Guarded Words Around A Guarded Princess

I've started reading the play, If You Know Not Me, You Know Nobody. The fact that I'm posting about it before I've even finished no doubt tells you it's had an impact on me. I think it's already one of my favourite books. I even like the way it looks. The red-haired monarch on a pitch black background.

(Yes, I'm listening to Good Times by Chic as I type. A strange juxtaposition, but for me it works. Saturday morning. Off work. Cup of tea. Blogging about Elizabeth the First. Listening (and sometimes singing) to late 70s funk. Good times.)

I'm posting just to share a short scene from the play. Elizabeth has been arrested during the reign of her sister, the bloody Mary, and three soldiers are discussing the situation. Trying to express their opinion without treading upon 'state matters.'

Enter three white-coat Soldiers, with a jack of beer.

1 Sold. Come, my masters, you know your charge.

'Tis now about eleven: here we must watch till morning,

and then carry the Princess to the Tower.

2 Sold. How shall we spend the time till morning?

3 Sold. Mass, we'll drink, and talk of our friends.

2 Sold. Ay, but, my friend, do not talk of State matters.

1 Sold. Not I: I'll not meddle with the State.

I hope this a man may say, without offence - prithee,

drink to me.

3 Sold. With all my heart, i'faith: this a man might

lawfully speak. But now, faith, what wast about to say?

1 Sold. Mass, I say this - that the Lady Elizabeth is

both a lady and Elizabeth; and if I should say she were

a virtuous princess, were there any harm in that?

2 Sold. No, by my troth, there's no harm in that.

But beware of talking of the Princess. Let's meddle

with our kindred; there we may be bold.

1 Sold. Well, sirs, I have two sisters, and the one

loves the other, and would not send her to prison for a

million. Is there any harm in this? I'll keep myself

within compass, I warrant you; for I do not talk of the

Queen: I talk of my sisters. I'll keep myself within

my compass, I warrant you.

3 Sold. Ay, sir; but that word sister goes hardly down.

1 Sold. Why, sir, I hope a man may be bold with his own.

I learned that of the Queen. I'll keep myself within

compass, I'll warrant you.

2 Sold. Ay, but, sir, why is the Princess committed?

1 Sold. It may be, she doth not know herself. It

may be, the Queen knows not the cause. It may be,

my Lord of Winchester does not know. It may be so:

nothing's unpossible to God. It may be, there's knavery

in monkery: there's nothing unpossible. Is there any

harm in that?

2 Sold. Shoemaker, you go a little beyond your last.

1 Sold. Why? In saying nothing's unpossible to

God? I'll stand to it. For saying a truth's a truth?

I'll prove it. For saying there may be knavery in

monkery? I'll justify it. I do not say there is, but

may be. I know what I know: he knows what he knows.

Marry, we know not what every man knows.

3 Sold. My masters, we have talk'd so long, that I

think 'tis day.

1 Sold. I think so too. - Is there any harm in all this?

2 Sold. No harm i'th' world.

3 Sold. And I think by this time the Princess is

ready to take her barge.

1 Sold. Come, then, let's go. Would all were well.

Is there any harm in all this? but, alas!

Wishes and tears have both one property;

They show their love that want the remedy.

[Exeunt omnes.]

The skirting around the issue, with the constant refrain of, "Is there any harm in that?", lol. This sense of living in a country where you have to watch your words for fear of falling foul of the state. It's such a simple, but accurate illustration of things.

There was also another little passage. A 'dumb show' - this is a scene in a play without speech. Thus, in the text it's just described.

Elizabeth lies sleeping, at a point in the play where she's fearing execution.

Enter WINCHESTER, Constable, BARWICK, and Friars:

at the other door, two angels. The Friars step to her,

offering to kill her: the Angel drives them back. Exeunt.

The Angel opens the Bible, and puts it in her hand as

she sleeps. Exeunt Angels. She wakes.

The bible is an English language bible. I'm not really sure why I'm sharing this, but I found it quite moving as I sat reading on the bus. You probably need to read the actual play to feel the context, but sometimes blogging is personal rather than public. So this is more for myself than others.

I'll fully review the work when I finish, though, saying that, maybe this will suffice. Perhaps the salient bits have passed.