First Thane. Too drunk to fight with | At Stamford-bridge. . . . the people stuthee! pid-sure Second Thane. Fight thou with thine Sleep like their swine. . . . in South and own double, not with me, Keep that for Norman William! Fourth Thane. The tanner's bastard! Harold. Ay, but what late guest, Hath stumbled on our cups? Thane from Pevensey. My lord the William the Norman, for the wind had Haroid. I felt it in the middle of that fierce fight At Stamford-bridge. landed, ha? William hath Of being starved. Sit down, sit down, and eat, And, when again red-blooded, speak again; (Aside.) North at once I could not be. (Aloud.) Gurth, Leofwin, Morcar, Edwin! (Pointing to the revellers.) The curse of England! these are drown'd in wassail, And cannot see the world but thro' their wines ! Leave them! and thee too, Aldwyth, must I leave Harsh is the news! hard is our honeymoon! Thy pardon. (Turning round to his attendants.) Break the banquet up.. Ye four! And thou, my carrier-pigeon of black news, Cram thy crop full, but come when thou And crave his mercy, for the Holy Father The men that guarded England to the Hath given this realm of England to the South Were scatter'd to the harvest. ... No power mine are fallen Norman. Harold. Then for the last time, monk, I ask again To hold their force together.... Many When had the Lateran and the Holy Father Leofwin. No, but a shoal of wives upon the heath, And some one saw thy willy-nilly nun Vying a tress against our golden fern. Harold. Vying a tear with our cold dews, a sigh With these low-moaning heavens. Let her be fetch'd. We have parted from our wife without And that is well. As wind blows, or tide flows: belike he watches, If this war-storm in one of its rough rolls Wash up that old crown of Northumberland. Harold. I married her for Morcar a sin against The truth of love. seems, Evil for good, it Is oft as childless of the good as evil Leofwin. Good for good hath borne at times A bastard false as William, One pours wine into a goblet, which What? we must use our battle-axe today. Our guardsmen have slept well, since we came in? Leofwin. Ay, slept and snored. Your second-sighted man That scared the dying conscience of the king, Misheard their snores for groans. They are up again, And chanting that old song of Brunanburg Where England conquer'd. Harold. That is well. The Norman, What is he doing? Leofwin. Praying for Normandy ; Our scouts have heard the tinkle of their bells. Harold. And our old songs are prayers for England too! But by all Saints Leofwin. Barring the Norman ! Harold. Nay, Were the great trumpet blowing dooms day dawn, I needs must rest. Call when the Nor- | No other than this way advise the king Against the race of Godwin. Is it man moves [Exeunt all but HAROLD. No horse- thousands of horses our made my marriage not a lie; I could not: Thou art my bride! and thou in after years Praying perchance for this poor soul of mine In cold, white cells beneath an icy moon This memory to thee! and this to England, My legacy of war against the Pope From child to child, from Pope to Pope, from age to age, Aldwyth. I go. (Aside.) That I could stab her standing there! Harold. And thou must hence. Stigand will see thee safe, [Exit ALDWYTH. And so - Farewell. Edith. Alas, my lord, she loved thee. Harold. Never! never! Edith. I saw it in her eyes! Harold. I see it in thine. And not on thee nor England- fall God's doom! [He is going, but turns back. The ring thou darest not wear, I have had it fashion'd, see, to meet my hand. [HAROLD shows the ring which is on his finger. Edith. On thee? on me. And thou Farewell! Was England. Ethelred was nothing. Is but her king, and thou art Harold! [He is going, but turns back again. I am dead as Death this day to aught of earth's Save William's death or mine. |