The Second Part of King Henry the Sixth - Уильям Шекспир 2 стр.

  DUCHESS. Why droops my lord, like over-ripen'd corn
    Hanging the head at Ceres' plenteous load?
    Why doth the great Duke Humphrey knit his brows,
    As frowning at the favours of the world?
    Why are thine eyes fix'd to the sullen earth,
    Gazing on that which seems to dim thy sight?
    What see'st thou there? King Henry's diadem,
    Enchas'd with all the honours of the world?
    If so, gaze on, and grovel on thy face
    Until thy head be circled with the same.
    Put forth thy hand, reach at the glorious gold.
    What, is't too short? I'll lengthen it with mine;
    And having both together heav'd it up,
    We'll both together lift our heads to heaven,
    And never more abase our sight so low
    As to vouchsafe one glance unto the ground.

  GLOUCESTER. O Nell, sweet Nell, if thou dost love thy lord,
    Banish the canker of ambitious thoughts!
    And may that thought, when I imagine ill
    Against my king and nephew, virtuous Henry,
    Be my last breathing in this mortal world!
    My troublous dreams this night doth make me sad.

  DUCHESS. What dream'd my lord? Tell me, and I'll requite it
    With sweet rehearsal of my morning's dream.

  GLOUCESTER. Methought this staff, mine office-badge in court,
    Was broke in twain; by whom I have forgot,
    But, as I think, it was by th' Cardinal;
    And on the pieces of the broken wand
    Were plac'd the heads of Edmund Duke of Somerset
    And William de la Pole, first Duke of Suffolk.
    This was my dream; what it doth bode God knows.

  DUCHESS. Tut, this was nothing but an argument
    That he that breaks a stick of Gloucester's grove
    Shall lose his head for his presumption.
    But list to me, my Humphrey, my sweet Duke:
    Methought I sat in seat of majesty
    In the cathedral church of Westminster,
    And in that chair where kings and queens were crown'd;
    Where Henry and Dame Margaret kneel'd to me,
    And on my head did set the diadem.

  GLOUCESTER. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright.
    Presumptuous dame, ill-nurtur'd Eleanor!
    Art thou not second woman in the realm,
    And the Protector's wife, belov'd of him?
    Hast thou not worldly pleasure at command
    Above the reach or compass of thy thought?
    And wilt thou still be hammering treachery
    To tumble down thy husband and thyself
    From top of honour to disgrace's feet?
    Away from me, and let me hear no more!

  DUCHESS. What, what, my lord! Are you so choleric
    With Eleanor for telling but her dream?
    Next time I'll keep my dreams unto myself
    And not be check'd.

  GLOUCESTER. Nay, be not angry; I am pleas'd again.

  MESSENGER. My Lord Protector, 'tis his Highness' pleasure
    You do prepare to ride unto Saint Albans,
    Where as the King and Queen do mean to hawk.

  GLOUCESTER. I go. Come, Nell, thou wilt ride with us?

  DUCHESS. Yes, my good lord, I'll follow presently.

    Follow I must; I cannot go before,
    While Gloucester bears this base and humble mind.
    Were I a man, a duke, and next of blood,
    I would remove these tedious stumbling-blocks
    And smooth my way upon their headless necks;
    And, being a woman, I will not be slack
    To play my part in Fortune's pageant.
    Where are you there, Sir John? Nay, fear not, man,
    We are alone; here's none but thee and I.

  HUME. Jesus preserve your royal Majesty!

  DUCHESS. What say'st thou? Majesty! I am but Grace.

  HUME. But, by the grace of God and Hume's advice,
    Your Grace's title shall be multiplied.

  DUCHESS. What say'st thou, man? Hast thou as yet conferr'd
    With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch of Eie,
    With Roger Bolingbroke, the conjurer?
    And will they undertake to do me good?

  HUME. This they have promised, to show your Highness
    A spirit rais'd from depth of underground
    That shall make answer to such questions
    As by your Grace shall be propounded him

  DUCHESS. It is enough; I'll think upon the questions;
    When from Saint Albans we do make return
    We'll see these things effected to the full.
    Here, Hume, take this reward; make merry, man,
    With thy confederates in this weighty cause. Exit

