How that could be with Shakespeare, Marlowe[51], Ben Jonson[52], Browne, Donne[53], all now writing or just having written, Orlando, reeling off the names of his favourite heroes, could not think.
Greene laughed sardonically. Shakespeare, he admitted, had written some scenes that were well enough; but he had taken them chiefly from Marlowe. Marlowe was a likely boy, but what could you say of a lad who died before he was thirty? As for Browne, he was for writing poetry in prose, and people soon got tired of such conceits as that. Donne was a mountebank who wrapped up his lack of meaning in hard words. The gulls were taken in; but the style would be out of fashion twelve months hence. As for Ben Jonson Ben Jonson was a friend of his and he never spoke ill of his friends.
No, he concluded, the great age of literature is past; the great age of literature was the Greek; the Elizabethan age was inferior in every respect to the Greek. In such ages men cherished a divine ambition which he might call La Gloire (he pronounced it Glawr, so that Orlando did not at first catch his meaning). Now all young writers were in the pay of the booksellers and poured out any trash that would sell[54]. Shakespeare was the chief offender in this way and Shakespeare was already paying the penalty. Their own age, he said, was marked by precious conceits and wild experiments neither of which the Greeks would have tolerated for a moment. Much though it hurt him to say it for he loved literature as he loved his life he could see no good in the present and had no hope for the future. Here he poured himself out another glass of wine.
Orlando was shocked by these doctrines; yet could not help observing that the critic himself seemed by no means downcast. On the contrary, the more he denounced his own time, the more complacent he became. He could remember, he said, a night at the Cock Tavern in Fleet Street when Kit Marlowe was there and some others. Kit was in high feather[55], rather drunk, which he easily became, and in a mood to say silly things. He could see him now, brandishing his glass at the company and hiccoughing out, Stap my vitals, Bill (this was to Shakespeare), theres a great wave coming and youre on the top of it, by which he meant, Greene explained, that they were trembling on the verge of a great age in English literature, and that Shakespeare was to be a poet of some importance. Happily for himself, he was killed two nights later in a drunken brawl, and so did not live to see how this prediction turned out. Poor foolish fellow, said Greene, to go and say a thing like that. A great age, forsooth the Elizabethan a great age!
So, my dear Lord, he continued, settling himself comfortably in his chair and rubbing the wine-glass between his fingers, we must make the best of it, cherish the past and honour those writers there are still a few of em who take antiquity for their model and write, not for pay but for Glawr. (Orlando could have wished him a better accent.) Glawr, said Greene, is the spur of noble minds. Had I a pension of three hundred pounds a year paid quarterly, I would live for Glawr alone. I would lie in bed every morning reading Cicero. I would imitate his style so that you couldnt tell the difference between us. Thats what I call fine writing, said Greene; thats what I call Glawr. But its necessary to have a pension to do it.
By this time Orlando had abandoned all hope of discussing his own work with the poet; but this mattered the less as the talk now got upon the lives and characters of Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, and the rest, all of whom Greene had known intimately and about whom he had a thousand anecdotes of the most amusing kind to tell. Orlando had never laughed so much in his life. These, then, were his gods! Half were drunken and all were amorous. Most of them quarrelled with their wives; not one of them was above a lie or an intrigue[56]
12
King James король Яков I (15661625), король Англии с 1603 г., сын Марии Стюарт
13
stinted her underlinen (разг.) экономила на нижнем белье
14
was by far the most serious of his flames (разг.) была самым серьезным его увлечением
15
the Spanish Armada «Непобедимая Армада», крупный военный флот, созданный Испанией в 15861588 гг. для завоевания Англии
16
in the extreme (разг.) в высшей степени
17
was not a handsbreadth off (разг.) стояла очень близко
18
Je crois avoir fait la connaissance dun gentilhomme qui vous était apparente en Pologne lété dernier (фр.) Думаю, я познакомился с дворянином, с которым вы породнились в Польше прошлым летом.
19
La beauté des dames de la cour dAngleterre me met dans le ravissement. On ne peut voir une dame plus gracieuse que votre reine, ni une coiffure plus belle que la sienne (фр.) Красота дам при английском дворе приводит в восхищение. Трудно встретить более привлекательную женщину, чем ваша королева, и более красивую прическу, чем у нее.
20
comme une grande perche mal fagotée (фр.) как безвкусно разодетая дылда
21
something was brewing (разг.) что-то назревает
22
Making some excuse or other (разг.) Под разными предлогами
23
so keep pace (разг.) чтобы не отставать
24
notoriously loses its flavour in translation (уст.) к сожалению, теряет свое очарование при переводе
25
he would blaze out in such wrath (разг.) он так быстро впадал в ярость
26
this day sennight (уст.) через неделю ровно
27
looked like a dray horse (уст.) выглядел как ломовая лошадь
28
Punch and Judy show герои кукольного представления для детей, в котором мистер Панч постоянно ссорится со своей женой Джуди (юмористические сценки)
29
Какой доселе небывалый час!
Как будто в мире страшное затменье,
Луны и солнца нет, земля во тьме
И все колеблется от потрясенья.
30
Jour de ma vie! (фр.) Мой день настал!
31
saw to the saddle girths (уст.) проверил подпругу на седле
32
Drake сэр Френсис Дрейк (15401596), моряк, исследователь, флотоводец, в 1588 г. победил Испанскую Армаду
33
Hawkins сэр Джон Хокинс (15321595), английский адмирал
34
Grenville сэр Ричард Гренвилл (15421591), английский флотоводец
35
his doom was sealed (уст.) судьба его решена
36
was past reasoning (разг.) был уже не в состоянии рассуждать
37
was standing out to sea (уст.) удалялся в открытое море
38
finis (лат.) конец
39
as if he had woken from a single nights slumber (уст.) как если бы проснулся после обычного ночного отдыха
40
accidents of no uncommon occurrence (уст.) такое частенько случалось
41
Thomas Browne сэр Томас Браун (16051682), английский врач, писатель
42
To put it in a nutshell (уст.) Короче говоря
43
John Ball Джон Болл (около 13301381), английский проповедник
44
Queen Bess прозвище в народе королевы Елизаветы I
45
It is these pauses that are our undoing. (уст.) Такие паузы нас погубят.
46
Flodden город на севере Англии, где в 1513 г. англичане победили шотландцев, король Яков IV был убит
47
Agincourt Азенкур. Имеется в виду знаменитая битва у французского города в 1415 г., когда англичане под предводительством Генриха V разбили французов