10.3 Ū khoan-iông pún-sèng, bô pò-ho̍k pún-lêng
[Grant:] “Tio̍h. Lí kóng ê bô m̄-tio̍h. Só͘-í, Kok-hōe kong-khai soan-pò͘ hit nn̄g-ê gín-á sī su-seng-chú. Jiân-āu Richard chèng-sek ka-bián. Kui-ê England ê kùi-cho̍k lóng lâi chham-ka. Hit-sî Ông-hiō iáu bih tī pī-lān-só͘ hioh?”
“Tio̍h. Tān yi í-keng hō͘ sè-hàn kiáⁿ khì kap in hiaⁿ-ko hōe-ha̍p.”
“He sī tang-sî?”
Carradine chhōe i ê pit-kì. “6 goe̍h 16. Góa siá ê sī: ‘Tī Canterbury Tōa Chú-kàu ê iau-kiû hā, nn̄g-ê cha-po͘ gín-á lóng tòa tī London Thah.’”
“He sī tī siau-sit thòaⁿ-khui í-āu – tō sī kóng, tī in sī su-seng-chú ê siau-sit thòaⁿ-khui í-āu.”
“Tio̍h.” I kā pit-kì chóa chéng-lí chéng-chê, jiân-āu kā siu-ji̍p tōa lak-tē-á ni̍h. “Bo̍k-chêng chìn-tō͘ kàu chia. M̄-koh, chia iáu-ū chi̍t-ê âng-pau.” I kā tōa-i siang-pêng saⁿ-ki siu óa khàm tī kha-thâu-u, he chu-sè iu-ngá kah liân Marta a̍h Richard Kok-ông lóng ē him-siān. “Lí chai hit-ê Hoat-àn lah hoⁿh, its Ông-khoân Hoat-àn?”
“Góa chai. He án-chóaⁿ hioh?”
“Hmh, tán Henry chē-ūi ê sî, i hā-lēng hùi-tî hit-ê Hoat-àn, liân the̍h chhut-lâi tha̍k to bián. I bēng-lēng tio̍h thiat-té hùi-tiāu Hoat-àn goân-kiāⁿ, put-chún pó-liû hù-pún. Jīm-hô siu-chhàng hù-pún ê lâng, lóng tio̍h hoa̍t-khoán, koh tio̍h che-kaⁿ, chē kàu Kok-ông hoaⁿ-hí ûi-chí.”
Grant tio̍h-kiaⁿ kimx siòng.
“Henry VII!” i kóng. “Ūi siáⁿ-mih? Che tùi i ū siáⁿ éng-hióng?”
“Góa chi̍t-sut-á khài-liām to bô neh. M̄-koh góa ē chīn chá kā chhâ chhut-lâi. Lēng-gōa, chia che ē-sái tī Chū-iû Lú-sîn Siōng sàng Eng-kok tê lâi chìn-chêng hō͘ lí sió gô͘-lo̍k chi̍t-ē.”
I khǹg chi̍t-tiuⁿ chóa tī Grant heng-chêng.
“Che siáⁿ?” Grant kóng, ná khòaⁿ hit-tiuⁿ ùi pit-kì phō͘ liah lo̍h-lâi ê chóa.
“He sī Richard siá ê, koan-hē Jane Shore ê phe. Chài-kiàn loh.”
To̍k-chū lâu tī chēngx ê pēⁿ-pâng, Grant hian khui hit-tiuⁿ chóa khai-sí tha̍k.
Ló-chhó ê gín-á pit-chek kap Richard sim-tiong ê chiàⁿ-pān gí-sû hêng-sêng kiông-lia̍t tùi-pí. Tān, m̄-koán he ló-chhó ê hiān-tāi pit-chek, a̍h toan-tiah gí-sû, lóng bô pāi-hāi phe só͘ liû-lō͘ ê chu-bī. He phe thoân-ta̍t ê hó sim-chêng phang-bī, ná chhiūⁿ hó-chiú ê phang-bī. Kō͘ hiān-tāi ōe lâi siá, phe sī án-ne kóng:
// Góa hui-siông tio̍h-kiaⁿ, thiaⁿ-kóng Tom Lynom boeh chhōa Will Shore ê khan-chhiú. Hián-jiân i khì hō͘ saⁿh-tio̍h, koh sim-ì kian-tēng. Pài-thok, góa chhin-ài ê Chú-kàu, chhiáⁿ kiò i lâi, khòaⁿ lí kám ū-hoat-tō͘ kiò-chhéⁿ i he khí-gōng ê thâu-khak. Ká-sú lí chò bē-kàu, jî-chhiáⁿ Kàu-hōe mā bô chó͘-tòng chit-chân hun-sū ê kui-tēng, án-ne góa mā bô ì-kiàn. Tān chhiaⁿ kā i kóng, kā hun-lé iân kàu góa tńg-lâi London í-āu. Tông-sî, án-ne tō ū-kàu pó-chèng yi ê sek-hòng, chiân-thê sī yi tio̍h ū-lâng pó-chèng yi hêng-ûi kiám-tiám. Góa kiàn-gī lí chiām-sî kā yi kau hō͘ yin lāu-pē koán-kò͘, a̍h-sī jīm-hô lí jīn-ûi sek-ha̍p ê lâng. //
Khak-si̍t, he tō ná siàu-liân Carradine só͘ kóng ê, “Nā boeh kóng siū-khì, put-jû kóng kám-khài.” Chin ê, khó-lī tio̍h phe só͘ kóng ê, sī chi̍t-ê ì-tô͘ bô͘-sat Richard ê cha-bó͘, he jîn-chû kap hó-liōng ta̍t-tit chàn-thàn. Tī chit-chióng chêng-hêng, Richard ê khoan-hông tāi-liōng oân-choân tùi ka-tī bô hó-chhù.
