登陆注册
4619000000056

第56章 JOHN HEYWOOD.(3)

He halted, and turned with a laugh to the king. "Sire, since you have condemned me to die by the hands of these nymphs, I claim the right of every condemned criminal--a last favor.""The which we grant you, John.""I demand that I may put on these fair women one condition--one condition on which they may whip me. Does your majesty grant me this?""I grant it!""And you solemnly pledge me the word of a king that this condition shall be faithfully kept and fulfilled?""My solemn, kingly word for it!""Now, then," said John Heywood, as he entered the passage, "now, then, my ladies, my condition is this: that one of you who has had the most lovers, and has oftenest decked her husband's head with horns, let her lay the first stroke on my back." [Footnote: Flogel's "Geschichte der Hofnarren," p.899]

A deep silence followed. The raised arms of the fair women sank. The roses fell from their hands and dropped to the ground. Just before so bloodthirsty and revengeful, they seemed now to have become the softest and gentlest of beings.

But could their looks have killed, their fire certainly would have consumed poor John Heywood, who now gazed at them with an insolent sneer, and advanced into the very midst of their lines.

"Now, my ladies, you strike him not?" asked the king.

"No, your majesty, we despise him too much even to wish to chastise him," said the Duchess of Richmond.

"Shall your enemy who has injured you go thus unpunished?" asked the king. "No, no, my ladies; it shall not be said that there is a man in my kingdom whom I have let escape when so richly deserving punishment. We will, therefore, impose some other punishment on him.

He calls himself a poet, and has often boasted that he could make his pen fly as fast as his tongue! Now, then, John, show us in this manner that you are no liar! I command you to write, for the great court festival which takes place in a few days, a new interlude; and one indeed, hear you, John, which is calculated to make the greatest growler merry, and over which these ladies will be forced to laugh so heartily, that they will forget all their ire!""Oh," said John dolefully, "what an equivocal and lewd poem it must be to please these ladies and make them laugh! My king, we must, then, to please these dear ladies, forget a little our chastity, modesty, and maiden bashfulness, and speak in the spirit of the ladies--that is to say, as lasciviously as possible.""You are a wretch!" said Lady Jane; "a vulgar hypocritical fool.""Earl Douglas, your daughter is speaking to you," said John Heywood, calmly. "She flatters you much, your tender daughter.""Now then, John, you have heard my orders, and will you obey them?

In four days will this festival begin; I give you two days more. In six days, then, you have to write a new interlude. And if he fails to do it, my ladies, you shall whip him until you bring the blood;and that without any condition." Just then was heard without a flourish of trumpets and the clatter of horse-hoofs.

"The queen has returned," said John Heywood, with a countenance beaming with joy, as he fixed his smiling gaze full of mischievous satisfaction on Lady Jane.

"Nothing further now remains for you to do, but dutifully to meet your mistress upon the great staircase, for, as you so wisely said before, the queen still lives."Without waiting for an answer, John Heywood ran out and rushed through the anteroom and down the steps to meet the queen. Lady Jane watched him with a dark, angry look; and as she turned slowly to the door to go and meet the queen, she muttered low between her closely-pressed lips: "The fool must die, for he is the queen's friend!"

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 飞龙执剑录

    飞龙执剑录

    沁园春凝望远山,遥望鹤归,仰望星汉。看一腔热血,两袖红尘,三尺长剑,不负流年。纵横天地,自在逍遥,哪堪生死弹指间。望山巅,虽游云密布,飞龙在天。前尘亦如诗篇,何不执笔龙蛇汗青间?观五冬六夏,七星北斗,六合八荒,一如从前。江边孤雨,陌上清云,惹得行人引流连。合书卷,仍心中莫忘,飞龙执剑。
  • 将赴黔州先寄本府中

