Boris Godounoff
SCENE THE FIRST.
Rooms in the Kremlin Palace.
PRINCE SHOUISKY. PRINCE VOROTINSKY .
VOROTINSKY .
We have been ordered to patrol the streets,
In vain, it seems, for none are left to watch;
Deserted is the town, and all are gone
Together with the Patriarch to pray
In convent church: how will it end, thinkst thou?
SHOUISKY .
How will it end? It is not hard to guess:
The people will a little longer rave and weep,
Boris will yet grimace a little while,
As drunkards do before a cup of wine,
But in the end will graciously consent,
And with no more demur accept the crown:
And then... why, then he will begin to rule
Exactly as before he ruled.
VOROTINSKY .
A month
Has passed since he, renouncing worldly things,
The convent doors close shut upon himself
And sister. All this time, nor Patriarch
Nor Council of Boyards can turn his will.
He is untouched by tears, entreaties, prayers,
Or by the people's distraught cries of woe,
Nor does he heed the Great Assembly's vote.
In vain his sister have they humbly prayed
Boris to bless as future sovereign Tsar
'Tis hard to move the haughty Nun-Tsaritza;
Like him she is firm; like him, inexorable;
Into her soul Boris has breathed his will.
And if the Regent should have weary grown
Of state affairs and all the cares they bring,
And mount the throne without the power to rule,
What wilt thou say?
SHOUISKY .
What shall I say? Why, this.
The blood of our Tsarevitch has flowed in vain;
And if this be the end, Dmitry might have lived.
VOROTINSKY .
A deed of blood-red horror! But is it true,
Boris the young Tsarevitch killed?
SHOUISKY .
Who else?
Pray, who but he sought Tcheptchougoff to bribe?
Who with Katchaloff sent in secret haste
The two Bietargovskys? I myself was sent
To Uglitch, that I might upon the spot
The crime and criminal unkennel quick;
And there I found clear proofs and traces fresh:
For all the town was witness of the deed,
And gave with one accord the story of the crime.
And when to Moscow I returned, one word
Had brought the murderer to open shame.
VOROTINSKY .
And wherefore didst thou not pronounce that word?
SHOUISKY .
I must confess, he made me doubt his guilt
By his assurance and his want of shame;
With honest glance he looked me in the eyes,
And asked that I would give details minute;
And I began repeat the fabled lies,
He cunningly himself suggested me.
VOROTINSKY .
Thy honour, prince?
SHOUISKY .
What wouldst thou have me do?
Discover all to Theodore? The Tsar
Looked only through the eyes of Godounoff,
Heard only through the ears of Godounoff.
Suppose, I had convinced him of my truth,
Boris would soon have unconvinced the Tsar,
And then and there have clapt me into jail,
And at the needful hour, my uncle's fate,
Would secret orders give to strangle me.
I will not boast, but, if occasion call,
No fate, however harsh, can keep me back;
I have no coward fear, but am no fool,
To thrust my head into the traitor's noose.
VOROTINSKY .
A foul and horrid deed! But it must be,
The murd'rer's soul is haunted with remorse;
Methinks, the body of the guiltless child
Must bar the path he treads to throne usurped.
SHOUISKY .
Across it he will stride: he knows not fear!
In truth, we Russians have great need to boast,
When he, the Tartar slave of yesterday,
Malouta's son-in-law, the kinsman near
Of hangman vile, hangman himself in soul,
Should take the crown and wear the purple robe!
VOROTINSKY .
He is low-born, we are of nobler rank.
SHOUISKY .
Well, so it seems.
VOROTINSKY .
Thy house and mine, thank God,
The whole world knows to be of princely race.
SHOUISKY .
The princely blood of Rurick flows in us.
VOROTINSKY .
But, listen, prince; we, then, should have the right
To follow Theodore.
SHOUISKY .
Yea, much more right
Than Godounoff.
VOROTINSKY .
'Tis plain.
SHOUISKY .
What should we do?
Boris will not give up his newest trick:
Let us be cunning, and the people stir
To cast aside their faith in Godounoff;
Princes enough they have from whom they can
Elect the one they would their ruler make.
VOROTINSKY .
No few of us can boast Varangan blood,
But hard the task to displace Godounoff!
The people are unused to see in us
The true descendants of their warlike chiefs.
The Princedoms we have long ago destroyed,
And long been vassal servants to the Tsars;
Whilst he has had the wit by fear and love
And fame to win the people to his side.
SHOUISKY .
Boris is bold... and that is all... whilst we...
Enough! For look, the people have come back;
Let us go forth, and his decision learn.
