life is a dream-第12章
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To mock me with that idle title
CAPT。
Nay;
Indeed no idle title; but your own;
Then; now; and now for ever。 For; behold;
Ev'n as I speak; the mountain passes fill
And bristle with the advancing soldiery
That glitters in your rising glory; sir;
And; at our signal; echo to our cry;
'Segismund; King of Poland!' etc。
(Shouts; trumpets; etc。)
SEG。
Oh; how cheap
The muster of a countless host of shadows;
As impotent to do with as to keep!
All this they said beforeto softer music。
CAPT。
Soft music; sir; to what indeed were shadows;
That; following the sunshine of a Court;
Shall back be brought with itif shadows still;
Yet to substantial reckoning。
SEG。
They shall?
The white…hair'd and white…wanded chamberlain;
So busy with his wand toothe old King
That I was somewhat hard onhe had been
Hard upon meand the fine feather'd Prince
Who crow'd so loudmy cousin;and another;
Another cousin; we will not bear hard on
AndBut Clotaldo?
CAPT。
Fled; my lord; but close
Pursued; and then
SEG。
Then; as he fled before;
And after he had sworn it on his knees;
Came back to take mewhere I am!No more;
No more of this! Away with you! Begone!
Whether but visions of ambitious night
That morning ought to scatter; or grown out
Of night's proportions you invade the day
To scare me from my little wits yet left;
Begone! I know I must be near awake;
Knowing I dream; or; if not at my voice;
Then vanish at the clapping of my hands;
Or take this foolish fellow for your sport:
Dressing me up in visionary glories;
Which the first air of waking consciousness
Scatters as fast as from the almander
That; waking one fine morning in full flower;
One rougher insurrection of the breeze
Of all her sudden honour disadorns
To the last blossom; and she stands again
The winter…naked scare…crow that she was!
CAPT。
I know not what to do; nor what to say;
With all this dreaming; I begin to doubt
They have driv'n him mad indeed; and he and we
Are lost together。
A SOLDIER (to Captain)。
Stay; stay; I remember
Hark in your ear a moment。
(Whispers。)
CAPT。
Sososo?
Oh; now indeed I do not wonder; sir;
Your senses dazzle under practices
Which treason; shrinking from its own device;
Would now persuade you only was a dream;
But waking was as absolute as this
You wake in now; as some who saw you then;
Prince as you were and are; can testify:
Not only saw; but under false allegiance
Laid hands upon
SOLDIER 1。
I; to my shame!
SOLDIER 2。
And I!
CAPT。
Who; to wipe out that shame; have been the first
To stir and lead usHark!
(Shouts; trumpets; etc。)
A SOLDIER。
Our forces; sir;
Challenging King Basilio's; now in sight;
And bearing down upon us。
CAPT。
Sir; you hear;
A little hesitation and delay;
And all is lostyour own right; and the lives
Of those who now maintain it at that cost;
With you all saved and won; without; all lost。
That former recognition of your right
Grant but a dream; if you will have it so;
Great things forecast themselves by shadows great:
Or will you have it; this like that dream too;
People; and place; and time itself; all dream
Yet; being in't; and as the shadows come
Quicker and thicker than you can escape;
Adopt your visionary soldiery;
Who; having struck a solid chain away;
Now put an airy sword into your hand;
And harnessing you piece…meal till you stand
Amidst us all complete in glittering;
If unsubstantial; steel
ROSAURA (without)。
The Prince! The Prince!
CAPT。
Who calls for him?
SOL。
The Page who spurr'd us hither;
And now; dismounted from a foaming horse
(Enter Rosaura)
ROSAURA。
Where isbut where I need no further ask
Where the majestic presence; all in arms;
Mutely proclaims and vindicates himself。
FIFE。
My darling Lady…lord
ROS。
My own good Fife;
Keep to my sideand silence!Oh; my Lord;
For the third time behold me here where first
You saw me; by a happy misadventure
Losing my own way here to find it out
For you to follow with these loyal men;
Adding the moment of my little cause
To yours; which; so much mightier as it is;
By a strange chance runs hand in hand with mine;
The self…same foe who now pretends your right;
Withholding minethat; of itself alone;
I know the royal blood that runs in you
Would vindicate; regardless of your own:
The right of injured innocence; and; more;
Spite of this epicene attire; a woman's;
And of a noble stock I will not name
Till I; who brought it; have retrieved the shame。
Whom Duke Astolfo; Prince of Muscovy;
With all the solemn vows of wedlock won;
And would have wedded; as I do believe;
Had not the cry of Poland for a Prince
Call'd him from Muscovy to join the prize
Of Poland with the fair Estrella's eyes。
I; following him hither; as you saw;
Was cast upon these rocks; arrested by
Clotaldo: who; for an old debt of love
He owes my family; with all his might
Served; and had served me further; till my cause
Clash'd with his duty to his sovereign;
Which; as became a loyal subject; sir;
(And never sovereign had a loyaller;)
Was still his first。 He carried me to Court;
Where; for the second time; I crossed your path;
Where; as I watch'd my opportunity;
Suddenly broke this public passion out;
Which; drowning private into public wrong;
Yet swiftlier sweeps it to revenge along。
SEG。
Oh God; if this be dreaming; charge it not
To burst the channel of enclosing sleep
And drown the waking reason! Not to dream
Only what dreamt shall once or twice again
Return to buzz about the sleeping brain
Till shaken off for ever
But reassailing one so quick; so thick
The very figure and the circumstance
Of sense…confess'd reality foregone
In so…call'd dream so palpably repeated;
The copy so like the original;
We know not which is which; and dream so…call'd
Itself inweaving so inextricably
Into the tissue of acknowledged truth;
The very figures that empeople it
Returning to assert themselves no phantoms
In something so much like meridian day;
And in the very place that not my worst
And veriest disenchanter shall deny
For the too well…remember'd theatre
Of my long tragedyStrike up the drums!
If this be Truth; and all of us awake;
Indeed a famous quarrel is at stake:
If but a Vision I will see it out;
And; drive the Dream; I can but join the rout。
CAPT。
And in good time; sir; for a palpable
Touchstone of truth and rightful vengeance too;
Here is Clotaldo taken。
SOLDIERS。
In with him!
In with the traitor!
(Clotaldo brought in。)
SEG。
Ay; Clotaldo; indeed
Himselfin his old habithis old self
What! back again; Clotaldo; for a while
To swear me this for truth; and afterwards
All for a dreaming lie?
CLO。
Awake or dreaming;
Down with that sword; and down these traitors theirs;
Drawn in rebellion 'gainst their Sovereign。
SEG。 (about to strike)。
Traitor! Traitor yourself!
But softsoftsoft!
You told me; not so very long ago;
Awake or dreamingI forgetmy brain
Is not so clear about itbut I know
One test you gave me to discern between;
Which mad and dreaming people cannot master;
Or if the dreamer could; so best secure
A comfortable wakingWas't not so?
(To Rosaura)。
Needs not your intercession now; you see;
As in the dream before
Clotaldo; rough old nurse and tutor too
That only traitor wert; to me if true
Give him his sword; set him on a fresh horse;
Conduct him safely through my rebel force;
And so God speed him to his sovereign's side!
Give me your hand; and whether all awake
Or all a…dreaming; ride; Clotaldo; ride
Dream…swiftfor fear we dreams should overtake。
(A Battle may be supposed to take place; after which)
ACT III。
Scene I。A wooded pass near the field of battle: drums; trumpets