Постаралась перевести еще один фрагмент из "Зеркала для магистратов"/ "Зерцала правителей".
Этот монолог – от имени Генри Перси, первого графа Нортумберленда (1342 – 1408), который участвовал в свержении Ричарда II и замене его на Генриха IV, а затем выступил уже против Генриха IV. (Это не Хотспер, это его отец, но Хотспер упоминается в монологе).
Нортумберленд, рассказывая о превратностях своей судьбы, объясняет свои несчастья не только своим поведением, но и поведением Ричарда II, свержение которого рассматривает как совершенно обоснованное. Вывод же касается пороков знати, опасных для нее независимо от того, как ведет себя монарх (и в этих пороках повинен также герой монолога).
Монолог Нортумберленда интересен в связи с
монологом Ричарда II из того же сборника, а также – в связи со второй тетралогией шекспировских исторических хроник (Нортумберленд – среди ее персонажей).
В монологе есть, конечно, художественные вольности; некоторые отмечены в примечаниях.
Оригинал (орфография старинная):
How Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland, was for his couteous and trayrerous attempt put to death at Yorke, Anno 1407.
1.
O morall Senec, true finde I thy saying,
That neither kinne, riches, strength, or favour,
Are free from fortune, but are aye decaying:
No wordly welth is ought sauve doubtfull labour,
Man's life in earth is like vunto a tabour,
Which nowe to myrth doth mildly men prouoke
And straight to warre, with a more sturdy stroke.
2.
All this full true I Percy finde by proofe,
Which whilom was earle of Northumberland:
And therefore, Baldwine, for my pier's behoofe,
To note men's falles sith thou hast tane in hand,
I would thou should my state well understand:
For fewe kinges were more than I redouted,
Whom double fortune lifted up and louted.
3.
As for my kinne their noblenesse is knowen,
My valiant acts were folly for to prayse,
Where through the Scots so oft were overthrowen,
That who but I was doubted in my days:
And that king Richard found at all assayes,
For never Scots rebelled in his raigne,
But through my force were eyther caught or slayne.
4.
A brother I had was earle of Worcester,
Always in office and favour with the king,
And by my wife dame Elinor Mortimer,
A sonne I had which so the Scots did sting,
That being yong, and but a very spring,
Henry Hotspur they gane him unto name,
And though I say it, hee did deserve the same.
5.
Wee three triumphed in king Richard's time,
Till fortune ought both him and us a spite:
But chiefly mee, whome clerely from any crime,
My king did banish from his favour quite,
Ploclayming mee a trayterous knight:
Where through false slaunder forced mee to bee,
That which before I did most deadly flee.
6.
Let men beware how they true folke defame,
Or threaten on them the blame of vices nought,
For infamy breedeth wrath, wreke followeth shame:
Eke open slander often times hath brought
That to effect, that erst was never thought:
To bee misdeemed men suffer in a sort,
But none can beare the griefe of misreport.
7.
Because my king did shame mee wrongfully,
I hated him and in deede became his foe:
And while hee did at warre in Ireland lye,
I did conspire to turne his weale to woe:
And through the duke of Yorke and other moe,
All royall power from him wee quicklely tooke,
And game the same to Henry Bolenbroke.
8.
Neither did wee this only for this cause,
But to say truth, force draue us to the same:
For hee despising God and all his lawes,
Slewe whom hee would, made sinne a very game:
And seeing neyther age nor counsaile could him tame,
Wee thought it well done for the kingdome's sake,
To leave his rule, that did all rule forsake.
9.
But when sir Henry had attaynde his place,
Hee strayght became in all poynts worse then hee,
Destroye the peeres, and slew king Richard's grace,
Against his othe made to the lordes and mee:
And seeking quarels how to disagree,
Hee shamelesly required mee and my sonne,
To yeelde hym Scots which wee in fielde had woone.
10.
My nephue also Edmund Mortimer,
The very heyre apparent to the crowne,
Whome Owen Glendour held as prisoner,
Viley bound in dungeon deepe cast downe,
Hee would not ransome, but did felly frowne
Against my brother and mee, which for him spake,
And him proclaymed traytor for our sake.
11.
This foule despite did cause us to conspire,
To put him downe
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