FIFE。
Why,thatmustbethemeaningofmymule\'sRebellion——
ROS。
Hush!
SEG。
ButthenifmurderbeThelawbywhichnotonlyconscience—blindCreatures,butmantooprosperswithhiskind;
Wholeavingallhisguiltyfellowsfree,UnderyourfatalauspiceanddivineCompulsion,leaguedinsomemysteriousbanAgainstoneinnocentandhelplessman,Abusetheirlibertytomurdermine:
Andsworntosilence,liketheirmastersmuteInheaven,andlikethemtwirlingthroughthemaskOfdarkness,answeringtoallIask,Pointuptothemwhoseworktheyexecute!
ROS。
Ev\'nasIthought,somepoorunhappywretch,Bymanwrong\'d,wretched,unrevenged,asI!
Nay,somuchworsethanI,asbythosechainsCliptofthemeansofself—revengeonthoseWholayonhimwhattheydeserve。AndI,WhotauntedHeavenalittlewhileagoWithpouringallitswrathuponmyhead——
Alas!likehimwhocaughtthecast—offhuskOfwhatanotherbragg\'doffeedingon,Here\'sonethatfromtherefuseofmysorrowsCouldgatherallthebanquethedesires!
Poorsoul,poorsoul!
FIFE。
Speaklower——hewillhearyou。
ROS。
Andifheshould,whatthen?Why,ifhewould,Hecouldnotharmme——Nay,andifhecould,MethinksI\'dventuresomethingofalifeIcaresolittlefor——
SEG。
Who\'sthat?Clotaldo?Whoareyou,Isay,That,venturingintheseforbiddenrocks,Havelightedonmymiserablelife,Andyourowndeath?
ROS。
Youwouldnothurtme,surely?
SEG。
NotI;butthosethat,ironasthechainInwhichtheyslaymewithalingeringdeath,Willslayyouwithasudden——Whoareyou?
ROS。
Astrangerfromacrossthemountainthere,Who,havinglosthiswayinthisstrangelandAndcomingnight,drewhithertowhatseem\'dAhumandwellinghiddenintheserocks,AndwherethevoiceofhumansorrowsoonToldhimitwasso。
SEG。
Ay?Butnearer——nearer——
ThatbythissmokysupplementofdayButforamomentImayseewhospeaksSopitifullysweet。
FIFE。
Takecare!takecare!
ROS。
Alas,poorman,thatI,myselfsohelpless,Couldbetterhelpyouthanbybarrenpity,Andmypoorpresence——
SEG。
Oh,mightthatbeall!
Butthat——afewpoormoments——and,alas!
Theveryblissofhaving,andthedreadOflosing,undersuchapenaltyAseverymoment\'shavingrunsmorenear,StiflestheveryutteranceandresourceTheycryforquickest;tillfromsheerdespairOfholdingthee,methinksmyselfwouldtearTopieces——
FIFE。
There,hisword\'senoughforit。
SEG。
Oh,think,ifyouwhomoveaboutatwill,Andliveinsweetcommunionwithyourkind,AfteranhourlostintheselonelyrocksHungerandthirstaftersomehumanvoiceTodrink,andhumanfacetofeedupon;
Whatmustonedowhereallismute,orharsh,Andev\'nthenakedfaceofcrueltyWerebetterthanthemaskitworksbeneath?——
Acrossthemountainthen!Acrossthemountain!
WhatifthenextworldwhichtheytelloneofBeonlynextacrossthemountainthen,ThoughImustneverseeittillIdie,Andyouoneofitsangels?
ROS。
Alas;alas!
Noangel!Andthefaceyouthinksofair,\'Tisbutthedismalframe—workoftheserocksThatmakesitseemso;andtheworldIcomefrom——
Alas,alas,toomanyfacesthereArebutfairvizorstoblackheartsbelow,Oronlyservetobringthewearerwoe!
Buttoyourself——IfhaplytheredressThatIamhereuponmayhelptoyours。
Iheardyoutaxtheheavenswithordering,Andmenforexecuting,what,alas!
