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第14章

  ROSAURA(without)。
  ThePrince!ThePrince!
  CAPT。
  Whocallsforhim?
  SOL。
  ThePagewhospurr'dushither,Andnow,dismountedfromafoaminghorse——
  (EnterRosaura)
  ROSAURA。
  Whereis——butwhereIneednofurtheraskWherethemajesticpresence,allinarms,Mutelyproclaimsandvindicateshimself。
  FIFE。
  MydarlingLady—lord——
  ROS。
  MyowngoodFife,Keeptomyside——andsilence!——Oh,myLord,ForthethirdtimebeholdmeherewherefirstYousawme,byahappymisadventureLosingmyownwayheretofinditoutForyoutofollowwiththeseloyalmen,AddingthemomentofmylittlecauseToyours;which,somuchmightierasitis,Byastrangechancerunshandinhandwithmine;
  Theself—samefoewhonowpretendsyourright,Withholdingmine——that,ofitselfalone,IknowtheroyalbloodthatrunsinyouWouldvindicate,regardlessofyourown:
  Therightofinjuredinnocence;and,more,Spiteofthisepiceneattire,awoman's;
  AndofanoblestockIwillnotnameTillI,whobroughtit,haveretrievedtheshame。
  WhomDukeAstolfo,PrinceofMuscovy,Withallthesolemnvowsofwedlockwon,Andwouldhavewedded,asIdobelieve,HadnotthecryofPolandforaPrinceCall'dhimfromMuscovytojointheprizeOfPolandwiththefairEstrella'seyes。
  I,followinghimhither,asyousaw,Wascastupontheserocks;arrestedbyClotaldo:who,foranolddebtofloveHeowesmyfamily,withallhismightServed,andhadservedmefurther,tillmycauseClash'dwithhisdutytohissovereign,Which,asbecamealoyalsubject,sir,(Andneversovereignhadaloyaller,)
  Wasstillhisfirst。HecarriedmetoCourt,Where,forthesecondtime,Icrossedyourpath;
  Where,asIwatch'dmyopportunity,Suddenlybrokethispublicpassionout;
  Which,drowningprivateintopublicwrong,Yetswiftliersweepsittorevengealong。
  SEG。
  OhGod,ifthisbedreaming,chargeitnotToburstthechannelofenclosingsleepAnddrownthewakingreason!NottodreamOnlywhatdreamtshallonceortwiceagainReturntobuzzaboutthesleepingbrainTillshakenoffforever——
  Butreassailingonesoquick,sothick——
  TheveryfigureandthecircumstanceOfsense—confess'drealityforegoneInso—call'ddreamsopalpablyrepeated,Thecopysoliketheoriginal,Weknownotwhichiswhich;anddreamso—call'dItselfinweavingsoinextricablyIntothetissueofacknowledgedtruth;
  TheveryfiguresthatempeopleitReturningtoassertthemselvesnophantomsInsomethingsomuchlikemeridianday,AndintheveryplacethatnotmyworstAndveriestdisenchantershalldenyForthetoowell—remember'dtheatreOfmylongtragedy——Strikeupthedrums!
  IfthisbeTruth,andallofusawake,Indeedafamousquarrelisatstake:
  IfbutaVisionIwillseeitout,And,drivetheDream,Icanbutjointherout。
  CAPT。
  Andingoodtime,sir,forapalpableTouchstoneoftruthandrightfulvengeancetoo,HereisClotaldotaken。
  SOLDIERS。
  Inwithhim!
  Inwiththetraitor!
  (Clotaldobroughtin。)
  SEG。
  Ay,Clotaldo,indeed——
  Himself——inhisoldhabit——hisoldself——
  What!backagain,Clotaldo,forawhileToswearmethisfortruth,andafterwardsAllforadreaminglie?
