第6章

AttheveryhourTowhichyourHighnesstemper\'dit。YetnotSowhollybutsomelingeringmiststillhungAbouthisdawningsenses——whichtoclear,Wefill\'dandhandedhimamorningdrinkWithsleep\'sspecificantidotesuffused;

AndwhilewithprincelyraimentweinvestedWhatnaturesurelymodell\'dforaPrince——

Allbutthesword——asyoudirected——

KING。

Ay——

LORD。

Ifnottooloudly,yetemphaticallyStillwiththetitleofaPrinceaddress\'dhim。

KING。

Howborehethat?

LORD。

Withalltherest,myliege,IwillnotsaysolikeoneinadreamAsonehimselfmisdoubtingthathedream\'d。

KING。

Sofarsowell,Clotaldo,eitherway,Andbestofalliftow\'rdtheworseIdread。

Butyetnoviolence?

LORD。

Atmost,impatience;

WeariedperhapswithimportunitiesWeyetwereboundtooffer。

KING。

Oh,Clotaldo!

Thoughthusfarwell,yetwouldmyselfhaddrunkThepotionherevivesfrom!suchsuspenseCrowdsallthepulsesoflife\'sresidueIntothepresentmoment;and,Ithink,Whicheverwaythetremblingscalemayturn,WillleavethecrownofPolandforsomeoneTowaitnolongerthanthesettingsun!

CLO。

Courage,myliege!Thecurtainisundrawn,Andeachmustplayhispartoutmanfully,Leavingtheresttoheaven。

KING。

WhosewrittenwordsIfIshouldmisinterpretortransgress!

Butasyousay——

(TotheLord,whoexit。)

You,backtohimatonce;

Clotaldo,you,whenheissomewhatusedTothenewworldofwhichtheycallhimPrince,Whereplaceandface,andall,isstrangetohim,WithyourknownfeaturesandfamiliargarbShallthen,aschorustothescene,accosthim,AndbysuchearnestofthatoldandtooFamiliarworld,assurehimofthenew。

Lastinthestrangeprocession,ImyselfWillbyonefullandlastdevelopmentCompletetheplotforthatcatastropheThathemustputtoall;GodgrantitbeThecrownofPolandonhisbrows!——Hark!hark!——

Wasthathisvoicewithin!——Nowlouder——Oh,Clotaldo,what!sosoonbeguntoroar!——

Again!abovethemusic——ButbetideWhatmay,untilthemoment,wemusthide。

(ExeuntKingandClotaldo。)

SEGISMUND(within)。

Forbear!Istiflewithyourperfume!CeaseYourcrazysalutations!peace,IsayBegone,orletmego,ereIgomadWithallthisbabble,mummery,andglare,ForIamgrowingdangerous——Air!room!air!——

(Herushesin。Musicceases。)

OhbuttosavethereelingbrainfromwreckWithitsbewilder\'dsenses!

(Hecovershiseyesforawhile。)

What!E\'ennowThatBabelleftbehindme,butmyeyesPursuedbythesameglamour,that——unlessAlikebewitch\'dtoo——theconfederatesenseVouchesforpalpable:bright—shiningfloorsThatringhardanswerbacktothestamp\'dheel,Andshootupairycolumnsmarble—cold,That,astheyclimb,breakintogoldenleafAndcapital,tilltheyembracealoftInclusteringflowerandfruitageoverwallsHungwithsuchpurplecurtainastheWestFringeswithsuchagold;orover—laidWithsanguine—glowingsemblancesofmen,Eachinhisallbutlivingactionbusied,Orfromthewalltheylookfrom,withfix\'deyesPursuingme;andonemoststrangeofallThat,asIpass\'dthecrystalonthewall,Look\'dfromit——leftit——andasIreturn,Returns,andlooksmefacetofaceagain——

Unlesssomefalsereflectionofmybrain,Theoutwardsemblanceofmyself——Myself?

