SEG。
AndwhatcareI？Sheismycousintoo:
AndifyoubeaPrince——well，amnotI
Lordoftheverysoilyoustandupon？
Bythat，andbythatrightbesideofbloodThatlikeafieryfountainhithertoPentintherockleapstowardherathertouch，Mine，beforeallthecousinsinMuscovy！
YoucallmePrinceofPoland，andyourselvesMysubjects——traitorsthereforetothishour，WholetmeperishallmyyouthawayChain\'dthereamongthemountains;till，forsooth，Terrifiedatyourtreacheryforegone，Youspiritmeuphere，Iknownothow，Popinjay—likeinvestmelikeyourselves，ChokemewithscentandmusicthatIloathe，And，worsethanallthemusicandthescent，Withfalse，long—winded，fulsomecompliment，That\'Oh，youaremysubjects！\'andinwordReiteratingstillobedience，ThwartmeindeedateverystepItake:
WhenjustabouttowreakajustrevengeUponthatoldarch—traitorofyouall，FilchfrommyvengeancehimIhate;andhimIloved——thefirstandonlyface——tillthis——
Icaredtolookoninyouruglycourt——
AndnowwhenpalpablyIgraspatlastWhathithertobutshadow\'dinmydreams——
Affiancesandinterferences，Thefirstwhodarestomeddlewithmemore——
Princesandchamberlainsandcounsellors，Touchherwhodares！——
AST。
ThatdareI——
SEG。（seizinghimbythethroat）。
Youdare！
CHAMB。
MyLord！——
ALORD。
Hisstrength\'salion\'s——
（Voiceswithin。TheKing！TheKing！——）
（EnterKing。）
ALORD。
AndonasuddenhowhestandsatgazeAsmightawolfjustfasten\'donhisprey，Glaringatasuddenlyencounter\'dlion。
KING。
AndIthathitherflewwithopenarmsTofoldthemroundmyson，mustnowreturnTopressthemtoanemptyheartagain！
（Hesitsonthethrone。）
SEG。
ThatistheKing？——Myfather？
（Afteralongpause。）
IhaveheardThatsometimessomeblindinstincthasbeenknownTodrawtomutualrecognitionthoseOfthesameblood，beyondallmemoryDivided，orev\'nnevermetbefore。
Iknownothowthisis——perhapsinbrutesThatlivebykindlierinstincts——butIknowThatlookingnowuponthatheadwhosecrownPronounceshimasovereignking，IfeelNosettingofthecurrentinmybloodTow\'rdhimassire。Howis\'twithyou，oldman，Tow\'rdhimtheycallyourson？——
KING。
Alas！Alas！
SEG。
Yoursorrow，then？
KING。
BeholdingwhatIdo。
SEG。
Ay，buthowknowthissorrowthathasgrownAndmouldedtothispresentshapeofman，Asofyourowncreation？
KING。
Ev\'nfrombirth。
SEG。
Butfromthathourtothis，near，asIthink，SometwentysuchrenewalsoftheyearAstracethemselvesuponthebarrenrocks，Ineversawyou，noryoume——unless，Unless，indeed，throughoneofthosedarkmasksThroughwhichasonmightfailtorecognizeThebestoffathers。
KING。
Bethatasyouwill:
But，nowweseeeachotherfacetoface，KnowmeasyouIknow;whichdidInot，Bywhatsoeversigns，assuredlyYouwerenotheretoproveitatmyrisk。
SEG。
Youaremyfather。
Andisittruethen，asClotaldoswears，\'TwasyouthatfromthedawningbirthofoneYourselfbroughtintobeing，——you，Isay，Whostolehisverybirthright;notaloneThatsecondaryandpeculiarrightOfsovereignty，buteventhatprimeInheritancethatallmensharealike，Andchain\'dhim——chain\'dhim！——likeawildbeast\'swhelp。
Amongassavagemountains，tothishour？
Answerifthisbethus。
KING。
Oh，Segismund，InallthatIhavedonethatseemstoyou，And，withoutfurtherhearing，fairlyseems，Unnaturalandcruel——\'twasnotI，ButOnewhowritesHisorderintheskyIdarednotmisinterpretnorneglect，Whoknowswithwhatreluctance——
SEG。
Oh，thosestars，Thosestars，thattoofarupfromhumanblameToclearthemselves，orcarelessofthecharge，StillbearupontheirshiningshouldersallTheguiltmenshiftuponthem！
KING。
Nay，butthink:
Notonlyonthecommonscoreofkind，Butthatpeculiarcountofsovereignty——
Ifnotbehindthebeastinbrainasheart，HowshouldIthusdealwithmyinnocentchild，Doublydesired，anddoublydearwhencome，Asthatsweetsecond—selfthatalldesire，Andprincesmorethanall，torootthemselvesBythatsuccessionintheirpeople\'shearts，UnlessatthatsuperiorWill，towhichNotkingsalone，butsovereignnaturebows？
SEG。
AndwhathadthosesamestarstotellofmeThatshouldcompelafatherandakingSomuchagainstthatdoubleinstinct？
KING。
That，WhichIhavebroughtyouhither，atmyperil，Againsttheirwrittenwarning，todisprove，Byjustice，mercy，humankindliness。
SEG。
AndthereforemadeyourselftheirinstrumentTomakeyoursonthesavageandthebruteTheyonlyprophesied？——Areyounotafear\'d，Lest，irrespectiveassuchcreaturesareOfsuchrelationship，thebruteyoumadeRevengethemanyoumarr\'d——likesire，likeson。
Todobyyouasyoubymehavedone？
KING。
Youneverhadasavageheartfromme;
ImayappealtoPoland。
SEG。
Thenfromwhom？
Ifpureinfountain，poison\'dbyyourselfWhenscarcebeguntoflow。——TomakeamanNot，asIsee，degradedfromthemouldIcamefrom，norcomparedtothoseabout，Andthentothrowyourownfleshtothedogs！——
Whynotatonce，Isay，ifterrifiedAtthepropheticomensofmybirth，Havedrown\'dorstifledme，astheydowhelpsToocostlyortoodangeroustokeep？
KING。
That，living，youmightlearntolive，andruleYourselfandPoland。
SEG。
BythemeansyoutookTospoilforeither？
KING。
Nay，but，Segismund！
Youknownot——cannotknow——happilywantingThesadexperienceonwhichknowledgegrows，HowthetooearlyconsciousnessofpowerSpoilsthebestblood;norwhetherforyourlongConstrain\'ddisheritance（which，butforme，Remember，andformyrelentingloveBurstingthebondoffate，hadbeeneternal）
Youhavenotnowafullindemnity;
WearingtheblossomofyouryouthunspentInthevoluptuoussunshineofacourt，Thatoften，bytooearlyblossoming，Toosoondeflowerstheroseofroyalty。
SEG。
Ay，butwhatsomeprecociouswarmthmayspill，Maynotanearlyfrostassurelykill？
KING。
But，Segismund，myson，whosequickdiscourseProvesIhavenotextinguish\'danddestroy\'dTheManyouchargemewithextinguishing，HoweveritcondemnmeforthefaultOfkeepingagoodlightsolongeclipsed，Reflect！ThisisthemomentuponwhichThosestars，whoseeyes，althoughweseethemnot，Bydayaswellasnightareonusstill，HangwatchingupinthemeridianheavenWhichwaythebalanceturns;andiftoyou——