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life is a dream-第3节

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Of holding thee; methinks myself would tear

To pieces



FIFE。

There; his word's enough for it。



SEG。

Oh; think; if you who move about at will;

And live in sweet communion with your kind;

After an hour lost in these lonely rocks

Hunger and thirst after some human voice

To drink; and human face to feed upon;

What must one do where all is mute; or harsh;

And ev'n the naked face of cruelty

Were better than the mask it works beneath?

Across the mountain then! Across the mountain!

What if the next world which they tell one of

Be only next across the mountain then;

Though I must never see it till I die;

And you one of its angels?



ROS。

Alas; alas!

No angel! And the face you think so fair;

'Tis but the dismal frame…work of these rocks

That makes it seem so; and the world I come from

Alas; alas; too many faces there

Are but fair vizors to black hearts below;

Or only serve to bring the wearer woe!

But to yourselfIf haply the redress

That I am here upon may help to yours。

I heard you tax the heavens with ordering;

And men for executing; what; alas!

I now behold。 But why; and who they are

Who do; and you who suffer



SEG。 (pointing upwards)。

Ask of them;

Whom; as to…night; I have so often ask'd;

And ask'd in vain。



ROS。

But surely; surely



SEG。

Hark!

The trumpet of the watch to shut us in。

Oh; should they find you!Quick! Behind the rocks!

To…morrowif to…morrow



ROS。 (flinging her sword toward him)。

Take my sword!



(Rosaura and Fife hide in the rocks; Enter Clotaldo)



CLOTALDO。

These stormy days you like to see the last of

Are but ill opiates; Segismund; I think;

For night to follow: and to…night you seem

More than your wont disorder'd。 What! A sword?

Within there!



(Enter Soldiers with black vizors and torches)



FIFE。

Here's a pleasant masquerade!



CLO。

Whosever watch this was

Will have to pay head…reckoning。 Meanwhile;

This weapon had a wearer。 Bring him here;

Alive or dead。



SEG。

Clotaldo! good Clotaldo!



CLO。 (to Soldiers who enclose Segismund; others searching the rocks)。

You know your duty。



SOLDIERS (bringing in Rosaura and Fife)。

Here are two of them;

Whoever more to follow



CLO。

Who are you;

That in defiance of known proclamation

Are found; at night…fall too; about this place?



FIFE。

Oh; my Lord; sheI mean he



ROS。

Silence; Fife;

And let me speak for both。Two foreign men;

To whom your country and its proclamations

Are equally unknown; and had we known;

Ourselves not masters of our lawless beasts

That; terrified by the storm among your rocks;

Flung us upon them to our cost。



FIFE。

My mule



CLO。

Foreigners? Of what country?



ROS。

Muscovy。



CLO。

And whither bound?



ROS。

Hitherif this be Poland;

But with no ill design on her; and therefore

Taking it ill that we should thus be stopt

Upon her threshold so uncivilly。



CLO。

Whither in Poland?



ROS。

To the capital。



CLO。

And on what errand?



ROS。

Set me on the road;

And you shall be the nearer to my answer。



CLO。 (aside)。

So resolute and ready to reply;

And yet so youngand

(Aloud。)

Well;

Your business was not surely with the man

We found you with?



ROS。

He was the first we saw;

And strangers and benighted; as we were;

As you too would have done in a like case;

Accosted him at once。



CLO。

Ay; but this sword?



ROS。

I flung it toward him。



CLO。

Well; and why?



ROS。

And why? But to revenge himself on those who thus

Injuriously misuse him。



CLO。

Sososo!

'Tis well such resolution wants a beard

And; I suppose; is never to attain one。

Well; I must take you both; you and your sword;

Prisoners。



FIFE。 (offering a cudgel)。

Pray take mine; and welcome; sir;

I'm sure I gave it to that mule of mine

To mighty little purpose。



ROS。

Mine you have;

And may it win us some more kindliness

Than we have met with yet。



CLO (examining the sword)。

More mystery!

How came you by this weapon?



ROS。

From my father。



CLO。

And do you know whence he?



