Complete Plays. Оскар Уайльд

Complete Plays - Оскар Уайльд


Скачать книгу
Surely a toad sits on his lips, and spills its venom there.

      DUKE

       See thou hast enemies,

       Else will the world think very little of thee;

       It is its test of power; yet see thou show’st

       A smiling mask of friendship to all men,

       Until thou hast them safely in thy grip,

       Then thou canst crush them.

      GUIDO [aside]

       O wise philosopher!

       That for thyself dost dig so deep a grave.

      MORANZONE [to him]

       Dost thou mark his words?

      GUIDO Oh, be thou sure I do.

      DUKE

       And be not over-scrupulous; clean hands

       With nothing in them make a sorry show.

       If you would have the lion’s share of life

       You must wear the fox’s skin. Oh, it will fit you;

       It is a coat which fitteth every man.

      GUIDO Your Grace, I shall remember.

      DUKE

       That is well, boy, well.

       I would not have about me shallow fools,

       Who with mean scruples weigh the gold of life,

       And faltering, paltering, end by failure; failure,

       The only crime which I have not committed:

       I would have men about me. As for conscience,

       Conscience is but the name which cowardice

       Fleeing from battle scrawls upon its shield.

       You understand me, boy?

      GUIDO

       I do, your Grace,

       And will in all things carry out the creed

       Which you have taught me.

      MAFFIO

       I never heard your Grace

       So much in the vein for preaching; let the Cardinal

       Look to his laurels, sir.

      DUKE

       The Cardinal!

       Men follow my creed, and they gabble his.

       I do not think much of the Cardinal;

       Although he is a holy churchman, and

       I quite admit his dulness. Well, sir, from now

       We count you of our household

       [He holds out his hand for GUIDO to kiss. GUIDO starts back in horror, but at a gesture from COUNT MORANZONE, kneels and kisses it.]

       We will see

       That you are furnished with such equipage

       As doth befit your honour and our state.

      GUIDO I thank your Grace most heartily.

      DUKE

       Tell me again

       What is your name?

      GUIDO Guido Ferranti, sir.

      DUKE

       And you are Mantuan? Look to your wives, my lords,

       When such a gallant comes to Padua.

       Thou dost well to laugh, Count Bardi; I have noted

       How merry is that husband by whose hearth

       Sits an uncomely wife.

      MAFFIO

       May it please your Grace,

       The wives of Padua are above suspicion.

      DUKE

       What, are they so ill-favoured! Let us go,

       This Cardinal detains our pious Duchess;

       His sermon and his beard want cutting both:

       Will you come with us, sir, and hear a text

       From holy Jerome?

      MORANZONE [bowing]

       My liege, there are some matters -

      DUKE [interrupting]

       Thou need’st make no excuse for missing mass.

       Come, gentlemen.

       [Exit with his suite into Cathedral.]

      GUIDO [after a pause]

       So the Duke sold my father;

       I kissed his hand.

      MORANZONE Thou shalt do that many times.

      GUIDO Must it be so?

      MORANZONE Ay! thou hast sworn an oath.

      GUIDO That oath shall make me marble.

      MORANZONE

       Farewell, boy,

       Thou wilt not see me till the time is ripe.

      GUIDO I pray thou comest quickly.

      MORANZONE

       I will come

       When it is time; be ready.

      GUIDO Fear me not.

      MORANZONE

       Here is your friend; see that you banish him

       Both from your heart and Padua.

      GUIDO

       From Padua,

       Not from my heart.

      MORANZONE

       Nay, from thy heart as well,

       I will not leave thee till I see thee do it.

      GUIDO Can I have no friend?

      MORANZONE

       Revenge shall be thy friend;

       Thou need’st no other.

      GUIDO Well, then be it so.

       [Enter ASCANIO CRISTOFANO.]

      ASCANIO Come, Guido, I have been beforehand with you in everything, for I have drunk a flagon of wine, eaten a pasty, and kissed the maid who served it. Why, you look as melancholy as a schoolboy who cannot buy apples, or a politician who cannot sell his vote. What news, Guido, what news?

      GUIDO Why, that we two must part, Ascanio.

      ASCANIO That would be news indeed, but it is not true.

      GUIDO

       Too true it is, you must get hence, Ascanio,

       And never look upon my face again.

      ASCANIO

       No, no; indeed you do not know me, Guido;

       ‘Tis true I am a common yeoman’s son,

       Nor versed in fashions of much courtesy;

       But, if you are nobly born, cannot I be

       Your serving man? I will tend you with more love

       Than any hired servant.

      GUIDO [clasping his hand]

       Ascanio!

       [Sees MORANZONE looking at him and drops ASCANIO’S hand.]

       It cannot be.

      ASCANIO

       What, is it so with you?

       I thought the friendship of the antique world

       Was not yet dead, but that the Roman type

       Might even in this poor and common age

       Find counterparts of love;


Скачать книгу