  HUME. Hume must make merry with the Duchess' gold;
    Marry, and shall. But, how now, Sir John Hume!
    Seal up your lips and give no words but mum:
    The business asketh silent secrecy.
    Dame Eleanor gives gold to bring the witch:
    Gold cannot come amiss were she a devil.
    Yet have I gold flies from another coast-
    I dare not say from the rich Cardinal,
    And from the great and new-made Duke of Suffolk;
    Yet I do find it so; for, to be plain,
    They, knowing Dame Eleanor's aspiring humour,
    Have hired me to undermine the Duchess,
    And buzz these conjurations in her brain.
    They say 'A crafty knave does need no broker';
    Yet am I Suffolk and the Cardinal's broker.
    Hume, if you take not heed, you shall go near
    To call them both a pair of crafty knaves.
    Well, so its stands; and thus, I fear, at last
    Hume's knavery will be the Duchess' wreck,
    And her attainture will be Humphrey's fall
    Sort how it will, I shall have gold for all. Exit

  QUEEN. And as for you, that love to be protected
    Under the wings of our Protector's grace,
    Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.
                                       [Tears the supplications]
    Away, base cullions! Suffolk, let them go.
  ALL. Come, let's be gone. Exeunt

  QUEEN. My Lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
    Is this the fashions in the court of England?
    Is this the government of Britain's isle,
    And this the royalty of Albion's king?
    What, shall King Henry be a pupil still,
    Under the surly Gloucester's governance?
    Am I a queen in title and in style,
    And must be made a subject to a duke?
    I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours
    Thou ran'st a tilt in honour of my love
    And stol'st away the ladies' hearts of France,
    I thought King Henry had resembled thee
    In courage, courtship, and proportion;
    But all his mind is bent to holiness,
    To number Ave-Maries on his beads;
    His champions are the prophets and apostles;
    His weapons, holy saws of sacred writ;
    His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves
    Are brazen images of canonized saints.
    I would the college of the Cardinals
    Would choose him Pope, and carry him to Rome,
    And set the triple crown upon his head;
    That were a state fit for his holiness.

  SUFFOLK. Madam, be patient. As I was cause
    Your Highness came to England, so will I
    In England work your Grace's full content.

  QUEEN. Beside the haughty Protector, have we Beaufort
    The imperious churchman; Somerset, Buckingham,
    And grumbling York; and not the least of these
    But can do more in England than the King.

  SUFFOLK. And he of these that can do most of all
    Cannot do more in England than the Nevils;
    Salisbury and Warwick are no simple peers.

  QUEEN. Not all these lords do vex me half so much
    As that proud dame, the Lord Protector's wife.
    She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies,
    More like an empress than Duke Humphrey's wife.
    Strangers in court do take her for the Queen.
    She bears a duke's revenues on her back,
    And in her heart she scorns our poverty;
    Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her?
    Contemptuous base-born callet as she is,
    She vaunted 'mongst her minions t' other day
    The very train of her worst wearing gown
    Was better worth than all my father's lands,
    Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter.

  SUFFOLK. Madam, myself have lim'd a bush for her,
    And plac'd a quire of such enticing birds
    That she will light to listen to the lays,
    And never mount to trouble you again.
    So, let her rest. And, madam, list to me,
    For I am bold to counsel you in this:
    Although we fancy not the Cardinal,
    Yet must we join with him and with the lords,
    Till we have brought Duke Humphrey in disgrace.
    As for the Duke of York, this late complaint
    Will make but little for his benefit.
    So one by one we'll weed them all at last,
    And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.

  KING HENRY. For my part, noble lords, I care not which:
    Or Somerset or York, all's one to me.

  YORK. If York have ill demean'd himself in France,
    Then let him be denay'd the regentship.

  SOMERSET. If Somerset be unworthy of the place,
    Let York be Regent; I will yield to him.

  WARWICK. Whether your Grace be worthy, yea or no,
    Dispute not that; York is the worthier.

  CARDINAL. Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.

  WARWICK. The Cardinal's not my better in the field.

  BUCKINGHAM. All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.

  WARWICK. Warwick may live to be the best of all.

  SALISBURY. Peace, son! And show some reason, Buckingham,
    Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this.

  QUEEN. Because the King, forsooth, will have it so.

  GLOUCESTER. Madam, the King is old enough himself
    To give his censure. These are no women's matters.

  QUEEN. If he be old enough, what needs your Grace
    To be Protector of his Excellence?

  GLOUCESTER. Madam, I am Protector of the realm;
    And at his pleasure will resign my place.

  SUFFOLK. Resign it then, and leave thine insolence.
    Since thou wert king- as who is king but thou? -
    The commonwealth hath daily run to wrack,
    The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas,
    And all the peers and nobles of the realm
    Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.

  CARDINAL. The commons hast thou rack'd; the clergy's bags
    Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

  SOMERSET. Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife's attire
    Have cost a mass of public treasury.

  BUCKINGHAM. Thy cruelty in execution
    Upon offenders hath exceeded law,
    And left thee to the mercy of the law.

  QUEEN. Thy sale of offices and towns in France,
    If they were known, as the suspect is great,
    Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.