English cries. Cross Harold and Holy Charged with the weight of heaven where About the summit of the hill, and heads And arms are sliver'd off and splinter'd by Their lightning-and they fly-the Norman flies. Edith. Stigand, O father, have we won the day? Stigand. No, daughter, no-they fall behind the horse Their horse are thronging to the barricades ; I see the gonfanon of Holy Peter Against the shifting blaze of Harold's axe! War-woodman of old Woden, how he fells The mortal copse of faces! There! And there! The horse and horseman cannot meet the shield, The blow that brains the horseman cleaves the horse, The horse and horseman roll along the hill, Floating above their helmets-ha! he is They fly once more, they fly, the Norman down! Edith. He down! Who down? Stigand. No, no, he hath risen again -he bares his faceShouts something-he points onwardall their horse Swallow the hill locust-like, swarming up. Edith. O God of battles, make his battle-axe keen As thine own sharp-dividing justice, heavy As thine own bolts that fall on crimeful heads flies ! Stigand. Hot-headed fools-to burst the wall of shields ! They have broken the commandment of the king! Edith. His oath was broken-O holy Ye that are now of heaven, and see beyond Your Norman shrines, pardon it, pardon it, That he forsware himself for all he loved, Me, me and all! Look out upon the battle! Stigand. They thunder again upon the barricades. My sight is eagle, but the strife so thickThis is the hottest of it: hold, ash! hold, Edith. They are stripping the dead bodies naked yonder, But one woman! Look you, we never mean to part again. And thou art come to rob them of their I have found him, I am happy. rings! Aldwyth. O Edith, Edith, I have lost both crown And husband. Edith. So have I. Was there not someone ask'd me for forgiveness? I yield it freely, being the true wife I tell thee, girl, Enter COUNT WILLIAM and WILLIAM I am seeking my dead Harold. And I mine! MALET. Here fell the truest, manliest hearts of Some held she was his wife in secret England. Go further hence and find him. She is crazed! Aldwyth. He must be here. Enter two Canons, OSGOD and Osgod. I think that this is Thurkill. some Well- -some believed she was his para mour. Edith. Norman, thou liest ! liars all of you, Your Saints and all! I am his wife! and she For look, our marriage ring! [She draws it off the finger of Harold. I lost it somehow I lost it, playing with it when I was wild. That bred the doubt! but I am wiser now I am sure this body I am too wise . . . Will none among His day, with all his rooftree ringing | Sharpen'd and sent against him—who 'Harold,' Before he fell into the snare of Guy ; When all men counted Harold would be king, And Harold was most happy. William. can tell? Three horses had I slain beneath me: twice I thought that all was lost. Since I knew battle, Thou art half English. And that was from my boyhood, never Take them away! Stand where their standard fell... where yet No, by the splendour of God-have I fought men Like Harold and his brethren, and his guard Of English. Every man about his king Take them away, I do not love to see Fell where he stood. They loved him : BECKET. TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR, THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EARL OF SELBORNE. MY DEAR SELBORNE-TO you, the honoured Chancellor of our own day, I dedicate this dramatic memorial of your great predecessor;-which, altho' not intended in its present form to meet the exigencies of our modern theatre, has nevertheless-for so you have assured me-won your approbation.-Ever yours, TENNYSON. DRAMATIS PERSONE. HENRY II. (son of the Earl of Anjou). THOMAS BECKET, Chancellor of England, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. ROGER, Archbishop of York. Bishop of Hereford. HILARY, Bishop of Chichester. JOCELYN, Bishop of Salisbury. JOHN OF SALISBURY HERBERT OF BOSHAM friends of Becket. WALTER MAP, reputed author of 'Golias, Latin poems against the priesthood. GEOFFREY, son of Rosamund and Henry. GRIM, a monk of Cambridge. SIR REGINALD FITZURSE SIR WILLIAM DE TRACY SIR HUGH De Morville the four knights of the King's household, enemies of Becket. DE BROC OF SALTWOOD Castle. LORD LEICESTER. PHILIP DE ELEEMOSYNA. Two KNIGHT TEMPLARS. JOHN OF OXFORD (called the Swearer). ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE, Queen of England (divorced from Louis of France). |