Беспокойное бессмертие: 450 лет со дня рождения Уильяма Шекспира

Richard

Sweet saint, for charity, be not so curst.

Anne

Foul devil, for God’s sake hence, and trouble us not, For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, Filled it with cursing cries and deep exclaims. If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Behold this pattern of thy butcheries. O gentlemen, see, see, dead Henry’s wounds Open their c`ongealed mouths and bleed afresh. Blush, blush, thou lump of foul deformity, For ’tis thy presence that exhales this blood From cold and empty veins where no blood dwells. Thy deeds inhuman and unnatural Provokes this deluge most unnatural. O God, which this blood mad’st, revenge his death. O earth, which this blood drink’st’revenge his death. Either heav’n with lightning strike the murd’rer dead, Or earth gape open wide and eat him quick, As thou dost swallow up this good king’s blood, Which his hell-governed arm hath butcher`ed.

Richard

Lady, you know no rules of charity, Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses.

Anne

Villain, thou know’st no law of God nor man. No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity.

Richard

But I know none, and therefore am no beast.

Anne

Oh, wonderful, when devils tell the truth!

Richard

More wonderful, when angels are so angry. Vouchsafe, divine perfection of a woman, Of these suppos`ed crimes to give me leave By circumstance but to acquit myself.

Anne

Vouchsafe, defused infection of a man, Of these known evils but to give me leave By circumstance to curse thy curs`ed self.

Richard

Fairer than tongue can name thee, let me have Some patient leisure to excuse myself.

Anne

Fouler than heart can think thee, thou canst make No `excuse current but to hang thyself.

Richard

By such despair I should accuse myself.

Anne

And by despairing, shalst thou stand excused For doing worthy vengeance on thyself, Which didst unworthy slaughter upon others.

Richard

Say that I slew them not.

Anne

Then say they were not slain. But dead they are, and, devilish slave, by thee.

Richard

I did not kill your husband.

Anne

Why, then he is alive.

Richard

Nay, he is dead, and slain by Edward’s hands.

Anne

In thy foul throat thou liest. Queen Margaret saw Thy murd’rous falchion smoking in his blood, The which thou once didst bend against her breast, But that thy brothers beat aside the point.

Richard

I was provok`ed by her sland’rous tongue, That laid their guilt upon my guiltless shoulders.

Anne

Thou wast provok`ed by thy bloody mind, Which never dream’st on aught but butcheries. Didst thou not kill this king?

Richard

I grant ye.

Anne

Dost grant me, hedgehog? Then God grant me too Thou mayst be damn`ed for that wicked deed. Oh, he was gentle, mild, and virtuous.

Richard

The better for the king of heaven that hath him.

Anne

He is in heaven, where thou shalt never come.

Richard

Let him thank me, that holp to send him thither, For he was fitter for that place than earth.

Anne

And thou unfit for any place but hell.

Richard

Yes, one place else, if you will hear me name it.

Anne

Some dungeon.

Richard

Your bedchamber.

Anne

Ill rest betide the chamber where thou liest.

Richard

So will it, madam, till I lie with you.

Anne

I hope so.

Richard

I know so. But gentle Lady Anne, To leave this keen encounter of our wits And fall something into a slower method, Is not the causer of the timeless deaths Of these Plantagenets, Henry and Edward, As blameful as the executioner?

Anne

Thou wast the cause and most accursed effect.

Richard

Your beauty was the cause of that effect: Your beauty, that did haunt me in my sleep To undertake the death of all the world, So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom.

Anne

If I thought that, I tell thee, homicide, These nails should rend that beauty from my cheeks.

Richard

These eyes could never endure sweet beauty’s wreck. You should not blemish it if I stood by. As all the world is cheered by the sun, So I by that. It is my day, my life.

Anne

Black night o’ershade thy day, and death thy life.

Richard

Curse not thyself, fair creature; thou art both.

Anne