The Duchess of Padua

The Duchess of Padua

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Duchess of Padua, by Oscar Wilde (#9 in our series by Oscar Wilde)
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Title: The Duchess of Padua
Author: Oscar Wilde
Release Date: April, 1997 [EBook #875] [This file was first posted on April 9, 1997] [Most recently updated: September 25, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE DUCHESS OF PADUA ***

Transcribed from the 1916 Methuen and Co. edition by David Price, email [email protected]

THE DUCHESS OF PADUA

THE PERSONS OF THE PLAY
Simone Gesso, Duke of Padua Beatrice, his Wife Andreas Pollajuolo, Cardinal of Padua Maffio Petrucci, } Jeppo Vitellozzo, } Gentlemen of the Duke's Household Taddeo Bardi, } Guido Ferranti, a Young Man Ascanio Cristofano, his Friend Count Moranzone, an Old Man Bernardo Cavalcanti, Lord Justice of Padua Hugo, the Headsman Lucy, a Tire woman
Servants, Citizens, Soldiers, Monks, Falconers with their hawks and dogs, etc.
Place: Padua Time: The latter half of the Sixteenth Century Style of Architecture: Italian, Gothic and Romanesque.
THE SCENES OF THE PLAY
ACT I. The Market Place of Padua (25 minutes). ACT II. Room in the Duke's Palace (36 minutes). ACT III. Corridor in the Duke's Palace (29 minutes). ACT IV. The Hall of Justice (31 minutes). ACT V. The Dungeon (25 minutes).

ACT I

SCENE
The Market Place of Padua at noon; in the background is the great Cathedral of Padua; the architecture is Romanesque, and wrought in black and white marbles; a flight of marble steps leads up to the Cathedral door; at the foot of the steps are two large stone lions; the houses on each aide of the stage have coloured awnings from their windows, and are flanked by stone arcades; on the right of the stage is the public fountain, with a triton in green bronze blowing from a conch; around the fountain is a stone seat; the bell of the Cathedral is ringing, and the citizens, men, women and children, are passing into the Cathedral.
[Enter GUIDO FERRANTI and ASCANIO CRISTOFANO.]
ASCANIO
Now by my life, Guido, I will go no farther; for if I walk another step I will have no life left to swear by; this wild-goose errand of yours!
[Sits down on the step of the fountain.]
GUIDO
I think it must be here. [Goes up to passer-by and doffs his cap.] Pray, sir, is this the market place, and that the church of Santa Croce? [Citizen bows.] I thank you, sir.
ASCANIO
Well?
GUIDO
Ay! it is here.
ASCANIO
I would it were somewhere else, for I see no wine-shop.
GUIDO
[Taking a letter from his pocket and reading it.] 'The hour noon; the city, Padua; the place, the market; and the day, Saint Philip's Day.'
ASCANIO
And what of the man, how shall we know him?
GUIDO
[reading still] 'I will wear a violet cloak with a silver falcon broidered on the shoulder.' A brave attire, Ascanio.
ASCANIO
I'd sooner have my leathern jerkin. And you think he will tell you of your father?
GUIDO
Why, yes! It is a month ago now, you remember; I was in the vineyard, just at the corner nearest the road, where the goats used to get in, a man rode up and asked me was my name Guido, and gave me this letter, signed 'Your Father's Friend,' bidding me be here to-day if I would know the secret of my birth, and telling me how to recognise the writer! I had always thought old Pedro was my uncle, but he told me that he was not, but that I had been left a child in his charge by some one he had never since seen.
ASCANIO
And you don't know who your father is?
GUIDO
No.
ASCANIO
No recollection of him even?
GUIDO
None, Ascanio, none.
ASCANIO
[laughing] Then he could never have boxed your ears so often as my father did mine.
GUIDO
[smiling] I am sure you never deserved it.
ASCANIO
Never; and that made it worse. I hadn't the consciousness of guilt to buoy me up. What hour did you say he fixed?
GUIDO
Noon. [Clock in the Cathedral strikes.]
ASCANIO
It is that now, and your man has not come. I don't believe in him, Guido. I think it is some