The Duchess of Padua. Оскар Уайльд

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      Thou wilt hear that anon;

       The Duke and other nobles at the Court

       Are coming hither.

      Guido

      What of that? his name?

      Moranzone

      Do they not seem a valiant company

       Of honourable, honest gentlemen?

      Guido

      His name, milord?

      [Enter the Duke of Padua with Count Bardi, Maffio, Petrucci, and other gentlemen of his Court.]

      Moranzone [quickly]

      The man to whom I kneel

       Is he who sold your father! mark me well.

      Guido [clutches hit dagger]

      The Duke!

      Moranzone

      Leave off that fingering of thy knife.

       Hast thou so soon forgotten? [Kneels to the Duke.] My noble Lord.

      Duke

      Welcome, Count Moranzone; ’tis some time

       Since we have seen you here in Padua.

       We hunted near your castle yesterday—

       Call you it castle? that bleak house of yours

       Wherein you sit a-mumbling o’er your beads,

       Telling your vices like a good old man.

      [Catches sight of Guido and starts back.]

      Who is that?

      Moranzone

      My sister’s son, your Grace,

       Who being now of age to carry arms,

       Would for a season tarry at your Court

      Duke [still looking at Guido]

      What is his name?

      Moranzone

      Guido Ferranti, sir.

      Duke

      His city?

      Moranzone

      He is Mantuan by birth.

      Duke [advancing towards Guido]

      You have the eyes of one I used to know,

       But he died childless. Are you honest, boy?

       Then be not spendthrift of your honesty,

       But keep it to yourself; in Padua

       Men think that honesty is ostentatious, so

       It is not of the fashion. Look at these lords.

      Count Bardi [aside]

      Here is some bitter arrow for us, sure.

      Duke

      Why, every man among them has his price,

       Although, to do them justice, some of them

       Are quite expensive.

      Count Bardi [aside]

      There it comes indeed.

      Duke

      So be not honest; eccentricity

       Is not a thing should ever be encouraged,

       Although, in this dull stupid age of ours,

       The most eccentric thing a man can do

       Is to have brains, then the mob mocks at him;

       And for the mob, despise it as I do,

       I hold its bubble praise and windy favours

       In such account, that popularity

       Is the one insult I have never suffered.

      Maffio [aside]

      He has enough of hate, if he needs that.

      Duke

      Have prudence; in your dealings with the world

       Be not too hasty; act on the second thought,

       First impulses are generally good.

      Guido [aside]

      Surely a toad sits on his lips, and spills its venom there.

      Duke

      See thou hast enemies,

       Else will the world think very little of thee;

       It is its test of power; yet see thou show’st

       A smiling mask of friendship to all men,

       Until thou hast them safely in thy grip,

       Then thou canst crush them.

      Guido [aside]

      O wise philosopher!

       That for thyself dost dig so deep a grave.

      Moranzone [to him]

      Dost thou mark his words?

      Guido

      Oh, be thou sure I do.

      Duke

      And be not over-scrupulous; clean hands

       With nothing in them make a sorry show.

       If you would have the lion’s share of life

       You must wear the fox’s skin. Oh, it will fit you;

       It is a coat which fitteth every man.

      Guido

      Your Grace, I shall remember.

      Duke

      That is well, boy, well.

       I would not have about me shallow fools,

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