SIDROC.

Your pardon; in myself it would have been ;
But let me not misjudge thee' by myself;

For by a happy instinct art thou led
Unerringly and unsuspiciously,

When timid craft, too wary to be wise,

Would swerve for lack of blinkers.

ATHULF.

Here's the King.

SIDROC.

Ay, and a lady with him-Room-make room.

[Exeunt.

Enter EDWIN and ELGIVA attired for the chase.

ELGIVA.

Remember that a king can take no step

That shall not measured be by rule and square

Of some too curious eye that follows him.

EDWIN.

We will be careful. Shall I tell thee, Love?

The grim Archbishop came to me last night,

And with him Dunstan, and oh, Heaven and Earth,
They preached me dead!

ELGIVA.

What was it that they preached?

EDWIN.

Alas, a thousand things! They said my crown

Was not a myrtle-wreath, and kings were called,
As fathers of their leiges, to affect

All equally and favour none, nor loves
Nor friendships ever to permit themselves,
Save as commended to their royal hearts
By counsels grounded in state policy.

ELGIVA.

Oh! insolence of Churchmen!

What a gift

Of meddling is in Monks ! What answer made you?

EDWIN.

I said, Lord Abbot, and my Lord Archbishop,

My crown, of myrtle whether it may be,

Or as your hearts would have it, sirs, of thorns,

I wear not at your will, and with God's help

I trust that I shall friendship find and love,
Counsel and policy more kind and sage

Than yours, my Lord Archbishop, or than yours,
Lord Abbot Dunstan.'

ELGIVA.

I am glad you spake

So frankly and so nobly-glad at heart!

EDWIN.

Lo! who comes here? 'Tis Dunstan, by my life!

And who is he behind?

ELGIVA.

EDWIN.

Gurmo he is called.

'Tis a blue, swollen, unwholesome-looking knave, That ever follows him as plague doth famine.

ELGIVA.

Let's seem to see them not and wend our way.

[Exeunt EDWIN and ELGIVA,

Enter DUNSTAN and GURMO.

DUNSTAN.

Into the arbour-well!

GURMO.

I saw no more.

DUNSTAN.

Lo there! a lovely couple hand in hand,

But which of them is male . . . What! nothing more?

GURMO.

The holly-bushes hid them.

DUNSTAN.

From thine eye;

But did no inward vision paint their pranks ?

Go-I were better deal with Sathanas !

Thou hast all tokens of an Evil Spirit

Except his knowledge.

GURMO.

They were hid by the bush.

DUNSTAN.

I tell thee, not from me; for in my cell

I burnt a light that showed them. Go to the Queen; Bid her to join me at my Lord Archbishop's.

SCENE VII.

A FOREST.

THE KING, ATHULF and LEOLF, the CHANCELLOR CLARENBALD, the BISHOP OF ROCHESTER, and divers Earls and Thanes.

CLARENBALD.

To this then cleaving, let us bind ourselves

By oath so having in our hearts the will,

There shall the conscience clench it. My Lord Bishop

The oath administers.

The sacred symbol.

LEOLF.

This tree supplies

(Breaks two twigs from a tree, and transfixes them cross-wise with the point of his sword, which he then presents to the BISHOP.)

THE BISHOP OF ROCHESTER.

(Holding forth the cross to the surrounding Nobles, who kneel and bow their heads towards it.)

On Austin's eve to crown your rightful King

Ye swear! If peril of your lands or life

Should stand between, ye swear of life and land