ROS。

Oh; very well:

From one of this same Polish realm of yours;

Who promised a return; should come the chance;

Of courtesies that he received himself

In Muscovy; and left this pledge of it

Not likely yet; it seems; to be redeem'd。



CLO (aside)。

Oh; wondrous chanceor wondrous Providence!

The sword that I myself in Muscovy;

When these white hairs were black; for keepsake left

Of obligation for a like return

To him who saved me wounded as I lay

Fighting against his country; took me home;

Tended me like a brother till recover'd;

Perchance to fight against him once again

And now my sword put back into my hand

By hisif not his sonstill; as so seeming;

By me; as first devoir of gratitude;

To seem believing; till the wearer's self

See fit to drop the ill…dissembling mask。

(Aloud。)

Well; a strange turn of fortune has arrested

The sharp and sudden penalty that else

Had visited your rashness or mischance:

In part; your tender youth toopardon me;

And touch not where your sword is not to answer

Commends you to my care; not your life only;

Else by this misadventure forfeited;

But ev'n your errand; which; by happy chance;

Chimes with the very business I am on;

And calls me to the very point you aim at。



ROS。

The capital?



CLO。

Ay; the capital; and ev'n

That capital of capitals; the Court:

Where you may plead; and; I may promise; win

Pardon for this; you say unwilling; trespass;

And prosecute what else you have at heart;

With me to help you forward all I can;

Provided all in loyalty to those

To whom by natural allegiance

I first am bound to。



ROS。

As you make; I take

Your offer: with like promise on my side

Of loyalty to you and those you serve;

Under like reservation for regards

Nearer and dearer still。



CLO。

Enough; enough;

Your hand; a bargain on both sides。 Meanwhile;

Here shall you rest to…night。 The break of day

Shall see us both together on the way。



ROS。

Thus then what I for misadventure blamed;

Directly draws me where my wishes aim'd。



(Exeunt。)







SCENE II。

The Palace at Warsaw





Enter on one side Astolfo; Duke of Muscovy; with his train: and; on

the other; the Princess Estrella; with hers。



ASTOLFO。

My royal cousin; if so near in blood;

Till this auspicious meeting scarcely known;

Till all that beauty promised in the bud

Is now to its consummate blossom blown;

Well met at last; and may



ESTRELLA。

Enough; my Lord;

Of compliment devised for you by some

Court tailor; and; believe me; still too short

To cover the designful heart below。



AST。

Nay; but indeed; fair cousin



EST。

Ay; let Deed

Measure your words; indeed your flowers of speech

Ill with your iron equipage atone;

Irony indeed; and wordy compliment。



AST。

Indeed; indeed; you wrong me; royal cousin;

And fair as royal; misinterpreting

What; even for the end you think I aim at;

If false to you; were fatal to myself。



EST。

Why; what else means the glittering steel; my Lord;

That bristles in the rear of these fine words?

What can it mean; but; failing to cajole;

To fight or force me from my just pretension?



AST。

Nay; might I not ask ev'n the same of you;

The nodding helmets of whose men…at…arms

Out…crest the plumage of your lady court?



EST。

But to defend what yours would force from me。



AST。

Might not I; lady; say the same of mine?

But not to come to battle; ev'n of words;

With a fair lady; and my kinswoman;

And as averse to stand before your face;

Defenceless; and condemn'd in your disgrace;

Till the good king be here to clear it all

Will you vouchsafe to hear me?



EST。

As you will。



AST。

You know that; when about to leave this world;

Our royal grandsire; King Alfonso; left

Three children; one a son; Basilio;

Who wearslong may he wear! the crown of Poland;

And daughters twain: of whom the elder was

Your mother; Clorilena; now some while

Exalted to a more than mortal throne;

And Recisunda; mine; the younger sister;

Who; married to the Prince of Muscovy;

Gave me the light which may she live to see

Herself for many; many years to come。

Meanwhile; good King Basilio; as you know;

Deep in abstruser studies than this world;

And busier with the stars than lady's eyes;

Has never by a second marriage yet

Replaced; as Poland ask'd of him; the heir

An early marriage brought and took away;

His young queen dying with the son she bore him;

And in such alienation grown so old

As leaves no other hope of heir to Poland

Than his two sisters' children; you; fair cousin;

And me; for whom the Commons of the realm

Divide themselves into two several factions;

Whet

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