University of Virginia Library

Scene VI.

—An Apartment leading to an Oratory in the Royal Residence at Sheen.—As the scene opens, Edwin and Elgiva are discovered before the altar in the Oratory, and Ricola, the King's Chaplain, is joining their hands. They all three then advance out of the Oratory to the front.
Ricola.
So be ye one from this time forth for ever,
And God for ever be your gracious guide
In love and peace to live! A hasty rite
Hath solemnized your nuptials; not the less
Be ye observant of the sacred bonds
Wherein ye stand contracted for all time.
My Sovereign Lord and Lady, ye are young,
And these are times and yours beyond compare
Stations of trial: Be ye each to each
Helpful, and fullest of comfort, next to God.
And so, my blessing poured in tears upon you,
I bid you well to fare.

Edwin.
My honoured friend,
We thank you for this service, one of many,
But of the many greatest. For awhile
Our secret kept, the Queen abides with you.
I must return to Kingston; but ere night
Once more you'll see me here. Farewell till then.
Shortly the Queen shall follow you.
[Exit Ricola.
Elgiva!
Oh, past expression beautiful and dear,
And now my own for ever! Let my soul
Be satisfied, for 'tis a joy so great
To know you mine, that nature for my bound
Seems insufficient, and my spirit yearns
Intent with you to pass from this pale earth
Into that rosy and celestial clime
Where life is ever thus.

Elgiva.
How joy fulfilled
Makes the heart tremble! Now no change can come
That is not to be feared.

Re-enter Ricola.
Ricola.
My Lord, my Liege,
Forgive me—but I fear . . . I'm old, my Lord,
And shake at trifles, but I strangely fear
That mischief is afoot.

Edwin.
At Kingston?

Ricola.
There,
And coming hitherward; the poor fool Grimbald
Came flying like the scud o' the storm before
To warn you.

Edwin.
And what says he? Call him in.
[Ricola goes to the door and returns with Grimbald.
Well, my good fool, and what hast thou to tell?

Grimbald.
There was grace after meat with a fist on the board
And down went the morat and out flew the sword.

Elgiva.
Truce to thy calling for a while, good fool,
And tell us plainly what befell.

Grimbald.
By the ears
The nobles went together; in the fray
The Horse-Thane and the Dish-Thane were o'erborne
And sent to prison. Then I took to my heels
To bring you word.

Elgiva.
Earl Athulf? Where is he?

Grimbald.
He stood against Harcather hand to hand
When I departed; but I know no more.

Enter the Queen Mother.
Queen Mother.
So you are here, my son, and Madam, you!
And is it for this you scurry from your place?
Is it for this you quit your noble guests?
Is it for this you vex the kingdom? Yea,
To shedding of blood—for there has blood been shed—
For nought but this? Oh, fie! for dalliance—oh!
And whiles you waste the hours in wantonness . . .

Edwin.
Good mother, speak of what you know. Not here
Was either wantonness or waste of time.
You little think how little idly spent
Has been the hour that's gone.

Queen Mother.
How spent? oh, son!
But here come those can speak. Lo! here they come!

Enter Dunstan and Odo,with two or three Thanes following, who are gradually augmented as the scene proceeds till the stage is filled with Dunstan's adherents.
Ricola.
Will't please you to withdraw?

Elgiva.
I thank you, no.

Edwin.
You are too bold, my Lord Archbishop; hence!
Go hence, and trouble not my privacy.
When I did leave you 'twas my will to leave you.
Am I your King, or am I not?

Odo.
Sir, Sir,
'Tis true, with suffrage of the Witena
You were anointed with the holy oil
And crown'd this day by me. But deem not thence
That you are free to spurn us. Rather deem
That calls more urgent, bonds of stricter claim,
Enjoin the duties of your sovereignty;
Amongst which duties eminently first
Is this, that when your Lords and Councillors,
The pillars of the realm, in conference meet,
You should be with them, wisely there to learn
From the assembled wisdom of the State.

Edwin.
'Twas for carousal, not for conference,
They met to-day.

Dunstan.
Sirs, stand ye all apart
And suffer that I reason with the King,
Whose youth betrays him. Oh, unruly flesh!
Oh, wanton blood of youth! the primal sin!
The first offender still! The original snare!
Perdition came of Woman, and alway since
When Time was big with mischief and mischance
He felt his forelock in a soft white hand.

Elgiva.
Of Woman say'st thou that perdition came?
'Twas of the Serpent, Priest.

