第 177 节
作者:
空白协议书 更新:2021-02-21 16:30 字数:9322
The farthest from thy goal; art thou still drawing
Nearer and nearer to it; till at length
Thou findest; like the river; what thou seekest?
'Exit。
ACT V。
SCENE I。 Daybreak。 Street in front of UPSALL's house。 A light
in the window。 Enter JOHN ENDICOTT。
JOHN ENDICOTT。
O silent; sombre; and deserted streets;
To me ye 're peopled with a sad procession;
And echo only to the voice of sorrow!
O houses full of peacefulness and sleep;
Far better were it to awake no more
Than wake to look upon such scenes again!
There is a light in Master Upsall's window。
The good man is already risen; for sleep
Deserts the couches of the old。
Knocks at UPSALL's door。
UPSALL (at the window)。
Who's there?
JOHN ENDICOTT。
Am I so changed you do not know my voice?
UPSALL。
I know you。 Have you heard what things have happened?
JOHN ENDICOTT。
I have heard nothing。
UPSALL。
Stay; I will come down。
JOHN ENDICOTT。
I am afraid some dreadful news awaits me!
I do not dare to ask; yet am impatient
To know the worst。 Oh; I am very weary
With waiting and with watching and pursuing!
Enter UPSALL。
UPSALL。
Thank God; you have come back! I've much to tell you。
Where have you been?
JOHN ENDICOTT。
You know that I was seized;
Fined; and released again。 You know that Edith;
After her scourging in three towns; was banished
Into the wilderness; into the land
That is not sown; and there I followed her;
But found her not。 Where is she?
UPSALL。
She is here。
JOHN ENDICOTT。
Oh; do not speak that word; for it means death!
UPSALL。
No; it means life。 She sleeps in yonder chamber。
Listen to me。 When news of Leddra's death
Reached England; Edward Burroughs; having boldly
Got access to the presence of the King;
Told him there was a vein of innocent blood
Opened in his dominions here; which threatened
To overrun them all。 The King replied。
〃But I will stop that vein!〃 and he forthwith
Sent his Mandamus to our Magistrates;
That they proceed no further in this business。
So all are pardoned; and all set at large。
JOHN ENDICOTT。
Thank God! This is a victory for truth!
Our thoughts are free。 They cannot be shut up
In prison wall; nor put to death on scaffolds!
UPSALL。
Come in; the morning air blows sharp and cold
Through the damp streets。
JOHN ENDICOTT。
It is the dawn of day
That chases the old darkness from our sky;
And tills the land with liberty and light。
'Exeunt。
SCENE II。 The parlor of the Three Mariners。 Enter KEMPTHORN。
KEMPTHORN。
A dull life this;a dull life anyway!
Ready for sea; the cargo all aboard;
Cleared for Barbadoes; and a fair wind blowing
From nor'…nor'…west; and I; an idle lubber;
Laid neck and heels by that confounded bond!
I said to Ralph; says I; 〃What's to be done?〃
Says he: 〃Just slip your hawser in the night;
Sheer off; and pay it with the topsail; Simon。〃
But that won't do; because; you see; the owners
Somehow or other are mixed up with it。
Here are King Charles's Twelve Good Rules; that Cole
Thinks as important as the Rule of Three。
Reads。
〃Make no comparisons; make no long meals。〃
Those are good rules and golden for a landlord
To hang in his best parlor; framed and glazed!
〃Maintain no ill opinions; urge no healths。〃
I drink to the King's; whatever he may say
And; as to ill opinions; that depends。
Now of Ralph Goldsmith I've a good opinion;
And of the bilboes I've an ill opinion;
And both of these opinions I'll maintain
As long as there's a shot left in the locker。
Enter EDWARD BUTTER; with an ear…trumpet。
BUTTER。
Good morning; Captain Kempthorn。
KEMPTHORN。
Sir; to you。
You've the advantage of me。 I don't know you。
What may I call your name?
BUTTER。
That's not your name?
KEMPTHORN。
Yes; that's my name。 What's yours?
BUTTER。
My name is Butter。
I am the treasurer of the Commonwealth。
KEMPTHORN。
Will you be seated?
BUTTER。
What say? Who's conceited?
KEMPTHORN。
Will you sit down?
