What I was asking of these gentlemen
When you came in upon us; how it is
That I--the Segismund you know so long
No longer than the sun that rose to-day
Rose--and from what you know--
Rose to be Prince of Poland?

CLO.
So to be
Acknowledged and entreated, Sir.

SEG.
So be
Acknowledged and entreated--
Well--But if now by all, by some at least
So known--if not entreated--heretofore--
Though not by you--For, now I think again,
Of what should be your attestation worth,
You that of all my questionable subjects
Who knowing what, yet left me where I was,
You least of all, Clotaldo, till the dawn
Of this first day that told it to myself?

CLO.
Oh, let your Highness draw the line across
Fore-written sorrow, and in this new dawn
Bury that long sad night.

SEG.
Not ev'n the Dead,
Call'd to the resurrection of the blest,
Shall so directly drop all memory
Of woes and wrongs foregone!

CLO.
But not resent--
Purged by the trial of that sorrow past
For full fruition of their present bliss.

SEG.
But leaving with the Judge what, till this earth
Be cancell'd in the burning heavens, He leaves
His earthly delegates to execute,
Of retribution in reward to them
And woe to those who wrong'd them--Not as you,
Not you, Clotaldo, knowing not--And yet
Ev'n to the guiltiest wretch in all the realm,
Of any treason guilty short of that,
Stern usage--but assuredly not knowing,
Not knowing 'twas your sovereign lord, Clotaldo,
You used so sternly.

CLO.
Ay, sir; with the same
Devotion and fidelity that now
Does homage to him for my sovereign.

SEG.
Fidelity that held his Prince in chains!

CLO.
Fidelity more fast than had it loosed him--

SEG.
Ev'n from the very dawn of consciousness
Down at the bottom of the barren rocks,
Where scarce a ray of sunshine found him out,
In which the poorest beggar of my realm
At least to human-full proportion grows--
Me! Me--whose station was the kingdom's top
To flourish in, reaching my head to heaven,
And with my branches overshadowing
The meaner growth below!

CLO.
Still with the same
Fidelity--

SEG.
To me!--

CLO.
Ay, sir, to y