SEG。
  FidelitythatheldhisPrinceinchains!
  CLO。
  Fidelitymorefastthanhaditloosedhim——
  SEG。
  Ev'nfromtheverydawnofconsciousnessDownatthebottomofthebarrenrocks,Wherescarcearayofsunshinefoundhimout,InwhichthepoorestbeggarofmyrealmAtleasttohuman—fullproportiongrows——
  Me!Me——whosestationwasthekingdom'stopToflourishin,reachingmyheadtoheaven,AndwithmybranchesovershadowingThemeanergrowthbelow!
  CLO。
  StillwiththesameFidelity——
  SEG。
  Tome!——
  CLO。
  Ay,sir,toyou,ThroughthatdivineallegianceuponwhichAllOrderandAuthorityisbased;
  Whichtorevoltagainst——
  SEG。
  WeretorevoltAgainstthestars,belike!
  CLO。
  Andhimwhoreadsthem;
  Andbythatright,andbythesovereigntyHewearsasyoushallwearitafterhim;
  Ay,onetowhomyourself——
  Yourself,ev'nmorethananysubjecthere,AreboundbyyetanotherandmorestrongAllegiance——KingBasilio——yourFather——
  SEG。
  Basilio——King——myfather!——
  CLO。
  Oh,myLord,Letmebeseechyouonmybendedknee,Foryourownsake——forPoland's——andforhis,Who,lookingupforcounseltotheskies,DidwhathedidunderauthorityTowhichthekingsofearththemselvesaresubject,Andwhosebehestnotonlyhethatsuffers,Buthethatexecutes,notcomprehends,ButonlyHethatordersit——
  SEG。
  TheKing——
  Myfather!——EitherIammadalready,Orthatwaydrivingfast——orIshouldknowThatfathersdonotusetheirchildrenso,OrmenwereloosedfromallallegianceTofathers,kings,andheaventhatorder'dall。
  But,madornot,myhouriscome,andI
  Willhavemyreckoning——Eitheryoulie,UndertheskirtofsinlessmajestyShroudingyourtreason;orif/that/indeed,Guiltyitself,takerefugeinthestarsThatcannothearthecharge,ordisavow——
  You,whetherdoerordeviser,whoComefirsttohand,shallpaythepenaltyBythesamehandyouoweitto——
  (SeizingClotaldo'sswordandabouttostrikehim。)
  (EnterRosaurasuddenly。)
  ROSAURA。
  Fie,myLord——forbear,What!ayounghandraisedagainstsilverhair!——
  (Sheretreatsthroughthecrowd。)
  SEG。
  Stay!stay!Whatcomeandvanish'dasbefore——
  Iscarcerememberhow——but——
  (Voiceswithin。RoomforAstolfo,DukeofMuscovy!)
  (EnterAstolfo)
  ASTOLFO。
  Welcome,thricewelcome,theauspiciousday,Whenfromthemountainwherehedarklinglay,ThePolishsunintothefirmamentSprungallthebrighterforhislateascent,Andinmeridianglory——
  SEG。
  Whereishe?
  WhymustIaskthistwice?——
  ALORD。
  ThePage,myLord?
  Iwonderathisboldness——
  SEG。
  ButItellyouHecamewithAngelwritteninhisfaceAsnowitis,whenallwasblackashellAbout,andnoneofyouwhonow——hecame,AndAngel—likeflungmeashiningswordTocutmywaythroughdarkness;andagainAngel—likewrestsitfrommeinbehalfOfone——whomIwillspareforsparinghim:
  ButhemustcomeandpleadwiththatsamevoiceThatpray'dforme——invain。
  CHAMB。
  Heisgonefor,Andshallattendyourpleasure,sir。Meanwhile,WillnotyourHighness,asincourtesy,Returnyourroyalcousin'sgreeting?
  SEG。
  Whose?
  CHAMB。
  Astolfo,DukeofMuscovy,myLord,Saluted,andwithgallantcomplimentWelcomedyoutoyourroyaltitle。
  SEG。(toAstolfo)。
  Oh——
  Youknewofthisthen?
  AST。
  Knewofwhat,myLord?
  SEG。
  ThatIwasPrinceofPolandallthewhile,Andyoumysubject?
  AST。
  Pardonme,myLord,ButsomefewhoursagomyselfIlearn'dYourdignity;but,knowingit,nomoreThanwhenIknewitnot,yoursubject。
  SEG。
  Whatthen?
  AST。
  YourHighness'chamberlainev'nnowhastoldyou;
  Astolfo,DukeofMuscovy,Yourfather'ssister'sson;yourcousin,sir:
  Andwhoassuch,andinhisownrightPrince,Expectsfromyouthecourtesyheshows。
  CHAMB。
  HisHighnessisasyetunusedtoCourt,AndtotheceremoniousinterchangeOfcompliment,especiallytothoseWhodrawtheirbloodfromthesameroyalfountain。
  SEG。
  Whereisthelad?Iwearyofallthis——
  Prince,cousins,chamberlains,andcompliments——
  Wherearemysoldiers?Blowthetrumpet,andWithonesharpblastscatterthesebutterfliesAndbringthemenofirontomyside,Withwhomakingfeelslikeakingindeed!
  (Voiceswithin。Withinthere!roomforthePrincessEstrella!)
  (EnterEstrellawithLadies。)
  ESTRELLA。
  Welcome,myLord,rightwelcometothethroneThatmuchtoolonghaswaitedforyourcoming:
  And,inthegeneralvoiceofPoland,hearAkinswomanandcousin'snolesssincere。
  SEG。
  Ay,thisiswelcome—worthindeed,Andcousincousin—worth!Oh,IhavethusOverthethresholdofthemountainseen,Leadingabevyoffairstars,themoonEnterthecourtofheaven——Mykinswoman!
  Mycousin!Butmysubject?——
  EST。
  IfyoupleaseTocountyourcousinforyoursubject,sir,Youshallnotfindheradisloyal。
  SEG。
  Oh,Buttherearetwinstarsinthatheavenlyface,ThatnowIknowforhavingover—ruledThoseevilonesthatdarken'dallmypastAndbroughtmeforthfromthatcaptivityTobetheslaveofherwhosetmefree。
  EST。
  Indeed,myLord,theseeyeshavenosuchpowerOverthepastorpresent:butperhapsTheybrightenatyourwelcometosupplyThelittlethatalady'sspeechcommends;
  Andinthehopethat,letwhicheverbeTheother'ssubject,wemaybothbefriends。
  SEG。
  Yourhandtothat——ButwhydoesthiswarmhandShootacoldshudderthroughme?
  EST。
  InrevengeForlikeningmetothatcoldmoon,perhaps。
  SEG。
  Oh,butthelipwhosemusictellsmesoBreathesofawarmerplanet,andthatlipShallremedythetreasonofthehand!
  (Hecatchestoembraceher。)
  EST。
  Releaseme,sir!
  CHAMB。
  Andpardonme,myLord。
  ThisladyisaPrincessabsolute,AsPrinceheiswhojustsalutedyou,Andclaimsherbyaffiance。
  SEG。
  Hence,oldfool,ForeverthrustingthatwhitestickofyoursBetweenmeandmypleasure!
  AST。
  Thiscauseismine。
  Forbear,sir——
  SEG。
  What,sirmouth—piece,youagain?
  AST。
  MyLord,IwaiveyourinsulttomyselfInrecognitionofthedignityYouyetarenewto,andthatgreaterstillYoulookintimetowear。Butforthislady——
  Whom,ifmycousinnow,IhopetoclaimHenceforthbyyetanearer,dearername——