Edmund Ironside - Act 1. Scene 4
Scene IV.
Enter E LGIVA and B IRTHA .
ELGIVA.
How fares the King?
KENELM.
He lives.
ELGIVA.
He lives! 'Tis well,
But yet thy pallid cheek, thy down-cast eye,
Reveal a truth as terrible as Death.
Lives he a prisoner?
KENELM.
No.
ELGIVA.
Why tremble still?
I fear thou'lt tell of Fame and Empire lost,
Blaz'ning the disadventurous chance of war.
But blest for ever be the Hand divine,
That from the rage of battle sav'd my Lord.
BIRTHA.
Where was the combat?
KENELM.
On the Coast of Essex
The rivals met. Stern War from youth I've known —
Never till then her gloomiest terrors saw.
For Freedom, Britain toil'd; for Rapine, Denmark
Most fiercely fought, like wolves by hunger urg'd
To climb the fold. Their King in sable arms
The squadrons led. Britain, 'neath Edmund's care
Defied his rage. Edmund, e'er great in war,
With steady courage shining in his eye,
Agile and strong, wielded the battle-axe,
Broke the close ranks, and thinn'd the affrighted foe.
ELGIVA.
Oh! he was ever thus.
KENELM.
Success appear'd
To join our cause, when Edrick —
BIRTHA.
Was he slain?
Just in the heat of battle did his death
Force hov'ring victory to join the Dane?
O gallant Hero!
KENELM.
Shame be on his brow,
Reproach and Infamy attend his name
To ev'ry age! The Prince was false.
BIRTHA.
Was false?
KENELM.
Was false to Edmund.
ELGIVA.
To Edmund? to the Brother of his soul,
Endear'd by Friendship, Kindred, Gratitude?
It cannot be! Edrick desert his Brother — —
His godlike Brother — and cou'd Heaven permit it?
Hush'd be each impious thought; I am resign'd.
Just, tho' inscrutable, are all thy ways!
Birtha, thou weep'st. Oh! if he be a traytor,
His perfidy and thy unsullied truth
Must ne'er unite.
BIRTHA.
No! I will greatly scorn him,
Detest, despise the wretch! Proceed Lord Kenelm.
KENELM.
Soon as the King th' appointed signal gave
To chase the Dane, his troops, as if inspired
With one infernal soul, against their Brethren
Turn'd their perfidious swords. Description fails
To tell our horrors: for the flying foe
Perceiv'd the tumult, stopp'd and hem'd us round
With certain death. Then what a scene ensued!
Our noblest bled, the old with bruised arms
From former battles 'scap'd — youth just beginning
To wield the sword, heaps pil'd on heaps they lay.
Oh! my poor suffering Friends.
ELGIVA.
How bore my Lord
The shocking sight?
KENELM.
Ah! Lady, had you seen him.
The big sharp tear rolled rapid from his eye
O'er his pale hollow cheek. His martial air
Was lost. His nerveless hand dropp'd from its grasp
The useless weapon. Deep, loud, ceaseless groans
Burst from his lab'ring breast.
ELGIVA.
Why was I distant!
I would have clasp'd him in my faithful arms,
And sooth'd his deep despair.
KENELM.
Perfidious Edrick,
To close his crimes, perceiving 'mongst the slain
A form like Edmund's, sever'd from the corse
The gory head, which lifting on a spear
He cry'd aloud — Britons; behold your King!
Then sunk each heart — to sly they feebly strove —
Few 'scap'd. The injur'd King with tears I woo'd
To save his life. He cried, the World was base,
And he would leave it; 'till I nam'd his Queen — —
Thereat his slow unwilling step he turn'd.
His faithful guard with lifted bucklers screen'd
Their sacred charge, and thro' th' assaulting foe
Hew'd with their swords a way. Oft turn'd the King,
Scorning retreat. As ost I grasp'd his arm
And begg'd him for his Queen and Country's sake
To deign to live.
BIRTHA.
Where stays he now?
KENELM.
That night
He sent me to collect some scatter'd troops,
That done, to meet him here.
ELGIVA.
Shall I behold him?
O join my friends! let us intreat the King
To leave the Realm to Denmark, and preserve
In some secure retreat a life so sacred.
KENELM.
Alas! my Queen; a spirit, great as Edmund's,
Will rather meet undaunted the fierce shock
Of sell Adversity, than shun her fury. — —
What means that shout?
ELGIVA.
Again the trumpet founds.
Oh! transport, Birtha, see my Lord appears.
BIRTHA.
I must avoid him. Edrick thou hast sham'd me;
Forc'd me to wear a blush in Virtue's sight.
