selected prose of oscar wilde-第11章

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forfeited；　men　said；　to　the　Holy　Office；　and　her　body　was　still

lying　on　its　tapestried　bier　in　the　black　marble　chapel　of　the

Palace；　just　as　the　monks　had　borne　her　in　on　that　windy　March　day

nearly　twelve　years　before。　　Once　every　month　the　King；　wrapped　in　a

dark　cloak　and　with　a　muffled　lantern　in　his　hand；　went　in　and　knelt

by　her　side　calling　out；　'Mi　reina！　　Mi　reina！'　and　sometimes

breaking　through　the　formal　etiquette　that　in　Spain　governs　every

separate　action　of　life；　and　sets　limits　even　to　the　sorrow　of　a

King；　he　would　clutch　at　the　pale　jewelled　hands　in　a　wild　agony　of

grief；　and　try　to　wake　by　his　mad　kisses　the　cold　painted　face。



To…day　he　seemed　to　see　her　again；　as　he　had　seen　her　first　at　the

Castle　of　Fontainebleau；　when　he　was　but　fifteen　years　of　age；　and

she　still　younger。　　They　had　been　formally　betrothed　on　that

occasion　by　the　Papal　Nuncio　in　the　presence　of　the　French　King　and

all　the　Court；　and　he　had　returned　to　the　Escurial　bearing　with　him

a　little　ringlet　of　yellow　hair；　and　the　memory　of　two　childish　lips

bending　down　to　kiss　his　hand　as　he　stepped　into　his　carriage。

Later　on　had　followed　the　marriage；　hastily　performed　at　Burgos；　a

small　town　on　the　frontier　between　the　two　countries；　and　the　grand

public　entry　into　Madrid　with　the　customary　celebration　of　high　mass

at　the　Church　of　La　Atocha；　and　a　more　than　usually　solemn　auto…da…

fe；　in　which　nearly　three　hundred　heretics；　amongst　whom　were　many

Englishmen；　had　been　delivered　over　to　the　secular　arm　to　be　burned。



Certainly　he　had　loved　her　madly；　and　to　the　ruin；　many　thought；　of

his　country；　then　at　war　with　England　for　the　possession　of　the

empire　of　the　New　World。　　He　had　hardly　ever　permitted　her　to　be　out

of　his　sight；　for　her；　he　had　forgotten；　or　seemed　to　have

forgotten；　all　grave　affairs　of　State；　and；　with　that　terrible

blindness　that　passion　brings　upon　its　servants；　he　had　failed　to

notice　that　the　elaborate　ceremonies　by　which　he　sought　to　please

her　did　but　aggravate　the　strange　malady　from　which　she　suffered。

When　she　died　he　was；　for　a　time；　like　one　bereft　of　reason。

Indeed；　there　is　no　doubt　but　that　he　would　have　formally　abdicated

and　retired　to　the　great　Trappist　monastery　at　Granada；　of　which　he

was　already　titular　Prior；　had　he　not　been　afraid　to　leave　the

little　Infanta　at　the　mercy　of　his　brother；　whose　cruelty；　even　in

Spain；　was　notorious；　and　who　was　suspected　by　many　of　having　caused

the　Queen's　death　by　means　of　a　pair　of　poisoned　gloves　that　he　had

presented　to　her　on　the　occasion　of　her　visiting　his　castle　in

Aragon。　　Even　after　the　expiration　of　the　three　years　of　public

mourning　that　he　had　ordained　throughout　his　whole　dominions　by

royal　edict；　he　would　never　suffer　his　ministers　to　speak　about　any

new　alliance；　and　when　the　Emperor　himself　sent　to　him；　and　offered

him　the　hand　of　the　lovely　Archduchess　of　Bohemia；　his　niece；　in

marriage；　he　bade　the　ambassadors　tell　their　master　that　the　King　of

Spain　was　already　wedded　to　Sorrow；　and　that　though　she　was　but　a

barren　bride　he　loved　her　better　than　Beauty；　an　answer　that　cost

his　crown　the　rich　provinces　of　the　Netherlands；　which　soon　after；

at　the　Emperor's　instigation；　revolted　against　him　under　the

leadership　of　some　fanatics　of　the　Reformed　Church。The　Birthday　of

the　Infranta







A　BULL　FIGHT







A　procession　of　noble　boys；　fantastically　dressed　as　toreadors；　came

out　to　meet　her；　and　the　young　Count　of　Tierra…Nueva；　a　wonderfully

handsome　lad　of　about　fourteen　years　of　age；　uncovering　his　head

with　all　the　grace　of　a　born　hidalgo　and　grandee　of　Spain；　led　her

solemnly　in　to　a　little　gilt　and　ivory　chair　that　was　placed　on　a

raised　dais　above　the　arena。　　The　children　grouped　themselves　all

round；　fluttering　their　big　fans　and　whispering　to　each　other；　and

Don　Pedro　and　the　Grand　Inquisitor　stood　laughing　at　the　entrance。

