SIGISMUND.

Not so the sun say rather, by whose aid
That star continues bright,

Since from thy rays it ever draws its light.
I in the kingdom sweet,

Where the fair squadrons of the garden meet,

The goddess rose have seen

Elected as the loveliest for their queen.
And 'mid the jewels fine,

The rich assemblage sparkling in the mine,
The diamond ruled as lord,

To whom, as brightest, empire all accord,
And in heaven's brilliant court,

Whither the senate of the stars resort,

I saw that Hesper owned

The chiefest station, royally enthroned.

And at the great sun's call

When the bright planets are assembled all,

And reigned the lordliest oracle of day.

Then how, if ever the most beauteous owns

First place 'mid planets, flowers, and stars, and stones,

Hast thou obeyed the less,

Who art in thy transcendent loveliness,

And showing fairest far,

At once sun, planet, diamond, rose and star?

In a little, however, Sigismund, leaving these high

flown compliments, detains her so rudely, that Clotaldo, who has anxiously followed her into the prince's presence, is obliged to come forward and interfere for her release. The prince, enraged at the interruption, flings him at his feet, and a second time attempts his life. Rosaura runs out, crying for help, and Astolfo, summoned by her cries, seeks to protect the old man, when Sigismund turns upon him, and Astolfo is obliged to draw also to protect his life. The king, attracted by the tumult, enters, and again expostulates with his son. He answers upbraiding with upbraiding. Why should he have respect to the grey hairs of Clotaldo, when those of his father shall lie one day at his feet? With this defiance Sigismund goes out. It is now acknowledged by all that nothing can be done with him, but to replace him in his former dungeon once more. At the earliest opportunity, that is, when next he desires to drink, the second sleeping potion shall be given him. Yet here let me pause to observe that we should entirely miss the true point of view from which it was the poet's intention that we should regard his work, if all our sympathies were with the father, and against Sigismund. His resentment on account of his deprivation of all that humanizing culture which was his right as a man was neither unnatural nor unjust, little as he can be justified in his manner of displaying it. Feuerbach-not the atheist, but his father, an eminent

7

writer on criminal jurisprudence-has composed a memoir on Gaspar Hauser, whose actual history so much resembled that which Calderon has here imagined, with this title, Kaspar Verbrechens am Seelenleben. the higher life had been here

Hauser, Beispiel eines Such an offence against also committed, and it

was only just that it should be avenged.

We must conclude that what had been agreed on has been done; for, in the next scene, Sigismund is again in his tower, clothed with skins and fastened with chains as before. The scene is a noble one: I can only hope that its beauty, especially that of its concluding soliloquy, has not wholly evaporated in the process of emptying from vessel to vessel. Clotaldo and servants, among whom is Clarin, have brought him thither.

CLOTALDO.

Lay your burden on this floor,
For to-day must end his pride,
Where it started.

SERVANT.

I have tied

His fetter as it was before.

* That is, supposing the whole account which he gave of himself was not an imposture, and the wound of which he died inflicted by his own hand. Feuerbach, however, a man little likely to be imposed on, was convinced of the truth of his story.

CLARIN.

Never, never any more
Waken, Sigismund, to see
Thy reverse of destiny:
Like a shadow with no stay,
Like a flame that dies away,
Vanishing thy majesty!

CLOTALDO.

One who such moralities
Makes, should never lack a place
Where he may have ample space
And leisure to discourse at ease:
This is he whom ye must seize—
Let him here continue bound.

CLARIN.

But me wherefore?

CLOTALDO.

When are found

Secrets grave to clarion known,

We guard it safe, lest they be blown, If the clarion once should sound.

CLARIN.

But me-wherefore bind me thus?

At my father's life did I

Aim? or from that balcony

Did I, fierce and tyrannous,

Fling that little Icarus ?

Clotaldo?

[They take him away. Enter the King disguised.

KING.

CLOTALDO.

Does your majesty

Thus in this disguise appear ?

KING.

Foolish yearnings draw me here,
And a mournful wish to see
How it fares (ah, wo is me!)

With my son.

CLOTALDO.

Behold him shorn

Of his glory, and forlorn,

In his woful first estate.

KING.

Prince, alas, unfortunate,

Under stars malignant born!

Rouse him from his lethargy,

Now that all his strength has sunk

With the opiate that he drunk.

CLOTALDO.

He is slumbering restlessly,

And he speaks.