A fleet of Northmen, fifty-six tall ships,
Hang in St. George's Channel, waiting there
Till half the land shall cut each other's throats
And leave the other half a spoil to them.
Bethink you, then; escape ye hardly may
From the two puissant and prudent Earls,
Athulf and Leolf; but this granted you,
Ye do but fall a weak and present prey
To Sweyne and Olaf: wherefore make your choice,
And thrive in peace, or brave a twofold ruin.
A fellow that puts his legs in lambskin hose.
Morcar. The Lord shall smite him with the botch of
Several Secular Priests, joined by some of the Monks, (amidst clamour and confusion). We will have
peace; we are not men of blood;
Are we not Christians all? The Dane-the Dane !
Are we not servants of the Prince of Peace?
The Northmen are upon us-Olaf and Sweyne !
[DUNSTAN throws himself on his knees, and bows his head
to the ground.
Sidroc (aside to Wulfstan). He bends before the
Sidroc. I know not-yes-he is in act to hatch A brood of pestilent words, if I mistake not. He stirs, he moves-few moments are enough. Wulfstan. They say a louse that's but three minutes old
May be a grandsire; with no less a speed
Do foul thoughts gender.
Faith of my body! up he goes-sit-sit.
Dunstan (rising slowly). I groan in spirit. Bre
Support or counsel. The whole head is sick,
The whole heart faint; and trouble and rebuke
Come round about me, thrusting at my soul.
But, Brethren, if long years of penance sore,
For your sake suffered, be remembered now,
Deem me not utterly of God forsaken,
Deem not yourselves forsaken. Lift up your hearts.
See where ye stand on earth; see how in heaven
Ye are regarded. Ye are the sons of God,
The Order of Melchisedeck, the Law,
The visible structure of the world of spirit,
Which was, and is, and must be; all things else
Are casual, and monarchs come and go,
And warriors for a season walk the earth,
By accident; for these are accidental,
But ye eternal; ye are the soul of the world,
Ye are the course of nature consecrate,
Ye are the Church! one spirit is throughout fou,
And Christendom is with you in all lands.
Who comes against you? 'Scaped from Hell's confine
A wandering rebel, fleeting past the sun,
Darkens the visage of the Spouse of Christ.
But 'tis but for a moment; he consumed
Shall vanish like a vapour, she divulged
Break out in glory that transcends herself.
The thrones and principalities of earth,
When stood they that they stood not with the aid
Of us and them before us? Azarias,
Azias, Amaziah, Saul himself,
Fell they not headlong when they fell from us?
And Oza, he that did but touch the ark?
Oh then what sin for me, what sin for you,
For me victorious in a thousand fights
Against this foe, for you as oft redeemed,
That now we falter! Do we falter?
Thou God that art within me when I conquer,
I feel thee fill me now! Angelic Host,
Seraphs that wave your swords about my head,
I thank you for your succours! Who art thou
That givest me this gracious admonition ?
Alas! forgive me that I knew thee not,
O Gabriel! I do as thou command'st,
Appealing from this earth and all its powers
To Christ upon the Cross: Oh Name Divine !
Is it Thy will that this the assembled Church
Should ratify these nuptials, yes or no?
A Voice from the Crucifix. ABSIT HOC UT FIAT ! ABSIT HOC UT FIAT !
Most of the Assembly fall prostrate. There is a pause of some moments. Then DUNSTAN, who had remained erect, with his hands stretched towards the Crucifix, resumes.
Dunstan. Oh precious guidance !
That dost from disobedience deliver
The hearts of even the faithless! We obey,
And these espousals do we now declare
Avoided and accursed. The woman espoused,
By name Elgiva, from the man called Edwin
We separate, and from the Church's pale
We cast her forth, and with her we cast forth
Those three that have been foremost to uphold her,
Earl Athulf, and Earl Leolf, and Earl Sidroc.
Them we proclaim, by sentence of the Pope,
From Christian rites and ministries cut off,
And from the holy Brotherhood of the Just
Sequestered with a curse. Be they accursed!
Accursed be they in all time and place,
Accursed be they in the camp and mart,
Accursed be they in the city and field,
Accursed be their flying and abiding,
Accursed be their waking and their rest-
We curse the hand that feeds them when they hunger,
We curse the arm that props them when they faint;
Withered and blasted be that hand and arm!
We curse the tongue that speaks to them, the ear
That hears them, though it be but unawares;
Blistered and cankered be that tongue and ear!
The earth in which their bodies shall be buried
We curse, except it cast their bodies out;
We shut the gates of Heaven against their souls,
And as this candle that I fling to the ground,
So be their light extinguished in the Pit!
Morcar and other Monks. Amen!
Sidroc (aside to WULFSTAN). The day is lost-away -skip-scud-begone.
[SIDROC and WULFSTAN, with others of the Secular party, retire amidst the shouts and execrations of the Regulars.
Dunstan. Publish the miracle without the gates; Declare the sentence of the Pope.
Odo. Fly hence! Ye that are Secular! They will rouse the people! There will be violence and blood. Fly hence. This Council is dismissed. The grace of God Be with you all! This Synod is dissolved.
SCENE I.-Tonbridge Castle.
ATHULF and GRIMBALD.
Athulf. There-take my truncheon-Thou couldst rule my force
With more acceptance in the general mind
Than I. By Heaven, I am ashamed to see
Such bickerings in a Camp! Give me a cowl
And let me rule a Monastery rather.
Grimbald. There-take my cap and bells-I'll rule your force,
And wisely too; but when I look for love
In change for wisdom from the multitude,
Give me again my good old cap and bells.
Athulf. Ah, Fool, you're right-and that man is
That cannot bear to be accounted foolish.
I must be patient. Yet it frets my heart,
Amongst my many cares, to be reviled
By shallow coxcombs whom I daily save,
Rescue, redeem, snatch from a rubbishy tomb
Amongst the ruins of their wits, pulled down
By their own hands upon their heads, God help them!
Well, I'll be patient. Fetch me the muster-roll.
Enter SIDROC and WULFSTAN THE WISE.
Ha! my friends! in this At least has Fortune favoured me. I feared The tidings of our misadventurous Synod Augured but ill for both of you. Well met!
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