Three Major Plays (33 page)

To die than have to turn away
From you.

FEDERICO. And I, my lady, seek
In death the only favour I
Now wish upon myself. This life

Is meaningless; this body has

1005

No soul; I seek my death, convinced
That it is not a source of fear;
Rather, my one remaining pleasure.
I only ask you let me kiss

This hand, so I may taste the poison that

1010

Now ends my life.

CASANDRA. To do so is to put
A spark to powder. Leave me now.

FEDERICO. To do so would be treachery.

CASANDRA. If I could only speak more firmly than

I do. I feel this poison spread

1015

From hand to heart.

FEDERICO. You were the siren
^*
who
Beguiled me on this fatal sea,
And sweetly lured me to my
Own death.

CASANDRA. As I, if I go on,

Am certain to destroy myself.

1020

Oh, will not name and honour teach
Me greater prudence, greater sense?

FEDERICO. I seem to have no strength.

CASANDRA. And I
No consciousness of what I think
Or do.

FEDERICO. Such strange infirmity!

1025

CASANDRA. I die for you.

FEDERICO. I cannot die,

-233-

Since I am long since dead.

CASANDRA. Sweet Count,
You bring about my death.

FEDERICO. Then I,
Though dead, am happy that my soul

Enjoys such immortality

1030

As will allow me to possess
Your love for all eternity.

-234-

AURORA
and the
MARQUIS.

AURORA. I swear that what I say is true.

MARQUIS. I can't believe it possible,
But if it is, you must take care
That no one overhears.
^*

AURORA. I had

To tell you what I know so you

5

Can best advise me what to do.

MARQUIS. First tell me how it was you saw
The two of them.

AURORA. As you well know,
My lord, I loved the Count most dearly,

And suffered at his hands the kind

10

Of treachery once practised by
The cunning Ulysses. The years
Had nurtured our love, and by
The time they went to bring Casandra here

From Italy, our plans were firmly made,

15

If anyone believes a man
Will ever keep the word he gave.
As soon as Federico met
Casandra, he began to treat

Me differently, and when the Duke

20

Proposed we marry soon, said he
Could not, through jealousy of you.
That's why, since it is often said
That love gone cold is best revived

By favouring someone else, I tried

25

To make him think that I loved you.
It had as much effect as if
I'd tried to make a mark upon

-235-

A diamond: for where there is

No love, how can you make a person fond

30

Of you? I could not understand
Why I, who had been loved, should now
Be so despised by him, and so began,
Now driven by my lynx-eyed jealousy,

To watch him carefully. Casandra has

35

A dressing-room containing two
Recesses,
^*
and on the walls not tapestries,
But mirrors, portraits, glasses of
All kinds. It must have been suspicion led

Me there one day, for as I went

40

In quietly, I looked into a mirror
And saw Federico slip as silently
Into the opposite recess,
And straight away begin to pick

The blood-red roses of Casandra's lips.

45

I watched them horrified and then
Could watch no more. I turned and ran,
And when I'd found some quiet place,
Began to weep for my misfortune.

I wept for theirs too, that they

50

Could be so blind as to believe
That, while the Duke was still away,
They could behave so brazenly,
And publicize a love that in

Its infamy was worse than anything

55

We normally attribute to
The lust and savagery of animals.
The mirror, I'm convinced, in order not
To show such hideous love as this,

Assumed a dark and cloudy face,

60

While I, as if transfixed, observed
How they lasciviously indulged
Themselves and took such sweet
Delight in every manner of embrace.

They say the Duke returns triumphantly,

65

And laurel wreaths adorn his brow
To celebrate his victories

-236-

Against the Holy Pontiff's enemies.
I beg you, tell me what I am

To do. I am pursued by thoughts

70

That you, in speaking of your love
For me, may not have spoken as
Sincerely as I would like,
And therefore, like the Count, you too

May now be planning to deceive

75

And in the end abandon me.

MARQUIS. Aurora, in this life the only thing
That has no remedy is death.
Though many in the course of time

Are, like the Phoenix, born again

80

And live once more through their fame.
Inform the Duke you wish to marry me.
As soon as he agrees to it,
We'll go to Mantua, and all

The danger that you fear now

85

Will soon be over. The tiger, so
They say, grieves for its poor cubs
That have become the hunter's prey;
Is so distraught it rushes to the sea

And lets itself be swept away

90

Unto its death. If that is so,
What will Ferrara's new Achilles do
In order to avenge his name
And tarnished honour? Who can believe

That such a stain as this can now

95

Be cleansed unless it be by spilling blood,
And thus engraving what they did
Upon our memory, assuming that
The heavens do not seek vengeance first,

And send down bolts to blast their infamy?

100

I give you the advice you asked of me.

AURORA. And I, in my distress, accept
It gratefully.

