6.2 Payne-Ellis ê 冊結束 tī 一場 宮廷 party

6.2 Payne-Ellis ê chheh kiat-sok tī chi̍t-tiûⁿ kiong-têng party

Chit-ê sî-chūn, Sè-lia̍p Chí phâng tiong-tàu-tǹg ji̍p-lâi, koh kā i ê chheh ùi chhiú ni̍h the̍h-khui. Tng i kō͘ chhiám-á ná ùi pôaⁿ-á óe "khòaⁿ-iûⁿ-á pie" teh chia̍h ê sî, i koh ná siūⁿ-khí pī-kò se̍k hit-ê lâng ê bīn. Hit-ê tiong-sêng, ū nāi-sim ê sió-tī, sī án-chóaⁿ piàn-chò koài-bu̍t ah.

Tán Sè-lia̍p Chí tńg-lâi siu phâng-pôaⁿ ê sî, Grant kóng: “Lí kám chai, Richard III chāi-sè sī chi̍t-ê chin siū hoan-gêng ê lâng? Góa sī kóng, tī i chē ông-ūi chìn-chêng.”

Sè-lia̍p Chí lia̍h hit-tiuⁿ ōe-siōng ok-to̍k khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē.

“Put-kò sī chi̍t-bóe chhàng tī chháu-châng ê chôa, lí nā mn̄g góa. Ké-sian ké-tak, i tō sī án-ne: ké-sian ké-tak teh tán-thāi ki-hōe.”

Tán-thāi siáⁿ ki-hōe ah? I sim-lāi án-ne siūⁿ, khòaⁿ yi ta̍uhx kiâⁿ hiòng cháu-lông khì. Richard bô khó-lêng ī-sian chai-iáⁿ hiaⁿ-ko Edward ē tī 40 hòe siàu-liân sî tō ì-gōa sí-bông. Sīm-chì tī kap Edward te̍k-pia̍t chhin-bi̍t ê gín-á sî-tāi í-āu, i mā bô khó-lêng ī-sian chai-iáⁿ, George ê o͘-pe̍h lâi ē sit-khì ông-ūi kè-sêng khoân, liân i ê nn̄g-ê gín-á mā bē-tàng. Nā bô bo̍k-piau thang tán-thāi, kóng “tán-thāi ki-hōe” si̍t-chāi bô siáⁿ ì-gī.

Hit-ê tō-tek kian-kiông ê kim thâu-mo͘ bí-jîn [its Edward ê ke-āu Elizabeth Woodville], lia̍h-gōa chēx chhin-chiâⁿ, chèng-bêng sī chi̍t-ê ta̍t-tit khim-pōe ê Ông-hiō, ūi Edward seⁿ chi̍t-tīn kiān-khong ê kiáⁿ-jî, kî-tiong ū 2-ê hāu-seⁿ. Chiah-ê gín-á, í-ki̍p George kap in hāu-seⁿ hām cha-bó͘ kiáⁿ, lóng chiàm tī Richard kap ông-ūi ê tiong-kan. Chi̍t-ê bô-êng koán-lí England Pak-pō͘, a̍h-sī kóng teh tùi-khòng Scotland (chò kah kài sêng-kong) ê lâng, chiah bô khó-lêng ū siáⁿ hèng-chhù he “ké-sian ké-tak” ê tāi-chì.