    将赴黔州先寄本府中

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 兽世宠爱法则

    兽世宠爱法则

    本文完结,新坑已开《摄政王他父凭子贵》女扮男装皇帝VS冷情暴躁摄政王洛子清一代游戏大佬,玩遍所有生存类游戏,可没想到有一天自己竟然变成了自己所捏的游戏角色“什么?这里不是游戏世界?”洛子清看着无边无际的蛮荒之地怒吼!“清儿,你放心,我会永远守护着你。”“小东西,有我在,谁都别想伤害你!”“小清儿,这一世我只想为你而活!”“洛洛,这便是我为你打下的江山!”洛子清:“……”兽世大陆遭受魔兽入侵,兽神献出毕生修为扭转时空,洛子清作为兽神使者肩负着拯救兽世大陆的重任!在这嗜血无情的兽人世界里,大佬们成为了她坚强有力的后盾……
  • 青春期女孩和父母对着干怎么办

    青春期女孩和父母对着干怎么办

    本书从女孩的心理特征入手,涉及亲子沟通、学习技能、内心成长、生活习性、情绪状态、为人处世、生理困惑等七个方面,全面揭示了青春期女孩内心的那些秘密--她们最为迫切的心理需要以及无数的青春期困惑与烦恼,从而指导父母拨开女孩心灵的迷雾,看到她们真实的内心世界,并最终帮助她们打造绚丽多彩的“人生花季”。
  • 有心插柳

    有心插柳

    本书是作者出版的一本散文、随笔和诗歌集,共包括五部分。第一辑散文《沙滩人语》;第二辑评论文章《不说不快》;第三辑经济专栏《经济漫笔》;第四辑随笔《“海”边观察》;第五辑诗歌创作《云起堂诗抄》。
  • 从牛津讲坛到三一学院:在牛津与剑桥听讲座

    从牛津讲坛到三一学院:在牛津与剑桥听讲座

    《从牛津讲坛到三一学院:在牛津和剑桥听讲座(汉英对照)》内容简介:牛津和剑桥是莘莘学子心中神圣的殿堂,这不仅在于它们课堂上传授的知识,更在于它们沉淀下来的那些引人深思的智慧。如今,就让我们走进这两卒思想的殿堂,聆听智慧流淌的声音!?无论你是在校的莘莘学子,还是社会上的“打拼”一族,抑或是经历丰富的成功人士,阅读《从牛津讲坛到三一学院:在牛津和剑桥听讲座(汉英对照)》,将会提升你的品位,启迪你的心智,陶冶你的性情。
  • 经商就这几道

    经商就这几道

    经商说起来简单,干起来却不容易。没有天生的失败者,也没有天生的经商天才。不要认为那些在商海里纵情游弋的富商巨贾们天生就是经商的奇才,其实他们也是通过在现实生活中的学习才慢慢积累出来经验的。只要你肯学习、肯吃苦,你也能成为一名成功的商人,本书便是领你入门的经商指导手册,它教你经商所需的十八般武艺,能让你迅速成为经商高手。
  • 本草备要

    本草备要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 指点江山:毛泽东诗词故事

    指点江山:毛泽东诗词故事

    毛泽东不仅是伟大的政治家、思想家、军事家,而且是才华横溢、独树一帜的诗人。毛泽东诗词艺术地记录了他一生的光辉足迹,生动地展示了中国革命和建设的伟大历史画卷,是一部中国人民的理想史、奋斗史、创造史和建设史。本书根据十集电视文献纪录片《指点江山一一毛泽东诗词故事》及其解说词编辑而成,精选毛泽东诗词36首,从言志、战争、爱情、友情、乡情、咏物、山水和建设等方面,以诗意的语言、生动的画面,深度解析诗词的丰富思想内涵和高度艺术成就,同时从诗、书、画、景等入手,结合毛泽东诗词背后的故事以及对这些诗词的赏析,形象地展示了毛泽东的伟大精神世界和革命领袖风采。
  • 神乎

    神乎

    万丈红尘,浮生若梦;武道一途,一武破万法,一念动乾坤;古生大陆,修炼门派无数。神秘莫测的东方修道者、遨游九天的兽骑士、玄幻的西方魔法;武道昔日的辉煌渐渐被掩盖,所谓永恒,终究会被历史磨平……