MARQUIS. The mirror that

-237-

Reflected her will be Medusa's glass

For this new Circe. *

105

Enter
FEDERICO and BATÍN

FEDERICO. You mean he would not wait until
They went to welcome him?

BATÍN. He would
Not wait for anything, my lord.
No sooner did he see the frontier,

Than he, more eager than the rest

110

Of them, rode off, not bothering
To give you proper warning of
His coming. Such is his love of you,
He cannot wait to see you once

Again, and though he wants to see

115

The Duchess too, there's nothing else
Can match his love for you. For him
You are the sun itself, and four
Months absence like the moon's eclipse.

He'll be here soon. You'd best prepare

120

A triumph fit to please a king.
The troops he leads will enter here.
The spoils of war all held aloft,
And golden banners greeting him.

FEDERICO.

Aurora, why is it I find

125

You always in the Marquis's company?

AURORA. Am I to think you jest with me,
My lord?

FEDERICO. Is that all you can say
To justify such infidelity?

AURORA. I can't believe the Marquis has

130

Awakened your jealousy,
My lord. You seem to be awake
When you have been four months asleep.

MARQUIS. Believe me, Count, I did not know

You felt what you now claim to feel

135

-238-

For her. I served Aurora in
Good faith, believing I had no
Competitor, and least of all
Yourself. Such is my loyalty,

Whatever else you'd asked of me

140

I would have given you except
My love for her, for then it was
Not known to me you loved her too
As honestly as I. But since

You say you do and are more worthy of

145

Her love than I can ever be,
I think it proper to withdraw.

[
Exit the
MARQUIS

AURORA. You see what you have done! What kind
Of madness makes you talk like this

When any thought of love has flown?

150

How many times have you set eyes
On me in conversation with
The Marquis since this strange attack
Of melancholy
^*
first began?

You've never looked at me! But now

155

I plan to marry him, why, all
At once, this great display of jealousy!
Believe me, Count, I know full well
What you have planned. If I am not

Allowed to marry him, I'd rather kill

160

Myself than have a hand in it.
I think it best by far if you
Embrace not me but rather that
Sweet melancholy you so obviously

Prefer. Of one thing be quite sure.

165

I'll not forget the pain that you
Cause me. Do not, then, be surprised
If I inflict the same on you.
I only ask that God protect

Me from such lies as yours. I shall

170

Not help you, be quite sure.

-239-

[
Exit
AURORA

BATÍN. Whatever have you done to her?

FEDERICO. Who knows, Batín? I've no idea.

BATÍN. If you ask me, my lord, I'd say

It's really pretty serious this,

175

And brings to mind the Emperor,
Tiberius.
^*
He'd had his missus recently
Snuffed out, no fuss, but then forgets
That she's a gonner, so shouts out:

'It's time for dinner.' Then there was

180

Messala,
^*
just the same, the one
That constantly forgot his name.

FEDERICO. I have forgotten I'm a man!

BATÍN. And then there was this peasant too,

Got married, oh, two years ago.

185

One day he gave his wife a shock
He realized her eyes were black.

FEDERICO. I do not know, BatÍn, what I
Should do.

BATÍN. I am reminded too,

My lord, of one peculiar fellow from

190

Biscay.
^*
He was a fool, you see;
He'd gone and left the bridle on
His horse and found it wouldn't eat
Its hay. You've no idea how dismayed

He was, and so he thought he'd better call

195

A horse-doctor to find out what
Was wrong with her. He saw at once,
Of course, the problem with the horse
Was just the bit, so chucked the owner out

And then removed it. The horse went mad;

200

He gobbled up the hay, and when
He'd finished it, the manger too,
So when his owner saw what he'd
Chewed through, he was amazed, and poured

-240-

Upon the horse-doctor much lavish praise.

205

'By God,' he said, 'you've done the trick.
I'll come to you when I am sick.
You've dealt with him most skilfully.
In future you can see to me.'

I fancy you too, sir, have such

210

A bit that will not let you eat.
I'll be your doctor, if you wish.
Believe me, I'll soon cure it.

FEDERICO. I cannot tell you what is wrong.

BATÍN. Then I can only say to you,

215

You'd better leave the oats alone.

Enter
CASANDRA
and
LUCRECIA.

CASANDRA. He's coming then?

LUCRECIA. He is, madam.

CASANDRA. And not a single word of warning!

LUCRECIA. They say he's left the rest behind

Because he longs to see you once

220

Again.

CASANDRA. And you believe it of
A man like him? As far as I'm
Concerned, I'd rather die. Convince
Me, Count, the story is a lie.

FEDERICO. They say

the Duke will soon be here:

225

Proof that his love for you is sure.

CASANDRA. If I see you no more, I know
That I shall die of sorrow.

FEDERICO [
aside
].
^*
I know
That, now the Duke is here, this love
Shall never see tomorrow.

CASANDRA. I know

230

I shall go mad.

-241-