酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

From This World to the Next-Part21_HENRY FIELDING(1707-1754)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页


stung by snakes and adders; for such are spiteful women to the

objects of their envy. In this worst of all situations I was



obliged to hide my melancholy and appear cheerful. This threw me

into an error the other way, and I sometimes fell into a levity



in my behavior that was afterwards made use of to my

disadvantage. I had a son deadborn, which I perceived abated



something of the king's ardor; for his temper could not brook the

least disappointment. This gave me no uneasiness; for, not



considering the consequences, I could not help being best pleased

when I had least of his company. Afterwards I found he had cast



his eyes on one of my maids of honor; and, whether it was owing

to any art of hers, or only to the king's violent passions, I was



in the end used even worse than my former mistress had been by my

means. The decay of the king's affection was presently seen by



all those court-sycophants who continually watch the motions of

royal eyes; and the moment they found they could be heard against



me they turned my most innocent actions and words, nay, even my

very looks, into proofs of the blackest crimes. The king, who



was impatient to enjoy his new love, lent a willing ear to all my

accusers, who found ways of making him jealous that I was false



to his bed. He would not so easily have believed anything

against me before, but he was now glad to flatter himself that he



had found a reason to do just what he had resolved upon without a

reason; and on some slight pretenses and hearsay evidence I was



sent to the Tower, where the lady who was my greatest enemy was

appointed to watch me and lie in the same chamber with me. This



was really as bad a punishment as my death, for she insulted me

with those keen reproaches and spiteful witticisms, which threw



me into such vapors and violent fits that I knew not what I

uttered in this condition. She pretended I had confessed talking



ridiculous stuff with a set of low fellows whom I had hardly ever

taken notice of, as could have imposed on none but such as were



resolved to believe. I was brought to my trial, and, to blacken

me the more, accused of conversing criminally with my own



brother, whom indeed I loved extremely well, but never looked on

him in any other light than as my friend. However, I was



condemned to be beheaded, or burnt, as the king pleased; and he

was graciously pleased, from the great remains of his love, to



choose the mildest sentence. I was much less shocked at this

manner of ending my life than I should have been in any other



station: but I had had so little enjoyment from the time I had

been a queen, that death was the less dreadful to me. The chief



things that lay on my conscience were the arts I made use of to

induce the king to part with the queen, my ill usage of lady



Mary, and my jilting lord Percy. However, I endeavored to calm

my mind as well as I could, and hoped these crimes would be



forgiven me; for in other respects I had led a very innocent

life, and always did all the good-natured actions I found any



opportunity of doing. From the time I had it in my power, I gave

a great deal of money amongst the poor; I prayed very devoutly,



and went to my execution very composedly. Thus I lost my life at

the age of twenty-nine, in which short time I believe I went



through more variety of scenes than many people who live to be

very old. I had lived in a court, where I spent my time in



coquetry and gayety; I had experienced what it was to have one of

those violent passions which makes the mind all turbulence and



anxiety; I had had a lover whom I esteemed and valued, and at the

latter part of my life I was raised to a station as high as the



vainest woman could wish. But in all these various changes I

never enjoyed any real satisfaction, unless in the little time I



lived retired in the country free from all noise and hurry, and

while I was conscious I was the object of the love and esteem of



a man of sense and honor."

On the conclusion of this history Minos paused for a small time,



and then ordered the gate to be thrown open for Anna Boleyn's

admittance on the consideration that whoever had suffered being






文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号