Howknowthattawdryshadowformyself,ButthatitmovesasImove;liftshishandWithmine;eachmotionechoingsocloseTheimmediatesuggestionofthewillInwhichmyselfIrecognize——Myself!——

What,thisfantasticSegismundthesameWholastnight,asforallhisnightsbefore,Laydowntosleepinwolf—skinonthegroundInablackturretwhichthewolfhowl\'dround,Andwokeagainuponagoldenbed,Roundwhichascloudsaboutarisingsun,Inscarcelessglitteringcaparison,Gather\'dgayshapesthat,underneathabreezeOfmusic,handedhimupontheirkneesThewineofheaveninacupofgold,Andstillinsoftmelodiousunder—songHailingmePrinceofPoland!——\'Segismund,\'

Theysaid,\'OurPrince!ThePrinceofPoland!\'andAgain,\'Oh,welcome,welcome,tohisown,\'OurownPrinceSegismund——\'

Oh,butablast——

Oneblastoftheroughmountainair!onelookAtthegrimfeatures——

(Hegoestothewindow。)

Whattheydisvizor\'dalso!shatter\'dchaosCastintostatelyshapeandmasonry,Betweenwhosechannel\'dandperspectivesidesCompactwithrootedtowers,andflourishingToheavenwithgildedpinnacleandspire,FlowsthelivecurrentevertoandfroWithopenaspectandfreestep!——Clotaldo!

Clotaldo!——callingasonescarcedarescallForhimwhosuddenlymightbreakthespellOnefearstowalkwithouthim——Why,thatI,Withunencumber\'dstepasanythere,Gostumblingthroughmyglory——feelingforThatironleading—string——ay,formyself——

Forthatfast—anchor\'dselfofyesterday,Ofyesterday,andallmylifebefore,Eredriftedcleanfromself—identityUponthefluctuationofto—day\'sMadwhirlingcircumstance!——And,fool,whynot?

Ifreason,sense,andself—identityObliteratedfromaworn—outbrain,Artthounotmaddeststrivingtobesane,AndcatchingatthatSelfofyesterdayThat,likealeper\'srags,bestflungaway!

Orifnotmad,thendreaming——dreaming?——well——

Dreamingthen——Or,ifselftoselfbetrue,Notmock\'dbythat,butaspoorsoulshavebeenBythosewhowrong\'dthem,togivewrongnewrelish?

OrhavethosestarsindeedtheytoldmeofAsmastersofmywretchedlifeofold,Intosomehappierconstellationroll\'d,AndbroughtmybetterfortuneoutonearthClearasthemselvesinheaven!——PrinceSegismundTheycall\'dme——andatwillIshookthemoff——

WilltheyreturnagainatmycommandAgaintocallmeso?——Withinthere!You!

Segismundcalls——PrinceSegismund——

(Hehasseatedhimselfonthethrone。EnterChamberlain,withlordsinwaiting。)

CHAMB。

IrejoiceThatunadvisedofanybutthevoiceOfroyalinstinctintheblood,yourHighnessHasta\'enthechairthatyouwereborntofill。

SEG。

Thechair?

CHAMB。

TheroyalthroneofPoland,Sir,WhichmayyourRoyalHighnesskeepaslongAshethatnowrulesfromitshallhaveruledWhenheavenhascall\'dhimtoitself。

SEG。

Whenhe?——

CHAMB。

Yourroyalfather,KingBasilio,Sir。

SEG。

Myroyalfather——KingBasilio。

YouseeIanswerbutasEchodoes,Notknowingwhatshelistensorrepeats。

Thisismythrone——thisismypalace——Oh,Butthisoutofthewindow?——

CHAMB。

Warsaw,Sir,Yourcapital——

SEG。

Andallthemovingpeople?

CHAMB。

Yoursubjectsandyourvassalslikeourselves。

SEG。

Ay,ay——mysubjects——inmycapital——

Warsaw——andIamPrinceofit——YouseeItneedsmuchiterationtostrikesenseIntothehumanecho。