Sosavage,bloody,terrible,andimpious,Who,shouldhelive,wouldtearhiscountry'sentrails,Asbyhisbirthhismother's;withwhichcrimeBeginning,heshouldclenchthedreadfultaleBytramplingonhisfather'ssilverhead。
Allwhichfore—reading,andhisactofbirthFate'swarrantthatIreadhislifearight;
Tosavehiscountryfromhismother'sfate,IgaveabroadthathehaddiedwithherHisbeingslew;withmidnightsecrecyIhadhimcarriedtoalonelytowerHewnfromthemountain—barriersoftherealm,AndunderstrictanathemaofdeathGuardedfrommen'sinquisitiveapproach,Savefromthetrustyfewoneneedsmusttrust;
Whowhilehisfasten'dbodytheyprovideWithsalutarygarbandnourishment,InstructhissoulinwhatnosoulmaymissOfholyfaith,andinsuchotherloreAsmaysolacehislife—imprisonment,AndtameperhapstheSavageprophesiedTowardsuchatrialasIaimatnow,Andnowdemandyourspecialhearingto。
WhatinthisfearfulbusinessIhavedone,Judgewhetherlightlyormaliciously,——
I,withmyownandonlyfleshandblood,Andproperlinealinheritor!
Iswear,hadhisforetoldatrocitiesTouch'dmealone。IhadnotsavedmyselfAtsuchacosttohim;butasaking,——
AChristianking,——Isay,advisedly,WhowoulddevotehispeopletoatyrantWorsethanCaligulafore—chronicled?
Buteventhisnotwithoutgravemis—giving,Lestbysomechancemis—readingofthestars,Ormis—directionofwhatrightlyread,Iwrongmysonofhisprerogative,AndPolandofherrightfulsovereign。
For,sureandcertainprophetsasthestars,Althoughtheyerrnot,hewhoreadsthemmay;
Orrightlyreading——seeingthereisOneWhogovernsthem,as,underHim,theyus,WearenotsureiftheroughdiagramTheydrawinheavenandweinterprethere,Besureofoperation,iftheWillSupreme,thatsometimesforsomespecialendThecourseofprovidentialnaturebreaksBymiracle,maynotofthesesamestarsCancelhisownfirstdraft,oroverruleWhatelsefore—writtenallelseoverrules。
As,forexample,shouldtheWillAlmightyPermittheFree—willofparticularmanTobreakthemeshesofelsestranglingfate——
WhichFree—will,fearfulofforetoldabuse,Ihavemyselffrommyownsonfore—closedFromeverpossibleself—extrication;
Aterribleresponsibility,NottotheconsciencetobereconciledUnlessopposingalmostcertainevilAgainstsoslightcontingencyofgood。
Well——thusperplex'd,IhaveresolvedatlastTobringthethingtotrial:whereuntoHerehaveIsummon'dyou,myPeers,andyouWhomImoredearlylookto,failinghim,AswitnessestothatwhichIpropose;
Andthusproposethedoingit。Clotaldo,Whoguardsmysonwitholdfidelity,ShallbringhimhitherfromhistowerbynightLocktinasleepsofastasbymyartIrivettowithinalinkofdeath,Butyetfromdeathsofar,thatnextday'sdawnShallwakehimupupontheroyalbed,Completeinconsciousnessandfaculty,WhenwithallprincelypompandretinueMyloyalPeerswithdueobeisanceShallhailhimSegismund,thePrinceofPoland。
ThenifwithanyshowofhumankindnessHeflingdiscredit,notuponthestars,Butuponme,theirmisinterpreter,WithallapologymistakenageCanmaketoyouthitnevermeanttoharm,Tomyson'sforeheadwillIshiftthecrownIlonghavewish'duponayoungerbrow;
Andinreligioushumiliation,Forwhatofworn—outageremainstome,EntreatmypardonbothofHeavenandhimFortemptingdestiniesbeyondmyreach。
Butif,asImisdoubt,athisfirststepThehoofofthepredictedsavageshows;
Beforepredictedmischiefcanbedone,Theself—samesleepthatloosedhimfromthechainShallre—consignhim,nottolooseagain。
ThenshallI,havinglostthatheirdirect,Looksolelytomysisters'childrentwainEachofaclaimsoequalasdividesThevoiceofPolandtotheirseveralsides,But,asItrust,tobeentwinederelongIntoonesinglewreathsofairandstrongAsshallatoncealldifferenceatone,Andceasetherealm'sdivisionwiththeirown。
CousinsandPrinces,PeersandCouncillors,Suchisthepurportofthisinvitation,Andsuchismydesign。WhosefurtheranceIfnotasSovereign,ifnotasSeer,Yetonewhomthesewhitelocks,ifnothingelse,topatientacquiescenceconsecrate,Inowdemandandevensupplicate。
AST。
Suchnews,andfromsuchlips,maywellsuspendThetonguetoloyalanswermostattuned;
ButiftomeasspokesmanofmyfactionYourHighnesslooksforanswer;IreplyForoneandall——LetSegismund,whomnowWefirstheartellofasyourlivingheir,Appear,andbutinyoursufficienteyeApprovehimselfworthytobeyourson,ThenwewillhailhimPoland'srightfulheir。
Whatsaysmycousin?
