Classic Poem

[SCENE IV.]

Enter M EREDITH , D AVID , and L LUELLEN .

Sir David . Soft! is it not Meredith I behold?
Lluellen . All good, all friends. — Meredith, see the man
Must make us great, and raise Lluellen's head:
Fight thou, Lluellen, for thy friend and thee.
Rice ap Mer. Fight, — maugre fortune strong, our battle's strong, —
And bear thy foes before thy pointed lance.
Sir David . Not too much prowess, good my lord, at once.
Some talk of policy another while.
Rice ap Mer. How comes my limbs hurt at this assault?
Lluellen . Hurt for our good, Meredith, make account,
Sir David's wit is full of good device,
And kindly will perform what he pretends.
Sir David . Enough of this, my lord, at once,
What will you, that I hold the king in hand?
Or what shall I especially advise,
Sitting in council with the English lords,
That so my counsel may avail my friends?
Lluellen . David, if thou wilt best for me devise,
Advise my love be rendered to my hand.
Tell them the chains that Mulciber erst made
To tie Prometheus' limbs to Caucasus,
Nor Furies' fangs shall hold me long from her,
But I will have her from th' usurper's tent,
My beauteous Elinor! If aught in this,
If in this case thy wit may boot thy friends,
Express it, then, in this, in nothing else.
Sir David . Ay, there's a card that puts us to our trump;
For might I see the star of Leicester's loins,
It were enough to darken and obscure
This Edward's glory, fortune, and his pride.
First, hereof can I put you out of doubt:
Lord Mortimer of the king hath her in charge,
And honourably entreats your Elinor.
Some think he prays Lluellen were in heaven,
And thereby hopes to couch his love on earth.
Lluellen . No: where Lluellen mounts, there Ellen flies.
Inspeakable are my thoughts for her:
She's not from me in death to be divorced.
Go to, it shall be so; so shall it be.
Edward is full resolved of thy faith,
So are the English lords and barons all:
Then what may let thee to intrude on them
Some new-found stratagem to feel their wit?
Sir David . It is enough. Meredith, take my weapons;
I am your prisoner; say so at the least.
Go hence, and when you parle on the walls,
Make show of monstrous tyranny you intend
To execute on me, as on the man
That shamefully rebels 'gainst kin and kind;
And 'less thou have thy love, and make thy peace
With such conditions as shall best concern,
David must die, say thou, a shameful death.
Edward, perhaps, with ruth and pity moved,
Will in exchange yield Elinor to thee,
And thou by me shalt gain thy heart's desire.
Lluellen . Sweetly advised: David, thou blessest me,
My brother David, lengthener of my life! —
Friends, gratulate to me my joyful hopes.