A Double-Edged Sword. Brenda E. Novack

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СКАЧАТЬ for the hundredth time the sorry

      Tale in its bloody history. O Sodom

      Doomed to be dyed for e’er with running gore,

      Thy silent streets for ever haunted by

      The specter of death, and they great palaces

      The banquet-halls of reveling Mars!

      O for these haughty slaves whose hearts rejoice

      In civil blood, rather than to unsheathe

      Their eager words in the stern faces

      Of Florence’s common foes; while I am doomed

      To play a poor spectator’s sorry part

      Possessing not the power to do aught else,

      Compelled to taste the bitterness to be

      In name the ruler, in power not.

      But could I force the fleeting years retrace

      Their dusty steps, regain the heart unflinching

      And stout, of youth, pour ardour warm and zeal

      Herculean might to my sore trembling arms,

      I would not linger here uttering vain words.

      O idle wish bred of impotency!

      What redress doth remain save to assay

      To reconcile the alienated hearts?

      [Re-enter Oddo, Lamb., Valentio, and Rinieri]

      Oddo [addressing the Duke]:

      My Lord, I come demanding that Justice

      Be done to me.

      Duke:

      Hast thou been wronged?

      Oddo:

      Aye, wronged,

      Abused, scorned in the midst of gentlemen,

      And made a Justice-seeking fool, the while

      The root and source of all that roameth free

      Like as the fowls of heaven, and perchance

      To my undoing.

      Duke:

      Thou awakenest

      My curiousness to learn the name of the bold

      Offender: pray how goes it?

      Oddo:

      A name

      My furious lips would scorch if they assay

      To spell it: ‘tis no stranger to your ear.

      Rinieri:

      It spells ‘Valentio,’ Your Highness.

      [Enter Valentio and Uberto]

      Duke:

      Ah here he comes. [to Valentio] This gentleman [pointing to Oddo] doth claim

      Amends for certain wrongs that he maintains

      Thou hast done him. How wouldst thou defend

      Thyself against this charge?

      Valentio [after a pause]:

      My silence, both

      With his wound plead him right.

      Uberto:

      Not so, my Lord,

      ‘Tis I, not he who needs should suffer Thy wrath.

      Valentio:

      Nay, heed him not, my Lord; he speaks

      Thus, driven by a generous nature.

      Duke [to Valentio and Uberto]:

      Verrily

      I marvel greatly at your words: I have

      Not seen before this day men enamoured

      So much to punishment! I do commend

      Your noble friendship, but yet I demand

      To know who the offender is.

      Valentio:

      ‘Tis I.

      Uberto:

      Nay, ‘tis I.

      Duke [reflecting]:

      Since each of you would fain

      So firmly bear the charge and doth abide

      Unshaken in his judgment, it meseems

      Well to devise some other way to extricate

      Us from this difficulty. [to Lamb.] A daughter fair

      Hast thou, if I am well informed: a maid

      More fair than heaven’s sun, but not a whit

      Less scorching, whom I did behold one day

      Happier than any in my life, and so

      Surpassing fair was she that amorous Time,

      Wounded by the darts of Love fled with haste

      Lest he be wounded more, that I knew not how;

      And she made ma sore rune my palsied age

      And envy most bold youth.

      Lamb. [bowing low]:

      My Lord, you flood

      My humble self with all this generous praise,

      Beyond all hope of thanks I abide

      In debt.

      Duke:

      She’s called Beatrice, is it not so?

      Uberto [aside, with his hand on his heart]:

      Hush, fond heart,

      Thou makest me believe it was her name I heard!

      Oddo СКАЧАТЬ