嗔秤戻幣�哉膵�云利匈嬉蝕湊蛸賜�塋床四衲���萩晦編報炎嘔囚^泡仟 ̄云利匈��
栽怩弌傍利 卦指云慕朕村 紗秘慕禰 厘議慕尺 厘議慕禰 TXT畠云和墮 〆辺茄欺厘議箝誓匂〇

the dark lady of the sonnets(噴膨佩鮒戦議菜健繁)-及10何蛍

酔楯荷恬: 梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈 梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈 梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ● 辛指欺云匈競何! 泌惚云慕短嗤堋響頼���誅卒亮茂�俊彭堋響��辛聞喘貧圭 "辺茄欺厘議箝誓匂" 孔嬬 才 "紗秘慕禰" 孔嬬��



majestical enough for the glory that lovely words can reveal。            It is heresy 

to deny it�此   �have you not been taught that in the beginning was the Word�拭�

that the Word was with God�拭�nay�察�that the Word was God�拭�

     THE   LADY。       Beware�察  �fellow�察  �how   you   presume   to   speak   of   holy 

things。 The Queen is the head of the Church。 

     THE MAN。        You are the head of my Church when you speak as you 

did at first。   ;All the perfumes of Arabia;�         �Can the Queen speak thus�拭�

They say she playeth well upon the virginals。           Let her play so to me�察�and 

I'll kiss her hands。    But until then�察�you are my Queen�察�and I'll kiss those 

lips that have dropt music on my heart。         _��He puts his arms abont her�А�_ 

     THE     LADY。     Unmeasured       impudence�      �On    your   life�察 �take  your 

hands from me。 

     _The Dark Lady comes stooping along the terrace behind them like a 

running thrush。      When she sees how they are employed�察�she rises angrily 

to her full height�察�and listens jealously。_ 

     THE MAN。        _��unaware of the Dark Lady��_          Then cease to make my 

hands tremble with the streams of life you pour through them。              You hold 

me as the lodestar holds the iron�此      �I cannot but cling to you。     We are lost�察�

you and I�此    �nothing can separate us now。 

     THE   DARK   LADY。         We   shall   see   that�察  �false   lying   hound�察  �you   and 

your filthy trull。    _��With two vigorous cuffs�察�she knocks the pair asunder�察�

sending the man�察�who is unlucky enough to receive a righthanded blow�察�

sprawling     an  the  flags�А�_   Take   that�察  �both  of   you� �THE     CLOAKED 

LADY。       _��in   towering    wrath�察 �throwing    off  her  cloak   and   turning   in 

outraged majesty on her assailant��_         High treason� �

     THE   DARK   LADY。         _��recognizing   her   and   falling   on   her   knees   in 

abject terror��_    Will�此   �I am lost�此   �I have struck the Queen。 

     THE MAN。        _��sitting  up as   majestically  as his ignominious   posture 

allows��_     Woman�此     �you have struck WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR。 

     QUEEN       ELIZABETH。         _��stupent��_     Marry�察    �come   up�。。    �Struck 

William Shakespear   quotha�        �And who   in the name   of   all the   sluts and 

jades and light´o'´loves   and fly´by´nights   that infest this   palace of   mine�察�



                                            35 


´ Page 36´

                            THE DARK LADY OF THE SONNETS 



may William Shakespear be�拭�

     THE DARK LADY。             Madam�此     �he is but a player。     Oh�察�I could have 

my hand cut off 

     QUEEN       ELIZABETH。          Belike     you    will�察 �mistress。    Have     you 

bethought you that I am like to have your head cut off as well�拭�

     THE DARK LADY。            Will�此   �save me。     Oh�察�save me。 

     ELIZABETH。         Save   you�     �A   likely   savior�察  �on   my   royal   word� �I 

had thought this fellow at least an esquire�察�for I had hoped that even the 

vilest   of   my   ladies   would   not   have   dishonored   my   Court   by   wantoning 

with a baseborn servant。 

     SHAKESPEAR。           _��indignantly scrambling to his feet��_          Base´born� �

I�察�a Shakespear of Stratford�        �I�察�whose mother was an Arden� �baseborn� �

You forget yourself�察�madam。          ELIZABETH。         _��furious��_     S'blood� �do I 

so�拭   �I will teach you 

     THE   DARK   LADY。         _��rising   from   her   knees   and   throwing   herself 

between them��_        Will�此   �in God's name anger her no further。         It is death。 

Madam�此      �do not listen to him。 

     SHAKESPEAR。           Not   were   it   een  to  save   your   life�察  �Mary�察  �not   to 

mention mine own�察�will I flatter a monarch who forgets what is due to my 

family。    I   deny   not   that  my   father  was   brought    down    to  be   a  poor 

bankrupt�察�but twas his gentle blood that was ever too generous for trade。 

Never  did   he disown   his   debts。    Tis   true   he   paid   them  not�察  �but it   is   an 

attested truth that he gave bills for them�察�and twas those bills�察�in the hands 

of base hucksters�察�that were his undoing。 

     ELIZABETH。         _��grimly��_      The   son   of   your   father   shall   learn   his 

place in the presence of the daughter of Harry the Eighth。 

     SHAKESPEAR。            _��swelling     with   intolerant   importance��_      Name 

not   that  inordinate    man   in  the  same    breath   with  Stratford's   worthiest 

alderman。 John Shakespear wedded but once�此              �Harry Tudor was married 

six times。 You should blush to utter his name。 

     THE DARK LADY。 ��               Will�此   �for pity's sake           �� _crying out 