Even　the　Duchessthe　Camerera…Mayor　as　she　was　calleda　thin；

hard…featured　woman　with　a　yellow　ruff；　did　not　look　quite　so　bad…

tempered　as　usual；　and　something　like　a　chill　smile　flitted　across

her　wrinkled　face　and　twitched　her　thin　bloodless　lips。



It　certainly　was　a　marvellous　bull…fight；　and　much　nicer；　the

Infanta　thought；　than　the　real　bull…fight　that　she　had　been　brought

to　see　at　Seville；　on　the　occasion　of　the　visit　of　the　Duke　of　Parma

to　her　father。　　Some　of　the　boys　pranced　about　on　richly…caparisoned

hobby…horses　brandishing　long　javelins　with　gay　streamers　of　bright

ribands　attached　to　them；　others　went　on　foot　waving　their　scarlet

cloaks　before　the　bull；　and　vaulting　lightly　over　the　barrier　when

he　charged　them；　and　as　for　the　bull　himself；　he　was　just　like　a

live　bull；　though　he　was　only　made　of　wicker…work　and　stretched

hide；　and　sometimes　insisted　on　running　round　the　arena　on　his　hind

legs；　which　no　live　bull　ever　dreams　of　doing。　　He　made　a　splendid

fight　of　it　too；　and　the　children　got　so　excited　that　they　stood　up

upon　the　benches；　and　waved　their　lace　handkerchiefs　and　cried　out：

Bravo　toro！　　Bravo　toro！　just　as　sensibly　as　if　they　had　been　grown…

up　people。　　At　last；　however；　after　a　prolonged　combat；　during　which

several　of　the　hobby…horses　were　gored　through　and　through；　and；

their　riders　dismounted；　the　young　Count　of　Tierra…Nueva　brought　the

bull　to　his　knees；　and　having　obtained　permission　from　the　Infanta

to　give　the　coup　de　grace；　he　plunged　his　wooden　sword　into　the　neck

of　the　animal　with　such　violence　that　the　head　came　right　off；　and

disclosed　the　laughing　face　of　little　Monsieur　de　Lorraine；　the　son

of　the　French　Ambassador　at　Madrid。



The　arena　was　then　cleared　amidst　much　applause；　and　the　dead

hobbyhorses　dragged　solemnly　away　by　two　Moorish　pages　in　yellow　and

black　liveries；　and　after　a　short　interlude；　during　which　a　French

posture…master　performed　upon　the　tightrope；　some　Italian　puppets

appeared　in　the　semi…classical　tragedy　of　Sophonisba　on　the　stage　of

a　small　theatre　that　had　been　built　up　for　the　purpose。　　They　acted

so　well；　and　their　gestures　were　so　extremely　natural；　that　at　the

close　of　the　play　the　eyes　of　the　Infanta　were　quite　dim　with　tears。

Indeed　some　of　the　children　really　cried；　and　had　to　be　comforted

with　sweetmeats；　and　the　Grand　Inquisitor　himself　was　so　affected

that　he　could　not　help　saying　to　Don　Pedro　that　it　seemed　to　him

intolerable　that　things　made　simply　out　of　wood　and　coloured　wax；

and　worked　mechanically　by　wires；　should　be　so　unhappy　and　meet　with

such　terrible　misfortunes。The　Birthday　of　the　Infanta







THE　THRONE　ROOM







It　was　a　throne…room；　used　for　the　reception　of　foreign　ambassadors；

when　the　King；　which　of　late　had　not　been　often；　consented　to　give

them　a　personal　audience；　the　same　room　in　which；　many　years　before；

envoys　had　appeared　from　England　to　make　arrangements　for　the

marriage　of　their　Queen；　then　one　of　the　Catholic　sovereigns　of

Europe；　with　the　Emperor's　eldest　son。　　The　hangings　were　of　gilt

Cordovan　leather；　and　a　heavy　gilt　chandelier　with　branches　for

three　hundred　wax　lights　hung　down　from　the　black　and　white　ceiling。

Underneath　a　great　canopy　of　gold　cloth；　on　which　the　lions　and

towers　of　Castile　were　broidered　in　seed　pearls；　stood　the　throne

itself；　covered　with　a　rich　pall　of　black　velvet　studded　with　silver

tulips　and　elaborately　fringed　with　silver　and　pearls。　　On　the

second　step　of　the　throne　was　placed　the　kneeling…stool　of　the

Infanta；　with　its　cushion　of　cloth　of　silver　tissue；　and　below　that

again；　and　beyond　the　limit　of　the　canopy；　stood　the　chair　for　the

Papal　Nuncio；　who　alone　had　the　right　to　be　seated　in　the　King's

presence　on　the　occasion　of　any　public　ceremonial；　and　whose

Cardinal's　hat；　with　its　tangled　scarlet　tassels；　lay　on　a　purple

tabouret　in　front。　　On　the　wall；　facing　the　throne；　hung　a　life…

sized　portrait　of　Charles　V。　in　hunting　dress；　with　a　great　mastiff

by　his　side；　and　a　picture　of　Philip　II。　receivi