The Duchess of Padua. Wilde Oscar

wilt hear that anon;

      The Duke and other nobles at the Court

      Are coming hither.

      Guido

      What of that? his name?

      Moranzone

      Do they not seem a valiant company

      Of honourable, honest gentlemen?

      Guido

      His name, milord?

      [Enter the Duke of Padua with Count Bardi, Maffio, Petrucci, and other gentlemen of his Court.]

      Moranzone [quickly]

      The man to whom I kneel

      Is he who sold your father! mark me well.

      Guido [clutches hit dagger]

      The Duke!

      Moranzone

      Leave off that fingering of thy knife.

      Hast thou so soon forgotten?  [Kneels to the Duke.]

      My noble Lord.

      Duke

      Welcome, Count Moranzone; ’tis some time

      Since we have seen you here in Padua.

      We hunted near your castle yesterday —

      Call you it castle? that bleak house of yours

      Wherein you sit a-mumbling o’er your beads,

      Telling your vices like a good old man.

      [Catches sight of Guido and starts back.]

      Who is that?

      Moranzone

      My sister’s son, your Grace,

      Who being now of age to carry arms,

      Would for a season tarry at your Court

      Duke [still looking at Guido]

      What is his name?

      Moranzone

      Guido Ferranti, sir.

      Duke

      His city?

      Moranzone

      He is Mantuan by birth.

      Duke [advancing towards Guido]

      You have the eyes of one I used to know,

      But he died childless.  Are you honest, boy?

      Then be not spendthrift of your honesty,

      But keep it to yourself; in Padua

      Men think that honesty is ostentatious, so

      It is not of the fashion.  Look at these lords.

      Count Bardi [aside]

      Here is some bitter arrow for us, sure.

      Duke

      Why, every man among them has his price,

      Although, to do them justice, some of them

      Are quite expensive.

      Count Bardi [aside]

      There it comes indeed.

      Duke

      So be not honest; eccentricity

      Is not a thing should ever be encouraged,

      Although, in this dull stupid age of ours,

      The most eccentric thing a man can do

      Is to have brains, then the mob mocks at him;

      And for the mob, despise it as I do,

      I hold its bubble praise and windy favours

      In such account, that popularity

      Is the one insult I have never suffered.

      Maffio [aside]

      He has enough of hate, if he needs that.

      Duke

      Have prudence; in your dealings with the world

      Be not too hasty; act on the second thought,

      First impulses are generally good.

      Guido [aside]

      Surely a toad sits on his lips, and spills its venom there.

      Duke

      See thou hast enemies,

      Else will the world think very little of thee;

      It is its test of power; yet see thou show’st

      A smiling mask of friendship to all men,

      Until thou hast them safely in thy grip,

      Then thou canst crush them.

      Guido [aside]

      O wise philosopher!

      That for thyself dost dig so deep a grave.

      Moranzone [to him]

      Dost thou mark his words?

      Guido

      Oh, be thou sure I do.

      Duke

      And be not over-scrupulous; clean hands

      With nothing in them make a sorry show.

      If you would have the lion’s share of life

      You must wear the fox’s skin.  Oh, it will fit you;

      It is a coat which fitteth every man.

      Guido

      Your Grace, I shall remember.

      Duke

      That is well, boy, well.

      I would not have about me shallow fools,

      Who with mean scruples weigh the gold of life,

      And faltering, paltering, end by failure; failure,

      The only crime which I have not committed:

      I would have men about me.  As for conscience,

      Conscience is but the name which cowardice

      Fleeing from battle scrawls upon its shield.

      You understand me, boy?

      Guido

      I do, your Grace,

      And will in all things carry out the creed

      Which you have taught me.

      Maffio

      I never heard your Grace

      So much in the vein for preaching; let the Cardinal

      Look to his laurels, sir.

      Duke

      The Cardinal!

      Men follow my creed, and they gabble his.

      I do not think much of the Cardinal;

      Although he is a holy churchman, and

      I quite admit his dulness.  Well, sir, from now

      We count you of our household

      [He