[030]
Her father's words, and the tidings they conveyed that not only
was her secret passion discovered, but Guiscardo taken, caused
Ghismonda immeasurable grief, which she was again and again on
the point of evincing, as most women do, by cries and tears; but
her high spirit triumphed over this weakness; by a prodigious effort
she composed her countenance, and taking it for granted that her
Guiscardo was no more, she inly devoted herself to death rather than
a single prayer for herself should escape her lips.
[031]
Wherefore, not as
a woman stricken with grief or chidden for a fault, but unconcerned
and unabashed, with tearless eyes, and frank and utterly dauntless
mien, thus answered she her father: "Tancred, your accusation
I shall not deny, neither will I cry you mercy, for nought should
I gain by denial, nor aught would I gain by supplication: nay more;
there is nought I will do to conciliate thy humanity and love; my
only care is to confess the truth, to defend my honour by words of
sound reason, and then by deeds most resolute to give effect to the
promptings of my high soul.
[032]
True it is that I have loved and love
Guiscardo, and during the brief while I have yet to live shall love
him, nor after death, so there be then love, shall I cease to love him;
but that I love him, is not imputable to my womanly frailty so
much as to the little zeal thou shewedst for my bestowal in marriage,
and to Guiscardo's own worth.
[033]
It should not have escaped thee,
Tancred, creature of flesh and blood as thou art, that thy daughter
was also a creature of flesh and blood, and not of stone or iron; it
was, and is, thy duty to bear in mind (old though thou art) the
nature and the might of the laws to which youth is subject; and,
though thou hast spent part of thy best years in martial exercises,
thou shouldst nevertheless have not been ignorant how potent is the
influence even upon the aged--to say nothing of the young--of ease
and luxury.
[034]
And not only am I, as being thy daughter, a creature
of flesh and blood, but my life is not so far spent but that I am still
young, and thus doubly fraught with fleshly appetite, the vehemence
whereof is marvellously enhanced by reason that, having been married,
I have known the pleasure that ensues upon the satisfaction of such
desire.
[035]
Which forces being powerless to withstand, I did but act
as was natural in a young woman, when I gave way to them, and
yielded myself to love. Nor in sooth did I fail to the utmost of my
power so to order the indulgence of my natural propensity that my
sin should bring shame neither upon thee nor upon me.
[036]
To which
end Love in his pity, and Fortune in a friendly mood, found and
discovered to me a secret way, whereby, none witting, I attained my
desire: this, from whomsoever thou hast learned it, howsoever thou
comest to know it, I deny not. [037]'Twas not at random, as many
women do, that I loved Guiscardo; but by deliberate choice I preferred
him before all other men, and of determinate forethought I
lured him to my love, whereof, through his and my discretion and
constancy, I have long had joyance.
[038]
Wherein 'twould seem that
thou, following rather the opinion of the vulgar than the dictates of
truth, find cause to chide me more severely than in my sinful love,
for, as if thou wouldst not have been vexed, had my choice fallen on
a nobleman, thou complainest that I have forgathered with a man of
low condition; and dost not see that therein thou censurest not my
fault but that of Fortune, which not seldom raises the unworthy to
high place and leaves the worthiest in low estate.
[039]
But leave we
this: consider a little the principles of things: thou seest that in
regard of our flesh we are all moulded of the same substance, and
that all souls are endowed by one and the same Creator with equal
faculties, equal powers, equal virtues.
[040]
'Twas merit that made the
first distinction between us, born as we were, nay, as we are, all
equal, and those whose merits were and were approved in act the
greatest were called noble, and the rest were not so denoted. Which
law, albeit overlaid by the contrary usage of after times, is not yet
abrogated, nor so impaired but that it is still traceable in nature and
good manners; for which cause whoso with merit acts, does plainly
shew himself a gentleman; and if any denote him otherwise, the
default is his own and not his whom he so denotes.
[041]
Pass in review
all thy nobles, weigh their merits, their manners and bearing, and then
compare Guiscardo's qualities with theirs: if thou wilt judge without
prejudice, thou wilt pronounce him noble in the highest degree, and
thy nobles one and all churls. As to Guiscardo's merits and worth I
did but trust the verdict which thou thyself didst utter in words, and
which mine own eyes confirmed.
[042]
Of whom had he such commendation
as of thee for all those excellences whereby a good man and true
merits commendation? And in sooth thou didst him but justice;
for, unless mine eyes have played me false, there was nought for
which thou didst commend him but I had seen him practise it, and
that more admirably than words of thine might express; and had I
been at all deceived in this matter, 'twould have been by thee. Wilt
thou say then that I have forgathered with a man of low condition?
If so, thou wilt not say true.
[043]
Didst thou say with a poor man, the
impeachment might be allowed, to thy shame, that thou so ill hast
known how to requite a good man and true that is thy servant; but
poverty, though it take away all else, deprives no man of gentilesse.
Many kings, many great princes, were once poor, and many a ditcher
or herdsman has been and is very wealthy.
[044]
As for thy last perpended
doubt, to wit, how thou shouldst deal with me, banish it
utterly from thy thoughts. If in thy extreme old age thou art
minded to manifest a harshness unwonted in thy youth, wreak thy
harshness on me, resolved as I am to cry thee no mercy, prime cause
as I am that this sin, if sin it be, has been committed; for of this I
warrant thee, that as thou mayst have done or shalt do to Guiscardo,
if to me thou do not the like, I with my own hands will do it.
[045]
Now
get thee gone to shed thy tears with the women, and when thy
melting mood is over, ruthlessly destroy Guiscardo and me, if such
thou deem our merited doom, by one and the same blow."