Nā án-ne, sī siáⁿ hō͘ i tī chiah té ê sî-kan, hoat-seng chiah ki-pún ê kái-piàn? Grant chhun-chhiú khì the̍h “Raby ê Mûi-kùi,” boeh khòaⁿ Payne-Ellis Sc án-chóaⁿ kóng Cecily Nevill ê ban-kiáⁿ put-hēng piàn-hêng chit-chân tāi-chì. M̄-koh, hit-ê kan-khiáu chok-chiá siám-kòe chit-ê gī-tê. Yi hi-bāng che sī hí-lo̍k ê chheh, nā kā kò͘-sū i-chiàu logic-tek kiat-lūn kiâⁿ, he tō chiâⁿ-chò bô-kiù ê pi-kio̍k ah. Só͘-tì, yi tī chòe-āu chi̍t-chiuⁿ siá Edward ê tōa chă-kiáⁿ Elizabeth ê sêng-liân lé (coming-out), kō͘ che chàu-chhut hiáng-liāng hôe-im, chò chheh ê kiat-sok. Án-ne tō m̄-nā siám-khui Elizabeth yin nn̄g-ê siàu-liân sió-tī ê pi-kio̍k, mā pī-bián Richard tī chiàn-tiûⁿ sit-pāi koh chiàn-sí ê tāi-chì.

Chū án-ne, chheh boeh kiat-sok tī chi̍t-tiûⁿ kiong-têng party, móa-bīn âng-kng koh hoaⁿ-hí ê siàu-liân Elizabeth, ko-kùi bí-lē, chhēng choân-sin pe̍h lé-ho̍k, kòa yi ê tē-it kōaⁿ chin-chu, ná sian-kó͘ ni̍h ê kong-chú án-ne thiàu-bú thiàu kah ê-á boeh lap-té. Richard kap Anne, hām in ê lám-sin sè-kiáⁿ, mā ùi Middleham kóaⁿ-lâi chham-ka chit-ê oa̍h-tāng. M̄-koh, George kap Isabel lóng bô chhut-hiān. Isabel tī kúi-nî chêng tō sí tī seng-sán, be̍kx bô-siaⁿ, liân George mā bô án-chóaⁿ ai-tō. George ê sí mā be̍kx bô-siaⁿ, chit-chióng hoán-siông tō sī George ê te̍k-sèng, chit-chióng be̍kx bô-siaⁿ hō͘ i tit-tio̍h liû-thoân lo̍h-lâi ê miâ-siaⁿ.

George ê it-seng put-toān chū-ngó͘ hòng-tōng, chi̍t-ê koh chi̍t-ê. Ta̍k-pái, i ê chhù-lāi lâng lóng kóng: “Hmh, che sī siōng bóe, chòe kiaⁿ-lâng ê chi̍t-pái; George bô khó-lêng siūⁿ chhut pí che koh-khah hàm-kó͘ ê tāi-chì ah lah.” M̄-koh, George ta̍k-pái lóng hō͘ in kiaⁿ-tio̍h, i chok-koài ê lêng-le̍k sī bô ke̍k-hān.

He chéng-chí khó-lêng sī tiām tī i chho͘-chhù kap tiūⁿ-lâng Warwick kiat-tóng chō-hoán ê sî. Hit-sî, Warwick li̍p i chò hit-ê khó-liân koh tài sîn-keng ê ka-lé Kok-ông Henry VI ê kè-sêng jîn. Warwick seng kā Henry VI an-chiūⁿ ông-ūi, bo̍k-tek sī boeh kap in piáu-tē Edward chò-tùi. Warwick hi-bāng cha-bó͘ kiáⁿ chiâⁿ-chò Ông-hiō kap George siàu-siūⁿ kè-sêng ông-ūi ê hi-bāng, lóng tī Richard cháu khì Lancaster tīn-iâⁿ kap George tâm-phòaⁿ hit-mê hòa-chò o͘-iú. Tān, khoân-le̍k ê chu-bī tùi thian-seng hèng-tiⁿ ê lâng lâi kóng, si̍t-chāi siuⁿ siâⁿ-lâng ah. Sòa lo̍h-lâi hit kúi-nî, chhù-lāi lâng chóng-tio̍h siūⁿ hoat-tō͘ chó͘-tòng George chióngx liāu bē-kàu ê khang-siūⁿ, a̍h-sī kā i ùi chòe-sin ê o͘-pe̍h-lâi kiù tńg-lâi.