EST。
Ay,withallmyheart。
ButifmyyouthandsexupbraidmenotThatIshoulddareaskofsowiseaking——
KING。
Ask,ask,faircousin!Nothing,Iamsure,Notwellconsider'd;nay,if'twere,yetnothingButpardonablefromsuchlipsasthose。
EST。
Then,withyourpardon,Sir——ifSegismund,Mycousin,whomIshallrejoicetohailAsPrinceofPolandtoo,asyoupropose,BetoatrialcominguponwhichMore,asIthink,thanlifeitselfdepends,Why,Sir,withsleep—disorder'dsensesbroughtTothisuncertaincontestwithhisstars?
KING。
Wellask'dindeed!Aswiselybeitanswer'd!
/Because/itisuncertain,seeyounot?
ForasIthinkIcandiscernbetweenThesuddenflawsofasleep—startledman,Andofthesavagethingwehavetodread;
Ifbutbewilder'd,dazzled,anduncouth,AsmightthesanestandthecivilestIncircumstancesostrange——nay,morethanthat,Ifmovedtoanyout—breakshortofblood,Allshallbewellwithhim;andhowmuchmore,If'midthemagicturmoilofthechange,HeshallsocalmaresolutionshowAsscarcetoreelbeneathsogreatablow!
Butifwithsavagepassionuncontroll'dHelayabouthimlikethebruteforetold,Andmustassuddenlybecagedagain;
Thenwhatredoubledanguishanddespair,FromthatbriefflashofblissfullibertyRemitted——andforever——tohischain!
Whichsomuchless,ifonthestageofgloryEnter'dandexitedthroughsuchadoorOfsleepasmakesadreamofallbetween。
EST。
Ohkindlyanswer,Sir,toquestionthatTocharitablecourtesylesswiseMightcallforpardonrather!IshallnowGladly,what,uninstructed,loyallyIshouldhavewaited。
AST。
YourHighnessdoubtsnotme,Norhowmyheartfollowsmycousin'slips,Whateverwaythedoubtfulbalancefall,Stillloyaltoyourbidding。
OMNES。
Sosayall。
KING。
Ihoped,anddidexpect,ofallnoless——
AndsurenosovereigneverneededmoreFromallwhoowehimloveorloyalty。
ForwhatastraitoftimeIstandupon,WhentothisissuenotaloneIbringMysonyourPrince,bute'enmyselfyourKing:
And,whichsoeverwayforhimitturn,Oflessthanlittlehonourtomyself。
ForifthiscomingtrialjustifyMythuswithholdingfrommysonhisright,IsnotthejudgehimselfjustifiedinThefather'sshame?Andifthejudgeprovedwrong,Mysonwithholdingfromhisrightthuslong,Shameandremorsetojudgeandfatherboth:
Unlessremorseandshametogetherdrown'dInhavingwhatIflungforworthlessfound。
Butcome——alreadywearywithyourtravel,Andillrefresh'dbythisstrangehistory,UntilthehoursthatdrawthesunfromheavenUniteusatthecustomaryboard,Eachtohisseveralchamber:youtorest;
ItocontrivewitholdClotaldobestThemethodofastrangerthingthanoldTimehasayetamonghisrecordstold。
Exeunt。
ACTII
SCENEI——AThrone—roominthePalace。Musicwithin。
(EnterKingandClotaldo,meetingaLordinwaiting)
KING。
You,foramomentbeckon'dfromyouroffice,Tellmethusfarhowgoesit。InduetimeThepotionlefthim?
LORD。