The Dramas of Victor Hugo: Mary Tudor, Marion de Lorme, Esmeralda — John Shaqi
The Dramas of Victor Hugo: Mary Tudor, Marion de Lorme, EsmeraldaHugo, Victor
General
The Dramas of Victor Hugo: Mary Tudor, Marion de Lorme, Esmeralda
Hugo, Victor
French drama -- 19th century -- Translations into English
THE QUEEN.
And if there are not, we will make them! We are not a queen for
nothing!
GILBERT.
Your Majesty will give back to Lord Talbot's daughter the estates,
lands, rank, coat-of-arms, and device of her father. Your Majesty
will remove her from all proscription, and will guarantee that her
life shall be safe. Your Majesty will marry her to this lord, who is
the only man she can marry. Upon these conditions, madame, you can
dispose of me, of my liberty, of my life, and of my will as you see
fit.
THE QUEEN.
Good! I will do what you have asked.
GILBERT.
Your Majesty will do what I have asked? The Queen of England swears
it to me, Gilbert the engraver, upon her crown which is here, and
upon the open gospel which is there?
THE QUEEN.
Upon the royal crown which is here, and the divine gospel which is
there, I swear it.
GILBERT.
The compact is concluded, madame. Have a tomb prepared for me and a
nuptial bed prepared for the lovers. The lord I speak of is Fabiani,
Earl of Clanbrassil. Talbot's heiress, behold her!
JANE.
What does he say?
THE QUEEN.
Am I dealing with a fool? What do you mean? Have a care, sir! You are
bold to mock the Queen of England! In the royal chambers people
should look to their words; there are times when the lips bring the
head to the block!
GILBERT.
You have my head, madame; I have your oath.
THE QUEEN.
You do not mean to say you are speaking seriously? This Fabiano--this
Jane! Come, come!
GILBERT.
This Jane is the daughter and the heiress of Lord Talbot.
THE QUEEN.
Bah! Nonsense! Delusion! Fancy! Have you got the proofs?
GILBERT.
Complete!
[_He takes a packet from his breast._
Read these papers.
THE QUEEN.
Have I time to read your papers? Did I ask for your papers? What do
your papers matter to me? If they prove anything, upon my soul, I
will throw them into the fire and nothing will be left of them.
GILBERT.
Nothing but your oath, madame!
THE QUEEN.
My oath, my oath!
GILBERT.
Upon the crown and upon the gospel, madame; that is to say, on your
head and your soul--on your life in this world, and on your life in
the next.
THE QUEEN.
But what do you want? Oh, I swear you are mad!
GILBERT.
What do I want? Jane has lost her rank, give it back to her! Jane has
lost her honor, give it back to her! Proclaim her the daughter of
Lord Talbot and the wife of Lord Clanbrassil, and then take my life.
THE QUEEN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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