Rooms in the Kremlin Palace.
PRINCE SHOUISKY. PRINCE VOROTINSKY .
VOROTINSKY .
We have been ordered to patrol the streets,
In vain, it seems, for none are left to watch;
Deserted is the town, and all are gone
Together with the Patriarch to pray
In convent church: how will it end, thinkst thou?
SHOUISKY .
How will it end? It is not hard to guess:
The people will a little longer rave and weep,
Boris will yet grimace a little while,
As drunkards do before a cup of wine,
But in the end will graciously consent,
And with no more demur accept the crown:
And then... why, then he will begin to rule
Exactly as before he ruled.
VOROTINSKY .
A month
Has passed since he, renouncing worldly things,
The convent doors close shut upon himself
And sister. All this time, nor Patriarch
Nor Council of Boyards can turn his will.
He is untouched by tears, entreaties, prayers,
Or by the people's distraught cries of woe,
Nor does he heed the Great Assembly's vote.
In vain his sister have they humbly prayed
Boris to bless as future sovereign Tsar
'Tis hard to move the haughty Nun-Tsaritza;
Like him she is firm; like him, inexorable;
Into her soul Boris has breathed his will.
And if the Regent should have weary grown
Of state affairs and all the cares they bring,
And mount the throne without the power to rule,
What wilt thou say?
SHOUISKY .
What shall I say? Why, this.
The blood of our Tsarevitch has flowed in vain;
And if this be the end, Dmitry might have lived.
VOROTINSKY .
A deed of blood-red horror! But is it true,
Boris the young Tsarevitch killed?
SHOUISKY .
Who else?
Pray, who but he sought Tcheptchougoff to bribe?
Who with Katchaloff sent in secret haste
The two Bietargovskys? I myself was sent
To Uglitch, that I might upon the spot
The crime and criminal unkennel quick;
And there I found clear proofs and traces fresh:
For all the town was witness of the deed,
And gave with one accord the story of the crime.
And when to Moscow I returned, one word
Had brought the murderer to open shame.
VOROTINSKY .
And wherefore didst thou not pronounce that word?
SHOUISKY .
I must confess, he made me doubt his guilt
By his assurance and his want of shame;
With honest glance he looked me in the eyes,
And asked that I would give details minute;
And I began repeat the fabled lies,
He cunningly himself suggested me.
VOROTINSKY .
Thy honour, prince?
SHOUISKY .
What wouldst thou have me do?
Discover all to Theodore? The Tsar
Looked only through the eyes of Godounoff,
Heard only through the ears of Godounoff.
Suppose, I had convinced him of my truth,
Boris would soon have unconvinced the Tsar,
And then and there have clapt me into jail,
And at the needful hour, my uncle's fate,
Would secret orders give to strangle me.
I will not boast, but, if occasion call,
No fate, however harsh, can keep me back;
I have no coward fear, but am no fool,
To thrust my head into the traitor's noose.
VOROTINSKY .
A foul and horrid deed! But it must be,
The murd'rer's soul is haunted with remorse;
Methinks, the body of the guiltless child
Must bar the path he treads to throne usurped.
SHOUISKY .
Across it he will stride: he knows not fear!
In truth, we Russians have great need to boast,
When he, the Tartar slave of yesterday,
Malouta's son-in-law, the kinsman near
Of hangman vile, hangman himself in soul,
Should take the crown and wear the purple robe!
VOROTINSKY .
He is low-born, we are of nobler rank.
SHOUISKY .
Well, so it seems.
VOROTINSKY .
Thy house and mine, thank God,
The whole world knows to be of princely race.
SHOUISKY .
The princely blood of Rurick flows in us.
VOROTINSKY .
But, listen, prince; we, then, should have the right
To follow Theodore.
SHOUISKY .
Yea, much more right
Than Godounoff.
VOROTINSKY .
'Tis plain.
SHOUISKY .
What should we do?
Boris will not give up his newest trick:
Let us be cunning, and the people stir
To cast aside their faith in Godounoff;
Princes enough they have from whom they can
Elect the one they would their ruler make.
VOROTINSKY .
No few of us can boast Varangan blood,
But hard the task to displace Godounoff!
The people are unused to see in us
The true descendants of their warlike chiefs.
The Princedoms we have long ago destroyed,
And long been vassal servants to the Tsars;
Whilst he has had the wit by fear and love
And fame to win the people to his side.
SHOUISKY .
Boris is bold... and that is all... whilst we...
Enough! For look, the people have come back;
Let us go forth, and his decision learn.
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