 | Alfred |  |
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ACT IV.
Alfred and Surrey.SURREY.
For England and for Ethelswida's sake,
To gain a little time, appear to yield.
'Ere this, the valiant Edwin is inform'd
Of thy disaster. Night approaches fast;
And Danish discord aids the English arms.
Show not thy soul so open to the Dane.
ALFRED.
My friend, to whom my favour has been fatal,
It is thy fortune to behold the last
And darkest scene of Alfred's tragic life.
Something it grieves me, that mankind who judge
By the event! perhaps may blame my rashness,
Do thou defend the ashes of thy friend
And publish to the world—
Enter Edda and Erick.
EDDA.
Erick! the captive
Desires, once more, to see the Saxon Prince.
For thy permission to the king I'll answer.
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'Tis not my part to question, but obey,
(Exit Edda.
What can this woman mean?
ALFRED.
Surrey, I tremble,
And, like a coward, shake from head to foot.
My mind, for this encounter, is not arm'd.
Stern was my preparation, firm the mail
That bound my breast, against approaching death.
This trial takes me on another quarter;
The woes of Ethelswida!—Rise, my soul!
Against the storm. I ought to strengthen her;
And stand myself a rock.
Enter Ethelswida and Edda.
EDDA
, (to Erick.)
Retire with me;
Let their discourse be, as she wishes, private.
(Exeunt Erick and Edda.
(Ethelswida comes towards Alfred, with great emotion.
ALFRED.
O, Ethelswida, do not pierce my heart,
With looks so full of pity and of love!
ETHELSWIDA.
My soul looks thro' my eyes. My love, my lord,
My king, my husband!
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Oh! thou fann'st the fire,
On which my reason ashes heaps, in vain.
Like Hercules, I wear the poison'd robe:
Thou pull'st the garment; and my nerves are torn.
Why didst thou wish to see the ruined Alfred?
ETHELSWIDA.
Not ruin'd yet. His love endangered Alfred:
My love shall save him still.
ALFRED.
Can there be truth
In Hinguar? Now, my soul begins to fear.
ETHELSWIDA.
What dost thou fear?
ALFRED.
The weakness of thy sex.
ETHELSWIDA.
The weakness of my sex!—I guess thy thoughts.
What did the tyrant say of Ethelswida?
ALFRED.
What I despis'd, discredited, and scorn'd.
He said, that he had sought and won thy love:
That thou consented'st to become his bride.
ETHELSWIDA.
On what conditions?
ALFRED.
Then, thou didst consent!
Hear! men and angels hear!
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Angels and men,
And Alfred, hear and judge. To save thy life,
To stop the bloody tyrant's lifted arm,
I did consent, on this express condition,
That Hinguar, instantly, shou'd set thee free.
When certain of thy safety, Alfred, then,
I was prepar'd and arm'd to mock the Dane—
To die.
ALFRED.
Forgive me, noblest of thy sex;
Greater than fancy'd heroine of the song;
Forgive the wrong I offered to thy virtue.
ETHELSWIDA.
Accept thy freedom; let my hand restore
The king of England to his injur'd people,
Robb'd of their hero, by my luckless love.
And when the time shall come, as come it will,
Unless the planet of this hour shou'd strike,
That Alfred his predicted fate fulfils;
And, in the circle of his empire sits,
With glory crown'd, remember Ethelswida,
Who died, exulting, to preserve her Lord.
ALFRED.
Remember thee! This is no time to speak,
To ope the floodgates of my bursting heart.
Remember thee! Whatever be my fate,
Thou ne'er shall be forgot, while Albion lifts
Her head above the waves. But know, my love,
That this barbarian never was sincere:
For other terms to me he has propos'd;—
A Danish bride.
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To thee a Danish bride!
ALFRED.
Or instant death, to follow the refusal.
ETHELSWIDA.
Alfred, thou liv'st!—
ALFRED.
I live till he returns.
For, tho' I scorn'd his offer, he persisted;
Gave me one hour more calmly to consider.—
The time's expired.
ETHELSWIDA.
Thou must not, shalt not die.
Rather—
ALFRED.
Rash is the counsel of affection.
I know the character of Hinguar well.
Nor life nor liberty will he bestow
On those whom he has wrong'd. If I shou'd wed
The Danish maid, I but embrace dishonour,
And perish with addition of disgrace.
ETHELSWIDA.
What means the crafty Dane?
ALFRED.
I think he meant
To circumvent the soul of Ethelswida.
Should I consent to wed a Danish bride,
He hopes to rouze the woman in thy heart,
And profit by the rage of slighted beauty.
