Dramatis Personæ. MEN. OF THE SECULAR PARTY. EDWIN THE FAIR, King of England. EARL ATHULF, Cousin to the King, and Brother to ELGIVA. EARL LEOLF, Heretoch, or Commander of the King's Armies. EARL SIDROC, a Leader of the King's Party. CLARENBALD, a Secular Priest and Lord Chancellor. WULFSTAN THE WISE, Chaplain to EARL LEOLF. ERNWAY, a follower of EARL LEOLF. GRIMBALD, the King's Jester. RICOLA, a Secular Priest, Chaplain to the King. OSBERN, Bishop of Rochester. OF THE MONASTIC PARTY. ODO SEVERUS, Archbishop of Canterbury. DUNSTAN, Abbot of Glastonbury. HARCATHER, a Military Leader and Governor of Chester Castle. RUOLD, son of HARCATHER. BRIDFERTH, Chaplain to DUNSTAN. SIGERIC, Secretary to ODO. GURMO, a creature of DUNSTAN. Ceolwulf, Ethelric, Eadbald, Ida, Brand, Ecfrid, Gorf, Tosty, &c. Military Leaders. Leofwyn, Fridstan, Oswald, Ethelwald, Cumba, Godredud, Morcar, Monn, &c. Ecclesiastics. WOMEN. ELGIVA, Cousin to EDWIN THE FAIR and afterwards Queen. ETHILDA, Sister to EDWIN THE FAIR. GUNNILDA, Queen-Mother. EMMA, Daughter to WULFSTAN THE WISE. HEIDA and THORBIORGA, Fortune-tellers. TIME-ANNO DOMINI 956. EDWIN THE FAIR. ACT I. SCENE I.-A Forest. A Swineherd tending his swine. Swineherd (sings). The hog he munch'd the acorns brown, Till joyfully twinkled his tail, And he twitched himself up, and he tossed himself down, For you shall know that what by ale or wine Ah! it was so. Alack-a-day! so it was once. Enter a Forester. Forester. Grunt! grunt! No end to swine. Why here's a herd! Beech-mast is scarce. Routing and grunting. Ho! Who's here? Swineherd. A sinful unconsolable man, The swineherd Ulf. Forester. Why swineherds are but men, And man is sinful. Ulf, what grief is his? This is a world of ever-growing griefs. Swincherd. His grief, sir, is a grief touching his swine, Which swine have lost their appetites. Forester. How so? Swincherd. The how, sir, is a tale that moves to pity, But if you list to hearken, it was thus: Last Tuesday-week, the vigil of St. Swithin, I perched myself for shade, and there the wind I found them much amazed, a furlong's length, Forester. A tickle neighbourhood was that. Wish you well! 'Out swine!' Quoth I, 'ye villains, will ye run to the pit, Forester. Such howls! What howls? The Devil's were they, or were they Dunstan's? Swincherd. Sir, I have ears unskilful to discern Betwixt the twain. They might have come from either. For Dunstan his own back not less belabours Than he belabours Satan. Forester. Ay, 'tis true; A holy man is he and gives his life Simply to crucify the lusts o' the flesh But wist ye that he hurt the swine? Poh! no. Swineherd. I know not. Forester. Thou say'st well thou know'st not, For thou know'st nothing; thou art an ignorant swineherd. 'Tis not thy swine alone; through all the land Swineherd. Swine, didst thou say? Swine have the murrain! Is it come to that? Prithee, why so? Forester. It is but our deserts. To please the young, misguided, heedless King, Our Monks of Malmesbury, those righteous men, That ever were at work with book and bell Praying and fasting, and with thong and scourge Their flesh tormenting, have been rooted out, And in their place vile Seculars are planted, A hunting, dancing, and carousing horde, With wenches that they call their wives forsooth! Oh shame to Clerks, that they should wive and bed And lead their lives so beastly! Woe is me! What but a curse could light upon the land, When holiest men, that wont to serve the poor With alms unceasing, beg their bread themselves, And lewdest prosper! Softly-stand aside; Here comes a nobleman, if we may guess By his attendance. Canst thou yet discern His cognisance? Earl Athulf, as I live! Enter ATHULF. Athulf. Save you, good friends! How far may 't be to Kingston? Forester. An hour, my lord, or little more. 'Tis late, Or you might take the road by Warlewood chase: 'Tis some mile shorter. |