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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。