Life Is A Dream [19]
still--
A SOLDIER (discovering Fife). Hilloa!
SOLDIERS. --Hilloa! Here's some one skulking-- --Seize and gag him! --Stab him at once, say I: the only way To make all sure. --Hold, every man of you! And down upon your knees!--Why, 'tis the Prince! --The Prince!-- --Oh, I should know him anywhere, And anyhow disguised. --But the Prince is chain'd. --And of a loftier presence-- --'Tis he, I tell you; Only bewilder'd as he was before. God save your Royal Highness! On our knees Beseech you answer us!
FIFE. Just as you please. Well--'tis this country's custom, I suppose, To take a poor man every now and then And set him ON the throne; just for the fun Of tumbling him again into the dirt. And now my turn is come. 'Tis very pretty.
SOL. His wits have been distemper'd with their drugs. But do you ask him, Captain.
CAPT. On my knees, And in the name of all who kneel with me, I do beseech your Highness answer to Your royal title.
FIFE. Still, just as you please. In my own poor opinion of myself-- But that may all be dreaming, which it seems Is very much the fashion in this country No Polish prince at all, but a poor lad From Muscovy; where only help me back, I promise never to contest the crown Of Poland with whatever gentleman You fancy to set up.
SOLDIERS. --From Muscovy? --A spy then-- --Of Astolfo's-- --Spy! a spy --Hang him at once!
FIFE. No, pray don't dream of that!
SOL. How dared you then set yourself up for our Prince Segismund?
FIFE. /I/ set up!--/I/ like that When 'twas yourselves be-siegesmunded me.
CAPT. No matter--Look!--The signal from the tower. Prince Segismund!
SOL. (from the tower). Prince Segismund!
CAPT. All's well. Clotaldo safe secured?--
SOL. (from the tower). No--by ill luck, Instead of coming in, as we had look'd for, He sprang on horse at once, and off at gallop.
CAPT. To Court, no doubt--a blunder that--And yet Perchance a blunder that may work as well As better forethought. Having no suspicion So will he carry none where his not going Were of itself suspicious. But of those Within, who side with us?
SOL. Oh, one and all To the last man, persuaded or compell'd.
CAPT. Enough: whatever be to be retrieved No moment to be lost. For though Clotaldo Have no revolt to tell of in the tower, The capital will soon awake to ours, And the King's force come blazing after us. Where is the Prince?
SOL. Within; so fast asleep We woke him not ev'n striking off the chain We had so cursedly help bind him with, Not knowing what we did; but too ashamed Not to undo ourselves what we had done.
CAPT. No matter, nor by whosesoever hands, Provided done. Come; we will bring him forth Out of that stony darkness here abroad, Where air and sunshine sooner shall disperse The sleepy fume which they have drugg'd him with.
(They enter the tower, and thence bring out Segismund asleep on a pallet, and set him in the middle of the stage.)
CAPT. Still, still so dead asleep, the very noise And motion that we make in carrying him Stirs not a leaf in all the living tree.
SOLDIERS. If living--But if by some inward blow For ever and irrevocably fell'd By what strikes deeper to the root than sleep? --He's dead! He's dead! They've kill'd him-- --No--he breathes-- And the heart beats--and now he breathes again Deeply, as one about to shake away The load of sleep.
CAPT. Come, let us all kneel round, And with a blast of warlike instruments, And acclamation of all loyal hearts, Rouse and restore him to his royal right, From which no royal wrong shall drive him more.
(They all kneel round his bed: trumpets, drums, etc.)
SOLDIERS. --Segismund! Segismund! Prince Segismund! --King Segismund! Down with Basilio! --Down with Astolfo! Segismund our King! etc. --He stares upon us wildly. He cannot speak. --I said so--driv'n him mad. --Speak to him, Captain.
CAPTAIN. Oh Royal Segismund, our Prince and King, Look on us--listen to us--answer us, Your faithful soldiery and subjects, now About you kneeling, but on fire to rise And cleave a passage through your enemies, Until we seat you on
A SOLDIER (discovering Fife). Hilloa!
