Электронная книга - «The World's Greatest Books [Volumes 1-15, 17-20]». Краткое содержание книги:
Антология содержит: The World's Greatest Books — Volume 01 — Fiction от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 02 — Fiction от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 03 — Fiction от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 04 — Fiction от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 05 — Fiction от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 06 — Fiction от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 07 — Fiction от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 08 — Fiction от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 09 — Lives and Letters от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 10 — Lives and Letters от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 11 — Ancient and Mediæval History от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 12 — Modern History от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 13 — Religion and Philosophy от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 14 — Philosophy and Economics от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 15 — Science от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 17 — Poetry and Drama от Неизвестный The world's greatest books от Mee, Arthur, 1875-1943, joint editor & Hammerton, John Alexander, Sir, 1871-1949, joint editor & McClure, S. S. (Samuel Sidney), 1857-1949, joint editor The World's Greatest Books — Volume 19 — Travel and Adventure от Неизвестный The World's Greatest Books — Volume 20 — Miscellaneous Literature and Index от Неизвестный
[Two officers of the town fix the edict to the wall, and the Crier and the crowd depart. Saverny enters. The street grows dark.
Saverny: Fair Marion de Lorme has left her house.
I cannot find her.
Gasse: What was the man like?
Saverny: I do not know. On entering the house
I recognised sweet Marion, and began
To speak to her. Before I could turn round
And thank the man to whom I owed my life,
He knocked the candle over. I withdrew,
Seeing I was not wanted. All I know
Is that his name is Didier.
Rochebaron: It smacks
Of vulgar origin. To think a man
With such a name should carry Marion off—
Marion, the queen of beauty and of love!
Saverny: There may be men with greater names, but none
With greater hearts. To leap from Marion's arms,
And fight with footpads for a stranger's life!
The thing's heroic! I owe Didier
A debt that I would pay, if need there was,
With all my blood. I wish he were my friend!
[L'Angely, the King's jester—a mournful-looking creature—comes and sits with the officers. He is followed by a tall, pale, handsome young man. It is Didier.
Didier: The Marquis of Saverny! So the fop
Called himself. Oh, the easy, impudent air
With which he spoke to Marie! And I saved
The creature's life. If I meet him again——
Gasse: Saverny!
Didier: Here's my man.
Gasse: Have you observed
The edict against duelling, on pain
Of hanging?
Saverny: Hanging? Hang a gentleman?
You jest! That is a punishment for serfs.
Brichanteau: Well, read the edict underneath the lamp.
Saverny (annoyed at Didier for staring at him):
Go, read it for me, pale face!
Didier: I?
Saverny: Yes, you.
Didier (rising): It is an ordinance that punishes
By gibbeting all squabbling noblemen.
Having done all you wanted, may I claim
A slight reward? Will you now fight with me?
Saverny: Certainly. Where?
Didier: Here. Who will lend a sword?
L'Angely: For this wild folly, take a fool's sword, friend,
And in exchange, bequeath to me, for luck,
The bit of rope that hangs you.
Didier (taking his sword): Now, marquis!
Saverny: Sir, at your service.
Didier: Guard!
[As their swords clash, Marion de Lorme appears.
Marion (seeing
Didier fighting): Stop! Help! Help! Help!
[In answer to her cries the town guard arrive.
The Captain of the Guard: Down with your swords! What! Duelling beneath
The edict of the king! You are dead men.
[Didier and Saverny are disarmed and led away.
Marion: What has he done?
[L'Angely points to the edict: she reads it.
Oh, when I called for help
Death came! Is there no way to rescue him?
The king is kind at heart, he will forgive——
L'Angely: But Richelieu will not! He loves red blood,
The scarlet cardinal, he loves red blood!
Marion: You frighten me! Who are you?
L'Angely: The king's fool.
Marion: Ah, Didier! If a woman's feeble hand
Can save you, mine shall do it! [She departs.
L'Angely (picking up the sword he lent to Didier):
Ha! Ha! Ha!
It was not I that played the fool to-night!
Act II
Scene—A hall in the castle of Chambord. King Louis XIII., a grey-haired, weak-minded man, is sitting, pale and sorrowful, in a chair of state. L'Angely stands beside him.
The King: Oh, it is miserable to be a king
That lives but does not govern. Richelieu
Is killing all my friends. I sometimes think
He wants their blood to dye his scarlet robes.
L'Angely: He works for France, sire——
The King: Yes, and for himself.
I hate him. Never did a king of France
Govern with so tyrannical a hand
As he now does. A single word from me
And all his pomp and splendour, all his power,
Would vanish. But I cannot say the word;
He will not let me. Come, amuse me, fool!
L'Angely: Is not life, sire, a thing of bitterness?
The King: It is. Man is a shadow.
L'Angely: And a king
The miserablest creature on this earth.
The King: It gives me pleasure when you speak like that.
I wish that I were dead. In all the world
You are the only man I ever found
Worth listening to. I often wonder why
You care to live. What are you? A poor fool—
A puppet that I jerk to make me laugh.
L'Angely: I live on out of curiosity.
The puppet of the king, I sit and watch
The antics of the puppet of the priest!
The King: Yes, that is what I am. You speak the truth.
Could Satan not become a cardinal,
And take possession of my very soul?
L'Angely: I think that's what has happened.
The King: He loves blood,
The cardinal! It was the Huguenots
Yesterday that he wanted to behead,
And now it is the duellists. Blood! Blood!
He cannot live unless he lives in blood.
[L'Angely makes a sign. Marion de Lorme and the Marquis de Nangis enter.
Marion: Pardon!
The King: For whom?
Marion: Didier.
Nangis: And the Marquis of Saverny.
They are two boys of twenty years of age—
Two children—they were quarrelling, when some spies
Posted by Richelieu ...
Marion: Pardon them, my king!
You will have pity on them. Two young boys,
Caught in a boyish quarrel! No blood shed.
You will not kill my Didier for that!
You will not! Oh, you will not!
The King (wiping the tears from his eyes): Richelieu
![The World's Greatest Books [Volumes 1-15, 17-20] - Читать Любимую Русскую Полную Книгу 👉 Read-E-Book.com](/uploads/posts/books/4/0/5/6/the-world-s-greatest-books-volumes-1-15-17-20-download.jpg)
