GRISELDA 135 



swear anything for one another, being something love-sick, an' 

 it please you. 



Marq. Silence, old soldier ; I saw and heard him. Sirrah, your 

 sentence falls on yourself. You shall not lose your merry gibe. 

 We will brand it on your face in good lasting colours as a token 

 that you are the author of the jest a jest so good that it shall 

 make the common sort of people laugh all your life. Our hang- 

 man shall be the artist ; his style is rough, but tells its story. 

 His graving tools make bold work ; he uses them redhot, with 

 a firm touch. Soldiers, take this false witness to our question 

 chamber. Bid our executioner burn a mouth upon him fit 

 to utter foul lies. Show him me a month hence grinning 

 merrily, like a half-rotten skull. If the brand you stamp on 

 him fail to make me laugh, he shall try his hand on you. 



Major, (kneeling) Mercy ! Oh, my lord, have mercy ! We 

 mistook, and 1 was only one of many. 



Marq. Will you still accuse ? Would you have companions 

 of the brand ? No ; they shall grin at you, but not so merrily 

 as you will grin at them. Laugh, hounds. Are my jests worse 

 than his ? (Servants try to laugh.) 



Tanc. My lord, I beseech you, pause at least for one hour. 

 You are not master of yourself. Your sentence is more 

 monstrous than his villainy. The more so, since you are the 

 real culprit, in that you sent the noble lady to consort with 

 lackeys. 



Marq. Sir, I once knew a knight who let a noble lady run 

 some risk by his own fault ; but he killed the churl who wronged 

 her. Was he not right, my Lady Filomene ? By your face, 

 vengeance and you should be close cronies. Do I not well to 

 punish this hound ? 



Filo. I cannot tell. Punishment should not be merciless. 



Marq. Merciless punishment may be true mercy to the 

 innocent. Is that not true, Griselda ? 



Gris. Sire, you once taught me that punishment is not 

 vengeance. I remember that you said those punishments were 

 just which roused just so much fear as would deter men from the 

 crime. Will not this sentence make my fellow-servants fear too 

 much? 



Marq. The good need have no fear. 



