Puslapio vaizdai
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The fear, but not the fact, of death . . . if this,
This only should suffice,-why then my soul

Should find a free deliverance to the work,
And after, hold its state more cheerfully.
If not, the darkness of the mortal fact
Shall yet be kindled by a light divine.

Content

Enter the QUEEN MOTHER and ODO.

you, Madam. Let me hear no more.

You have another and a better son.

Though this should not deserve to reign nor live,—
As he is truly dead in his offence

Already, yea, and stinketh,—yet should that

Applausively succeed. I say no more;

But leave to me the working out God's will
Touching them both.

THE QUEEN MOTHER.

My Lord, yourself was witness

How hardy and how stout he was against me,
And how most filthily by word of mouth
He spat upon me, so to say, and railed

Foully with evil speaking from his heart,
Renouncing and disowning me for ay,

Likewise the ten commandments. Yet, my Lord,
He is my son—this womb did bring him forth-
You know not what it is to be a mother!

I do beseech you, spare him!

DUNSTAN.

To what end?

For God's behoof, or yours, or his, or whose?

THE QUEEN MOTHER.

Speak, my Lord Primate; bid him to spare my son.

Who biddeth me?

DUNSTAN.

ODO.

Lord Abbot, by mine office

I might be bold to speak by way of bidding;
Yet still remembering thine unrivalled merits
And services to God, I say but this:

The times are evil; accidents may come,

Yielding occasion of exceeding malice,
With havoc to the Church, and injury

And backward sliding, if beyond the range

Of Christian prudence, through inordinate zeal,
We push our present promise of success.

For of one colour though the city be,

And neighbouring shires the same, still is the land,
Eastward and northward specially, a web
Diversely diapered; for here the weft

Is spun of light, and dipped in dies of Heaven;
There, dyed in Styx, and spun of Satan's slaver.
We may not think that Athulf, who is held
To number twenty thousand, will be scared
By caps of citizens tossed up i' the air;
Nor may we count upon the citizens' caps
For courses which may seem to some extreme.
Wherefore behoves us so to use success,

As not to raise against us those, though erring,
Whose honest zeal stands stoutly for the crown,
Demanding strict succession.

DUNSTAN.

Be content.

Though neither law nor usage of the realm
Did ever yet demand what these demand,
Nor ever yet did honesty so err,

Still have I pondered all. The godless King
Shall abdicate; he shall not be removed.

ODO.

If reason should so work with him at length

That such should be his choice, 't were excellent.

DUNSTAN.

Since he was crowned, experience, by my hand
Directed, hath admonished him to deem
The state of Kings unenviable. Now
He shall be tutored to perceive the joys
Of privateness, best fitted for his years.
I pray you meddle not. Nor, Madam, you,

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

A PRECINCT OF THE TOWER.

ETHILDA and EMMA.

ETHILDA.

They will not; for they say that I am watched,
And to find entrance to the King for me

Should bring a double danger; but for you

They would attempt it.

At the hour of nones

The Abbot will be with him, after which

You will have least to fear.

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Fled with Earl Sidroc. We shall meet ere night.

[Exeunt.

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