For thy vengeance, since heaven wishes Thee to-day to burst the portals Of thy narrow rustic cell, Where so long immured, thy body Was to feeling a wild beast, Was to sufferance what the rock is, And that 'gainst thy sire and country Thou hast gallantly revolted, And ta'en arms, I come to assist thee, Intermingling the bright corselet Of Minerva with the trappings Of Diana, thus enrobing Silken stuff and shining steel In a rare but rich adornment. On, then, on, undaunted champion! To us both it is important To prevent and bring to nought This engagement and betrothal; First to me, that he, my husband, Should not falsely wed another, Then to thee, that their two staffs Being united, their joined forces Should with overwhelming power Leave our doubtful victory hopeless. Woman, I come here to urge thee To repair my injured honour, And as man I come to rouse thee Crown and sceptre to recover. Woman I would wake thy pity Since here at thy feet I throw me, And as man, my sword and person In thy service I devote thee. But remember, if to-day As a woman thou should'st court me, I, as man, will give thee death In the laudable upholding, Of my honour, since I am In this strife of love, this contest, Woman my complaints to tell thee, And a man to guard my honour. SIGISMUND [aside]. Heavens! if it is true I dream, Memory then suspend thy office, For 'tis vain to hope remembrance Could retain so many objects. Help me, God! or teach me how All these numerous doubts to conquer, Or to cease to think of any!-- Whoe'er tried such painful problems? If 'twas but a dream, my grandeur, How then is it, at this moment, That this woman can refer me To some facts that are notorious? Then 'twas truth, and not a dream; But if it was truth (another And no less confusion,) how Can my life be called in proper Speech a dream? So like to dreams Are then all the world's chief glories, That the true are oft rejected As the false, the false too often Are mistaken for the true? Is there then 'twixt one and the other Such slight difference, that a question May arise at any moment Which is true or which is false? Are the original and the copy So alike, that which is which Oft the doubtful mind must ponder? If 'tis so, and if must vanish, As the shades of night at morning, All of majesty and power, All of grandeur and of glory, Let us learn at least to turn To our profit the brief moment That is given us, since our joy Lasteth while our dream lasts only. In my power Rosaura stands, Thou, my heart, her charms adoreth, Let us seize then the occasion; Let love trample in its boldness All the laws on which relying She here at my feet has thrown her. 'Tis a dream; and since 'tis so, Let us dream of joys, the sorrows Will come soon enough hereafter. But with mine own words just spoken, Let me now confute myself! If it is a dream that mocks me, Who for human vanities Would forego celestial glory? What past bliss is not a dream? Who has had his happy fortunes Who hath said not to himself