The Libertine Page #3

Depends on who you play with.

The King plays with a common prostitute,

not his wife.

The Portuguese

have little flair for outdoor pursuits.

Except navigating, of course.

l mean that the etiquette of it is singular.

l know what you mean .

You must always be

ace, king and jack, my dear.

But heaven has not disposed your cards so.

ETHEREGE:
Johnny! lt's your shot!

l'm not playing!

Oh, but you are, John .

You are if l say you are.

The most advanced scientific instrument

in western Europe.

lt costs 60 000 pounds

lt tells the time in every corner of the globe

Understand?

That is achievement.

The man who did that was not continually pissed

for the last three years.

What do you want from me?

Writing something profound

that will stand as a monument to my reign .

You're my literary giant.

Dryden ? Plodder.

But look what he's achieved.

Elizabeth had her Shakespeare.

You can be mine.

Give me a major work of literature

and l'll give you 500 guineas.

When would you like it? Friday?

Don 't f*** it up, John .

l love you .

Mrs Barry!

l cannot let you have long.

l must prepare Tamburlaine.

There's a great deal of setting up

Mrs Barry.

..and a deal of taking down .

My Lord Rochester.

l'm come as l said l would.

Will you have me lift my skirt?

Or do you have a mind

to raise it by your own endeavours?

l'm come to train you ...in your acting.

So you said when we first met,

but your reputation being what it is,

l thought you meant something different.

l have, l hope, many reputations.

l am come, l say, to train you ...

in your stage acting

Never in my life

have l heard you spoken of as an actor.

That does not deter me

from spreading my insights to others

- l thought it would not.

- Then we shall begin

You are familiar with the plays of Mr Etherege?

- There are but two my lord

-Not for long, l fear.

The Comical Revenge or Love ln A Tub

Have you seen Mrs Betterton playing Graciana?

Yes, l'm her understudy.

lndeed.

Act Two, Scene Two.

l shall play Beaufort.

Graciana, why do you condemn your love?

Your beauty without that, alas,

would prove but my destruction .

An unlucky star

prognosticating ruin and despair.

You mistake.

'Tis not my love l blame, but my discretion .

Here the active flame should yet

a longer time have been concealed.

Too soon too soon l fear i was revealed

Our weaker sex glories in surprise.

We boast the sudden conquests of our eyes.

But men esteem a foe that dares contend

One that with noble courage

does defend a wounded heart.

The victories they gain , they prize

by their own hazard and their pain .

That was not Elizabeth Barry.

That was Mrs Betterton .

An understudy must imiate not create

- Yesterday you created

- Yesterday l was dismissed.

- But you played truthfully

- lt costs too much to play the truth.

l do not think

you have considered this speech at all

Well, how would you have me do it?

Let us consider now.

What does it mean, that speech

that Mrs Betterton mangled so?

Graciana means that she has given away

the secrets of her heart too freely.

Something that a gentlewoman

must not do to a gentleman .

- Why not?

- Because men will take love for granted

and then not prize it.

And is our author right? Do you believe that?

l believe men are hurdles

that must be negotiated.

ls that all? Do you never feel passion for us?

l've counterfeited passion in gentlemen 's beds

if that is your meaning.

Counterfeit will not serve you on the stage

Yesterday l was jeered and taunted

by 400 ruffians.

l know that will not serve me.

And so you will take their word against both

of ours and traffic in falsehood from now on ?

l don 't know

Then let us gain knowledge.

To the speech again .

You played it sweetly

Graciana is not innocent

or she would not have such insight

lf you had ever loved a man

you would say that speech with regret

Because you would fear the loss of him.

And supposing l have loved?

Then show me in the speech.

Sir, you mistake.

'Tis not my love l blame.

But my discretion .

Here the active flame should yet

a longer time have been concealed.

Too soon , too soon l fear it was revealed.

Our weaker sex glories in surprise.

We boast the sudden conquests of our eyes.

But men esteem a foe that dares contend.

One that with noble courage

does defend a wounded heart.

The victories they gain , they prize

by their own hazard and their pain .

Well?

Was there improvement?

Did you think so?

l wish to know your thoughts.

lt was better.

But now you're too angry.

Of course l'm f***ing angry! You walk

into this theatre in your 30-shilling boots

telling me how l should set about my work!

l warn you , l have a temper.

And l have been known to strike out

with the first object at hand.

lf that be a property blade, some have

sharper edges than is needful, so have a care.

Ahhh.

To die onstage

at the hands of a beautiful woman .

l am no such!

l think l can make you an actress of truth,

not a creature of artifice.

l can do this.

But l cannot train you

unless you give a little towards me.

lt's not in my nature to give.

l have my talent and l'm jealous of it.

And though l give you credit that you

and you alone in all the town have seen it,

l am not so dazzled by the lord and master

in you that l cannot resent you .

Yes.

You are right.

l am intent on doing something

that no other has yet done.

And l lost my purpose yesterday

with fear of the pit.

But l will conquer them.

And it shall not be said

when l have my fame and my 2 a week

that Lord Rochester took to me and touched me

with the shining wing of his genius

and so turned me

into a little corner of his greatness. No!

l shall be valued for me

and for what l knew l could do upon this stage!

And for what l, Lizzie Barry...how l...

l took the heat of my own soul and moulded it

and turned it into a wondrous thing

and so triumphed.

lf l can help you to that triumph,

l'm not so devoted to the trumpeting of

my own works that l would wish to take credit.

So you say now.

But in the ale house, when the play is done,

and the talk is of my Cleopatra,

will you not glide towards your cronies

with a ''l taught her that piece of business''

or ''She could not be heard in the gallery

until l instructed her in a trick or two''?

Madam l offer my services

lf you see no advantage in them,

they can as easy be withdrawn .

You could buy my slit for a pound a night, sir.

l would not mind that.

But l think you would not have it so.

What l think you want is power over me,

which l do bridle at.

For it is only l who can do what you say l can do.

lf you wish to play a part in this

l would strongly know why

Ask yourself what you want from the theatre.

l want the passionate love of my audience

l want when l make a sweep of my arm

to carry their hearts away.

And for when l die, for them

to sigh for never seeing me again .

Till the next afternoon .

There is your answer.

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