domains of Lombardy
Down to the gates of Florence; nay, Florence even
Was wont to pay him tribute——
guido
Come to his death.
·9· moranzone
You will hear that soon enough. Being at war—
O noble lion of war, that would not suffer
Injustice done in Italy!—he led
The very flower of chivalry against
That foul adulterous Lord of Rimini,
Giovanni Malatesta—whom God curse!
And was by him in treacherous ambush taken,
And like a villain, or a low-born knave,
Was by him on the public scaffold murdered.
guido [clutching his dagger]
Doth Malatesta live?
moranzone
No, he is dead.
guido
Did you say dead? O too swift runner, Death,
Couldst thou not wait for me a little space,
And I had done thy bidding!
moranzone [clutching his wrist]
Thou canst do it!
The man who sold thy father is alive.
·10· guido
Sold! was my father sold?
moranzone
Ay! trafficked for,
Like a vile chattel, for a price betrayed,
Bartered and bargained for in privy market
By one whom he had held his perfect friend,
One he had trusted, one he had well loved,
One whom by ties of kindness he had bound——
guido
And he lives
Who sold my father?
moranzone
I will bring you to him.
guido
So, Judas, thou art living! well, I will make
This world thy field of blood, so buy it straight-way,
For thou must hang there.
moranzone
Judas said you, boy?
Yes, Judas in his treachery, but still
·11· He was more wise than Judas was, and held
Those thirty silver pieces not enough.
guido
What got he for my father’s blood?
moranzone
What got he?
Why cities, fiefs, and principalities,
Vineyards, and lands.
guido
Of which he shall but keep
Six feet of ground to rot in. Where is he,
This damned villain, this foul devil? where?
Show me the man, and come he cased in steel,
In complete panoply and pride of war,
Ay, guarded by a thousand men-at-arms,
Yet I shall reach him through their spears, and feel
The last black drop of blood from his black heart
Crawl down my blade. Show me the man, I say,
And I will kill him.
·12· moranzone [coldly]
Fool, what revenge is there?
Death is the common heritage of all,
And death comes best when it comes suddenly.
[Goes up close to Guido.]
Your father was betrayed, there is your cue;
For you shall sell the seller in his turn.
I will make you of his household, you shall sit
At the same board with him, eat of his bread——
guido
O bitter bread!
moranzone
Thy palate is too nice,
Revenge will make it sweet. Thou shalt o’ nights
Pledge him in wine, drink from his cup, and be
His intimate, so he will fawn on thee,
Love thee, and trust thee in all secret things.
If he bid thee be merry thou must laugh,
And if it be his humour to be sad
Thou shalt don sables. Then when the time is ripe——
[Guido clutches his sword.]
·13· Nay, nay, I trust thee not; your hot young blood,
Undisciplined nature, and too violent rage
Will never tarry for this great revenge,
But wreck itself on passion.
guido
Thou knowest me not.
Tell me the man, and I in everything
Will do thy bidding.
moranzone