SOLDIERS. --Hilloa! Here's some one skulking-- --Seize and gag him! --Stab him at once, say I: the only way To make all sure. --Hold, every man of you! And down upon your knees!--Why, 'tis the Prince! --The Prince!-- --Oh, I should know him anywhere, And anyhow disguised. --But the Prince is chain'd. --And of a loftier presence-- --'Tis he, I tell you; Only bewilder'd as he was before. God save your Royal Highness! On our knees Beseech you answer us!
FIFE. Just as you please. Well--'tis this country's custom, I suppose, To take a poor man every now and then And set him ON the throne; just for the fun Of tumbling him again into the dirt. And now my turn is come. 'Tis very pretty.
SOL. His wits have been distemper'd with their drugs. But do you ask him, Captain.
CAPT. On my knees, And in the name of all who kneel with me, I do beseech your Highness answer to Your royal title.
FIFE. Still, just as you please. In my own poor opinion of myself-- But that may all be dreaming, which it seems Is very much the fashion in this country No Polish prince at all, but a poor lad From Muscovy; where only help me back, I promise never to contest the crown Of Poland with whatever gentleman You fancy to set up.
SOLDIERS. --From Muscovy? --A spy then-- --Of Astolfo's-- --Spy! a spy --Hang him at once!
FIFE. No, pray don't dream of that!
SOL. How dared you then set yourself up for our Prince Segismund?
FIFE. /I/ set up!--/I/ like that When 'twas yourselves be-siegesmunded me.
CAPT. No matter--Look!--The signal from the tower. Prince Segismund!
SOL. (from the tower). Prince Segismund!
CAPT. All's well. Clotaldo safe secured?--
SOL. (from the tower). No--by ill luck, Instead of coming in, as we had look'd for, He sprang on horse at once, and off at gallop.
CAPT. To Court, no doubt--a blunder that--And yet Perchance a blunder that may work as well As better forethought. Having no suspicion So will he carry none where his not going Were of itself suspicious. But of those Within, who side with us?
SOL. Oh, one and all To the last man, persuaded or compell'd.
CAPT. Enough: whatever be to be retrieved No moment to be lost. For though Clotaldo Have no revolt to tell of in the tower, The capital will soon awake to ours, And the King's force come blazing after us. Where is the Prince?
SOL. Within; so fast asleep We woke him not ev'n striking off the chain We had so cursedly help bind him with, Not knowing what we did; but too ashamed Not to undo ourselves what we had done.
CAPT. No matter, nor by whosesoever hands, Provided done. Come; we will bring him forth Out of that stony darkness here abroad, Where air and sunshine sooner shall disperse The sleepy fume which they have drugg'd him with.
(They enter the tower, and thence bring out Segismund asleep on a pallet, and set him in the middle of the stage.)
CAPT. Still, still so dead asleep, the very noise And motion that we make in carrying him Stirs not a leaf in all the living tree.
SOLDIERS. If living--But if by some inward blow For ever and irrevocably fell'd By what strikes deeper to the root than sleep? --He's dead! He's dead! They've kill'd him-- --No--he breathes-- And the heart beats--and now he breathes again Deeply, as one about to shake away The load of sleep.
CAPT. Come, let us all kneel round, And with a blast of warlike instruments, And acclamation of all loyal hearts, Rouse and restore him to his royal right, From which no royal wrong shall drive him more.
(They all kneel round his bed: trumpets, drums, etc.)
SOLDIERS. --Segismund! Segismund! Prince Segismund! --King Segismund! Down with Basilio! --Down with Astolfo! Segismund our King! etc. --He stares upon us wildly. He cannot speak. --I said so--driv'n him mad. --Speak to him, Captain.
CAPTAIN. Oh Royal Segismund, our Prince and King, Look on us--listen to us--answer us, Your faithful soldiery and subjects, now About you kneeling, but on fire to rise And cleave a passage through your enemies, Until we seat you on