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——