PUSHKIN. Townsmen of Moscow! The world well knows how much ye have endured Under the rule of the cruel stranger; ban, Dishonour, executions, taxes, hardships, Hunger—all these ye have experienced. Dimitry is disposed to show you favour, Courtiers, boyars, state-servants, soldiers, strangers, Merchants—and every honest man. Will ye Be stubborn without reason, and in pride Flee from his kindness? But he himself is coming To his ancestral throne with dreadful escort. Provoke not ye the tsar to wrath, fear God, And swear allegiance to the lawful ruler; Humble yourselves; forthwith send to Dimitry The Metropolitan, deacons, boyars, And chosen men, that they may homage do To their lord and father.
(Exit. Clamour of the People.)
THE PEOPLE. What is to be said? The boyar spake truth. Long live Dimitry, our father!
A PEASANT ON THE PLATFORM. People! To the Kremlin! To the Royal palace! The whelp of Boris go bind!
THE PEOPLE. (Rushing in a crowd.) Bind, drown him! Hail Dimitry! Perish the race of Godunov!
THE KREMLIN. HOUSE OF BORIS
A GUARD on the Staircase. FEODOR at a Window
BEGGAR. Give alms, for Christ’s sake.
GUARD. Go away; it is forbidden to speak to the prisoners.
FEODOR. Go, old man, I am poorer than thou; thou art at liberty.
(KSENIA, veiled, also comes to the window.)
ONE OF THE PEOPLE. Brother and sister—poor children, like birds in a cage.
SECOND PERSON. Are you going to pity them? Accursed Family!
FIRST PERSON. The father was a villain, but the children are innocent.
SECOND PERSON. The apple does not fall far from the apple-tree.
KSENIA. Dear brother! Dear brother! I think the boyars are coming to us.
FEODOR. That is Golitsin, Mosalsky. I do not know the others.
KSENIA. Ah! Dear brother. my heart sinks.
(GOLITSIN, MOSALSKY, MOLCHANOV, and SHEREFEDINOV; behind them three archers.)
THE PEOPLE. Make way, make way; the boyars come. (They enter the house.)
ONE OF THE PEOPLE. What have they come for?
SECOND. Most like to make Feodor Godunov take the oath.
THIRD. Very like. Hark! What a noise in the house! What an uproar! They are fighting!
THE PEOPLE. Do you hear? A scream! That was a woman’s voice. We will go up. We will go up!—The doors are fastened—the cries cease—the noise continues.
(The doors are thrown open. MOSALSKY appears on the staircase.)
MOSALSKY. People! Maria Godunov and her son Feodor have poisoned themselves. We have seen their dead bodies.
(The People are silent with horror.)
Why are ye silent? Cry, Long live the tsar Dimitry Ivanovich!
(The People are speechless.)
THE END
