hand I cherish;
Your heart and not your throne, is my desire;
Condemn me not if madly I aspire.

SKIR. (_aside to_ Turandot.)

For Fo-hi's sake! three easy riddles give,
Don't let him die, but as your husband live.

ADELMA.

How noble are his words! Ah, had my sire
But known he was a prince. My heart's desire
I'll yet obtain; I'll save him by some plot,
He ne'er shall wed the hateful Turandot.
(_to_ Turandot.) Princess, you're agitated; calm your nerves,
And treat him with contempt as he deserves.

TUR.

You're right, Adelma; thanks for your kind zeal;
He's woman's foe; no pity must I feel.
(_to_ Kalaf.) Prepare then, arrogant young man.--

ALT.

Dear prince,
May not our Royal words your ear convince?

KAL.

I still repeat: "Or death or Turandot!"

PANT. (_aside_.)

My poor young man, you'll surely go to pot!

ALT.

Then read the awful mandate.

SKIR.

How I tremble.

ADELMA.

My jealousy I scarcely can dissemble.

(PANTALOON _receives the Doomsday Book, first prostrating Himself
before it; then reads in a loud voice_:)--"By command of his
Celestial Majesty, the Son of the Moon, cousin to the planets,
and near relative to the firmament in general,--oyes! oyes!
oyes!" (_Rings crier's bell._) (_Aside_.) If I said what I liked, I should
say, oh no! oh no! oh no! (_Aloud_.) "Any person of royal
descent may sue for the hand of our daughter, Empress
Turandot, on the following conditions:--The Princess shall
propound three riddles to any suitor proposing himself as her
husband; should he be unable to unravel them, his head shall
be struck off with an axe, and exposed on the city-gate of Peking;
should he unravel them, the Empress Turandot shall become
his lawful bride, and together they shall inherit the throne of
the celestial empire. We swear it by our ancestor, the sun."

ALT. (_placing his hands on the book_)--

This law, tho' it cause tears and blood to flow,
I've sworn to keep, alas! it must be so.

TUR. (_rises and declaims_)--

A tree on which men grow and fade;
Old as the world, yet ever new;
Its leaves, on one side, live in shade,
On th' other bears the sun's bright show.
Each time it blooms a ring it wears,
It tells the age of each event.
Upon its bark men's names it bears,
Forgotten e'er its life be spent.
What is this tree, so young, so old,
So sunny warm, so icy cold?

KALAF. (_ponders awhile, then bows to the Princess_)--

Too happy is your