desert where I too may dwell so that my soul may become worthy to see God.
honorius
The sun is setting, Myrrhina. Come with me to Alexandria.
myrrhina
I will not go to Alexandria.
honorius
Farewell, Myrrhina.
·126· myrrhina
Honorius, farewell. No, no, do not go.
…..
I have cursed my beauty for what it has done, and cursed the wonder of my body for the evil that it has brought upon you.
Lord, this man brought me to Thy feet. He told me of Thy coming upon earth, and of the wonder of Thy birth, and the great wonder of Thy death also. By him, O Lord, Thou wast revealed to me.
honorius
You talk as a child, Myrrhina, and without knowledge. Loosen your hands. Why didst thou come to this valley in thy beauty?
myrrhina
The God whom thou worshippest led me here that I might repent of my iniquities and know Him as the Lord.
honorius
Why didst thou tempt me with words?
myrrhina
That thou shouldst see Sin in its painted mask and look on Death in its robe of Shame.
A Florentine Tragedy
With Opening Scene by
T. Sturge Moore
[The text follows the
1921 Methuen & Co. edition.]
·129· characters.
guido bardi, a Florentine prince.
simone, a merchant.
bianca, his wife.
maria, a tire-woman.
The action takes place at Florence in the sixteenth century
·131· [The scene represents a tapestried upper room giving on to a balcony or loggia in an old house at Florence. A table laid for a frugal meal, a spinning-wheel, distaff, etc., chests, chairs and stools.]
As the Curtain rises enter Bianca, with her Servant, Maria.
maria
Certain and sure, the sprig is Guido Bardi,
A lovely lord, a lord whose blood is blue!
bianca
But where did he receive you?
maria
Where, but there
In yonder palace, in a painted hall!—
Painted with naked women on the walls,—
Would make a common man or blush or smile
But he seemed not to heed them, being a lord,
·132· bianca
But how know you ’tis not a chamberlayne,
A lackey merely?
maria
Why, how know I there is a God in heaven?
Because the angels have a master surely.
So to this lord they bowed, all others bowed,
And swept the marble flags, doffing their caps,
With the gay plumes. Because he stiffly said,
And seemed to see me as those folk are seen
That will be never seen again by you,
‘Woman, your mistress then returns this purse
Of forty thousand crowns, is it fifty thousand?
Come name the sum will buy me grace of her/
bianca
What, were there forty thousand crowns therein?
marta
I know it was all gold; heavy with gold.
bianca
It must be he, none else could give so much.
·133· maria
’Tis he, ’tis my lord Guido, Guido Bardi.
bianca
What said you?
maria
I, I said my mistress never
Looked at the gold, never opened the purse,
Never counted a coin. But asked again
What she had asked before, ‘How young you looked?
How handsome your lordship looked? What doublet
Your majesty had on? What chains, what hose
Upon your revered legs?’ And curtseyed I, …
bianca
What said he?
maria
Curtseyed I, and he replied,
‘Has she a lover then beside that old
Soured husband or is it him she loves, my God!
Is it him?’
·134· bianca
Well?
maria
Curtseyed I low and said
‘Not him, my lord, nor you, nor no man else.
Thou art rich, my lord, and honoured, my lord, and she
Though not so rich is honoured …’
bianca
Fool,
