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You are here: > Princess Ida >> Act III
Dialogue following No. 26
| Princess. |
(Entering through gate and followed by Ladies,
Hildebrand, and Gama.)
Hold! stay your hands! – we yield ourselves to you!
Ladies, my brothers all lie bleeding there!
Bind up their wounds – but look the other way.
(Coming down.) Is this the end?
(Bitterly to Lady Blanche.) How say you, Lady Blanche –
Can I with dignity my post resign?
And if I do, will you then take my place? |
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| Blanche. |
To answer this, it's meet that we consult
The great Potential Mysteries; I mean
The five Subjunctive Possibilities –
The May, the Might, the Would, the Could, the Should.
Can you resign? The Prince May claim you; if
He Might, you Could – and if you Should, I Would! |
| Princess. |
I thought as much! Then to my fate I yield –
So ends my cherished scheme! Oh, I had hoped
To band all women with my maiden throng,
And make them all abjure tyrannic Man! |
| Hildebrand. |
A noble aim! |
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| Princess. |
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You ridicule it now; |
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But if I carried out this glorious scheme,
At my exalted name Posterity
Would bow in gratitude! |
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| Hildebrand. |
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But pray reflect – |
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If you enlist all women in your cause,
And make them all abjure tyrannic Man,
The obvious question then arises, 'How
Is this Posterity to be provided?' |
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| Princess. |
I never thought of that! My Lady Blanche,
How do you solve the riddle? |
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| Blanche. |
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Don't ask me – |
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Abstract Philosophy won't answer it.
Take him – he is your Shall. Give in to Fate! |
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| Princess. |
And you desert me. I alone am staunch! |
| Hilarion. |
Madam, you placed your trust in Woman – well,
Woman has failed you utterly – try Man,
Give him one chance, it's only fair – besides,
Women are far too precious, too divine,
To try unproven theories upon.
Experiments, the proverb says, are made
On humble subjects – try our grosser clay,
And mould it as you will! |
| Cyril. |
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Remember, too |
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Dear Madam, if at any time you feel
A-weary of the Prince, you can return
To Castle Adamant, and rule your girls
As heretofore, you know. |
| Princess. |
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And shall I find |
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The Lady Psyche here? |
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| Psyche. |
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If Cyril, ma'am, |
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Does not behave himself, I think you will. |
| Princess. |
And you Melissa, shall I find you here? |
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| Melissa. |
Madam, however Florian turns out,
Unhesitatingly I answer, No! |
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| Gama. |
Consider this, my love, if your mama
Had looked on matters from your point of view
(I wish she had), why where would you have been? |
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| Blanche. |
There's an unbounded field of speculation,
On which I could discourse for hours! |
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| Princess. |
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No doubt! |
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We will not trouble you. Hilarion,
I have been wrong – I see my error now.
Take me, Hilarion – "We will walk this world
Yoked in all exercise of noble end!
And so through those dark gates across the wild
That no one knows!" Indeed, I love thee – Come! |
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Page Created
28 February, 2006
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