Queen Margot: A Play in Five Acts. Александр Дюма
Читать онлайн книгу.
LA MÔLE
My word, yes. My preceptor taught me.
COCONNAS
By God, Count, your fortune is assured. You will compose verses with King Charles IX and you will speak Greek with Queen Marguerite.
LA MÔLE
Not to mention that I can still speak Gascon with the King of Navarre—are you coming?
COCONNAS
I’m with you.
(to La Hurière)
Finish up, here, master—what’s your name?
LA HURIÈRE
La Hurière.
COCONNAS
Well, Master La Hurière, tell us the quickest way to get to the Louvre.
LA HURIÈRE
Oh! My God—it’s very easy—you follow the street to the church of Saint Germain—l’Axerrois—at the church you take a right and you are facing the Louvre.
LA MÔLE
Thanks.
(Coconnas and La Môle exit.)
LA HURIÈRE
(alone)
Hum! Now there are two gentlemen who seem to me to have the air of frightful freethinkers, I will recommend them to M. de Maureval—or rather since they are here—I will do my business myself.
(The Admiral’s door opens.)
DE NANCY
(calling)
The King’s litter!
LA HURIÈRE
Ah—King Charles the IX. He’s leaving the Admiral’s. O Great King, go. May God give you the prudence of the Basilisk and the strength of a lion.
THE KING
(leaning on the Admiral’s shoulder)
Be easy, father, what the devil, when I give my only sister, Margot, to my cousin, Henry, I give her to all the Huguenots in the Kingdom. The Huguenots are all my brother’s now.
ADMIRAL
(his arm in a sling)
Ah, sire, I don’t doubt your intentions, but Queen Catherine—
THE KING
Coligny, I don’t say this to anyone but you, but I can tell you, my mother is a mischief maker. With her, no peace is possible. These Italian Catholics only know how to exterminate each other. As for me, on the contrary, not only do I wish for peace, but I even wish to give power to those of the religion. The others are very dissolute, father. In truth, they scandalize me with their loves and misbehavior. Come, do you want me to speak frankly? I scorn all those who surround me—except for you and my brother-in-law from Navarre, this good little Henry, your student. I don’t say your son for I am your son and I don’t want you to have any other son but me.
(Enter the litter in which Catherine is hidden.)
ADMIRAL
Yet, sir, you have around you some brave captains and prudent counselors.
THE KING
No, God pardon me, you see, there’s only you, father, only you who are brave like Julius Caesar, and wise like Plato. So, at the moment having war in Flanders, I truly don’t know what to do—to keep you here as a counselor—or to send you there as a general. So, advise me—and who shall command? If you command—who shall advise me?
ADMIRAL
Sire, you must conquer first. Advice will come after the victory.
THE KING
Is that your opinion, father? Well, it will be according to your opinion. Tomorrow, you will part for Flanders and I will part for Amboise.
ADMIRAL
Your Majesty is leaving Paris?
THE KING
Yes, I am fatigued by all this noise and all these feasts. I am not a man of action—I am a dreamer—I wasn’t born to be King, I was born to be a poet. The title of poet is the only one for which I am ambitious. So, I have already written to Ronsard to come join me in Amboise—and there, the two of us—far from noise, far from the world, far from bad men, under our great trees beside the river, to the murmur of brooks, we will speak of things of God—the only compensation there is in this world, for the things of man.
ADMIRAL
Sire, I can only applaud such a resolution, but Your Majesty will permit me, before your departure, to solicit an act of justice which is at the same time politic?
THE KING
Speak father, speak.
ADMIRAL
An act which will give a new security to the reformed religion.
THE KING
Speak—or rather you wish my full powers to accomplish this act?
ADMIRAL
No, sire, the example will be greater coming from you.
THE KING
Then tell me what is to be done?
ADMIRAL
(making a sign to a young man who steps forward from the crowd)
Allow me, sire, to present to you Monsieur de Mouy de Saint Phale.
DE MOUY
(a knee on the ground)
Sire, justice.
THE KING
Ah—you are the son of Captain de Mouy?
DE MOUY
Yes, sire.
THE KING
Who was traitorously killed by François Louviers de Maureval?
DE MOUY
Yes, sire.
THE KING
Rise then, sir. Justice will be done.
(The King gives him his hand to kiss.)
DE MOUY
Oh, sire.
ASSISTANTS
Long live the King!
ADMIRAL
Hear them, Sire!
THE KING
Thanks, brave people, thanks. But don’t cry ‘Long live the King’ rather shout, Long live the Admiral’.
SEVERAL VOICES
Long live the Admiral!
THE KING
Goodbye, father—parting as we do, we belong to each other—body and soul.
(he embraces him)
Goodbye!
ADMIRAL
(wishing to conduct the King to his litter)
Sire, allow me—
THE KING
Not at all.
ADMIRAL
Sire.
THE KING
I wish it.
(The King gets into his litter. As the litter turns toward the audience, Catherine can be seen within, watching, listening attentively.)
THE KING
(low to his mother)
Are