BUTTER。
Oh; thank you。
KEMPTHORN。
Spread yourself
Upon this chair; sweet Butter。
BUTTER (sitting down)。
A fine morning。
KEMPTHORN。
Nothing's the matter with it that I know of。
I have seen better; and I have seen worse。
The wind's nor'west。 That's fair for them that sail。
BUTTER。
You need not speak so loud; I understand you。
You sail to…day。
KEMPTHORN。
No; I don't sail to…day。
So; be it fair or foul; it matters not。
Say; will you smoke? There's choice tobacco here。
BUTTER。
No; thank you。 It's against the law to smoke。
KEMPTHORN。
Then; will you drink? There's good ale at this inn。
BUTTER。
No; thank you。 It's against the law to drink。
KEMPTHORN。
Well; almost everything's against the law
In this good town。 Give a wide berth to one thing;
You're sure to fetch up soon on something else。
BUTTER。
And so you sail to…day for dear Old England。
I am not one of those who think a sup
Of this New England air is better worth
Than a whole draught of our Old England's ale。
KEMPTHORN。
Nor I。 Give me the ale and keep the air。
But; as I said; I do not sail to…day。
BUTTER。
Ah yes; you sail today。
KEMPTHORN。
I'm under bonds
To take some Quakers back to the Barbadoes;
And one of them is banished; and another
Is sentenced to be hanged。
BUTTER。
No; all are pardoned;
All are set free by order of the Court;
But some of them would fain return to England。
You must not take them。 Upon that condition
Your bond is cancelled。
KEMPTHORN。
Ah; the wind has shifted!
I pray you; do you speak officially?
BUTTER。
I always speak officially。 To prove it;
Here is the bond。
Rising and giving a paper。
KEMPTHORN。
And here's my hand upon it;
And look you; when I say I'll do a thing
The thing is done。 Am I now free to go?
BUTTER。
What say?
KEMPTHORN。
I say; confound the tedious man
With his strange speaking…trumpet! Can I go?
BUTTER。
You're free to go; by order of the Court。
Your servant; sir。
'Exit。
KEMPTHORN (shouting from the window)。
Swallow; ahoy! Hallo!
If ever a man was happy to leave Boston;
That man is Simon Kempthorn of the Swallow!
Re…enter BUTTER。
BUTTER。
Pray; did you call?
KEMPTHORN。
Call! Yes; I hailed the Swallow。
BUTTER。
That's not my name。 My name is Edward Butter。
You need not speak so loud。
KEMPTHORN (shaking hands)。
Good…by! Good…by!
BUTTER。
Your servant; sir。
KEMPTHORN。
And yours a thousand times!
'Exeunt。
SCENE III。 GOVERNOR ENDICOTT'S private room。 An open window。
ENDICOTT seated in an arm…chair。 BELLINGHAM standing near。
ENDICOTT。
O lost; O loved! wilt thou return no more?
O loved and lost; and loved the more when lost!
How many men are dragged into their graves
By their rebellious children! I now feel
The agony of a father's breaking heart
In David's cry; 〃O Absalom; my son!〃
BELLINGHAM。
Can you not turn your thoughts a little while
To public matters? There are papers here
That need attention。
ENDICOTT。
Trouble me no more!
My business now is with another world;
Ah; Richard Bellingham! I greatly fear
That in my righteous zeal I have been led
To doing many things which; left undone;
My mind would now be easier。 Did I dream it;
Or has some person told me; that John Norton
Is dead?
BELLINGHAM。
You have not dreamed it。 He is dead;
And gone to his reward。 It was no dream。
ENDICOTT。
Then it was very sudden; for I saw him
Standing where you now stand; not long ago。
BELLINGHAM。
By his own fireside; in the afternoon;
A faintness and a giddiness came o'er him;
And; leaning on the chimney…piece; he cried;
〃The hand of God is on me!〃 and fell dead。
ENDICOTT。
And did not some one say; or have I dreamed it;
That Humphrey Atherton is dead?
BELLINGHAM。
Alas!
He too is gone; and by a death as sudden。
Returning home one evening; at the place
Where usually the Quakers have been scourged;
His horse took fright; and threw him to the ground;
So that his brains were dashed about the street。
ENDICOTT。
I am not superstitions; Bellingham;
And yet I tremble lest it may ha