Tùi Isabel ê sí, i kian-sìn yi sī hō͘ yi ê lú-pī thāu-sí ê, á hit-ê âng-eⁿ-á hāu-seⁿ sī lēng-ê lú-pī thāu ê. Edward jīn-ûi che tāi-chì chin iàu-kín, tio̍h iû London hoat-īⁿ sím-lí, tō hoat lēng-chn̄g; kiat-kó hoat-hiān, George í-keng tī i ka-tī ê sió tìn hoat-têng (petty sessions) kā yin sím-lí, koh kā yin chhú ká-hêng.

Khì phutx ê Edward ūi-tio̍h khián-chek i, kō͘ poān-loān chōe sím-phòaⁿ nn̄g-ê George ê po̍k-jîn; m̄-koh George m̄-nā bô niá-hōe chit-ê àm-sī, tian-tò hoah kóng che sī su-hoat bô͘-sat, koh tōa-siaⁿ soan-thoân; che sī hoān-tio̍h giâm-tiōng ê mō͘-hoān kun-chú chōe (lèse-majesté).

Jiân-āu, i koat-tēng boeh chhōa Europa siōng hó-gia̍h ê lú kè-sêng-jîn, its Burgundy ê siàu-liân Mary, Margaret ê chêng-lâng cha-bó͘ kiáⁿ. Siān-liông ê Margaret jīn-ûi, hō͘ sió-tī George lâi Burgundy chin hó, m̄-koh Edward í-keng kè-ōe boeh chi-chhî Austria ê Maximilian tùi Mary ê kiû-hun, tì-kàu George chiâⁿ-chò chi̍t-ê bē-soah ê mâ-hoân.

Tán Burgundy ê kè-bô͘ sit-pāi liáu-āu, kui ka-cho̍k hi-bāng ū chi̍t-tōaⁿ pêng-chēng sî-kan. Pit-kèng, George ū chi̍t-pòaⁿ ê Nevill ka-cho̍k thó͘-tē, mā bô su-iàu ūi ke-hóe a̍h ūi kiáⁿ-jî koh kiat-hun. M̄-koh, George iū-koh ū chi̍t-ê kè-ōe, siūⁿ-boeh chhōa Scotland ê James III ê sió-mōe Margaret.

Chòe-āu, i ê chū-tāi bōng-sióng chèng tì-sú i su-té-hā ūi ka-tī kap gōa-kok kiong-têng tâm-phòaⁿ, ián-piàn kàu kong-khai tián-sī hit-hūn Lancaster hoat-àn, kóng i sī Henry VI ê ông-ūi kè-sêng-jîn. Che lân-bián hō͘ i koh-chài bīn-tùi Kok-hōe ê sím-phòaⁿ, chit-pái koh-khah tùi i put-lī.

Chit-pái sím-phòaⁿ chòe ín-lâng chù-bo̍k ê sī, Edward kap George nn̄g hiaⁿ-tī tiong-kan ê kek-lia̍t koh chhiong-móa hóe-khì ê sio-chhá. M̄-koh, tán ī-kî ê bu̍t-siu kong-khoân hoat-àn (attainder) thong-kòe liáu-āu, chhut-hiān chi̍t-ê tùn-teⁿ. Pak-toa̍t George ê tē-ūi sī chi̍t-hôe sū, che pit-iàu koh sek-tòng. Tān kā i chhú-koat, he sī lēng-gōa chi̍t-hôe sū.

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6.2 Payne-Ellis ê 冊結束 tī 一場 宮廷 party

這个時陣, Sè-lia̍p Chí 捀 中晝頓 入來, koh kā 伊 ê 冊 ùi 手 ni̍h 提開. Tng 伊 kō͘ 攕仔 ná ùi 盤仔 挖 "看羊仔 pie" teh 食 ê 時, 伊 koh ná 想起 被告席 彼个人 ê 面. 彼个忠誠, 有耐心 ê 小弟, 是按怎 變做 怪物 ah.