Hit-chióng tui-kiû York kap Lancaster nn̄g ka-cho̍k hô-kái ê khui-khoah sim-heng hoān-sè m̄-sī bô su-sim; pit-kèng thóng-tī chi̍t-ê thoân-kiat ê kok-ka, tùi i ū tōa lī-ek. Tān chit-tiuⁿ hō͘ Lincoln Chú-kàu ê phe, sio̍k-tī sióx su-sū: sek-hòng Jane Shore tùi pa̍t-lâng lóng bô tiōng-iàu, kan-ta hit-ê ‘ài-tio̍h khah chhám sí’ ê Tom Lynom. I chit-chióng iàu-ì pêng-iú ê hēng-hok ê pún-sèng, hián-jiân chhiau-kòe ho̍k-siû ê pún-lêng.
Khak-si̍t, i khiàm-khoeh ho̍k-siû pún-lêng ê thêng-tō͘, pí-khí jīm-hô jia̍t-hiah hó-kiáⁿ, í-keng hō͘ lâng ì-gōa, hô-hóng pí-khí thiaⁿ-kóng ê koài-bu̍t Richard III, koh-khah put-khó su-gī.
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10.3 有寬容本性, 無報復本能
[Grant:] “著. 你講 ê 無毋著. 所以, 國會 公開宣布 hit 兩个囡仔 是私生子. 然後 Richard 正式加冕. 規个 England ê 貴族 lóng 來參加. 彼時 王后猶 覕 tī 避難所 hioh?”
“著. 但 她已經 hō͘ 細漢囝 去 kap in 兄哥 會合.”
“彼是 tang-sî?”
Carradine 揣 伊 ê 筆記. “6 月 16. 我寫 ê 是: ‘Tī Canterbury大主教 ê 要求下, 兩个 查埔囡仔 lóng 蹛 tī London 塔.’”
“彼是 tī 消息 湠開 以後 - tō 是 講, tī in 是 私生子 ê 消息 湠開 以後.”
“著.” 伊 kā 筆記紙 整理整齊, 然後 kā 收入 大橐袋仔 ni̍h. “目前進度 到 chia. 毋過, chia 猶有 一个紅包.” 伊 kā 大衣 雙爿 衫裾 收倚 崁 tī 跤頭趺, he 姿勢 優雅 kah 連 Marta a̍h Richard 國王 lóng 會欣羨. “你知 彼个法案 lah hoⁿh, its 王權法案?”
“我知. He 按怎 hioh?”
“Hmh, 等 Henry 坐位 ê 時, 伊下令 廢除 彼个法案, 連 提出來 讀 to 免. 伊命令 著徹底 廢掉 法案原件, 不准 保留副本. 任何 收藏副本 ê 人, lóng 著罰款, koh 著坐監, 坐到 國王 歡喜 為止.”
Grant 著驚 kimx 相.
“Henry VII!” 伊講. “為啥物? Che 對伊 有 啥影響?”
“我 一屑仔 概念 to 無 neh. 毋過 我會 盡早 kā 查出來. 另外, chia che 會使 tī 自由女神像 送 英國茶 來 進前 hō͘ 你 小 娛樂一下.”
伊囥 一張紙 tī Grant 胸前.
“Che 啥?” Grant 講, ná 看 彼張 ùi 筆記簿 liah 落來 ê 紙.
“彼是 Richard 寫 ê, 關係 Jane Shore ê 批. 再見 loh.”
獨自留 tī chēngx ê 病房, Grant 掀開 hit 張紙 開始讀.