Queen Mother.
What, break'st thou in?
Thou bold and naughty jade! Thou pit! thou snare!

Edwin.
Oh, mother, hold! Know you at whom you rail?
Deem her your daughter or me not your son.

Queen Mother.
Thou art not and thou shalt not be my son.
If thou demean'st thyself to her—a witch!
A practiser of sorceries!

Edwin
(kneeling).
Oh, God!
I pray Thee that Thou shorten not my days,
Ceasing to honour this disnatured flesh
That was my mother.

Elgiva.
Never was she that:
O Edwin, had God granted thee a mother,
What honour had we rendered her!

Dunstan.
Thou darest!
And seest thou in what presence? Be thou warned!
Thy witcheries that inflame this carnal King
Far other fires shall kindle in the Church—
The channel as of mercies, so of wrath.
Thou stand'st before its excellent Archbishop,
And me its humblest minister; men both
Dead to the flesh and loathing from their souls
To company with women. To us thy charms
Are flat and futile as thy sins are sharp
And spur us to that vengeance God inflicts
Through us on scorners.

Edwin.
Heed them not, Elgiva.

Elgiva.
Content thee! never were they heeded less
By God or by His Angels than by me.

Edwin.
Insolent Churchmen! You renounce the world!
All in it that is loving or can be loved
You'll teach yourself and others to renounce,
Because cold vanities with meagre heats
Alternate have consumed you to the core
And given your hearts the dry-rot. Meddlesome monks!
The love it is not in you or to feel
For women or from womankind to win
You ostentatiously deny yourselves,
As atrophy denies itself to fatten.

Elgiva.
What worth are you to us, that set no store
By you or by your threats? I tell thee, Priest,
I make no more account of thee and thine
Than of so many kites and crows.

Dunstan.
Fly hence,
Pale prostitute! Avaunt, rebellious Fiend
Which speakest through her!

Edwin.
And I tell thee more,
She is thy Sovereign Mistress and thy Queen,
My lawful wedded wife.

Queen Mother.
Ah, woe is me!

Odo.
Thy lawful wife! How lawful? By what law?
Incest and fornication!

Dunstan.
Who art thou?
I see thee and I know thee-yea, I smell thee!
Again 'tis Satan meets me front to front,
Again I triumph! Where, and by what rite,
And by what miscreant minister of God
And rotten member, was this mockery,
That was no marriage, made to seem a marriage?

Ricola.
Lord Abbot, by no . . .

Dunstan.
What then, was it thou?
The Church shall cut thee off and pluck thee out!
A Synod shall be summoned! Chains for both!
Chains for that harlot and for this dog-priest!
Oh, wall of Jezreel!

Edwin.
Villains, stand ye back!
Stand from the Queen . . . Oh, had I but a sword!
What—felons! Ye shall hang for this ere long—
Loose me or I will . . .

Odo.
Sir, be calm, and know
'Tis for your own behoof and for your crown's.

Elgiva.
Be of good comfort, Edwin; we shall meet
Where none can part us. Are ye men? Hold off!
I will not put you to that shame to force me.

[She is taken out.
Odo.
Thou Queen! Go, get thee gone! A crown for thee!
No, nor a head to put it on to-morrow.

Queen Mother.
Alack! the law is sharp. But, Gurmo, run,
See she have Christian burial; speed thee, Gurmo.

Dunstan.
Madam, your pardon. Gurmo, wait on me.

Edwin.
Elgiva, oh, Elgiva! Oh, my wife!
I'll find thee friends, though now . . . Oh, traitors! slaves!
When I have raised my force, I'll bring you bound
With halters round your necks, to lick the dust
Before her footstool. I will have you scourged
By hangmen's hands in every market town—
Yes, you, my Lords!—And, mother, oh! repent,
Or I shall cast thee off and curse the fate
That made thy hateful womb my habitation
Ere my blind soul could choose. Perfidious monk!
Smilest thou, villain! But I will raise a force . . .

[Exit.
Dunstan.
Lord Primate, thou hast crowned a baby's brow.
May it please you follow lest he come to harm.
[Exit Odo.
Friends, quit not my Lord Primate. Follow all.
[Exeunt all but Harcather, who stays behind on a sign from Dunstan.
Harcather, haste; convey Elgiva hence
With speed to Chester, and in strictest ward
Confine her there; but keep her life untouched.
[Exit Harcather.
So shall we brandish o'er the enamoured King
A trenchant terror.—See we next what friends
Will stead us in the Synod.—Break, thou storm!
And learn thou which is strongest, thou or I.