CHAMB。
LeftawhileInthequickbrain,thewordwillquicklytoFullmeaningblow。
SEG。
Youthinkso?
CHAMB。
AndmeanwhileLestourobsequiousness,whichmeansnoworseThancustomaryhonourtothePrinceWemostrejoicetowelcome,troubleyou,Shouldweretireagain?orstandapart?
OrwouldyourHighnesshavethemusicplayAgain,whichmeditation,astheysay,Sooftenlovestofloatupon?
SEG。
Themusic?
No——yes——perhapsthetrumpet——
(Aside)
YetifthatBroughtbackthetroop!
ALORD。
Thetrumpet!ThereagainHowtrumpet—likespokeoutthebloodofPoland!
CHAMB。
Beforethemorningisfarup,yourHighnessWillhavethetrumpetmarshallingyoursoldiersUnderthePalacewindows。
SEG。
Ah,mysoldiers——
Mysoldiers——notblack—vizor'd?——
CHAMB。
Sir?
SEG。
Nomatter。
But——onething——foramoment——inyourear——
DoyouknowoneClotaldo?
CHAMB。
Oh,myLord,Heandmyselftogether,Imaysay,Althoughindifferentvocations,Havesilver'dinyourroyalfather'sservice;
And,asItrust,withbothofusafewWhitehairstofallinyours。
SEG。
Wellsaid,wellsaid!
Basilio,myfather——well——ClotaldoIshemykinsmantoo?
CHAMB。
Oh,mygoodLord,AGeneralsimplyinyourHighness'service,ThanwhomyourHighnesshasnotrustier。
SEG。
Ay,soyousaidbefore,Ithink。AndyouWiththatwhitewandofyours——
Why,nowIthinkon't,IhavereadofsuchAsilver—hair'dmagicianwithawand,Whoinamoment,withawaveofit,Turn'dragstojewels,clownstoemperors,BysomebenignermagicthanthestarsSpiritedpoorgoodpeopleoutofhandFromalltheirwoes;insomeenchantedsleepCarriedthemoffoncloudordragon—backOverthemountains,overthewideDeep,AndsetthemdowntowakeinFairyland。
CHAMB。
Oh,mygoodLord,youlaughatme——andI
Rightgladtomakeyoulaughatsuchaprice:
Youknowmenoenchanter:ifIwere,IandmywandasmuchasyourHighness',Asnowyourchamberlain——
SEG。
Mychamberlain?——
Andthesethatfollowyou?——
CHAMB。
Onyou,myLord,YourHighness'lordsinwaiting。
SEG。
Lordsinwaiting。
Well,Ihavenowlearn'dtorepeat,Ithink,Ifonlybutbyrote——Thisismypalace,Andthismythrone——whichunadvised——AndthatOutofthewindowtheremyCapital;
AndallthepeoplemovingupanddownMysubjectsandmyvassalslikeyourselves,Mychamberlain——andlordsinwaiting——andClotaldo——andClotaldo?——
Youareanaged,andseemareverendman——
Youdonot——thoughhisfellow—officer——
Youdonotmeantomockme?
CHAMB。
Oh,myLord!
SEG。
Wellthen——Ifnomagician,asyousay,Yetsettingmeariddle,thatmybrain,Withallitssenseswhirling,cannotsolve,Yourselforoneofthesewithyoumustanswer——
HowI——thatonlylastnightfellasleepNotknowingthattheverysoilofearthIlaydown——chain'd——tosleepuponwasPoland——
AwaketofindmyselftheLordofit,WithLords,andGenerals,andChamberlains,Andev'nmyveryGaoler,formyvassals!
EntersuddenlyClotaldoCLOTALDO。
StandallasideThatImayputintohishandtheclueToleadhimoutofthisamazement。Sir,VouchsafeyourHighnessfrommybendedkneeReceivemyhomagefirst。
SEG。
Clotaldo!What,Atlast——hisoldself——undisguisedwhereallIsmasquerade——toendit!——Youkneelingtoo!
