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Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller

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Title: Turandot: The Chinese Sphinx

Author: Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller

Translator: Sabilla Novello

Release Date: September 7, 2008 [EBook #26553]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TURANDOT: THE CHINESE SPHINX ***

Produced by Chuck Greif

TURANDOT:

THE CHINESE SPHINX.

A DRAMATIC ODDITY

FREELY TRANSLATED FROM SCHILLER,

AND CORDIALLY INSCRIBED TO

LADY PERCY FLORENCE SHELLEY

BY

SABILLA NOVELLO.

LONDON: S. FRENCH, 89, STRAND.

1872.

Price One Shilling.

Personages.

ALTOUM, Khan of the Celestial Empire.

PANTALOON, his Prime Minister.

TARTAGLIA, Lord Chancellor.

TRUFFALDIN, Keeper of the Hareem.

BRIGHELLA, Captain of the Imperial Black Guards.

KALAF, Prince of Tartary.

BARAK, his former Tutor.

ISHMAEL.

DOCTORS of THE DIVAN.

_Courtiers, Guards, Priests, Slaves of the Hareem._

TURANDOT, Heiress to the Celestial throne: generally known
as "The Chinese Sphinx."

SKIRINA, her attendant, wife to Barak.

ADELMA, Princess of Keicobad, slave to Turandot.

_Female slaves of the Hareem._

SCENE.--_Peking and its environs._

TURANDOT: THE CHINESE SPHINX.

ACT I.

SCENE.--Outskirts of Peking. L. View of town gate, above which
are reared long poles, bearing turbaned and shorn heads, symmetrically
disposed so as to form a kind of architectural ornament.
R. Small suburban dwellings, from one of which issues PRINCE
KALAF, dressed in a fantastic Tartar warrior's costume.

KALAF.

The Gods be thanked, at last by patient seeking,
I've found a lodging in this crowded Peking.

(Enter BARAK, in Persian costume; sees KALAF and starts, surprised.)

BARAK.

Prince Kalaf? 'tis not possible. He's dead!
Yet, sure 'tis he--his eyes--his legs--his head,--
My Lord!

KALAF.

What--Barak! here--alive?

BARAK.

And kicking.
But how escaped you from that fatal licking
The Bey of Tefflis gave us all in battle?
Your father's troops were slaughtered off like cattle,
And you, my Prince, we thought,