Inowbehold。Butwhy,andwhotheyareWhodo,andyouwhosuffer——
SEG。(pointingupwards)。
Askofthem,Whom,asto—night,Ihavesooftenask\'d,Andask\'dinvain。
ROS。
Butsurely,surely——
SEG。
Hark!
Thetrumpetofthewatchtoshutusin。
Oh,shouldtheyfindyou!——Quick!Behindtherocks!
To—morrow——ifto—morrow——
ROS。(flingingherswordtowardhim)。
Takemysword!
(RosauraandFifehideintherocks;EnterClotaldo)
CLOTALDO。
ThesestormydaysyouliketoseethelastofArebutillopiates,Segismund,Ithink,Fornighttofollow:andto—nightyouseemMorethanyourwontdisorder\'d。What!Asword?
Withinthere!
(EnterSoldierswithblackvizorsandtorches)
FIFE。
Here\'sapleasantmasquerade!
CLO。
WhoseverwatchthiswasWillhavetopayhead—reckoning。Meanwhile,Thisweaponhadawearer。Bringhimhere,Aliveordead。
SEG。
Clotaldo!goodClotaldo!——
CLO。(toSoldierswhoencloseSegismund;otherssearchingtherocks)。
Youknowyourduty。
SOLDIERS(bringinginRosauraandFife)。
Herearetwoofthem,Whoevermoretofollow——
CLO。
Whoareyou,ThatindefianceofknownproclamationArefound,atnight—falltoo,aboutthisplace?
FIFE。
Oh,myLord,she——Imeanhe——
ROS。
Silence,Fife,Andletmespeakforboth。——Twoforeignmen,TowhomyourcountryanditsproclamationsAreequallyunknown;andhadweknown,OurselvesnotmastersofourlawlessbeastsThat,terrifiedbythestormamongyourrocks,Flungusuponthemtoourcost。
FIFE。
Mymule——
CLO。
Foreigners?Ofwhatcountry?
ROS。
Muscovy。
CLO。
Andwhitherbound?
ROS。
Hither——ifthisbePoland;
Butwithnoilldesignonher,andthereforeTakingitillthatweshouldthusbestoptUponherthresholdsouncivilly。
CLO。
WhitherinPoland?
ROS。
Tothecapital。
CLO。
Andonwhaterrand?
ROS。
Setmeontheroad,Andyoushallbethenearertomyanswer。
CLO。(aside)。
Soresoluteandreadytoreply,Andyetsoyoung——and——
(Aloud。)
Well,——
YourbusinesswasnotsurelywiththemanWefoundyouwith?
ROS。
Hewasthefirstwesaw,——
Andstrangersandbenighted,aswewere,Asyoutoowouldhavedoneinalikecase,Accostedhimatonce。
CLO。
Ay,butthissword?
ROS。
Iflungittowardhim。
CLO。
Well,andwhy?
ROS。
Andwhy?ButtorevengehimselfonthosewhothusInjuriouslymisusehim。
CLO。
So——so——so!
\'TiswellsuchresolutionwantsabeardAnd,Isuppose,isnevertoattainone。
Well,Imusttakeyouboth,youandyoursword,Prisoners。
FIFE。(offeringacudgel)。
Praytakemine,andwelcome,sir;
I\'msureIgaveittothatmuleofmineTomightylittlepurpose。
ROS。
Mineyouhave;
AndmayitwinussomemorekindlinessThanwehavemetwithyet。
CLO(examiningthesword)。
Moremystery!
Howcameyoubythisweapon?
ROS。
Frommyfather。
CLO。
Anddoyouknowwhencehe?
ROS。
Oh,verywell:
FromoneofthissamePolishrealmofyours,Whopromisedareturn,shouldcomethechance,OfcourtesiesthathereceivedhimselfInMuscovy,andleftthispledgeofit——
Notlikelyyet,itseems,toberedeem\'d。