University of Virginia Library

Scene XVII.

Basilius, disguised; Clotaldo, and Sigismund, asleep.
Basilius.
Hark, Clotaldo!

Clotaldo.
My lord here?
Thus disguised, your majesty?

Basilius.
Foolish curiosity
Leads me in this lowly gear
To find out, ah, me! with fear,
How the sudden change he bore.

Clotaldo.
There behold him as before
In his miserable state.

Basilius.
Wretched Prince! unhappy fate!
Birth by baneful stars watched o'er!—
Go and wake him cautiously,
Now that strength and force lie chained
By the opiate he hath drained.

Clotaldo.
Muttering something restlessly,
See he lies.

Basilius.
Let's listen; he
May some few clear words repeat.

Sigismund.
[Speaking in his sleep.
Perfect Prince is he whose heat
Smites the tyrant where he stands,
Yes, Clotaldo dies by my hands,
Yes, my sire shall kiss my feet.

Clotaldo.
Death he threatens in his rage.

Basilius.
Outrage vile he doth intend.

Clotaldo.
He my life has sworn to end.

Basilius.
He has vowed to insult my age.

Sigismund
(still sleeping).
On the mighty world's great stage,
'Mid the admiring nations' cheer,
Valour mine, that has no peer,
Enter thou: the slave so shunned
Now shall reign Prince Sigismund,
And his sire his wrath shall fear.—
[He awakes.
But, ah me! Where am I? Oh!—

Basilius.
Me I must not let him see.
[To Clotaldo.
Listening I close by will be,
What you have to do you know.

[He retires.
Sigismund.
Can it possibly be so?
Is the truth not what it seemed?
Am I chained and unredeemed?
Art not thou my lifelong tomb,
Dark old tower? Yes! What a doom!
God! what wondrous things I've dreamed!

Clotaldo.
Now in this delusive play
Must my special part be taken:—
Is it not full time to waken?

Sigismund.
Yes, to waken well it may.

Clotaldo.
Wilt thou sleep the livelong day?—
Since we gazing from below
Saw the eagle sailing slow,
Soaring through the azure sphere,
All the time thou waited here,
Didst thou never waken?

Sigismund.
No,
Nor even now am I awake,
Since such thoughts my memory fill,
That it seems I'm dreaming still:
Nor is this a great mistake;
Since if dreams could phantoms make
Things of actual substance seen,
I things seen may phantoms deem.
Thus a double harvest reaping,
I can see when I am sleeping,
And when waking I can dream.

Clotaldo.
What you may have dreamed of, say.

Sigismund.
If I thought it only seemed,
I would tell not what I dreamed,
But what I beheld, I may.
I awoke, and lo! I lay
(Cruel and delusive thing!)
In a bed whose covering,
Bright with blooms from rosy bowers,
Seemed a tapestry of flowers
Woven by the hand of Spring.
Then a crowd of nobles came,
Who addressed me by the name
Of their prince, presenting me
Gems and robes, on bended knee.
Calm soon left me, and my frame
Thrilled with joy to hear thee tell
Of the fate that me befell,
For though now in this dark den,
I was Prince of Poland then.

Clotaldo.
Doubtless you repaid me well?

Sigismund.
No, not well: for, calling thee
Traitor vile, in furious strife
Twice I strove to take thy life.

Clotaldo.
But why all this rage 'gainst me?

Sigismund.
I was master, and would be
Well revenged on foe and friend.
Love one woman could defend.....
That, at least, for truth I deem,
All else ended like a dream,
That alone can never end.

[The King withdraws.
Clotaldo
(aside).
From his place the King hath gone,
Touched by his pathetic words:—
Speaking of the king of birds
[Aloud.
Soaring to ascend his throne,
Thou didst fancy one thine own;
But in dreams, however bright,
Thou shouldst still have kept in sight
How for years I tended thee,
For 'twere well, whoe'er we be,
Even in dreams to do what's right.

[Exit.