The soldier of his laurels grown in blood:
The lover of the beauty that he knew Must yet dissolve to dusty residue:
The merchant and the miser of his bags Of finger'd gold; the beggar of his rags:
And all this stage of earth on which we seem Such busy actors, and the parts we play'd, Substantial as the shadow of a shade, And Dreaming but a dream within a dream!
FIFE.
Was it not said, sir, By some philosopher as yet unborn, That any chimney-sweep who for twelve hours Dreams himself king is happy as the king Who dreams himself twelve hours a chimney-sweep?
CLO.
A theme indeed for wiser heads than yours To moralize upon--How came you here?--FIFE.
Not of my own will, I assure you, sir.
No matter for myself: but I would know About my mistress--I mean, master--CLO.
Oh, Now I remember--Well, your master-mistress Is well, and deftly on its errand speeds, As you shall--if you can but hold your tongue.
Can you?
FIFE.
I'd rather be at home again.
CLO.
Where you shall be the quicker if while here You can keep silence.
FIFE.
I may whistle, then?
Which by the virtue of my name I do, And also as a reasonable test Of waking sanity--CLO.
Well, whistle then;
And for another reason you forgot, That while you whistle, you can chatter not.
Only remember--if you quit this pass--
FIFE.
(His rhymes are out, or he had call'd it spot)--CLO.
A bullet brings you to.
I must forthwith to court to tell the King The issue of this lamentable day, That buries all his hope in night.
(To FIFE.)
Farewell.Remember.
FIFE.
But a moment--but a word!
When shall I see my mis--mas--
CLO.
Be content:
All in good time; and then, and not before, Never to miss your master any more.
(Exit.)
FIFE.
Such talk of dreaming--dreaming--I begin To doubt if I be dreaming I am Fife, Who with a lad who call'd herself a boy Because--I doubt there's some confusion here--He wore no petticoat, came on a time Riding from Muscovy on half a horse, Who must have dreamt she was a horse entire, To cant me off upon my hinder face Under this tower, wall-eyed and musket-tongued, With sentinels a-pacing up and down, Crying All's well when all is far from well, All the day long, and all the night, until I dream--if what is dreaming be not waking--Of bells a-tolling and processions rolling With candles, crosses, banners, San-benitos, Of which I wear the flamy-finingest, Through streets and places throng'd with fiery faces To some back platform--Oh, I shall take a fire into my hand With thinking of my own dear Muscovy--Only just over that Sierra there, By which we tumbled headlong into--No-land.
Now, if without a bullet after me, I could but get a peep of my old home Perhaps of my own mule to take me there--All's still--perhaps the gentlemen within Are dreaming it is night behind their masks--God send 'em a good nightmare!--Now then--Hark!
Voices--and up the rocks--and armed men Climbing like cats--Puss in the corner then.
(He hides.)
(Enter Soldiers cautiously up the rocks.)CAPTAIN.
This is the frontier pass, at any rate, Where Poland ends and Muscovy begins.
SOLDIER.
We must be close upon the tower, I know, That half way up the mountain lies ensconced.
CAPT.
How know you that?
SOL.
He told me so--the Page Who put us on the scent.
SOL.2.
And, as I think, Will soon be here to run it down with us.
CAPT.
Meantime, our horses on these ugly rocks Useless, and worse than useless with their clatter--Leave them behind, with one or two in charge, And softly, softly, softly.
SOLDIERS.
--There it is!
--There what?
--The tower--the fortress--
--That the tower!--
--That mouse-trap! We could pitch it down the rocks With our own hands.
--The rocks it hangs among Dwarf its proportions and conceal its strength;Larger and stronger than you think.
--No matter;
No place for Poland's Prince to be shut up in.
At it at once!
CAPT.
No--no--I tell you wait--
Till those within give signal.For as yet We know not who side with us, and the fort Is strong in man and musket.
SOL.
Shame to wait For odds with such a cause at stake.
CAPT.
Because Of such a cause at stake we wait for odds--For if not won at once, for ever lost:
For any long resistance on their part Would bring Basilio's force to succour them Ere we had rescued him we come to rescue.
So softly, softly, softly, still--
A SOLDIER (discovering Fife).
Hilloa!
SOLDIERS.
--Hilloa! Here's some one skulking--
--Seize and gag him!
--Stab him at once, say I: the only way To make all sure.
--Hold, every man of you!
And down upon your knees!--Why, 'tis the Prince!
--The Prince!--
--Oh, I should know him anywhere, And anyhow disguised.
--But the Prince is chain'd.
--And of a loftier presence--
--'Tis he, I tell you;
Only bewilder'd as he was before.
God save your Royal Highness! On our knees Beseech you answer us!
FIFE.
Just as you please.
Well--'tis this country's custom, I suppose, To take a poor man every now and then And set him ON the throne; just for the fun Of tumbling him again into the dirt.
And now my turn is come.'Tis very pretty.
SOL.
His wits have been distemper'd with their drugs.
But do you ask him, Captain.
CAPT.
On my knees, And in the name of all who kneel with me, I do beseech your Highness answer to Your royal title.
FIFE.
Still, just as you please.
In my own poor opinion of myself--
But that may all be dreaming, which it seems Is very much the fashion in this country No Polish prince at all, but a poor lad From Muscovy; where only help me back, I promise never to contest the crown Of Poland with whatever gentleman You fancy to set up.
SOLDIERS.
--From Muscovy?
--A spy then--
--Of Astolfo's--
--Spy! a spy --Hang him at once!
FIFE.
No, pray don't dream of that!
SOL.
How dared you then set yourself up for our Prince Segismund?
FIFE.
/I/ set up!--/I/ like that When 'twas yourselves be-siegesmunded me.
CAPT.
No matter--Look!--The signal from the tower.
Prince Segismund!
SOL.(from the tower).
Prince Segismund!
CAPT.
All's well.Clotaldo safe secured?--
SOL.(from the tower).
No--by ill luck, Instead of coming in, as we had look'd for, He sprang on horse at once, and off at gallop.
CAPT.
