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第12章

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

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