等 Sè-lia̍p Chí 轉來收 捀盤 ê 時, Grant 講: “你 kám 知, Richard III 在世 是一个 真 受歡迎 ê 人? 我是講, tī 伊 坐王位 進前.”

Sè-lia̍p Chí 掠 彼張畫像 惡毒 看一下.

“不過是 一尾 藏 tī 草叢 ê 蛇, 你若問我. 假仙假觸, 伊 tō 是 án-ne: 假仙假觸 teh 等待機會.”

等待 啥機會 ah? 伊心內 án-ne 想, 看她 ta̍uhx 行向 走廊去. Richard 無可能 預先知影 兄哥 Edward 會 tī 40 歲 少年時 tō 意外死亡. 甚至 tī kap Edward 特別親密 ê 囡仔時代 以後, 伊 mā 無可能 預先知影, George ê 烏白來 會失去 王位 繼承權, 連伊 ê 兩个囡仔 mā 袂當. 若無目標 thang 等待, 講 “等待機會” 實在 無啥意義.

彼个 道德堅強 ê 金頭毛 美人 [its Edward ê 家後 Elizabeth Woodville], 掠外 chēx 親情, 證明 是一个 值得欽佩 ê 王后, 為 Edward 生一陣 健康 ê 囝兒, 其中有 2 个後生. Chiah-ê 囡仔, 以及 George kap in 後生 hām 查某囝, lóng 佔 tī Richard kap 王位 ê 中間. 一个 無閒 管理 England 北部, 抑是講 teh 對抗 Scotland (做 kah kài 成功) ê 人, 才無可能 有啥 興趣 he “假仙假觸” ê 代誌.

若 án-ne, 是啥 hō͘ 伊 tī chiah 短 ê 時間, 發生 chiah 基本 ê 改變?

Grant 伸手去提 “Raby ê 玫瑰,” 欲看 Payne-Ellis Sc 按怎講 Cecily Nevill ê 屘囝 不幸變形 這層代誌. 毋過, 彼个 奸巧作者 閃過 這个議題. 她希望 這是 喜樂 ê 冊, 若 kā 故事 依照 logic tek 結論行, he tō 成做 無救 ê 悲劇 ah. 所致, 她 tī 最後一章 寫 Edward ê 大 chă 囝 Elizabeth ê 成年禮 (coming-out), kō͘ che 奏出 響亮回音, 做冊 ê 結束. Án-ne tō 毋但閃開 Elizabeth 姻兩个 少年小弟 ê 悲劇, mā 避免 Richard tī 戰場 失敗 koh 戰死 ê 代誌.

自 án-ne, 冊欲結束 tī 一場 宮廷 party, 滿面 紅光 koh 歡喜 ê 少年 Elizabeth, 高貴美麗, 穿全新 白禮服, 掛 她 ê 第一綰 真珠, ná 仙古 ni̍h ê 公主 án-ne 跳舞 跳 kah 鞋仔 欲塌底. Richard kap Anne, hām in ê 荏身細囝, mā ùi Middleham 趕來參加 這个活動. 毋過, George kap Isabel lóng 無出現. Isabel tī 幾年前 tō 死 tī 生產, be̍kx 無聲, 連 George mā 無按怎 哀悼. George ê 死 mā be̍kx 無聲, 這種反常 tō 是 George ê 特性, 這種 be̍kx 無聲 hō͘ 伊 得著 流傳落來 ê 名聲.

George ê 一生 不斷 自我放蕩, 一个 koh 一个. 逐擺, 伊 ê 厝內人 lóng 講: “Hmh, 這是上尾, 最驚人 ê 一擺; George 無可能 想出 比 che 閣較譀古 ê 代誌 ah lah.” 毋過, George 逐擺 lóng hō͘ in 驚著, 伊作怪 ê 能力是 無極限.