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Perhaps, the women of his savage land
Have taught him, thus, to judge of womankind.
If they are like the clouds, that change their form,
And, careless, fly before each shifting gale,
Far different is the soul of Ethelswida.
Alfred, thy love is dearer than my life.
Dearer than both, is Alfred's life or fame.
In this extreme distress, remove me far;
Exclude me from thy thoughts; suppose me dead;
And act, as if I never had been born.
ALFRED.
Thy magnanimity gives edge to mine.
Rather than wed the Danish maid, I die:
Yet to elude the deadly rage of Hinguar,
And wait the chances of the coming night,
Big with event—
Enter Erick.
ERICK.
My Lord, a numerous band,
Led by the Queen and the fierce Bothnic chief,
Surrounds the tents.
ALFRED.
Give me a sword.
SURREY.
Take this.
If thro' their squadrons, I can win my way,
At midnight I return.
(Exit.)
ALFRED.
One moment past,
On whose uncertain wing perdition floats;
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Ere Ronex comes, retire! Shun the first shock
Of her impetuous rage.
ETHELSWIDA.
Here I remain;
And live or die with thee. To fly from her,
Were to confess myself the wretch she thinks me.
I'll meet her, as I ought. Wrong'd by her hate
And by her husband's love, my innocence
I will not plead; but urge my injuries,
And crave of her redress.
RONEX.
(Entering with Danish soldiers.)
Spare those that yield:
Kill all that dare resist.
(Seeing Ethelswida.
See, where she stands,
Like an enchantress, in the magic circle.
Advance and seize her.
ALFRED.
(Drawing his sword)
Hold! he dies, that stirs.
Till I have spoken. Hear, mistaken Queen!
And learn from me how wide thy anger errs.
RONEX.
Ha! Who art thou, that bear'st so brave a form?
Yet in this place, to shame devoted, dwell'st
The pander and the guard of Hinguar's love.
What is thy name?
ALFRED.
My name?
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Fear'st thou to tell?
ALFRED.
It will amaze thee much: My name is Alfred.
RONEX.
The King of England!
ALFRED.
Yes.
RONEX.
Thou look'st a King?—
Yet most incredible thou should'st be Alfred.
ETHELSWIDA.
Not more incredible, than that the person,
Whose life thy rash resentment now pursues,
Is Alfred's bride, the princess Ethelswida,
Born of a race dishonour never stain'd,
And to the strictest rules of virtue bred.
My soul, O Queen, devoted to my Lord,
But one affection knows, and worse than death
Abhors the love of Hinguar. Thy protection
My sex demands and my misfortunes claim.
Embrace this fair occasion to be just,
And generously repair the cruel wrong,
Thy thoughts have offered to my spotless fame.
RONEX.
The princess Ethelswida!—Do I dream?
Or does each waking sense assure a scene
Of things and persons, more incredible
Then ever vision of the night combin'd?
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ROLLO.
Odin be prais'd. I come in time to save them.
Hearken, my liege, to faithful Rollo's voice.
This is the King of England!
RONEX.
I believe it.
Before thou cam'st, he had himself reveal'd.
His royal presence warrants what he is.
Princess, the hatred and the fell intent,
With which, confessedly, at first I came,
Do not relate to thee, unlike in all,
To the imagin'd object of my wrath.
My error pardon; and my deeds shall show
The pity, which I feel for thy misfortunes;
The high esteem, in which I hold thy virtue.
ETHELSWIDA.
Thy pity for distress, thy love of virtue,
Nobly thy deeds may prove. Deliver Alfred
The victim of his love and of his virtue.
Long is the tale, too long to tell it now.
But Hinguar's voice has doom'd my Lord to death,
Because to him he wou'd not yield his bride.
If then the cause of that decree offend thee,
Treat with the King of England, and prevent it.
ROLLO.
By Thor's right arm, the lady counsels well.
Renounce all thoughts of amity with Hinguar,
Who never will forgive thy friends or thee,
The insult of this day.—Unite with England,
And give the nations peace.
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Thy daring soul
Soars to the highest pitch of bold emprize,
But will the Danish chiefs adopt thy counsel?
ROLLO.
Make trial; prove their hearts; if they should faint,
Ruin abides them. They have gone too far,
With safety, to recede. If he who draws
His sword against a King, away should throw
The useless scabbard, what ought he to do,
Who draws his sword against a fell usurper,
Who dares not show the mercy of a Prince?
RONEX.
That argument comes near. I'll urge it home;
And, when we have consulted and resolv'd,
The King of England then—
ALFRED.
To their demands
Will cordially agree. A common cause,
In time of danger, leads to sure accord.
