mine,theyoungersister,Who,marriedtothePrinceofMuscovy,GavemethelightwhichmayshelivetoseeHerselfformany,manyyearstocome。
Meanwhile,goodKingBasilio,asyouknow,Deepinabstruserstudiesthanthisworld,Andbusierwiththestarsthanlady'seyes,HasneverbyasecondmarriageyetReplaced,asPolandask'dofhim,theheirAnearlymarriagebroughtandtookaway;
Hisyoungqueendyingwiththesonsheborehim;
AndinsuchalienationgrownsooldAsleavesnootherhopeofheirtoPolandThanhistwosisters'children;you,faircousin,Andme;forwhomtheCommonsoftherealmDividethemselvesintotwoseveralfactions;
Whetherforyou,theeldersister'schild;
Orme,bornoftheyounger,but,theysay,MynaturalprerogativeofmanOutweighingyourpriorityofbirth。
Whichdiscordgrowingloudanddangerous,Ouruncle,KingBasilio,doublysageInprophesyingandprovidingforThefuture,astodealwithitwhencome,Bidsusheremeetto—dayinsolemncouncilOurseveralpretensionstocompose。
And,butthemartialout—burstthatproclaimsHiscoming,makesallfurtherparleyvain,Unlessmybosom,bywhichonlywiseIprophesy,nowwronglyprophesies,BysuchahappycompactasIdareButglanceattilltheRoyalSagedeclare。
(Trumpets,etc。EnterKingBasiliowithhisCouncil。)
ALL。
TheKing!GodsavetheKing!
ESTRELLA(Kneeling。)
Oh,RoyalSir!——
ASTOLFO(Kneeling。)
GodsaveyourMajesty——
KING。
Risebothofyou,Risetomyarms,AstolfoandEstrella;
Asmytwosisters'childrenalwaysmine,Nowmorethanever,sincemyselfandPolandSolelytoyouforoursuccessionlook'd。
Andnowgiveear,youandyourseveralfactions,Andyou,thePeersandPrincesofthisrealm,WhileIrevealthepurportofthismeetingInwordswhosenecessarylengthItrustNounsuccessfulissueshallexcuse。
Youandtheworldwhohavesurnamedme"Sage"
KnowthatIowethattitle,ifmydue,TomylongmeditationonthebookWhicheverlyingopenoverhead——
Thebookofheaven,Imean——sofewhaveread;
Whosegoldenlettersonwhosesapphireleaf,Distinguishingthepageofdayandnight,Andalltherevolutionoftheyear;
SowiththeturningvolumewheretheylieStillchangingtheirpropheticsyllables,Theyregisterthedestiniesofmen:
Untilwitheyesthat,dimwithyearsindeed,Arequickertopursuethestarsthanrulethem,IgetthestartofTime,andfromhishandThewandoftardyrevelationdraw。
Oh,hadtheself—sameheavenuponhispageInscribedmydeathereIshouldreadmylifeAnd,byfore—castingofmyownmischance,PlaynotthevictimbutthesuicideInmyowntragedy!——Butyoushallhear。
Youknowhowonce,askingsmustfortheirpeople,Andonlyonce,aswisemenforthemselves,Iwoo'dandwedded:knowtoothatmyQueenInchildingdied;butnot,asyoubelieve,Withher,thesonshediedingivinglifeto。
For,asthehourofbirthwasonthestroke,Herbrainconceivingwithherwomb,shedream'dAserpenttoreherentrail。Andtoosurely(Forevilomenseldomspeaksinvain)
Theman—childbreakingfromthatlivingtombThatmakesourbirththeantitypeofdeath,Man—grateful,forthelifeshegavehimpaidBykillingher:andwithsuchcircumstanceAssuitedsuchunnaturaltragedy;
Hecomingintolight,iflightitwereThatdarken'dathisveryhoroscope,Whenheaven'stwochampions——sunandmoonImean——
SuffusedinblooduponeachotherfellInsucharagingduelofeclipseAshathnotterrifiedtheuniverseSincethatwhichweptinbloodthedeathofChrist:
Whenthedeadwalk'd,thewatersturn'dtoblood,Earthandhercitiestotter'd,andtheworldSeem'dshakentoitslastparalysis。
InsuchaparoxysmofdissolutionThatsonofminewasborn;bythatfirstactHeadingthemonstrouscatalogueofcrime,Ifoundfore—writteninhishoroscope;
Asgreatamonsterinman'shistoryAswasinnaturehisnativity;