Act 3 — Scene VI.
Reading edition
Shakespeare:
Unbidden; but not, I hope, unwelcome.
Herbert:
No, no. Come in and be seated. I was half asleep, I think.
Shakespeare:
We have not tasted life together for days and days.
Herbert:
’Tis true; not since my quarrel with Raleigh. How the old limpet clings to place. He has just come to new honours, I hear: she has made him Governor of Jersey. Curse him!
Shakespeare:
With honour one can always buy honours.
Herbert:
[Laughs.] Yes! the singular is more than the plural.
Shakespeare:
[Hesitatingly.] When I last saw you I begged your voice. Did you see her?
121Herbert:
I did. I wanted to speak to you about it; but it’s not—pleasant.
Shakespeare:
Not pleasant!
Herbert:
I did my best, talked of your talents—all to no effect. Girls are queer monkeys!
Shakespeare:
No effect!
Herbert:
[Looking in the mirror.] I mean, though she admires you infinitely, she cannot love you.
Shakespeare:
Cannot love me? Mistress Fitton!
Herbert:
Who else?
Shakespeare:
She told you she did not love me?
Herbert:
[Looking at his profile.] She did.
122Shakespeare:
Strange!
Herbert:
Why strange?
Shakespeare:
She does love me.
Herbert:
[Waving the mirror.] Admire, yes; but love, no!
Shakespeare:
Love, yes!
Herbert:
Friendship, affection, love if you will, but—but—not passion.
Shakespeare:
Passion.
Herbert:
[Throwing down the mirror.] Do you mean to say——
Shakespeare:
Yes.
123Herbert:
[Indignantly.] What! What! Ha! Ha! Ha! The damned young minx!
Shakespeare:
Why do you call her minx?
Herbert:
Because—because she lied to me.
Shakespeare:
No other reason?
Herbert:
None!
Shakespeare:
What object could she have in deceiving you, as to her love for me, you, my friend?
Herbert:
[Carelessly.] In faith I don’t know—a girl’s whim, I suppose.
Shakespeare:
Strange—a girl seldom denies her love—and Mistress Fitton has courage. Most strange!
124Herbert:
Well, you must ravel out the tangle at some idle moment; it’s too knotty for me. Have you seen Chapman’s “Iliad”? I’ve just been reading it: ’tis as fine as Homer; don’t you think?
Shakespeare:
I am not learned enough to judge.
Herbert:
I hear you met Bacon the other day. What did you think of him?
Shakespeare:
I know him too little—he’s Jonson’s friend—she denied me, you say, to you?
Herbert:
She did. But now I must dress: you’ll forgive me.
[Takes up his sword-belt and buckles it on: looks for his gloves and cap. Shakespeare in the meantime moves to the table and catches sight of the tablets which Herbert has thrown down.]
Shakespeare:
[Picking up the tablets.] Oh, my divining soul! [Turns to Herbert.] I pray you, of your courtesy; when did you see Miss Fitton last?
125Herbert:
[Arranging his doublet before the mirror.] Yesterday, to-day. Why?
Shakespeare:
[Showing tablets.] When did she give you these?
Herbert:
Those? where did you find them?
Shakespeare:
She gave them to you?
Herbert:
Mary Fitton? Yes.
Shakespeare:
And you took them, knowing they were my gift to her?
Herbert:
How could I know that?
Shakespeare:
She told you. You must have asked where the verses came from: she hates verses, and loves truth—truth!
Herbert:
Don’t take it so tragic, man. A girl’s kiss, no weightier than a breath.
126Shakespeare:
A girl’s kiss, and a friend’s faith. No weightier than a breath.
Herbert:
In love and war, none of us is to be trusted.
Shakespeare:
So!
Herbert:
It wasn’t all my fault——
Shakespeare:
[Taking hold of him, and watching his face.] Not your fault! What? She tempted you—[Herbert nods]—and who could resist her? she tempted you! Oh, let her rot and perish and be damned; the foul thing! I am cold with loathing.
Herbert:
I don’t want to put the blame on her; it all came naturally; but you must not think I went about with intent to deceive you.
Shakespeare:
She tempted you; when? The first time you saw her; the very night I asked you to plead for me?
127Herbert:
I don’t wish to excuse myself; you know how such things happen. We danced; she dared me to wait by her when the Queen came; of course I waited—oh, curse it!
Shakespeare:
She dared you. That rank pride of hers the pride that ruined angels and unpeopled heaven! The foul temptress! Damn her, oh, damn her!
Herbert:
Pride’s no fault.
Shakespeare:
No fault! She swears love to me and then to you; kisses me and kisses you—no fault—she loves the slime that sticks to filthy deeds.
Herbert:
You believe her when you’re with her; she seems true.
Shakespeare:
O, the world hath not a sweeter creature. She might have lain by an emperor’s side. Hang her! I do but say what she is. The public commoner!
128Herbert:
Don’t blame her, she’s so young.
Shakespeare:
And so fair! Such courage, strength, wit, grace, gaiety. God! Had she been true one would have pawned the world for her. And now——
Herbert:
You take it too tragic.
Shakespeare:
Too tragic! I have lost all—joy, hope, trust—all gone; my pearl of life; my garden of delight!
Herbert:
Think, man: it’s not the first time she has slipped, she doesn’t pretend it is.
Shakespeare:
The pity of it; ah! the pity of it! The sky is all soiled: my lips, too—my hands—ah!
Herbert:
Why can’t you be a man, and take what’s light lightly!
129Shakespeare:
Only the light do that! [To himself.] Is it wrong to kill those light ones?
Herbert:
You would not hurt her.
Shakespeare:
No! That’s true. I could not hurt her sweet, white flesh. God, how I love her! I’ll tear out that love! Oh, the pity of it, the pity of it: all dirtied, all. But I’ll not be fond!
Herbert:
Why not? she loves you; she said so: it’s true, most likely.
Shakespeare:
Trust’s dead in me: she has killed it. I think of her, and shudder—the sluttish spoil of opportunity. Faugh!
Herbert:
Put it out of mind, and it’s as if it had not been.
Shakespeare:
You’ll marry her?
130Herbert:
I wouldn’t marry an angel.
Shakespeare:
And yet—she loved you—kissed you—gave herself to you: Damnation!
Herbert:
You make too much of it!
Shakespeare:
Too much! I trusted you, your honour: bared my heart to you——Ah! the traitor wound!
Herbert:
Forgive us both and forget: Come. [Puts his hand out.]
Shakespeare:
[Shrinks back.] Words, words!
Herbert:
I never meant to hurt you.
Shakespeare:
That’s the Judas curse! They know not what they do; but it’s done. I had two idolatries—my friendship for you; I loved your youth and bravery! And my passion for her, the queen and 131pearl of women. And now the faith’s dead, the love’s befouled.
Herbert:
In a little while hope will spring again and new love.
Shakespeare:
Never, my summer is past! The leaves shake against the cold.
Herbert:
What can I say? What can I do?
Shakespeare:
Nothing: I must go. [Turns to the door.] You have your deeds to live with. [Exit Shakespeare.]
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