Читать книгу Borgia. A Period Play онлайн

9 страница из 32

Cesar!

Enter the Lord Cardinal Cesare Borgia.

The sword!

So I receive my fate. Cum numine Cesaris omen. [He holds the sword erect and kisses the motto. The Lord Cardinal’s Sword, The Legate’s Sword! I laugh ... it is at others, The names they call me, when I have one name Hot at the core of fixedness, my heart. O antique Cesar, conqueror and fount Of empire, thou wert made my saint at birth; Thou art my spirit and my augury, Thy laurels guard me and thy eagles’ wings. My eyes are on thee and thou lead’st my dreams To homage and thy triumph. Dive Cesar, Here is thy name Cut as I bade upon thy chariot-wheel, Since triumphers can use the spokes of Fortune For carriage of their prevalence. My thanks To you, dear Bernardino, I have always Loved for your gifts, esteemed as one of ours, Who wove our life round with the signs and legends Denoting us by power of phantasy; I thank you for this emblem of my soul, Prefigured in these lovely images. My equal thanks To you, good Messer Ercole, for strength And nobleness of handiwork, the craft That has subverted matter, as the god Turned chaos to a fabric. Ah, and the work, Your work, is done, signed of your fame and done. You are most happy. Mine is all an absence As yet, a future! But the pledge is mine— This sword, your creature, and my prophecy.