��                                                       ��  together_    ELIZABETH。 

��      Insolent dog                          �� 

     SHAKESPEAR。           _��cutting them short��_        How know you that King 



                                             36 


´ Page 37´

                             THE DARK LADY OF THE SONNETS 



Harry was indeed your father�拭�

     ELIZABETH。               ��      Zounds�       �Now     by                          �� 

_��she    stops   to  grind   her  teeth   with   rage�А�_                          ��  THE 

DARK         LADY。      ��           She      will    have    me     whipped       through 

��      the streets。    Oh God�      �Oh God� �

     SHAKESPEAR。            Learn   to   know   yourself   better�察  �madam。     I   am   an 

honest gentleman of unquestioned parentage�察�and have already sent in my 

demand for the coat´of´arms that is lawfully mine。              Can you say as much 

for yourself�拭�

     ELIZABETH。          _��almost beside herself��_        Another word�察�and I begin 

with mine own hands the work the hangman shall finish。 

     SHAKESPEAR。            You are no true Tudor�此         �this baggage here has   as 

good a right to your royal seat as you。          What maintains you on the throne 

of   England�拭    �Is it   your   renowned   wit�拭  �your   wisdom  that   sets   at   naught 

the craftiest statesmen of the Christian world�拭          �No。     Tis the mere chance 

that   might   have   happened   to   any   milkmaid�察  �the   caprice   of   Nature   that 

made     you    the   most   wondrous      piece   of   beauty    the  age    hath   seen。 

_��Elizabeth's raised fists�察�on the point   of striking him�察�fall to her  side�А�_ 

That is what hath brought all men to your feet�察�and founded your throne on 

the impregnable rock of your proud heart�察�a stony island in a sea of desire。 

There�察�madam�察�is some wholesome blunt honest speaking for you。                      Now 

do your worst。 

     ELIZABETH。          _��with dignity��_       Master Shakespear�此       �it is well for 

you    that  I  am   a  merciful    prince。   I   make    allowance     for  your   rustic 

ignorance。      But remember that there are things which be true�察�and are yet 

not seemly to be said ��I will not say to a queen�察�for you will have it that I 

am none�� but to a virgin。 

     SHAKESPEAR。            _��bluntly��_     It   is   no   fault   of   mine   that   you   are   a 

virgin�察�madam�察�albeit tis my misfortune。 

     THE DARK LADY。              _��terrified again��_      In mercy�察�madam�察�hold no 

further discourse with him。         He hath ever some lewd jest on his tongue。 

You   hear   how   he   useth   me�   �calling   me   baggage   and   the   like   to   your 

Majesty's face。 

     ELIZABETH。          As for you�察�mistress�察�I have yet to demand what your 



                                              37 


´ Page 38´

                            THE DARK LADY OF THE SONNETS 



business is at this hour in this place�察�and how you come to be so concerned 

with a player that you strike blindly at your sovereign in your jealousy of 

him。 

     THE DARK LADY。            Madam�此      �as I live and hope for salvation 

     SHAKESPEAR。           _��sardonically��_      Ha� �

     THE   DARK   LADY。         _��angrily��_     ay�察  �I'm   as   like   to   be   saved   as 

thou that believest naught save some black magic of words and versesI 

say�察�madam�察�as I am a living woman I came here to break with him for 

ever。    Oh�察�madam�察�if you would know what misery is�察�listen to this man 

that is more than man and less at the same time。           He will tie you down to 

anatomize      your   very   soul�此 �he    will  wring   tears   of  blood   from   your 

humiliation�察�and then he will heal the wound with flatteries that no woman 

can resist。 

     SHAKESPEAR。           Flatteries�    �_��Kneeling��_      Oh�察  �madam�察  �I   put   my 

case at your royal feet。      I confess to much。      I have a rude tongue�此      �I am 

unmannerly�此      �I blaspheme against the holiness of anointed royalty�察�but oh�察�

my royal mistress�察�AM I a flatterer�拭�

    ELIZABETH。          I   absolve   you   as   to   that。 You   are   far   too   plain   a 

dealer to please me。      _��He rises gratefully�А�_ 

     THE     DARK      LADY。      Madam�此      �he   is  flattering  you   even    as  he 

speaks。 

    ELIZABETH。          _��a terrible flash in her eye��_      Ha�    �Is it so�拭�

     SHAKESPEAR。           Madam�此      �she is jealous�察�and�察�heaven help me� �not 

without reason。      Oh�察�you say you are a merciful prince�察�but that was cruel 

of you�察�that hiding of your royal dignity when you found me here。                   For 

how can I ever be content with this black´haired�察�black´eyed�察�black´avised 

devil again now that I have looked upon real beauty and real majesty�拭�

     THE DARK LADY。             _��wounded and desperate��_          He hath swore to 

me ten times over that the day shall come in England when black women�察�

for   all   their   foulness�察  �shall   be   more   thought   on   than   fair   ones。 _��To 

Shakespear�察�scolding at him��_         Deny it if thou canst。      Oh�察�he is comp
卦指朕村 貧匯匈 和匯匈 指欺競何 壘��1�� 家��0��
酔楯荷恬: 梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈 梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈 梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ● 辛指欺云匈競何!
梁椣戻幣�� 梁心弌傍議揖扮窟燕得胎��傍竃徭失議心隈才凪万弌誌育断蛍�輌臆惨軼僑〃�燕慕得珊辛參資誼持蛍才将刮襲潜��範寔亟圻幹慕得 瓜寡追葎娼得辛參資誼寄楚署衛、持蛍才将刮襲潜填��