Life Is a Dream Part 14

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. .h.i.ther, And now, dismounted from a foaming horse--

(Enter Rosaura)

ROSAURA.

Where is--but 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 side--and 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 mine--that, 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 n.o.ble 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 pa.s.sion out; Which, drowning private into public wrong, Yet swiftlier sweeps it to revenge along.

SEG.

Oh G.o.d, 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 rea.s.sailing one so quick, so thick-- The very figure and the circ.u.mstance 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 a.s.sert 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 tragedy--Strike 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-- Himself--in his old habit--his 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 soft--soft--soft!-- You told me, not so very long ago, Awake or dreaming--I forget--my brain Is not so clear about it--but 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 waking--Was'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 G.o.d speed him to his sovereign's side!

Give me your hand; and whether all awake Or all a-dreaming, ride, Clotaldo, ride-- Dream-swift--for fear we dreams should overtake.

(A Battle may be supposed to take place; after which)

ACT IV.

SCENE I.--A wooded pa.s.s near the field of battle:

drums, trumpets, firing, etc. Cries of 'G.o.d save Basilio!

Segismund,' etc.

(Enter Fife, running.)

FIFE.

G.o.d save them both, and save them all! say I!-- Oh--what hot work!--Whichever way one turns The whistling bullet at one's ears--I've drifted Far from my mad young--master--whom I saw Tossing upon the very crest of battle, Beside the Prince--G.o.d save her first of all!

With all my heart I say and pray--and so Commend her to His keeping--bang!--bang!--bang!

And for myself--scarce worth His thinking of-- I'll see what I can do to save myself Behind this rock, until the storm blows over.

(Skirmishes, shouts, firing, etc. After some time enter King Basilio, Astolfo, and Clotaldo)

KING.

The day is lost!

AST.

Do not despair--the rebels--

KING.

Alas! the vanquish'd only are the rebels.

CLOTALDO.

Ev'n if this battle lost us, 'tis but one Gain'd on their side, if you not lost in it; Another moment and too late: at once Take horse, and to the capital, my liege, Where in some safe and holy sanctuary Save Poland in your person.

AST.

Be persuaded: You know your son: have tasted of his temper; At his first onset threatening unprovoked The crime predicted for his last and worst.

How whetted now with such a taste of blood, And thus far conquest!

KING.

Ay, and how he fought!

Oh how he fought, Astolfo; ranks of men Falling as swathes of gra.s.s before the mower; I could but pause to gaze at him, although, Like the pale horseman of the Apocalypse, Each moment brought him nearer--Yet I say, I could but pause and gaze on him, and pray Poland had such a warrior for her king.

AST.

The cry of triumph on the other side Gains ground upon us here--there's but a moment For you, my liege, to do, for me to speak, Who back must to the field, and what man may Do, to retrieve the fortune of the day.

(Firing.)

FIFE (falling forward, shot).

Oh, Lord, have mercy on me.