Беспокойное бессмертие: 450 лет со дня рождения Уильяма Шекспира (Честертон, Грин) - страница 101

На первую страницу

>Enter Clarence and Brakenbury, guarded.

Brother, good day. What means this armèd guard
That waits upon your grace?

Clarence

                                                     His majesty,
Tend’ring my person’s safety, hath appointed
This conduct to convey me to the Tower.

Richard

Upon what cause?


Clarence

                     Because my name is George.

Richard

Alack, my lord, that fault is none of yours.
He should for that commit your godfathers.
Oh, belike his majesty hath some intent
That you shall be new christened in the Tower.
But what’s the matter, Clarence? May I know?

Clarence

Yea, Richard, when I know, but I protest
As yet I do not. But as I can learn,
He hearkens after prophecies and dreams,
And from the cross-row plucks the letter ʼG’.
And says a wizard told him that by ʼG’
His issue disinherited should be.
And for my name of George begins with ʼG’,
It follows in his thought that I am he.
These, as I learn, and such like toys as these
Hath moved his highness to commit me now.

Richard

Why, this it is when men are ruled by women.
ʼTis not the king that sends you to the Tower.
My lady Grey, his wife, Clarence, ʼtis she
That tempts him to this harsh extremity.
Was it not she and that good man of worship,
Anthony Woodville, her brother there,
That made him send Lord Hastings to the Tower,
From whence this present day he is delivered?
We are not safe, Clarence, we are not safe.

Clarence

By heaven, I think there is no man secure
But the queen’s kindred and night-walking heralds
That trudge betwixt the king and Mistress Shore.
Heard you not what an humble suppliant
Lord Hastings was for her delivery?

Richard

Humbly complaining to her deity
Got my Lord Chamberlain his liberty.
I’ll tell you what, I think it is our way,
If we will keep in favour with the king,
To be her men and wear her livery.
The jealous, o’er-worn widow and herself,
Since that our brother dubbed them gentlewomen,
Are mighty gossips in our monarchy.

Brakenbury

I beseech your graces both to pardon me;
His majesty hath straitly given in charge
That no man shall have private conference,
Of what degree soever, with your brother.

Richard

Even so. And please your worship, Brakenbury,
You may partake of any thing we say.
We speak no treason, man. We say the king
Is wise and virtuous, and his noble queen
Well struck in years, fair, and not jealous.
We say that Shore’s wife hath a pretty foot,
A cherry lip, a bonny eye, a passing pleasing tongue,
And that the queen’s kindred are made gentlefolks.
How say you, sir? Can you deny all this?

Brakenbury

With this, my lord, myself have nought to do.

Следующая страница