He 種子 可能是 tiām tī 伊 初次 kap 丈人 Warwick 結黨造反 ê 時. 彼時, Warwick 立 伊做 彼个可憐 koh 帶神經 ê 傀儡國王 Henry VI ê 繼承人. Warwick 先 kā Henry VI 安上王位, 目的是欲 kap in 表弟 Edward 做對. Warwick 希望 查某囝 成做王后 kap George 數想 繼承王位 ê 希望, lóng tī Richard 走去 Lancaster 陣營 kap George 談判彼暝 化做烏有. 但, 權力 ê 滋味 對 天生興甜 ê 人 來講, 實在 siuⁿ 唌人 ah. 紲落來 hit 幾年, 厝內人 總著 想法度 阻擋 George chióngx 料袂到 ê 空想, 抑是 kā 伊 ùi 最新 ê 烏白來 救轉來.

對 Isabel ê 死, 伊堅信 她是 hō͘ 她 ê 女婢 thāu-sí ê, á 彼个 紅嬰仔 後生是 另个女婢 thāu ê. Edward 認為 che 代誌 真要緊, 著由 London 法院審理, tō 發令狀; 結果發現, George 已經 tī 伊 ka-tī ê 小鎮法庭 (petty sessions) kā 姻 審理, koh kā 姻 處絞刑. 

氣 phutx ê Edward 為著 譴責伊, kō͘ 叛亂罪 審判 兩个 George ê 僕人; 毋過 George 毋但 無領會 這个暗示, 顛倒 喝講 這是 司法謀殺, koh 大聲宣傳; che 是犯著 嚴重 ê 冒犯君主 罪 (lèse-majesté).

然後, 伊決定 欲娶 Europa 上好額 ê 女繼承人, its Burgundy ê 少年 Mary, Margaret ê 前人 查某囝. 善良 ê Margaret 認為, hō͘ 小弟 George 來 Burgundy 真好, 毋過 Edward 已經計畫 欲支持 Austria ê Maximilian 對 Mary ê 求婚, 致到 George 成做 一个 袂煞 ê 麻煩.

等 Burgundy ê 計謀 失敗了後, 規家族 希望 有一段 平靜時間. 畢竟, George 有一半 ê Nevill 家族土地, mā 無需要 為家伙 a̍h 為囝兒 koh 結婚. 毋過, George 又閣有 一个計畫, 想欲娶 Scotland ê James III ê 小妹 Margaret.

最後, 伊 ê 自大 妄想症 致使伊 私底下 為 ka-tī kap 外國宮廷 談判, 演變到 公開展示 彼份 Lancaster 法案, 講伊是 Henry VI ê 王位 繼承人. Che 難免 hō͘ 伊 閣再面對 國會 ê 審判, 這擺閣較 對伊 不利.

這擺審判 最 引人注目 ê 是, Edward kap George 兩兄弟 中間 ê 激烈 koh 充滿火氣 ê 相吵. 毋過, 等 預期 ê沒收公權法案 (attainder) 通過了後, 出現 一个頓蹬. 剝奪 George ê 地位 是 一回事, che 必要 koh 適當. 但 kā 伊 處決, 彼是 另外 一回事.

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6.2

At this point The Midget came in with his lunch and removed the book from his grasp; and while he forked the shepherd’s pie from plate to mouth he considered[Pg 75] again the face of the man in the dock. The faithful and patient small brother who had turned into a monster.

When The Midget came back for his tray he said: ‘Did you know that Richard III was a very popular person in his day? Before he came to the throne, I mean.’

The Midget cast a baleful glance at the picture.

‘Always was a snake in the grass, if you ask me. Smooth, that’s what he was: smooth. Biding his time.’

