THE YOUTH NOW BECOMES THE PRINCE KING

In this scene the Youth receives attributes from the Gold, Silver and Bronze Kings. During his receipt of them the Man with the Lamp sees visibly and feels the growth in stature and presence of the Youth. He becomes a Prince.

The Old Man cried with a loud voice: "There are three which have rule on Earth; Wisdom, Appearance and Strength."

At the first word, the gold King rose; at the second, the silver one and at the third, the brass King rose slowly, while the mixed King suddenly and very awkwardly plumped down.

Whoever noticed him could scarcely keep from laughing, solemn as the moment was; for he was not sitting, he was not lying, he was not leaning, but shapelessly sunk together.

The Will-o'-wisps, once more well fed, having dexterously licked out the gold veins of the colossal figure to its very heart. When at last the tenderest filaments were eaten out, the image crashed together suddenly and that, alas, in the very parts which continue unaltered when one sits down; whereas the limbs, which should have bent, sprawled themselves out unbowed and stiff. Whoever could not laugh was obliged to turn away his eyes; this miserable shape and no-shape was offensive to behold. 

The Man with the Lamp now led the handsome Youth, who still kept gazing vacantly before him, down from the Altar and straight to the brazen King. At the feet of this mighty Potentate lay a sword in a brazen sheath. The young man girt it round him.

The brazen King cried: "The sword on the left, the right hand free!"

They next proceeded to the silver King; he bent his sceptre to the Youth; the latter seized it with his left hand:

In a pleasing voice the silver King said: "Feed the sheep!"

On turning to the golden King, he stooped with gestures of paternal blessing and pressing his oaken garland on the young man's head:

The golden King said: "Understand what is highest!"

During this progress, the old Man observed the Prince. After girding on the sword, his breast swelled, his arms waved and his feet trod firmer; when he took the sceptre in his hand, his strength appeared to soften and by an unspeakable charm to become still more subduing; but as the oaken garland came to deck his hair, his features kindled, his eyes with inexpressible spirit and the first word out of the mouth of the Prince was: "Lily, Dearest Lily!" cried he hastening up the silver stairs to her, for she had viewed his progress from the pinnacle of the Altar. 

 The Prince continued: "Dearest Lily! What more precious can a man, equipped with all, desire for himself than innocence and the still affection which thy bosom brings me?"

Turning to the old Man and looking at the three statues the Prince said: "Oh my friend! Glorious and secure is the kingdom of our fathers; but thou hast forgotten the fourth power, which rules the world, earlier, more universally, more certainly, the power of Love."

With these words, he fell upon the lovely maiden's neck; she cast away her veil and her cheeks were tinged with the fairest, most imperishable red.

Here the old Man said with a smile: "Love does not rule; but it builds and that is more."