Queen Mary; and, Harold Part 52

HAROLD. Ye heard one witness even now.

MORCAR. The craven!

There is a faction risen again for Tostig, Since Tostig came with Norway--fright not love.

HAROLD. Morcar and Edwin, will ye, if I yield, Follow against the Norseman?

MORCAR. Surely, surely!

HAROLD. Morcar and Edwin, will ye upon oath, Help us against the Norman?

MORCAR. With good will; Yea, take the Sacrament upon it, king.

HAROLD. Where is thy sister?

MORCAR. Somewhere hard at hand.

Call and she comes.

[_One goes out, then enter_ ALDWYTH.

HAROLD. I doubt not but thou knowest Why thou art summon'd.

ALDWYTH. Why?--I stay with these, Lest thy fierce Tostig spy me out alone, And flay me all alive.

HAROLD. Canst thou love one Who did discrown thine husband, unqueen thee?

Didst thou not love thine husband?

ALDWYTH. Oh! my lord, The nimble, wild, red, wiry, savage king-- That was, my lord, a match of policy.

HAROLD. Was it?

I knew him brave: he loved his land: he fain Had made her great: his finger on her harp (I heard him more than once) had in it Wales, Her floods, her woods, her hills: had I been his, I had been all Welsh.

ALDWYTH. Oh, ay--all Welsh--and yet I saw thee drive him up his hills--and women Cling to the conquer'd, if they love, the more; If not, they cannot hate the conqueror.

We never--oh! good Morcar, speak for us, His conqueror conquer'd Aldwyth.

HAROLD. Goodly news!

MORCAR. Doubt it not thou! Since Griffith's head was sent To Edward, she hath said it.

HAROLD. I had rather She would have loved her husband. Aldwyth, Aldwyth, Canst thou love me, thou knowing where I love?

ALDWYTH. I can, my lord, for mine own sake, for thine, For England, for thy poor white dove, who flutters Between thee and the porch, but then would find Her nest within the cloister, and be still.

HAROLD. Canst thou love one, who cannot love again?

ALDWYTH. Full hope have I that love will answer love.

HAROLD. Then in the name of the great G.o.d, so be it!

Come, Aldred, join our hands before the hosts, That all may see.

[ALDRED _joins the hands of_ HAROLD _and_ ALDWYTH _and blesses them_.

VOICES. Harold, Harold and Aldwyth!

HAROLD. Set forth our golden Dragon, let him flap The wings that beat down Wales!

Advance our Standard of the Warrior, Dark among gems and gold; and thou, brave banner, Blaze like a night of fatal stars on those Who read their doom and die.

Where lie the Nors.e.m.e.n? on the Derwent? ay At Stamford-bridge.

Morcar, collect thy men; Edwin, my friend-- Thou lingerest.--Gurth,-- Last night King Edward came to me in dreams-- The rosy face and long down-silvering beard-- He told me I should conquer:-- I am no woman to put faith in dreams.

(To his army.) Last night King Edward came to me in dreams, And told me we should conquer.

VOICES. Forward! Forward!

Harold and Holy Cross!

ALDWYTH. The day is won!

SCENE II.--A PLAIN. BEFORE THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD-BRIDGE.

HAROLD _and his_ GUARD.

HAROLD. Who is it comes this way? Tostig?

(_Enter_ TOSTIG _with a small force_.) O brother, What art thou doing here?

TOSTIG. I am foraging For Norway's army.

HAROLD. I could take and slay thee.

Thou art in arms against us.

TOSTIG. Take and slay me, For Edward loved me.

HAROLD. Edward bad me spare thee.

TOSTIG. I hate King Edward, for he join'd with thee To drive me outlaw'd. Take and slay me, I say, Or I shall count thee fool.

HAROLD. Take thee, or free thee, Free thee or slay thee, Norway will have war; No man would strike with Tostig, save for Norway.

Thou art nothing in thine England, save for Norway, Who loves not thee but war. What dost thou here, Trampling thy mother's bosom into blood?

TOSTIG. She hath wean'd me from it with such bitterness.

I come for mine own Earldom, my Northumbria; Thou hast given it to the enemy of our house.

HAROLD. Northumbria threw thee off, she will not have thee, Thou hast misused her: and, O crowning crime!

Hast murder'd thine own guest, the son of Orm, Gamel, at thine own hearth.

TOSTIG. The slow, fat fool!

He drawl'd and prated so, I smote him suddenly, I knew not what I did. He held with Morcar.-- I hate myself for all things that I do.

HAROLD. And Morcar holds with us. Come back with him.

Know what thou dost; and we may find for thee, So thou be chasten'd by thy banishment, Some easier earldom.