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The World's Greatest Books [Volumes 1-15, 17-20]

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
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[Enter Daya.

Daya: The sultan sends for thee in haste.

Nathan:                  I'll go.

Knight, take it not amiss.

Templar:          I'll quit you first.

Farewell! [Exit.

Nathan: 'Tis not alone my Leonard's walk,

But even his stature and his very voice.

Filnek and Stauffen—I will soon know more.

Scene III.—A room in Nathan's house. Recha and Daya. A slave shows in the Templar.

Recha: 'Tis he, my saviour! Ah!

Templar:              Thou best of beings,

How is my soul 'twixt eye and ear divided.

Recha: Well, knight, why thus refuse to look at me?

Templar: Because I wish to hear you.

Recha:                  Nay, because

You would not have me notice that you smile

At my simplicity.

Templar:      Ah, no; ah, no.

How truly said thy father, "Do but know her."

Yet now I must attend him. There is danger.

Scene IV.—Saladin's audience chamber. Saladin and Nathan.

Saladin: Draw nearer, Jew. Your name is Nathan?

Nathan: Yea.

Saladin:      Nathan the Wise?

Nathan:              Ah, no.

Saladin:                 Of modesty

Enough, your words and bearing prove you wise.

Now, since you are so wise, tell me which law

Appears to you the better.

Nathan: Once on a time, eastward, there dwelt a man

Who prized a ring, set with a wondrous opal

That made the owner loved of God and man.

This ring he willed should ever more remain

The heirloom of his house; and to the son

He loved the best bequeathed it, binding him

To leave it also to his best beloved,

And forward so. At length the ring descended

To one who had three sons he loved alike.

To each in turn the doting father promisèd

The ring, and on his death-bed, sorely grieving

To disappoint two heirs, he had two rings

Made like the first, so close that none could tell

The model from the copies. These he gave

To his three sons in secret, and so passed.

The sequel may be guessed, the strifes, complaints—

For the true ring no more could be distinguished

Than now can—the true faith. Each to the judge

Swore that he had the bauble from his father,

And called his brother forger. Quoth the judge:

"Which of you do his brothers love the best?

You're silent all. You're all deceived deceivers!

None of your rings is true, the true is gone.

Your father sought to end its tyranny.

Let each believe his own the real ring

And vie with others to display its virtue.

And if its power a thousand thousand years

Endure in your descendants, let them then

Before a wiser judge than I appear,

And he'll decide the cause."

Saladin:            Even God Himself!

Nathan: Art thou, O Saladin, this wiser judge?

Saladin: Not yet have sped the thousand thousand years.

His judgment seat's not mine. Go, go, but love me.

Nathan: Hath Saladin no further need of me?

Perchance my stores might furnish forth thy wars.

Saladin: Is this Al Hafi's hint? I'll not disown

My object was to ask——

Nathan:            Thou shouldst have all

But that I owe a weighty debt to one—

The Templar thou didst spare.

Saladin: I had forgot him.

Nathan: He saved my daughter from the flames.

Saladin: Ah, so? He looked a hero. Bring him hither;

Sittah must see our brother's counterfeit.

Nathan: I'll fetch him. For the rest, we are agreed.

Scene V.—The Place of Palms. Daya and the Templar.

Daya: Knight, swear to me that you will make her yours;

Make both her present and eternal welfare.

Listen. She is a Christian, and no child

Of Nathan's.

Templar: Are you sure of what you say?

Daya: It cost me tears of blood. She does not know

She is a Christian born.

Templar:            And Nathan reared

Her in this error, and persists in it?

Oh, it confounds me—go; and let me think.

[Exeunt. Act III

Scene I.—The cloisters of a convent. Athanasios the Patriarch, and the Templar.

Athanasios: Heaven keep you in your valour, good Sir Knight!

You seek my counsel? It is yours; say on.

Templar: Suppose, my reverend father, that a Jew

Brought up a Christian child, in ignorance

Of her own faith and lineage, as his daughter,

What then?

Athanasios: Is this mere supposition, sir?

If in our diocese such impious act

Were done in truth, the Jew should die by fire.

You will not name the man? I'll to the sultan,

Who will support us.

Templar:          I'll to Saladin,

And will announce your visit.

Athanasios:            Was it then

A problem merely? Nay, this is a job

For Brother Bonafides. Here, my son!

[Exit Athanasios, talking with the friar.

Scene II.—A room at the palace of Saladin. Slaves bring in money-bags to Saladin and Sittah.

Saladin (to Sittah): Here, pay yourself with that.

And look, I found

This portrait 'midst the heap of plate and jewels.

It is our brother Assad. I'll compare

The likeness with our Templar. Ah, who's there?

The Templar? Bid him enter.

[Enter the Templar.

Templar: Saladin,

Thy captive, sire, who's life is at thy service!

Saladin: Ah, brave young man, I'm not deceived in thee.

Thou art indeed, in soul and body, Assad!

Came Nathan with thee?

Templar:            Who?

Saladin:                  Who? Nathan

Templar (coldly): No.

Saladin:              Why so cold?

Templar:            I've nothing against Nathan,

But I am angry with myself alone

For dreaming that a Jew could be no Jew.

He was so cautious of my suit that I,

In swift resentment, though unwitting, gave

Him over to the Patriarch's bloody rage.

Sultan, the maiden is no child of his;

She is a Christian whom the Jew hath reared

In ignorance of her faith. The Patriarch

Foredooms him to the stake.

Saladin:              Go to, go to.

The case is scarcely hopeless. Summon Nathan,

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