University of Virginia Library

SCENE III.

A large Banquetting Hall in Athelwold's Castle. Supper-table seen in the distance, at the upper end. Slaves bearing dishes on their heads.
In front, King Edgar—Athelwold—Oswald— Guido, and other Nobles—Attendants, &c.
EDGAR
(to Athelwold.)
Methinks, my Lord, this dainty dame of thine
Doth slight our noble presence. Doth she look
To see us in her chamber, good my Lord?
Waits she the royal hand to lead her forth?
Beware, sir Earl! If thou art—Ha! she comes!
By heaven, a noble creature!

Enter Elfrida, dressed with great splendour, attended by her maidens; and at the opposite door, Adelmine, in a peasant's dress.
ATHELWOLD.
Woman!

ADELMINE.
Elfrida!

ELFRIDA
(Crossing the stage, kneels at the King's feet.)
My gracious Sovereign!

EDGAR
(raising her.)
Rise, most noble lady!
Here is thy station, at thy Sovereign's side,
Let traitors kneel to him! And now permit
That we remove this most disloyal veil,
Which like a careful subject whom we wot of,
Would hide thy dangerous beauty from our eyes.
(Puts back her veil.)
What! Athelwold! we prithee where's thy wife?—
Thy thin, pale, homely, haggard, awkward wife?
This is some captive queen, whom thou hast stolen,
And we should claim her as our kingly right;—
Nay, by the mass, we'll seal our title too.

(Kisses her.)
ATHELWOLD
(aside.)
Death! will she suffer it?

EDGAR.
Thou hast a regal eye for beauty, sir;—
But, gentle Earl, we prithee where's thy wife?

ATHELWOLD.
I have no wife!
My sometime wife is dead—
Dead to her Lord! I had a wife, my Liege,—
A generous, lovely wife—a leal, and pure;
I did belie her when I called her else!
She never looked unlovely until now,—
Yet now she doth but keep her faith with me,
For she did promise, with an angel-smile,
She'd so transform herself, that she should seem
Deform'd in these fond eyes—she's kept her faith!

EDGAR.
What! kept her faith! if she did promise this,
In very sooth those beauteous lips are perjured,
For look! the diamond-glory of her eyes!
Those silken braids! that pure and cloudless brow!
The changing beauty of her dimpled cheek!
The graceful curving of her swan-white throat!
Each airy motion—every glance and smile—
Are all resistless witnesses against her,
And prove her still an angel!
Thou art blind!
By the blest rood, if she had kept her faith,
We would have cursed her sacrilegious hand,
That dared profane so heavenly fair a temple—
The shrine of beauty and of love—at which
Our knee—even ours—shall not disdain to bend,
Albeit unused in yielding.
Athelwold!
Thou art a double traitor!—thou hast robbed
Thy liege Lord of this smiling paradise,
And hast defamed her loveliness, that thou
Might'st revel safely in her Eden-bloom.

ATHELWOLD
(rushing forward, and throwing himself at the King's feet.)
King! strike thy sword into this breaking heart,
'Twill find one victim there will woo the wound!

EDGAR.
And what is that?—Remorse?

ATHELWOLD.
Despair!

EDGAR.
No more of this!
The banquet waits our presence—on, my Lords!
Thy hand, sweet lady of our revels!—so—

(The King passes up the Hall, with Elfrida, followed by Nobles, Attendants, &c.—to the rude Music of various warlike instruments, heard from without. As they seat themselves at the table, the Music ceases.)