潦草 ê 囡仔筆跡 kap Richard 心中 ê 正範語詞 形成 強烈對比. 但, 毋管 he 潦草 ê 現代筆跡, a̍h toan-tiah 語詞, lóng 無敗害 批所流露 ê 滋味. He 批 傳達 ê 好心情 芳味, ná 像 好酒 ê 芳味. Kō͘ 現代話 來寫, 批是 án-ne 講:
// 我非常著驚, 聽講 Tom Lynom 欲娶 Will Shore ê 牽手. 顯然 伊 去 hō͘ saⁿh著, koh 心意堅定. 拜託, 我親愛 ê 主教, 請叫伊來, 看你 敢有法度 叫醒 伊 he 起戇 ê 頭殼. 假使 你做袂到, 而且 教會 mā 無 阻擋 chit 層 婚事 ê 規定, án-ne 我 mā 無意見. 但 請 kā 伊 講, kā 婚禮 延到 我轉來 London 以後. 同時, án-ne tō 有夠保證 她 ê 釋放, 前提是 她著 有人保證 她 行為檢點. 我建議 你暫時 kā 她 交 hō͘ 姻老爸 管顧, 抑是 任何 你認為 適合 ê 人. //
確實, he tō ná 少年 Carradine 所講 ê, “若欲講 受氣, 不如講 感慨.” 真 ê, 考慮著 批所講 ê, 是一个 意圖謀殺 Richard ê 查某, he 仁慈 kap 好量 值得讚嘆. Tī 這種情形, Richard ê 寬宏大量 完全 對 ka-tī 無好處.
彼種 追求 York kap Lancaster 兩家族 和解 ê 開闊心胸 凡勢 毋是 無私心; 畢竟 統治 一个 團結 ê 國家, 對伊 有大利益. 但 chit 張 hō͘ Lincoln 主教 ê 批, 屬 tī sióx 私事: 釋放 Jane Shore 對別人 lóng 無重要, 干焦彼个 ‘愛著較慘死’ ê Tom Lynom. 伊這種 要意 朋友 ê 幸福 ê 本性, 顯然超過 復仇 ê 本能.
確實, 伊欠缺 復仇本能 ê程度, 比起 任何 熱血好囝, 已經 hō͘ lâng 意外, 何況 比起 聽講 ê 怪物 Richard III, 閣較 不可思議.
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10.3
‘Yes. Of course you’re right. So the children were proclaimed illegitimate, in open Parliament. And Richard was crowned. With all the nobility of England in attendance. Was the Queen still in sanctuary?’
‘Yes. But she had let the younger boy join his brother.’
‘When was that?’
Carradine searched through his notes. ‘On June the 16th. I’ve put: “At the request of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Both boys living at the Tower.”’
[Pg 136]‘That was after the news had broken. The news that they were illegitimate.’
‘Yes.’ He tidied his notes into some kind of neatness and put them away in the enormous pocket. ‘That seems to be all, to date. But here’s the pay-off.’ He gathered his train from either side of him on to his knees with a gesture that both Marta and King Richard might have envied. ‘You know that Act, that Titulus Regius.’
‘Yes; what about it?’
‘Well, when Henry VII came to the throne he ordered that the Act should be repealed, without being read. He ordered that the Act itself should be destroyed, and forbade any copies to be kept. Anyone who kept a copy was to be fined and imprisoned during his pleasure.’
Grant stared in great astonishment.
‘Henry VII!’ he said. ‘Why? What possible difference could it make to him?’
‘I haven’t a glimmer of an idea. But I mean to find out before I’m much older. Meanwhile, here is something to keep you amused till the Statue of Liberty brings your British tea.’
He dropped a paper on to Grant’s chest.
‘What is this?’ Grant said, looking at the torn-out page of a note-book.
‘It’s that letter of Richard’s about Jane Shore. I’ll be seeing you.’
Left alone by himself in the quiet, Grant turned over the page and read.
The contrast between the sprawling childish handwriting and the formal phrases of Richard’s imagining was piquant in the extreme. But what neither the untidy[Pg 137] modern script nor the dignified phrases could destroy was the flavour of the letter. The bouquet of good humour that came up from the page as a bouquet comes up from a good-humoured wine. Translated into modern terms it said:
I hear to my great astonishment that Tom Lynom wants to marry Will Shore’s wife. Apparently he is infatuated with her, and is quite determined about it. Do, my dear Bishop, send for him and see if you can talk some sense into his silly head. If you can’t, and if there is no bar to their marriage from the Church’s point of view, then I agree to it, but tell him to postpone the marriage till I am back in London. Meanwhile this will suffice to secure her release, on surety for her good behaviour, and I suggest that you hand her over for the time being to the care of her father, or anyone else who seems good to you.
It was certainly, as young Carradine had said, ’more in sorrow than in anger’. Indeed, considering that it was written about a woman who had done him a deadly wrong, its kindness and good temper was remarkable. And this was a case where no personal advantage could come to him from magnanimity. /
The broadmindedness that had sought for a York-Lancaster peace might not have been disinterested; it would have been enormously to his advantage to have a united country to rule. But this letter to the Bishop of Lincoln was a small private matter, and the release of Jane Shore of no importance to anyone but the infatuated Tom Lynom. Richard had nothing to gain by his generosity. His instinct to see a[Pg 138] friend happy was apparently greater than his instinct for revenge.
Indeed, his instinct for revenge seemed to be lacking to a degree that would be surprising in any red-blooded male, and quite astonishing in the case of that reputed monster Richard III.
[Pg 139]
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