Knowledge house - Oscar Wilde - The Complete Works

Which, like the thrifty miser, must I hoard,

And to my own self keep; and so, I pray you,

Let us part here.

·30· ascanio

What, shall we never more

Sit hand in hand, as we were wont to sit,

Over some book of ancient chivalry

Stealing a truant holiday from school,

Follow the huntsmen through the autumn woods,

And watch the falcons burst their tasselled jesses,

When the hare breaks from covert.

guido

Never more.

ascanio

Must I go hence without a word of love?

guido

You must go hence, and may love go with you.

ascanio

You are unknightly, and ungenerous.

guido

Unknightly and ungenerous if you will.

Why should we waste more words about the matter!

Let us part now.

ascanio

Have you no message, Guido?

·31· guido

None; my whole past was but a schoolboy’s dream;

To-day my life begins. Farewell.

ascanio

Farewell [ exit slowly .]

guido

Now are you satisfied? Have you not seen

My dearest friend, and my most loved companion,

Thrust from me like a common kitchen knave!

Oh, that I did it! Are you not satisfied?

moranzone

Ay! I am satisfied. Now I go hence,

Do not forget the sign, your father’s dagger,

And do the business when I send it to you.

guido

Be sure I shall.

[ Exit Lord Moranzone .]

guido

O thou eternal heaven!

If there is aught of nature in my soul,

Of gentle pity, or fond kindliness,

·32· Wither it up, blast it, bring it to nothing,

Or if thou wilt not, then will I myself

Cut pity with a sharp knife from my heart

And strangle mercy in her sleep at night

Lest she speak to me. Vengeance there I have it.

Be thou my comrade and my bedfellow,

Sit by my side, ride to the chase with me,

When I am weary sing me pretty songs,

When I am light o’ heart, make jest with me,

And when I dream, whisper into my ear

The dreadful secret of a father’s murder—

Did I say murder? [ Draws his dagger .]

Listen, thou terrible God!

Thou God that punishest all broken oaths,

And bid some angel write this oath in fire,

That from this hour, till my dear father’s murder

In blood I have revenged, I do forswear

The noble ties of honourable friendship,

The noble joys of dear companionship,

Affection’s bonds, and loyal gratitude,

Ay, more, from this same hour I do forswear

All love of women, and the barren thing

Which men call beauty——

[ The organ peals in the Cathedral, and under a ·33· canopy of cloth of silver tissue, borne by four pages in scarlet, the Duchess of Padua comes down the steps; as she passes across their eyes meet for a moment, and as she leaves the stage she looks back at Guido, and the dagger falls from his hand .]

Oh! who is that?

a citizen

The Duchess of Padua!

End of Act I.



·37· SCENE—A state room in the Ducal Palace, hung with tapestries representing the Masque of Venus; a large door in the centre opens into a corridor of red marble, through which one can see a view of Padua; a large canopy is set (R.C.) with three thrones, one a little lower than the others; the ceiling is made of long gilded beams; furniture of the period, chairs covered with gilt leather, and buffets set with gold and silver plate, and chests painted with mythological scenes. A number of the courtiers is out on the corridor looking from it down into the street below; from the street comes the roar of a mob and cries of ‘Death to the Duke’: after a little interval enter the Duke very calmly; he is leaning on the arm of Guido Ferranti; with him enters also the Lord Cardinal; the mob still shouting.

duke

No, my Lord Cardinal, I weary of her!

Why, she is worse than ugly, she is good.

maffio [ excitedly ]

Your Grace, there are two thousand people there

Who every moment grow more clamorous.

·38· duke

Tut, man, they waste their strength upon their lungs!

People who shout so loud, my lords, do nothing;

The only men I fear are silent men.

[ A yell from the people .]

You see, Lord Cardinal, how my people love me.

[ Another yell .]

Go, Petrucci,

And tell the captain of the guard below

To clear the square. Do you not hear me, sir?

Do what I bid you.

[ Exit Petrucci .]

cardinal

I beseech your Grace

To listen to their grievances.

duke [ sitting on his throne ]

Ay! the peaches

Are not so big this year as they were last.

I crave your pardon, my lord Cardinal,

I thought you spake of peaches.

[ A cheer from the people .]

What is that?

·39· guido [ rushes to the window ]

The Duchess has gone forth into the square,

And stands between the people and the guard,

And will not let them shoot.

duke

The devil take her!

guido [ still at the window ]

And followed by a dozen of the citizens

Has come into the Palace.

duke [ starting up ]

By Saint James,

Our Duchess waxes bold!

bardi

Here comes the Duchess.

duke

Shut that door there; this morning air is cold.

[ They close the door on the corridor .]

[ Enter the Duchess followed by a crowd of meanly dressed Citizens .]

duchess [ flinging herself upon her knees ]

I do beseech your Grace to give us audience.

·40· duke

What are these grievances?

duchess

Alas, my Lord,

Such common things as neither you nor I,

Nor any of these noble gentlemen,

Have ever need at all to think about;

They say the bread, the very bread they eat,

Is made of sorry chaff.

first citizen

Ay! so it is,

Nothing but chaff.

duke

And very good food too,

I give it to my horses.

duchess [ restraining herself ]

They say the water,

Set in the public cisterns for their use,

[Has, through the breaking of the aqueduct,]

To stagnant pools and muddy puddles turned.

duke

They should drink wine; water is quite unwholesome.

·41· second citizen

Alack, your Grace, the taxes which the customs

Take at the city gate are grown so high

We cannot buy wine.

duke

Then you should bless the taxes

Which make you temperate.

duchess

Think, while we sit

In gorgeous pomp and state, gaunt poverty

Creeps through their sunless lanes, and with sharp knives

Cuts the warm throats of children stealthily

And no word said.

third citizen

Ay! marry, that is true,

My little son died yesternight from hunger;

He was but six years old; I am so poor,

I cannot bury him.

duke

If you are poor,

Are you not blessed in that? Why, poverty

·42· Is one of the Christian virtues,

[ Turns to the Cardinal .]

Is it not?

I know, Lord Cardinal, you have great revenues,

Rich abbey-lands, and tithes, and large estates

For preaching voluntary poverty.

duchess

Nay but, my lord the Duke, be generous;

While we sit here within a noble house

[With shaded porticoes against the sun,

And walls and roofs to keep the winter out],

There are many citizens of Padua

Who in vile tenements live so full of holes,

That the chill rain, the snow, and the rude blast,

Are tenants also with them; others sleep

Under the arches of the public bridges

All through the autumn nights, till the wet mist