The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: 150+ Titles in One Edition. Oscar Wilde

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      [takes the danger and approaches the DUCHESS]

       Saw I not such a dagger

       Hang from your Grace’s girdle yesterday?

       [The DUCHESS shudders and makes no answer.]

       Ah! my Lord Justice, may I speak a moment

       With this young man, who in such peril stands?

      LORD JUSTICE

      Ay, willingly, my lord, and may you turn him

       To make a full avowal of his guilt.

       [LORD MORANZONE goes over to GUIDO, who stands R. and clutches him by the hand.]

      MORANZONE

      [in a low voice]

       She did it! Nay, I saw it in her eyes.

       Boy, dost thou think I’ll let thy father’s son

       Be by this woman butchered to his death?

       Her husband sold your father, and the wife

       Would sell the son in turn.

      GUIDO

      Lord Moranzone,

       I alone did this thing: be satisfied,

       My father is avenged.

      LORD JUSTICE

      Doth he confess?

      GUIDO

      My lord, I do confess

       That foul unnatural murder has been done.

      FIRST CITIZEN

      Why, look at that: he has a pitiful heart, and does not like murder; they will let him go for that.

      LORD JUSTICE

      Say you no more?

      GUIDO

      My lord, I say this also,

       That to spill human blood is deadly sin.

      SECOND CITIZEN

      Marry, he should tell that to the headsman: ‘tis a good sentiment.

      GUIDO

      Lastly, my lord, I do entreat the Court

       To give me leave to utter openly

       The dreadful secret of this mystery,

       And to point out the very guilty one

       Who with this dagger last night slew the Duke.

      LORD JUSTICE

      Thou hast leave to speak.

      DUCHESS

      [rising]

       I say he shall not speak:

       What need have we of further evidence?

       Was he not taken in the house at night

       In Guilt’s own bloody livery?

      LORD JUSTICE

      [showing her the statute]

       Your Grace

       Can read the law.

      DUCHESS

      [waiving book aside]

       Bethink you, my Lord Justice,

       Is it not very like that such a one

       May, in the presence of the people here,

       Utter some slanderous word against my Lord,

       Against the city, or the city’s honour,

       Perchance against myself.

      LORD JUSTICE

      My liege, the law.

      DUCHESS

      He shall not speak, but, with gags in his mouth,

       Shall climb the ladder to the bloody block.

      LORD JUSTICE

      The law, my liege.

      DUCHESS

      We are not bound by law,

       But with it we bind others.

      MORANZONE

      My Lord Justice,

       Thou wilt not suffer this injustice here.

      LORD JUSTICE

      The Court needs not thy voice, Lord Moranzone.

       Madam, it were a precedent most evil

       To wrest the law from its appointed course,

       For, though the cause be just, yet anarchy

       Might on this licence touch these golden scales

       And unjust causes unjust victories gain.

      COUNT BARDI

      I do not think your Grace can stay the law.

      DUCHESS

      Ay, it is well to preach and prate of law:

       Methinks, my haughty lords of Padua,

       If ye are hurt in pocket or estate,

       So much as makes your monstrous revenues

       Less by the value of one ferry toll,

       Ye do not wait the tedious law’s delay

       With such sweet patience as ye counsel me.

      COUNT BARDI

      Madam, I think you wrong our nobles here.

      DUCHESS

      I think I wrong them not. Which of you all

       Finding a thief within his house at night,

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