Complete Works of Oscar Wilde
- ISBN-10
- 123022565X
- ISBN-13
- 9781230225654
- Series
- Complete Works of Oscar Wilde
- Pages
- 54
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2013-09
- Publisher
- Theclassics.Us
- Author
- Oscar Wilde
Description
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 edition. Excerpt: ... ACTnL come here. Night after night, when every street was filled with spies, every house with traitors. Delicately nurtured like a king's son, he has dwelt among us. PRESIDENT Ay! under a false name. He lied to us at the beginning. He lies to us now at the end. VERA I swear he is true. There is not a man here who does not owe him his life a thousand times. When the bloodhounds were on us that night, who saved us from arrest, torture, flogging, death, but he ye seek to kill? MICHAEL' To kill all tyrants is our mission! VERA He is no tyrant. I know him well! He loves the people. PRESIDENT We know him too; he is a traitor. VERA A traitor! Three days ago he could have betrayed every man of you here, and the ACT gibbet would have been your doom. He gave you all your lives once. Give him a little time--a week, a month, a few days; but now!--O God, not now! CONSPIRATORS [Brandishing daggers.] To-night! to-night! to-night! VERA Peace, you gorged adders I peace! MICHAEL What, are we not here to annihilate? Shall we not keep our oath? VERA Your oath! your oath! Greedy that you are of gain, every man's hand lusting for his neighbour's pelf, every heart set on pillage and rapine; who, of ye all, if the crown were set on his head, would give an empire up for the mob to scramble for? The people are not yet fit for a republic in Russia. PRESIDENT Every nation is fit for a republic. ACT III. MICHAEL The man is a tyrant VERA A tyrant! Hath he not dismissed his evil counsellors. That ill-omened raven of his father's life hath had his wings clipped and his claws pared, and comes to us croaking for revenge. Oh, have mercy on him I Give him a week to live! PRESIDENT Vera, pleading for a king I VERA [Proudly.] I plead not for a king, but for a brother....