Biding his time for what? he wondered, as she tapped away down the corridor. He could not have known that his brother Edward would die unexpectedly at the early age of forty. He could not have foreseen (even after a childhood shared with him in uncommon intimacy) that George’s on-goings would end in attainder and the debarring of his two children from the succession. There seemed little point in ‘biding one’s time’ if there was nothing to bide for./

The indestructibly virtuous beauty with the gilt hair had, except for her incurable nepotism, proved an admirable Queen and had provided Edward with a large brood of healthy children, including two boys. The whole of that brood, together with George and his son and daughter, stood between Richard and the throne. It was surely unlikely that a man busy with the administration of the North of England, or campaigning (with dazzling success) against the Scots, would have much spare interest in being ’smooth’.

What then had changed him so fundamentally in so short a time?

Grant reached for The Rose of Raby to see what Miss Payne-Ellis had had to say about the unhappy metamorphosis of Cecily Nevill’s youngest son. But that wily author had burked the issue. She had wanted the book[Pg 76] to be a happy one, and to have carried it to its logical conclusion would have made it unredeemed tragedy. She had therefore wound it up with a fine resounding major chord by making her last chapter the coming-out of young Elizabeth, Edward’s eldest child. This avoided both the tragedy of Elizabeth’s young brothers and the defeat and death of Richard in battle.

So the book ended with a Palace party, and a flushed and happy young Elizabeth, very magnificent in a new white dress and her first pearls, dancing the soles out of her slippers like the princesses in the fairy-tale. Richard and Anne, and their delicate little son, had come up from Middleham for the occasion. But neither George nor Isabel was there. Isabel had died in childbirth years ago, obscurely and as far as George was concerned unmourned. George too had died obscurely, but with that perverseness that was so peculiarly George’s, had by that very obscurity won for himself imperishable fame.

George’s life had been a progression from one spectacular piece of spiritual extravagance to the next. Each time, his family must have said: Well, that at last is the summit of frightfulness; even George cannot think of anything more fantastic than that. And each time George had surprised them. There was no limit to George’s antic capacity.

The seed was perhaps sown when, during his first backsliding in the company of his father-in-law, Warwick had created him heir to the poor crazy puppet-King, Henry VI, whom Warwick had dumped back on the throne to spite his cousin Edward. Both Warwick’s hopes of seeing his daughter a Queen and George’s royal pretensions had gone down the drain on that night when[Pg 77] Richard had gone over to the Lancastrian camp and talked to George. But the taste of importance had perhaps proved too much for a natural sweet-tooth. In the years to come the family were always heading George off from unexpected vagaries, or rescuing him from his latest caper.

When Isabel died he had been certain that she had been poisoned by her waiting-woman, and that his baby son had been poisoned by another. Edward, thinking the affair important enough to be tried before a London court, sent down a writ; only to find that George had tried them both at a petty sessions of his own magistrates and hanged them. /

The furious Edward, by way of rapping him over the knuckles, had two members of George’s household tried for treason; but instead of taking the hint George declared that this was just judicial murder, and went about saying so in loud tones and a fine blaze of lèse-majesté.

Then he decided that he wanted to marry the richest heiress in Europe; who was Margaret’s step-daughter, young Mary of Burgundy. Kind Margaret thought that it would be nice to have her brother in Burgundy, but Edward had arranged to back Maximilian of Austria’s suit, and George was a continual embarrassment.

When the Burgundy intrigue came to nothing, the family hoped for a little peace. After all, George owned half the Nevill lands and had no need to marry again either for fortune or children. But George had a new scheme for marrying Margaret, the sister of James III of Scotland.

At last his folie de grandeur graduated from secret negotiation undertaken on his own behalf with foreign[Pg 78] courts to open display of the Lancastrian act of Parliament which had declared him heir to the throne after Henry VI. This, inevitably, landed him before another Parliament, and a much less amenable one.

The trial was chiefly remarkable for a flaming and wordy row between the two brothers, Edward and George, but when the expected attainder was passed, there was a pause. Depriving George of his standing was one thing: desirable and indeed necessary. But executing him was something else again.

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