That not done, best hold my peace, Lest I prove an empty boaster.

ALL.

Long live Sigismund, our king!

Enter CI OTALDO.

CLOTALDO.

Ha! what noise? my life is forfeit.

Rise, my father-kneel no longer; Rise to be the guide and pole-star

By the which I shape my projects;

For by your great loyalty

Was my helpless childhood fostered.
Give me your embrace.

CLOTALDO.

What say you?

SIGISMUND.

That I dream, and would act nobly,

Since well-doing is not lost,

Though it be in dreams done only.

CLOTALDO.

Then, sir, if it be your blazon
To do well, that I with boldness
Crave of you the same permission,
Can not for a fault be noted.
Arms you wield against your sire:
I can neither counsel offer,
Nor lend aid against my king.
See me prostrated before thee:
Kill me, if thou wilt.

SIGISMUND.

Ha, villain!

Ingrate!-but 'tis need I govern
And in meekness rule my soul,

For his true estate who knoweth ?
To your loyalty, Clotaldo,

Owe I envy, praise, and wonder;
Go and serve your lord and king,
We shall meet in battle shortly.

But for you, now sound to arms.

CLOTALDO.

My best thanks this grace acknowledge.

SIGISMUND.

[Exit.

Destiny, we go to reign;

Wake I, let not sleep come o'er me;

Sleep I, do not waken me.

But well-doing most imports me,
Be it thus or thus-if truth,
For the truth's sake; if the other,

To win friends against the time
When this fleeting dream is over.

[They go out, sounding alarums.

Presently comes another struggle with temptation. Sigismund is advancing against the capital of his father, and Rosaura, at his approach, flees to him as her champion, who shall compel her faithless lover to do her right. Along with the temptation there goes also a new and deeper confusion, for she was one of the persons of his former dream. He discourses thus:

Help me, Heaven, that I may learn

From these doubts to issue wholly,

Or not muse on them at all.

Who has known such doubtful torments? If I dreamt that majesty

Whereof lately I was owner,

How doth now this woman give me

Of that time such certain tokens?
Then it was a truth, no dream;
But if truth, which is another
And no less perplexity,

How do my life's following courses
Name it dream? then so resembling
Unto dreams are this world's glories,
It will happen many times

That the true for false are holden,
And the false accounted true-

These so little from those other
Differing, that 'tis hard to know
If what felt is and beholden
Be a falsehood, be a truth:
To the original the copy
So resembles, that a question
Which the true is rises often.
Then if this be thus, and all

Of our majesty and glory,

Of our pomp, and pride, and greatness,

Must in shadows vanish wholly,

Let us hasten to improve

What is ours, this present moment.

Let us snatch a present joy,

While a dream no future knoweth.
In my power Rosaura is,

And my soul her charms adoreth:
Let me seize, then, this occasion
Which unto my feet has borne her.
This a dream is; then delights
Let us dream of for the moment,
Pain will track them swiftly after.
But I do confute mine own self
With the reasons I advance.
If a dream, an empty glory,
Who for empty glory here
Would a heavenly glory forfeit ?
What past good is not a dream?
Who has tasted blisses lofty,
And says not, whenever these are
In his memory revolvèd,

Doubtless I have dreamed it all,
Which I saw but if my knowledge
Tells me this, and if desire
Is a flame that brightly gloweth,
Yet is turned to dead, cold ashes
By the wind that breathes the softest,
Let us, then, the eternal aim at-
Fame that no decreases offers,
Blisses that not ever slumber,

Majesty that ne'er reposes.