Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honor Part 104

By the same Author

_LADY FREDERICK_

_JACK STRAW_

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_A MAN OF HONOUR_

_A TRAGEDY_

_In Four Acts_

_By W. S. MAUGHAM_

_LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN_

_MCMXII_

_Copyright: London William Heinemann 1912_

_TO GERALD KELLY_

"Ich ubersah meine Sache und wusste wohin ich wollte."

ECKERMANN, _Gesprache mit Goethe_.

GENERAL PREFACE

...For Clisthenes, son of Aristonymus, son of Myron, son of Andreas, had a daughter whose name was Agarista: her he resolved to give in marriage to the man whom he should find the most accomplished of all the Greeks.

When therefore the Olympian games were being celebrated, Clisthenes, being victorious in them in the chariot race, made a proclamation; "that whoever of the Greeks deemed himself worthy to become the son-in-law of Clisthenes, should come to Sicyon on the sixtieth day, or even before; since Clisthenes had determined on the marriage in a year, reckoning from the sixtieth day." Thereupon such of the Greeks as were puffed up with themselves and their country, came as suitors; and Clisthenes, having made a race-course and palaestra for them, kept it for this very purpose. From Italy, accordingly, came Smindyrides, son of Hippocrates, a Sybarite, who more than any other man reached the highest pitch of luxury, (and Sybaris was at that time in a most flouris.h.i.+ng condition;) and Damasus of Siris, son of Amyris called the Wise: these came from Italy. From the Ionian gulf, Amphimnestus, son of Epistrophus, an Epid.a.m.nian; he came from the Ionian gulf. An aetolian came, Males, brother of that t.i.tormus who surpa.s.sed the Greeks in strength, and fled from the society of men to the extremity of the aetolian territory. And from Peloponnesus, Leocedes, son of Pheidon, tyrant of the Argives, a decendant of that Pheidon, who introduced measures among the Peloponnesians, and was the most insolent of all the Greeks, who having removed the Elean umpires, himself regulated the games at Olympia; his son accordingly came. And Amiantus, son of Lycurgus, an Arcadian from Trapezus; and an Azenian from the city of Paeos, Laphanes, son of Euphorion, who, as the story is told in Arcadia, received the Dioscuri in his house, and after that entertained all men; and an Elean, Onomastus, son of Agaeus: these accordingly came from the Peloponnesus itself. From Athens there came Megacles, son of Alcmaeon, the same who had visited Croesus, and another, Hippoclides, son of Tisander, who surpa.s.sed the Athenians in wealth and beauty. From Eretria, which was flouris.h.i.+ng at that time, came Lysanias; he was the only one from Euboea. And from Thessaly there came, of the Scopades, Diactorides a Cranonian; and from the Molossi, Alcon. So many were the suitors. When they had arrived on the appointed day, Clisthenes made inquiries of their country, and the family of each; then detaining them for a year, he made trial of their manly qualities, their dispositions, learning, and morals; holding familiar intercourse with each separately, and with all together, and leading out to the gymnasia such of them as were younger; but most of all he made trial of them at the banquet; for as long as he detained them, he did this throughout, and at the same time entertained them magnificently. And somehow of all the suitors those that had come from Athens pleased him most, and of these Hippoclides, son of Tisander, was preferred both on account of his manly qualities, and because he was distantly related to the Cypselidae in Corinth. When the day appointed for the consummation of the marriage arrived, and for the declaration of Clisthenes himself, whom he would choose of them all, Clisthenes, having sacrificed a hundred oxen, entertained both the suitors themselves and all the Sicyonians; and when they had concluded the feast, the suitors had a contest about music, and any subject proposed for conversation. As the drinking went on, Hippoclides, who much attracted the attention of the rest, ordered the flute-player to play a dance; and when the flute-player obeyed, he began to dance: and he danced, probably so as to please himself; but Clisthenes, seeing it, beheld the whole matter with suspicion. Afterwards, Hippoclides, having rested awhile, ordered some one to bring in a table; and when the table came in, he first danced Laconian figures on it, and then Attic ones; and in the third place, having leant his head on the table he gesticulated with his legs. But Clisthenes, when he danced the first and second time, revolted from the thought of having Hippoclides for his son-in-law, on account of his dancing and want of decorum, yet restrained himself, not wis.h.i.+ng to burst out against him; but when he saw him gesticulating with his legs, he was no longer able to restrain himself, and said: "Son of Tisander, you have danced away your marriage." But Hippoclides answered: "Hippoclides cares not." Hence this answer became a proverb. (HERODOTUS VI. 126, _Cary's Translation_.)

This play was first performed by the Stage Society at the Imperial Theatre on February 22, 1903, with the following cast:

BASIL KENT H. GRANVILLE BARKER JENNY BUSH WINIFRED FRASER JAMES BUSH O. B. CLARENCE JOHN HALLIWELL DENNIS EADIE MABEL GERTRUDE BURNETT HILDA MURRAY MABEL TERRY-LEWIS ROBERT BRACKLEY NIGEL PLAYFAIR MRS. GRIGGS HENRIETTA COWEN f.a.n.n.y GERTRUDE DE BURGH BUTLER A. BOWYER

_A MAN OF HONOUR_

_CHARACTERS_

BASIL KENT JENNY BUSH JAMES BUSH JOHN HALLIWELL MABEL HILDA MURRAY ROBERT BRACKLEY MRS. GRIGGS f.a.n.n.y BUTLER

TIME: _The Present Day_.

ACT I--_Basil's lodgings in Bloomsbury_.

ACTS II AND IV--_The drawing-room of Basil's house at Putney_.

ACT III--_Mrs. Murray's house in Charles Street_.

_The Performing Rights of this Play are fully protected, and permission to perform it, whether by Amateurs or Professionals, must be obtained in advance from the author's Sole Agent, R. Golding Bright, 20 Green Street, Leicester Square, London, W.C., from whom all particulars can be obtained._

A MAN OF HONOUR

THE FIRST ACT

SITTING-ROOM OF BASIL'S LODGINGS IN BLOOMSBURY.

_In the wall facing the auditorium, two windows with little iron balconies, giving a view of London roofs. Between the windows, against the wall, is a writing-desk littered with papers and books.

On the right is a door, leading into the pa.s.sage; on the left a fire-place with arm-chairs on either side; on the chimney-piece various smoking utensils. There are numerous bookshelves filled with books; while on the walls are one or two Delft plates, etchings after Rossetti, autotypes of paintings by Fra Angelico and Botticelli. The furniture is simple and inexpensive, but there is nothing ugly in the room. It is the dwelling-place of a person who reads a great deal and takes pleasure in beautiful things._

BASIL KENT _is leaning back in his chair, with his feet on the writing-table, smoking a pipe and cutting the pages of a book. He is a very good-looking man of six-and-twenty, clean-shaven, with a delicate face and clear-cut features. He is dressed in a lounge-suit._

[_There is a knock at the door._

BASIL.

Come in.