As the foam in the moonlight The two hands were fair, He knew the pale forehead— Was the voice that repeated, 'I come, Love,' he answered- The Priest in the Bay. "For the soul of a sinner The sin shall be nameless, And nameless the dead." Enter the GREAT CHAMBERLAIN with the Horse-Thane and other Officers of the Household. GREAT CHAMBERLAIN. His Majesty! Make way. His Majesty ! Sound trumpets! (A flourish of trumpets.) The KING, wearing his Crown and leading in the QUEEN MOTHER, passes across the back-scene, and is followed by EARL ATHULF leading in ETHILDA, by ODO and DUNSTAN with SIGERIC and BRIDFERTH, by HARCATHER, CEOLWULF, ETHELRIC, EADBALD, IDA, BRAND, ECFRID, GORF, and TOSTY, all military leaders on the Monastic side; and by CLARENBALD, EARL SIDROC, the BISHOP of ROCHESTER, and divers great Officers of State and Nobles of the King's party. The Procession, when it passes off, enters the Banqueting Hall. FIRST CEORL. The King stepped proudly. SECOND CEORL. But his countenance Methought was troubled. Is he well in health? FIRST CEORL. Now comes the Primate. SECOND CEORL. What, can this be he That looks so fierce and haughty? Once before I saw him, when a cripple asked for alms; So lowly of demeanour was his Grace, I had not known, but for the mitred head, Which was the beggar, which the Lord Archbishop. FIRST CEORL. He's humble to the poor to spite the rich. Give me the man that 's humble to his peers. There's Dunstan. SECOND CEORL. FIRST CEORL. What, is yonder thing alive? GRIMBALD (the Jester, who has come up behind). Sir, he 's above ground. SECOND CEORL. So we see, my friend. GRIMBALD. For this occasion, sir. A hole i' the earth Is where he lives, sir, mostly: yea his life Is of the earth, sir, earthy. FIRST CEORL. It was there That he encountered Sathanas. GRIMBALD. 'Twas there. The Devil, sir, one day, grubbing for earth-nuts A simple fare you'll say, but for his ends The Devil, you'll find, can be a very hermit Digging and grubbing-what should his old claws clutch But Father Dunstan's skull ! 'Ho, ho!' cried he, 'A bigger one than ever;' but thereat Oh mercy! here is Gurmo! Sirs, I say, The feasting and the singing and the dancing A'song will I sing Of an excellent king That carried his crown where a bee has her sting. In, tag-rag-enter, rabblement—in all ! Put your boots in that place and your crown on your head.' In, dregs; in, scum; in, commonalty, in! In, many fools by nature, one by name! Exeunt into the Banqueting Hall, all but the USHERS FIRST USHER. The Princess and a certain Earl sit close. SCHOLAR. Ah! she is peerless! Happy were that man That should enthrall her though she were a peasant! In her was but a freshness and new charm Loosed from the graceful nakedness of Nature. She ate but half a pigeon, and did you mark How with her tiny fingers and her teeth She gnawed and tore the bones, talking 'twixt whiles, With such a lively and a pretty action, That appetite itself and all its ways Seemed mainly spiritual. SECOND USHER. Hush! Hark to that! (A flourish of trumpets.) FIRST USHER. The ladies leave the board. SCHOLAR. I'll see her go. She ever moves as if she moved to music. Are ye not wanted? Oh! what's like to her! [Exeunt. |