University of Virginia Library

SCENE I.

A dungeon, and Guthrom fettered.
Guthrom.
Alone! with crimes and conscience left alone!
And those Berserkir demons of remorse
Hunting me like a pack of famished wolves,—
And Death upon the threshold,—watching there
Cold and deliberate with his serpent eyes,—
Not as when in the glorious battle shock
Exultingly I've dared him to the face,
And on the torrent of my boiling blood
Whirl'd him aside with scorn,—but waiting here
Gaunt, grisly, dreadful:—and then, after death,
What said that harper, Judgment?—endless woe
For evil?—I am evil.
[a long pause, while he paces about despairingly, and then clasps on high his fettered hands,
O Great Judge,
Unknown, and angered by the thousand crimes
Memory sees, a crowd of haunting ghosts,
Fearful, inevitable,—O Great Judge
Forgive, if yet Thou canst, forgive, forgive!
[the rough Dane burst into a paroxysm of tears.
What, tears!—Can Guthrom, this bloodthirsty Viking
The scourge of nations, be a child again?
Ah me! for once he was a little child
Innocent, happy,—but the guilty man
Hath never wept till now these thirty years:
O to be like that little child again!
[he paces about despairingly.
Would I could have yon maiden's martyr-faith!
Not all the heroes of our whole Valhalla
Had half the courage of that noble girl:
She feared not death, sure of some better life,
Nor shrunk from pain,—the speechless pain of fire—
Because her wondrous god would quench the flame
With rivers of supernal joy and peace.
O faith, O light,—when can ye come to me?

[he sits down, and covers his face with his hands.
Enter the Gaoler.
Gaoler.
Prisoner, I'm come to knock your fetters off.

Guthrom
(resolutely).
'Tis well: unmanacled I march to death.

Gaoler.
The King is close at hand, and cometh hither,
And none but traitors may be chained before him.

[he knocks them off.
Guthrom
(musingly).
And this is noble too: this generous Alfred,
This type—(I do repent)—of generous England,
Spared me, even me the ruthless brigand-chief,
Spared, when he might have killed me in my sleep,
And, now that I must die by law and right,
Comes like a man for equal speech with me.
I'll meet him like a king—whom I have wronged.

[Alfred in royal costume comes in alone,—the gaoler going away at a sign: Guthrom falls at his feet,
Guthrom.
I do not kneel to ask my life of thee,
Great, injured, noble Alfred! let me die
At once, and cruelly, as I deserve:
But I am bold to ask a higher boon,—
Before I die, O King,—to be forgiven!
[suddenly enter Bertha, the gaoler preceding, and guards following. Guthrom exclaims in astonishment,
The maid! the martyr-maid!—Wast thou the harper?

Alfred.
Yes, Guthrom: and we come to thank thee here,
For that thy noble nature, under Heaven,
Saved us so bravely in our utmost need;
Viking, I give thee life, and set thee free,—
Rise, Guthrom!

Guthrom
(quite overcome).
Let me kneel! Thy glorious creed
That makes a man and woman more than gods
O teach me, teach me! It were life indeed
To live, and be like Alfred!

Alfred
(raising him kindly).
Come with us,—
For we will do thee good.
Set forward, guards.

[they all go out: and the scene changes.