Boris Godunov

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Boris Godunov, by Alexander Pushkin #2 in our series by Alexander Pushkin
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Title: Boris Godunov
A Drama in Verse
Author: Alexander Pushkin
Rendered into English verse by Alfred Hayes
Release Date: February, 2004 [EBook #5089]?[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]?[This file was first posted on April 24, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
? START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BORIS GODUNOV ***
This etext was produced by Stephen D. Leary [email protected]
BORIS GODUNOV
A Drama in Verse
By ALEXANDER PUSHKIN
Rendered into English verse by Alfred Hayes
DRAMATIS PERSONAE*
BORIS GODUNOV, afterwards Tsar.?PRINCE SHUISKY, Russian noble.?PRINCE VOROTINSKY, Russian noble.?SHCHELKALOV, Russian Minister of State.?FATHER PIMEN, an old monk and chronicler.?GREGORY OTREPIEV, a young monk, afterwards the Pretender?to the throne of Russia.?THE PATRIARCH, Abbot of the Chudov Monastery.?MISSAIL, wandering friar.?VARLAAM, wandering friar.?ATHANASIUS MIKAILOVICH PUSHKIN, friend of Prince Shuisky.?FEODOR, young son of Boris Godunov.?SEMYON NIKITICH GODUNOV, secret agent of Boris Godunov.?GABRIEL PUSHKIN, nephew of A. M. Pushkin.?PRINCE KURBSKY, disgraced Russian noble.?KHRUSHCHOV, disgraced Russian noble.?KARELA, a Cossack.?PRINCE VISHNEVETSKY.?MNISHEK, Governor of Sambor.?BASMANOV, a Russian officer.?MARZHERET, officer of the Pretender.?ROZEN, officer of the Pretender.?DIMITRY, the Pretender, formerly Gregory Otrepiev.?MOSALSKY, a Boyar.?KSENIA, daughter of Boris Godunov.?NURSE of Ksenia.?MARINA, daughter of Mnishek.?ROUZYA, tire-woman of Ksenia.?HOSTESS of tavern.
Boyars, The People, Inspectors, Officers, Attendants, Guests, a Boy in attendance on Prince Shuisky, a Catholic Priest, a Polish Noble, a Poet, an Idiot, a Beggar, Gentlemen, Peasants, Guards, Russian, Polish, and German Soldiers, a Russian?Prisoner of War, Boys, an old Woman, Ladies, Serving-women.
*The list of Dramatis Personae which does not appear in the original has been added for the convenience of the reader--A.H.
PALACE OF THE KREMLIN
(FEBRUARY 20th, A.D. 1598)
PRINCE SHUISKY and VOROTINSKY
VOROTINSKY. To keep the city's peace, that is the task?Entrusted to us twain, but you forsooth?Have little need to watch; Moscow is empty;?The people to the Monastery have flocked?After the patriarch. What thinkest thou??How will this trouble end?
SHUISKY. How will it end??That is not hard to tell. A little more?The multitude will groan and wail, Boris?Pucker awhile his forehead, like a toper?Eyeing a glass of wine, and in the end?Will humbly of his graciousness consent?To take the crown; and then--and then will rule us?Just as before.
VOROTINSKY. A month has flown already?Since, cloistered with his sister, he forsook?The world's affairs. None hitherto hath shaken?His purpose, not the patriarch, not the boyars?His counselors; their tears, their prayers he heeds not;?Deaf is he to the wail of Moscow, deaf?To the Great Council's voice; vainly they urged?The sorrowful nun-queen to consecrate?Boris to sovereignty; firm was his sister,?Inexorable as he; methinks Boris?Inspired her with this spirit. What if our ruler?Be sick in very deed of cares of state?And hath no strength to mount the throne? What?Say'st thou?
SHUISKY. I say that in that case the blood in vain?Flowed of the young tsarevich, that Dimitry?Might just as well be living.
VOROTINSKY. Fearful crime!?Is it beyond all doubt Boris contrived?The young boy's murder?
SHUISKY. Who besides? Who else?Bribed Chepchugov in vain? Who sent in secret?The brothers Bityagovsky with Kachalov??Myself was sent to Uglich, there to probe?This matter on the spot; fresh traces there?I found; the whole town bore witness to the crime;?With one accord the burghers all affirmed it;?And with a single word, when I returned,?I could have proved the secret villain's guilt.
VOROTINSKY. Why didst thou then not crush him?
SHUISKY. At the time,?I do confess, his unexpected calmness,?His shamelessness, dismayed me. Honestly?He looked me in the eyes; he questioned me?Closely, and I repeated to his face?The foolish tale himself had whispered to me.
VOROTINSKY. An ugly business, prince.
SHUISKY. What could I do??Declare all to Feodor? But the tsar?Saw all things with the eyes of Godunov.?Heard all things with the ears of Godunov;?Grant even that I might have fully proved it,?Boris would have denied it there and then,?And I should have been haled away to prison,?And in good time--like mine own uncle--strangled?Within the silence of some deaf-walled dungeon.?I boast not when I say that, given occasion,?No penalty affrights me. I am no coward,?But also am no fool, and do not choose?Of my free will to walk into a