University of Virginia Library

Scene II.

—A Platform near Artevelde's Pavilion.— Van Muck is seated at some distance in the background.
Enter Sir Fleureant and the Herald.
Sir Fleureant.
Then be it as I said; the sun shall set
'Twixt seven and eight; ere then I'll know my course;
And if the Regent lend a willing ear
To the Duke's message and this lady send
Upon his summons, merrily we go
Together, and who meets us on the road
Shall say, “A goodly company, God bless them!
A man, a woman, and a pursuivant.”
But 'twill not be so.

Herald.
Let us hope it may.

Sir Fleureant.
Assure yourself 'twill otherwise befall.
He will retain her, or herself hold back.
Then shall it be your prudence to depart
With your best speed, whilst I invent a cause
For lingering. I will not understand,
But spin the matter of my mission out
Into such length as with that web to hide
My underworkings. Be you gone yourself
Fast as you may, and far, when this falls out;
And you shall tell the Duke with what good-will
I hazard in his service loss of all
I have to lose,—my life.

Herald.
Loth should I be
To leave you so; but rest assur'd the Duke
Shall hear, as through a trumpet, of your zeal.

Sir Fleureant.
(discovering Van Muck)
Whom have we here? a listener? God forbid!
And yet he seems attentive, and his ears
Are easy of approach; the cover'd way,
Scarp, counterscarp, and parapet, is razed.
Halloa, Sir, are you there! Give you good-day!
What think you we were saying? Troubled times!

Van Muck.
Your pardon, Sir; I'm hard of hearing.

Sir Fleureant.
Oh!
We well can pardon that. What, deaf—stone-deaf?

Van Muck.
No, Sir, thank God! no deafer than yourself,
But slowish, Sir, of hearing.

Sir Fleureant.
What, snail-slow?

Van Muck.
No, Sir, no slower than another man,
But not so quick of hearing, Sir, as some,
Being a little deaf.

Sir Fleureant.
Content thee, friend;
Thine ears are sharper than thine apprehension.
But wherefore want they flaps? Who dock'd them thus?

Van Muck.
It is no trouble nor no loss to you,
Whoever did it.

Sir Fleureant.
Pardon me, my friend,
It troubles me and doth offend mine eyes
To see thee lack those handles to thy head.
Tell me who snipp'd them?

Van Muck.
'Twas the Regent.

Sir Fleureant.
Ho!
The Regent? [To the Herald.]
Upon this I go to work.
The Regent? and you wait upon him here?

Van Muck.
I wait to ask him for my company:
I was the Captain of a company.

Herald.
What, took he thy command away besides?

Van Muck.
Yes, Sir.

Herald.
And wherefore? what was thine offence?

Van Muck.
I was a little master'd, Sir, with drink,
The night we carried Yerken, and a maid
That ran upon me, Sir, I know not how,
Forswore herself and said I did her wrong.

Sir Fleureant.
Well?

Van Muck.
And 'twas this that lost me my command.

Sir Fleureant.
Impossible! I've done as much myself
A thousand times.

Van Muck.
'Twas nothing, Sir, but this.

Sir Fleureant.
Oh, monstrous! And what askest thou?

Van Muck.
What ask?
I ask him to replace me, as I said.

Sir Fleureant.
And wilt thou ask him to replace thine ears?

Van Muck.
No, Sir.

Sir Fleureant.
Why not? for thou'lt succeed as soon.
I've heard that never did he change his mind
But once, since he was Regent; once he did;
'Twas when he kindly pardon'd Peter Shultz:
He changed his mind and hung him.

Van Muck.
By St. Giles!
I would not ask him if I knew for certain
He would deny me.

Sir Fleureant.
What! deny thee? hang thee!
Take service with another Lord—leave him;
Thou hast been foully dealt with! Never hope
To conquer pride with humbleness, but turn
To them that will be proud to use thee well.
I'll show thee many such; and to begin,
Here is myself. What lack'st thou? Money? See—
I am provided: hold me forth thy hand;
The Regent left thee hands: was that his skill?
The injury that disables is more wise
Than that which stings: a hand he left to take—
And here's to fill it; and a hand to strike—
Look not amazed, I bid thee not do that;
I ask thee but to take a missive hence
As far as Bruges.