  CLO。
  Awakeordreaming,Downwiththatsword,anddownthesetraitorstheirs,Drawninrebellion'gainsttheirSovereign。
  SEG。(abouttostrike)。
  Traitor!Traitoryourself!——
  Butsoft——soft——soft!——
  Youtoldme,notsoverylongago,Awakeordreaming——Iforget——mybrainIsnotsoclearaboutit——butIknowOnetestyougavemetodiscernbetween,Whichmadanddreamingpeoplecannotmaster;
  Orifthedreamercould,sobestsecureAcomfortablewaking——Was'tnotso?
  (ToRosaura)。
  Needsnotyourintercessionnow,yousee,Asinthedreambefore——
  Clotaldo,rougholdnurseandtutortooThatonlytraitorwert,tomeiftrue——
  Givehimhissword;sethimonafreshhorse;
  Conducthimsafelythroughmyrebelforce;
  AndsoGodspeedhimtohissovereign'sside!
  Givemeyourhand;andwhetherallawakeOralla—dreaming,ride,Clotaldo,ride——
  Dream—swift——forfearwedreamsshouldovertake。
  (ABattlemaybesupposedtotakeplace;afterwhich)
  ACTIII。
  SceneI。——Awoodedpassnearthefieldofbattle:drums,trumpets,firing,etc。Criesof'GodsaveBasilio!Segismund,'etc。
  (EnterFife,running。)
  FIFE。
  Godsavethemboth,andsavethemall!sayI!——
  Oh——whathotwork!——WhicheverwayoneturnsThewhistlingbulletatone'sears——I'vedriftedFarfrommymadyoung——master——whomIsawTossingupontheverycrestofbattle,BesidethePrince——Godsaveherfirstofall!
  WithallmyheartIsayandpray——andsoCommendhertoHiskeeping——bang!——bang!——bang!
  Andformyself——scarceworthHisthinkingof——
  I'llseewhatIcandotosavemyselfBehindthisrock,untilthestormblowsover。
  (Skirmishes,shouts,firing,etc。AftersometimeenterKingBasilio,Astolfo,andClotaldo)
  KING。
  Thedayislost!
  AST。
  Donotdespair——therebels——
  KING。
  Alas!thevanquish'donlyaretherebels。
  CLOTALDO。
  Ev'nifthisbattlelostus,'tisbutoneGain'dontheirside,ifyounotlostinit;
  Anothermomentandtoolate:atonceTakehorse,andtothecapital,myliege,WhereinsomesafeandholysanctuarySavePolandinyourperson。
  AST。
  Bepersuaded:
  Youknowyourson:havetastedofhistemper;
  AthisfirstonsetthreateningunprovokedThecrimepredictedforhislastandworst。
  Howwhettednowwithsuchatasteofblood,Andthusfarconquest!
  KING。
  Ay,andhowhefought!
  Ohhowhefought,Astolfo;ranksofmenFallingasswathesofgrassbeforethemower;
  Icouldbutpausetogazeathim,although,LikethepalehorsemanoftheApocalypse,Eachmomentbroughthimnearer——YetIsay,Icouldbutpauseandgazeonhim,andprayPolandhadsuchawarriorforherking。
  AST。
  ThecryoftriumphontheothersideGainsgrounduponushere——there'sbutamomentForyou,myliege,todo,formetospeak,Whobackmusttothefield,andwhatmanmayDo,toretrievethefortuneoftheday。
  (Firing。)
  FIFE(fallingforward,shot)。
  Oh,Lord,havemercyonme。
  KING。
  Whatashriek——
  Oh,somepoorcreaturewoundedinacausePerhapsnotworththelossofonepoorlife!——
  Soyoungtoo——andnosoldier——
  FIFE。
  Apoorlad,Whochoosingplayathideandseekwithdeath,Justhidwheredeathjustcametolookforhim;
  Forthere'snoplace,Ithink,cankeephimout,Oncehe'shiseyeuponyou。Allgrowsdark——
  Youglitterfinelytoo——Well——wearedreamingButwhenthebullet'soff——Heavensavethemark!
  Sotellmymister——mastress——