What!havethestarsyoutoldmelongagoLaidthatoldworkuponyou,addedthis,That,havingchain'dyourprisonersolong,Youloosehisbodynowtoslayhiswits,Dragginghim——howIknownot——whitherscarceIunderstand——dressinghimupinallThisfrippery,withyourdumbfamiliarsDisvizor'd,andtheirlipsunlock'dtolie,CallinghimPrinceandKing,and,madman—like,Settingacrownofstrawuponhishead?
CLO。
WouldbutyourHighness,asindeedInowMustcallyou——anduponhisbendedkneeNeverbentSubjectmoredevotedly——
Howeverallaboutyou,andperhapsYoutoyourselfincomprehensiblest,ButrestintheassuranceofyourownSanewakingsenses,bythesewitnessesAttested,tillthestoryofitall,OfwhichIbringachapter,bereveal'd,AssuredofallyouseeandhearasneitherMadnessnormockery——
SEG。
Whatthen?
CLO。
Allitseems:
Thispalacewithitsroyalgarniture;
Thiscapitalofwhichitistheeye,Withallitstemples,marts,andarsenals;
Thisrealmofwhichthiscityisthehead,Withallitscities,villages,andtilth,Itsarmies,fleets,andcommerce;allyourown;
Andallthelivingsoulsthatmakethemup,Fromthosewhonow,andthosewhoshall,saluteyou,Downtothepoorestpeasantoftherealm,Yoursubjects——Who,thoughnowtheirmightyvoiceSleepsinthegeneralbodyunapprized,WaitbutawordfromthoseaboutyounowTohailyouPrinceofPoland,Segismund。
SEG。
Allthisisso?
CLO。
AssureasanythingIs,orcanbe。
SEG。
YouswearitonthefaithYoutaughtme——elsewhere?——
CLO(kissingthehiltofhissword)。
SwearituponthisSymbol,andchampionoftheholyfaithIwearittodefend。
SEG(tohimself)。
Myeyeshavenotdeceivedme,normyears,Withthistransfiguration,northestrainOfroyalwelcomethataroseandblew,Breathedfromnolyinglips,alongwithit。
ForhereClotaldocomes,hisownoldself,Who,ifnotLieandphantomwiththerest——
(Aloud)
Well,then,allthisisthus。
Forhavenotthesefinepeopletoldmeso,Andyou,Clotaldo,swornit?AndtheWhyAndWhereforearetofollowbyandbye!
Andyet——andyet——whywaitforthatwhichyouWhotakeyouroathonitcananswer——andIndeeditpressesharduponmybrain——
WhatIwasaskingofthesegentlemenWhenyoucameinuponus;howitisThatI——theSegismundyouknowsolongNolongerthanthesunthatroseto—dayRose——andfromwhatyouknow——
RosetobePrinceofPoland?
CLO。
SotobeAcknowledgedandentreated,Sir。
SEG。
SobeAcknowledgedandentreated——
Well——Butifnowbyall,bysomeatleastSoknown——ifnotentreated——heretofore——
Thoughnotbyyou——For,nowIthinkagain,Ofwhatshouldbeyourattestationworth,YouthatofallmyquestionablesubjectsWhoknowingwhat,yetleftmewhereIwas,Youleastofall,Clotaldo,tillthedawnOfthisfirstdaythattoldittomyself?
CLO。
Oh,letyourHighnessdrawthelineacrossFore—writtensorrow,andinthisnewdawnBurythatlongsadnight。
SEG。
Notev'ntheDead,Call'dtotheresurrectionoftheblest,ShallsodirectlydropallmemoryOfwoesandwrongsforegone!
CLO。
Butnotresent——
PurgedbythetrialofthatsorrowpastForfullfruitionoftheirpresentbliss。
SEG。
ButleavingwiththeJudgewhat,tillthisearthBecancell'dintheburningheavens,HeleavesHisearthlydelegatestoexecute,OfretributioninrewardtothemAndwoetothosewhowrong'dthem——Notasyou,Notyou,Clotaldo,knowingnot——AndyetEv'ntotheguiltiestwretchinalltherealm,Ofanytreasonguiltyshortofthat,Sternusage——butassuredlynotknowing,Notknowing'twasyoursovereignlord,Clotaldo,Youusedsosternly。
CLO。
Ay,sir;withthesameDevotionandfidelitythatnowDoeshomagetohimformysovereign。