Van Muck.
Sir, I'll be bound to take it.

Sir Fleureant.
And are there many men besides thyself
That have lost rank and service in the camp?

Van Muck.
It was but yesterday two constables
Had their discharge.

Sir Fleureant.
And why were they dismiss'd?

Van Muck.
'Twas by the Regent's order; 'twas, he said,
Because they made more riots in the camp
Than they prevented.

Sir Fleureant.
He is hard to please.
What are they call'd?

Van Muck.
Jock Bulsen and Carl Kortz.

[Trumpets are heard at a little distance.
Herald.
Hark to the Regent's trumpets.

Sir Fleureant.
Thou must go.
But name a place of meeting.

Van Muck.
The west dyke
Behind the sutler Merlick's tent.

Sir Fleureant.
Do thou,
And Kortz, and Bulsen, at the hour of nine,
Be there to take my orders. Get thee gone,
And be not seen till then. Go this way out,
That so the Regent meet thee not.
[Exit Van Muck.
That seed
Is sown, but whether I shall reap the fruits
Is yet in Artevelde's arbitrement;
Let him comply, and those three hens shall meet
To hatch an addle egg.

Herald.
'Tis more than time
That I were fairly on the road to France.
You're pushing on apace.

Sir Fleureant.
Our thrift lies there.
Spare time, spend gold, and so you win the day!

Trumpets again.
Enter Artevelde.
Artevelde.
You are equipp'd, I see, for taking horse:
I pray you have Sir Charles of France inform'd
It was your diligence despatch'd you thus,
And not my lack of hospitality.

Herald.
My Lord, we surely shall report in France
We were entreated bounteously and well.
Thankfully now, my Lord, I take my leave:
Sir Fleureant follows, and ere night will reach
The hostel where we rest.

[Exit Herald.
Artevelde.
What! in such haste?

Sir Fleureant.
My Lord, not many hours I stay behind,
And not for idleness. My Lord, I'm charged
With a strange mission, as to you 'twill seem,
But to his Grace of Bourbon full of pith.

Artevelde.
Sir, I attend; his Grace has all my ears.
What would he?

Sir Fleureant.
He has voices more than ten
In the King's Council, and as they may speak
Touching this war, 'twill likely be resolved.
Now he is not implacably, as some,
Envenom'd, and if justice were but done him
He might be pacified and turn the course
Of these precipitate counsels.

Artevelde.
On my soul,
If there be justice I can render him
He should receive it from my ready hands
Although his voice in Council were as small
As a dog-whistle. What may be his grief?

Sir Fleureant.
My Lord, he sent you letters that portray'd
His grief in all its blackness. To be short,
He wants his paramour; the damsel fair
Whom you surprised, sojourning at the Court
Of Louis Mâle, the day that Bruges was lost.

Artevelde.
Sir, he's thrice welcome to his paramour.
I never have withheld her.

Sir Fleureant.
Then to me,
A servant of the Prince, 'tis his desire
She be consign'd to take her to the palace
At Senlis.

Artevelde.
To the hands of whom she will
I yield the lady, to go where she will,
Were it to the palace of the Prince of Darkness.
But at the lady's bidding it must be,
Not at the Prince's.

Sir Fleureant.
Do I learn from this
The lady is reluctant?

Artevelde.
By no means.
The dangers of the journey kept her back
From taking my safe-conduct heretofore,
When, at the instance of the Duke your friend,
I offer'd it; but having come thus far
Toward the frontier, she may travel hence
In your protection safely.

Sir Fleureant.
May I learn
Her pleasure from herself?

Artevelde.
'Twere best you did;
And I will be your usher if I may.
Attendance here! Enter an Attendant.

Apprise the foreign lady
That with her leave, and when her leisure serves,
I will entreat admittance for some words
Of brief discourse.
[Exit Attendant.
We'll walk towards her tent,
If that's your pleasure.

Sir Fleureant.
Still at your command.