(Exeunt Ronex and Rollo.
Manet Alfred and Ethelswida.
ALFRED.
My love, look up; and, with a face of joy,
Welcome the dawn of hope.
ETHELSWIDA.
Us'd to despair,
Like one in darkness long immured, as yet
I relish not the light.
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Soon shalt thou see
The rock of danger prove the rock of refuge;
And from the foe we dreaded safety come.
ETHELSWIDA.
Still I suspect the faith of Danish friends.
But most, of all, my soul distrusts the Queen,
That furious woman, who puts off the sex;
And, in her rage, against her husband arms.
ALFRED.
Let us of what she is avail ourselves;
And o'er the bridge, she builds, the torrent cross,
Which roars unfordable.
ETHELSWIDA.
Before she came,
Of the approaching night, big with event,
Thou wast about to speak. Fain wou'd I hear
Of ought that's good, and not deriv'd from Ronex.
ALFRED.
This hour,—for now the shades of night descend,
A chosen band, by valiant Edwin led,
Draw near the Danish camp; and, in the wood,
My orders wait. If noble Surrey lives,
Deeds will be done to night.
ETHELSWIDA.
And Hinguar too,
He will not slumber.—See, the Dane returns!
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ROLLO.
The Queen of Denmark and the chiefs, in council,
Thy presence wait, to fix their last resolve.
ALFRED.
Whate'er on me depends, they may command.
Manet Ethelswida.
Is the defect peculiar to myself?
Or is it incident to womankind,
By sudden strong impressions to be sway'd?
The image of this dreadful Ronex haunts me;
And, like a ghost, excites inhuman fears.
When I was toss'd upon a sea of peril,
In which my foot could reach no ground of hope,
I swam, with courage, on the stormy waves.
In shallower water now, fearful I wade,
And reel at every surge. She gaz'd on Alfred;
Avow'd her admiration of his form.—
Enter Edda.
EDDA.
Lady, I bring alarming news.
ETHELSWIDA.
To whom?
EDDA.
To thee.—When thou hast heard my tidings, judge.
Among the Danish captains, one there is,
To me, by blood and friendship, strictly join'd:
He told me, that the chiefs at last, agreed
To join with England, upon this condition,
That English Alfred weds the Danish Queen.
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I saw it in her eyes; foretold my fate.
Should he refuse, what then?
EDDA.
In that event,
They mean to treat with Hinguar, and restore
To him his captives. But their hope is high,
That Alfred will consent.
ETHELSWIDA.
Not, whilst I live.—
But will the Danes permit a woman's life
To stand a wall between them and their purpose?
The rage of Ronex, like a swelling wave,
Over that slender mound will burst amain;
Woman to woman is the fellest foe.
EDDA.
And such a woman, search from end to end
The world, all nations and religions try,
There is not to be found a parallel
To this unprincipled, unbridled Ronex.
The passion of the moment, is the God
She always serves.
ETHELSWIDA.
Alas! What shall I do,
Who in the level of her fury stand?
EDDA.
Ronex, thy deadly foe, is also mine.
Ere now, beneath her hatred I had fallen,
But for my pow'rful friend.
ETHELSWIDA.
Thy friend!—Is he
High in command?
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To Bothnick Rollo next.
Many and brave the warriors, he commands.
Behind thy tent the passage to the plain,
This night, he guards.
ETHELSWIDA.
My hopes revive again.
Should I escape, or if, perchance, I perish,
No more my destiny entangles Alfred.
For me, the eagle left his airy way,
And, stooping in my tract, his freedom lost.
Edda, if pity of my lost estate
Can move a woman's heart, or vast reward
Induce thy soul to do an act humane,
Persuade thy friend.
EDDA.
To what?
ETHELSWIDA.
To let me pass.
EDDA.
Then, whither wilt thou go?
ETHELSWIDA.
If I can gain
The shelter of the neighb'ring wood, I'm safe.
But any place I hold more safe than this.
Wilt'st thou assist me?
EDDA.
I embrace thy fate.
Thro' the dark night, and thro' surrounding arms,
I shall attend thee hence, if I can win
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Please to thy tent repair.
ETHELSWIDA.
I wrong'd thee once;
And thou, at last, hast prov'd thyself my friend.
With perfect trust, my soul on thee relies.
May angels prompt thy tongue.
(Exit.
Manet EDDA.
No art of mine;
The dread of Ronex, working on her mind,
Conjur'd each spectre up, I wish'd to raise.
I'll guide her steps committed to my care;
And lead her safe to Hinguar's longing arms.
End of the Fourth Act.
| Alfred | |