Scene III.

Enter E LGIVA and Emma a attended.

ELGIVA.

Auspicious day, be thou for ever held
Sacred in Britain! Emma — never more
Shall desolation scourge the ruin'd land,
Or discord tear my Edmand from these arms.

EMMA.

But my Canutus —

ELGIVA.

He is truly noble!
The Hero shines distinguish'd in each action.

Scene II.

Enter E DMUND .

EDMUND.

I sought thee, Edrick,
Now when each heart expands with happiness,
When the poor slave of sickness feebly wears
A transitory smile, wilt thou alone,
Thou, my Companion, Brother, dearest Friend,
Stand sadly brooding o'er forgotten ills.

EDRICK, ( aside )

O Virtue! pow'rful is thy influence;
E'en Envy seels thy charms, I almost wish
That I could love him.

ACT V.

Scene I. — Gloucester Castle.

Enter EDRICK.

Displeas'd with bounded power, sad, tho' in Heaven,
Angels through envy sinn'd, and were accurs'd,
Am I like them? — Yon scene of joy and love
Stings me to madness. Would their cups were poison;
Their music, spells of baleful conjuration!
Now will the Dane be Edmund's bosom-friend;
His rugged soul foils all my artifice.
My ruin then is certain. Allwyn too
Grown conscientious, piously refuses

Scene V.

Enter E DMUND and C ANUTUS .

EDMUND.

My Elgiva?

ELGIVA.

The voice of Edmund!

EDMUND.

Check thy anxious fears,
And give thy hand, the tender sign of Friendship,
To great Canutus, who restores thine Edmund,
Whate'er his sword hath gain'd.

CANUTUS.

Oh! royal Lady!

Scene IV. — The Castle.

Enter ELGIVA.

I would entreat for Edmund, could I frame
My scatter'd thoughts to holy offices.
Should the Dane conquer, what remains for me
But to inter the honourable corse,
With pious rites, then close my eyes for ever?
But ah! my Child! could I abandon him
To the stern frown of callous Arrogance,
Grown mighty by his ruin!

Enter EDRICK.

Oh! my Sister!
Death has been busy on yon fatal plain.

To them — Enter E DMUND , C EFRID , K ENELM , British Lords.

EDMUND.

'Tis enough, my Friends,
These were the virtues of your great forefathers.
Thus did they cherish, in their constant bosoms,
The sacred flame of Truth and Loyalty.
Yet check this wild extreme.

CEFRID.

Worth great as thine
Demands such grief.

EDMUND.

Affection's servent pause

Enter C ANUTUS and T URKILL .

CANUTUS.

Oh! Turkill, urge no more.
Can I, as King, endure the harsh condition?
Resign my conquest? — my indignant blood
Mounts at the thought. Implore the love of Edmund?
O meanness! — never — Emma, I resign thee;
And, loathing further life, now seek to die
At least with honour.

TURKILL.

Who can blame thy love,
That looks on Merit with approving eye?

ACT IV.

Scene I. — A Plain.

Enter H AROLD , and Danish Lords.

First Lord .

Th' important moment comes, when Denmark's fate
Rests on the vigour of her Monarch's arm.
Ye sainted Guardians, of our country, smile
Propitious now!

Second Lord .

Our King scarce brooks a rival
In regal pow'r; but in high feats of arms,
Scorns to be aught but greatly excellent.

Scene VI. — Small distance from the Castle.

Enter E DRICK and A LLWYN .

ALLWYN.

M Y Lord, a rumour spreads throughout your troops,
That stern Canutus and your mightly Brother,
By single combat will, this day, decide
The issue of the war.

EDRICK.

I know it, Allwyn;
And, trust me, Fortune now, with kindest aspect,
Looks on our hopes. Let daring Royalty
Expose its breast to danger's furious shock,

Enter E LGIVA .

ELGIVA.

Then 'tis too true;
To dangerous fight he goes — he bleeds! he dies!
Oh! Elgiva, how wilt thou bear the sight,
When he returns, by weeping soldiers borne?
When the stern heart, that's steel'd by battle, yearns?
How wilt thou rave! how tear thy braided locks,
And almost menace Heaven!

EDMUND.

For pity, cease!
A nation's fate depends on Edmund's arm.
Send me not forth thus dull, thus-woe-begone;