第 5 节
作者:
竹水冷 更新:2021-02-19 20:31 字数:9322
sentence writ; Linked but to common reason or slightest wit: These follow
for no harm; but yet incur Self penalty with those that raised this stir。 A
God's name; on; to calm our private foes With breath of gravity; not
dangerous blows!
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SIR THOMAS MORE
SCENE IV。 St。 Martin's Gate。
'Enter Lincoln; Doll; Clown; George Betts; Williamson; others; and a
Sergeant at Arms。'
LINCOLN。 Peace; hear me: he that will not see a red herring at a
Harry groat; butter at elevenpence a pound; meal at nine shillings a bushel;
and beef at four nobles a stone; list to me。
GEORGE。 It will come to that pass; if strangers be suffered。 Mark
him。
LINCOLN。 Our country is a great eating country; ergo; they eat more
in our country than they do in their own。
CLOWN。 By a halfpenny loaf; a day; troy weight。
LINCOLN。 They bring in strange roots; which is merely to the
undoing of poor prentices; for what's a sorry parsnip to a good heart?
WILLIAMSON。 Trash; trash; they breed sore eyes; and tis enough to
infect the city with the palsey。
LINCOLN。 Nay; it has infected it with the palsey; for these bastards of
dung; as you know they grow in dung; have infected us; and it is our
infection will make the city shake; which partly comes through the eating
of parsnips。
CLOWN。 True; and pumpkins together。
SERGEANT。 What say ye to the mercy of the king? Do ye refuse it?
LINCOLN。 You would have us upon this; would you? no; marry; do
we not; we accept of the king's mercy; but we will show no mercy upon
the strangers。
SERGEANT。 You are the simplest things that ever stood In such a
question。
LINCOLN。 How say ye now; prentices? prentices simple! down with
him!
ALL。 Prentices simple! prentices simple!
'Enter the Lord Mayor; Surrey; Shrewsbury; More。'
LORD MAYOR。 Hold! in the king's name; hold!
SURREY。 Friends; masters; countrymen
LORD MAYOR。 Peace; how; peace! I charge you; keep the peace!
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SIR THOMAS MORE
SHREWSBURY。 My masters; countrymen
WILLIAMSON。 The noble earl of Shrewsbury; let's hear him。
GEORGE。 We'll hear the earl of Surrey。
LINCOLN。 The earl of Shrewsbury。
GEORGE。 We'll hear both。
ALL。 Both; both; both; both!
LINCOLN。 Peace; I say; peace! are you men of wisdom; or what are
you?
SURREY。 What you will have them; but not men of wisdom。
ALL。 We'll not hear my lord of Surrey; no; no; no; no; no! Shrewsbury;
Shrewsbury!
MORE。 Whiles they are o'er the bank of their obedience; Thus will
they bear down all things。
LINCOLN。 Sheriff More speaks; shall we hear Sheriff More speak?
DOLL。 Let's hear him: a keeps a plentyful shrievaltry; and a made my
brother Arthur Watchins Seriant Safes yeoman: let's hear Shrieve More。
ALL。 Shrieve More; More; More; Shrieve More!
MORE。 Even by the rule you have among yourselves; Command still
audience。
ALL。 Surrey; Surrey! More; More!
LINCOLN: Peace; peace; silence; peace。
GEORGE。 Peace; peace; silence; peace。
MORE。 You that have voice and credit with the number Command
them to a stillness。
LINCOLN。 A plague on them; they will not hold their peace; the dual
cannot rule them。
MORE。 Then what a rough and riotous charge have you; To lead those
that the dual cannot rule? Good masters; hear me speak。
DOLL。 Aye; by th' mass; will we; More: th' art a good housekeeper;
and I thank thy good worship for my brother Arthur Watchins。
ALL。 Peace; peace。
MORE。 Look; what you do offend you cry upon; That is; the peace:
not one of you here present; Had there such fellows lived when you were
babes; That could have topped the peace; as now you would; The peace
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SIR THOMAS MORE
wherein you have till now grown up Had been ta'en from you; and the
bloody times Could not have brought you to the state of men。 Alas; poor
things; what is it you have got; Although we grant you get the thing you
seek?
GEORGE。 Marry; the removing of the strangers; which cannot choose
but much advantage the poor handicrafts of the city。
MORE。 Grant them removed; and grant that this your noise Hath chid
down all the majesty of England; Imagine that you see the wretched
strangers; Their babies at their backs and their poor luggage; Plodding
tooth ports and costs for transportation; And that you sit as kings in your
desires; Authority quite silent by your brawl; And you in ruff of your
opinions clothed; What had you got? I'll tell you: you had taught How
insolence and strong hand should prevail; How order should be quelled;
and by this pattern Not one of you should live an aged man; For other
ruffians; as their fancies wrought; With self same hand; self reasons; and
self right; Would shark on you; and men like ravenous fishes Would feed
on one another。
DOLL。 Before God; that's as true as the Gospel。
LINCOLN。 Nay; this is a sound fellow; I tell you: let's mark him。
MORE。 Let me set up before your thoughts; good friends; On
supposition; which if you will mark; You shall perceive how horrible a
shape Your innovation bears: first; tis a sin Which oft the apostle did
forewarn us of; Urging obedience to authority; And twere no error; if I told
you all; You were in arms against your God himself。
ALL。 Marry; God forbid that!
MORE。 Nay; certainly you are; For to the king God hath his office lent
Of dread; of justice; power and command; Hath bid him rule; and willed
you to obey; And; to add ampler majesty to this; He hath not only lent the
king his figure; His throne and sword; but given him his own name; Calls
him a god on earth。 What do you; then; Rising gainst him that God himself
installs; But rise against God? what do you to your souls In doing this? O;
desperate as you are; Wash your foul minds with tears; and those same
hands; That you like rebels lift against the peace; Lift up for peace; and
your unreverent knees; Make them your feet to kneel to be forgiven! Tell
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SIR THOMAS MORE
me but this: what rebel captain; As mutinies are incident; by his name Can
still the rout? who will obey a traitor? Or how can well that proclamation
sound; When there is no addition but a rebel To qualify a rebel? You'll put
down strangers; Kill them; cut their throats; possess their houses; And lead
the majesty of law in line; To slip him like a hound。 Say now the king (As
he is clement; if th' offender mourn) Should so much come to short of your
great trespass As but to banish you; whether would you go? What country;
by the nature of your error; Should give you harbor? go you to France or
Flanders; To any German province; to Spain or Portugal; Nay; any where
that not adheres to England; Why; you must needs be strangers: would
you be pleased To find a nation of such barbarous temper; That; breaking
out in hideous violence; Would not afford you an abode on earth; Whet
their detested knives against your throats; Spurn you like dogs; and like as
if that God Owed not nor made not you; nor that the claimants Were not
all appropriate to your comforts; But chartered unto them; what would you
think To be thus used? this is the strangers case; And this your mountanish
inhumanity。
ALL。 Faith; a says true: let's do as we may be done to。
LINCOLN。 We'll be ruled by you; Master More; if you'll stand our
friend to procure our pardon。
MORE。 Submit you to these noble gentlemen; Entreat their mediation
to the king; Give up yourself to form; obey the magistrate; And there's no
doubt but mercy may be found; If you so seek。 To persist in it is present
death: but; if you Yield yourselves; no doubt what punishment You in
simplicity have incurred; his highness In mercy will most graciously
pardon。
ALL。 We yield; and desire his highness' mercy。
'They lay by their weapons。'
MORE。 No doubt his majesty will grant it you