Let me retire and weep in solitude.
Enter E LGIVA and B IRTHA .
ELGIVA.
How fares the King?
KENELM.
He lives.
ELGIVA.
He lives! 'Tis well,
But yet thy pallid cheek, thy down-cast eye,
Reveal a truth as terrible as Death.
Lives he a prisoner?
KENELM.
No.
ELGIVA.
Why tremble still?
I fear thou'lt tell of Fame and Empire lost,
Blaz'ning the disadventurous chance of war.
But blest for ever be the Hand divine,
That from the rage of battle sav'd my Lord.
BIRTHA.
Where was the combat?
KENELM.
On the Coast of Essex
The rivals met. Stern War from youth I've known —
Never till then her gloomiest terrors saw.
For Freedom, Britain toil'd; for Rapine, Denmark
Most fiercely fought, like wolves by hunger urg'd
To climb the fold. Their King in sable arms
The squadrons led. Britain, 'neath Edmund's care
Defied his rage. Edmund, e'er great in war,
With steady courage shining in his eye,
Agile and strong, wielded the battle-axe,
Broke the close ranks, and thinn'd the affrighted foe.
ELGIVA.
Oh! he was ever thus.
KENELM.
Success appear'd
To join our cause, when Edrick —
BIRTHA.
Was he slain?
Just in the heat of battle did his death
Force hov'ring victory to join the Dane?
O gallant Hero!
KENELM.
Shame be on his brow,
Reproach and Infamy attend his name
To ev'ry age! The Prince was false.
BIRTHA.
Was false?
KENELM.
Was false to Edmund.
ELGIVA.
To Edmund? to the Brother of his soul,
Endear'd by Friendship, Kindred, Gratitude?
It cannot be! Edrick desert his Brother — —
His godlike Brother — and cou'd Heaven permit it?
Hush'd be each impious thought; I am resign'd.
Just, tho' inscrutable, are all thy ways!
Birtha, thou weep'st. Oh! if he be a traytor,
His perfidy and thy unsullied truth
Must ne'er unite.
BIRTHA.
No! I will greatly scorn him,
Detest, despise the wretch! Proceed Lord Kenelm.
KENELM.
Soon as the King th' appointed signal gave
To chase the Dane, his troops, as if inspired
With one infernal soul, against their Brethren
Turn'd their perfidious swords. Description fails
To tell our horrors: for the flying foe
Perceiv'd the tumult, stopp'd and hem'd us round
With certain death. Then what a scene ensued!
Our noblest bled, the old with bruised arms
From former battles 'scap'd — youth just beginning
To wield the sword, heaps pil'd on heaps they lay.
Oh! my poor suffering Friends.
ELGIVA.
How bore my Lord
The shocking sight?
KENELM.
Ah! Lady, had you seen him.
The big sharp tear rolled rapid from his eye
O'er his pale hollow cheek. His martial air
Was lost. His nerveless hand dropp'd from its grasp
The useless weapon. Deep, loud, ceaseless groans
Burst from his lab'ring breast.
ELGIVA.
Why was I distant!
I would have clasp'd him in my faithful arms,
And sooth'd his deep despair.
KENELM.
Perfidious Edrick,
To close his crimes, perceiving 'mongst the slain
A form like Edmund's, sever'd from the corse
The gory head, which lifting on a spear
He cry'd aloud — Britons; behold your King!
Then sunk each heart — to sly they feebly strove —
Few 'scap'd. The injur'd King with tears I woo'd
To save his life. He cried, the World was base,
And he would leave it; 'till I nam'd his Queen — —
Thereat his slow unwilling step he turn'd.
His faithful guard with lifted bucklers screen'd
Their sacred charge, and thro' th' assaulting foe
Hew'd with their swords a way. Oft turn'd the King,
Scorning retreat. As ost I grasp'd his arm
And begg'd him for his Queen and Country's sake
To deign to live.
BIRTHA.
Where stays he now?
KENELM.
That night
He sent me to collect some scatter'd troops,
That done, to meet him here.
ELGIVA.
Shall I behold him?
O join my friends! let us intreat the King
To leave the Realm to Denmark, and preserve
In some secure retreat a life so sacred.
KENELM.
Alas! my Queen; a spirit, great as Edmund's,
Will rather meet undaunted the fierce shock
Of sell Adversity, than shun her fury. — —
What means that shout?
ELGIVA.
Again the trumpet founds.
Oh! transport, Birtha, see my Lord appears.
BIRTHA.
I must avoid him. Edrick thou hast sham'd me;
Forc'd me to wear a blush in Virtue's sight.
Let me retire and weep in solitude.
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