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。