[_While he sings_
MAGUELONNE
_enters with a skin of
wine.
wine.
World's Greatest Books - Volume 17 - Poetry and Drama
_
TRIBOULET: I will avenge you, Blanche.
BLANCHE: He cannot be
False and untrue.
TRIBOULET (_whispering, as he leads her to a hole in the wall_):
Come. See with your own eyes,
What kind of man our great King Francois is.
BLANCHE (_whispering, as she sees only_ SALTABADIL):
I only see a stranger.
TRIBOULET: Wait awhile.
[_As he whispers,_ KING FRANCOIS _enters the room by a
little door leading from an inner chamber. _
BLANCHE: Father!
[_She trembles, and follows with angry eyes the movements
of_ THE KING.
TRIBOULET: This is the man you wish to save.
THE KING (_slapping_ SALTABADIL _on the back_):
Tell Maguelonne to bring me in some wine.
TRIBOULET: King by the grace of God he is, with all
The wealth and splendour of the land of France
At his command; but to amuse himself
He drinks himself asleep in thieves' kitchens.
THE KING (_singing while_ TRIBOULET _talks outside_):
Oh, woman is fickle, and man is a fool
To trust in her word!
She changes without any reason or rule,
As her fancies are stirred.
A weather-cock veering to every wind
Is constant and true when compared to her mind.
[_While he sings_ MAGUELONNE _enters with a skin of
wine. _ SALTABADIL _goes out, and seeing_ TRIBOULET,
_approaches him with an air of mystery. _ BLANCHE
_continues to watch_ THE KING.
SALTABADIL: We've caught our man! And now it rests with you
To let him live or die.
TRIBOULET (_looking at_ BLANCHE): Wait for a while.
THE KING (_to_ MAGUELONNE): Life is a flower and love the honey
of life;
Come, let us taste it, mouth to mouth, my sweet.
[_He tries to kiss her, but she escapes. _
MAGUELONNE: You got that from a book.
THE KING: Your dark, sweet eyes
Inspired me! It was only yesterday
We met at the Hotel du Maine, and yet
I love you with as passionate a love
As if we had been sweethearts all our lives.
Come, let me kiss you!
MAGUELONNE (_sitting herself gaily on the table where
he is drinking_): When you have drunk your wine.
[THE KING _empties the flagon of drugged liquor, and
with a mocking laugh the girl jumps down and sits
on his knee. _
THE KING: Oh, you delicious, fascinating thing.
What a wild dance you've led me!
TRIBOULET: I will avenge you, Blanche.
BLANCHE: He cannot be
False and untrue.
TRIBOULET (_whispering, as he leads her to a hole in the wall_):
Come. See with your own eyes,
What kind of man our great King Francois is.
BLANCHE (_whispering, as she sees only_ SALTABADIL):
I only see a stranger.
TRIBOULET: Wait awhile.
[_As he whispers,_ KING FRANCOIS _enters the room by a
little door leading from an inner chamber. _
BLANCHE: Father!
[_She trembles, and follows with angry eyes the movements
of_ THE KING.
TRIBOULET: This is the man you wish to save.
THE KING (_slapping_ SALTABADIL _on the back_):
Tell Maguelonne to bring me in some wine.
TRIBOULET: King by the grace of God he is, with all
The wealth and splendour of the land of France
At his command; but to amuse himself
He drinks himself asleep in thieves' kitchens.
THE KING (_singing while_ TRIBOULET _talks outside_):
Oh, woman is fickle, and man is a fool
To trust in her word!
She changes without any reason or rule,
As her fancies are stirred.
A weather-cock veering to every wind
Is constant and true when compared to her mind.
[_While he sings_ MAGUELONNE _enters with a skin of
wine. _ SALTABADIL _goes out, and seeing_ TRIBOULET,
_approaches him with an air of mystery. _ BLANCHE
_continues to watch_ THE KING.
SALTABADIL: We've caught our man! And now it rests with you
To let him live or die.
TRIBOULET (_looking at_ BLANCHE): Wait for a while.
THE KING (_to_ MAGUELONNE): Life is a flower and love the honey
of life;
Come, let us taste it, mouth to mouth, my sweet.
[_He tries to kiss her, but she escapes. _
MAGUELONNE: You got that from a book.
THE KING: Your dark, sweet eyes
Inspired me! It was only yesterday
We met at the Hotel du Maine, and yet
I love you with as passionate a love
As if we had been sweethearts all our lives.
Come, let me kiss you!
MAGUELONNE (_sitting herself gaily on the table where
he is drinking_): When you have drunk your wine.
[THE KING _empties the flagon of drugged liquor, and
with a mocking laugh the girl jumps down and sits
on his knee. _
THE KING: Oh, you delicious, fascinating thing.
What a wild dance you've led me!
