Becket and other playsTennyson, Alfred Tennyson, Baron
General
Becket and other plays
Tennyson, Alfred Tennyson, Baron
Drama; Thomas, à Becket, Saint, 1118?-1170 -- Drama
HENRY.
Have I not promised to restore her, Thomas,
And send thee back again to Canterbury?
BECKET.
Send back again those exiles of my kin
Who wander famine-wasted thro' the world.
HENRY.
Have I not promised, man, to send them back?
BECKET.
Yet one thing more. Thou hast broken thro' the pales
Of privilege, crowning thy young son by York,
London and Salisbury--not Canterbury.
HENRY.
York crown'd the Conqueror--not Canterbury.
BECKET.
There was no Canterbury in William's time.
HENRY.
But Hereford, you know, crown'd the first Henry.
BECKET.
But Anselm crown'd this Henry o'er again.
HENRY.
And thou shalt crown my Henry o'er again.
BECKET.
And is it then with thy good-will that I
Proceed against thine evil councillors,
And hurl the dread ban of the Church on those
Who made the second mitre play the first,
And acted me?
HENRY.
Well, well, then--have thy way!
It may be they were evil councillors.
What more, my lord Archbishop? What more, Thomas?
I make thee full amends. Say all thy say,
But blaze not out before the Frenchmen here.
BECKET.
More? Nothing, so thy promise be thy deed.
HENRY (_holding out his hand_).
Give me thy hand. My Lords of France and England,
My friend of Canterbury and myself
Are now once more at perfect amity.
Unkingly should I be, and most unknightly,
Not striving still, however much in vain,
To rival him in Christian charity.
HERBERT.
All praise to Heaven, and sweet St. Magdalen!
HENRY.
And so farewell until we meet in England.
BECKET.
I fear, my liege, we may not meet in England.
HENRY.
How, do you make me a traitor?
BECKET.
No, indeed!
That be far from thee.
HENRY.
Come, stay with us, then,
Before you part for England.
BECKET.
I am bound
For that one hour to stay with good King Louis,
Who helpt me when none else.
HERBERT.
He said thy life
Was not one hour's worth in England save
King Henry gave thee first the kiss of peace.
HENRY.
He said so? Louis, did he? look you, Herbert.
When I was in mine anger with King Louis,
I sware I would not give the kiss of peace,
Not on French ground, nor any ground but English,
Where his cathedral stands. Mine old friend, Thomas,
I would there were that perfect trust between us,
That health of heart, once ours, ere Pope or King
Had come between us! Even now--who knows?--
I might deliver all things to thy hand--
If ... but I say no more ... farewell, my lord.
BECKET.
Farewell, my liege!
[_Exit_ HENRY, _then the_ BARONS _and_ BISHOPS.
WALTER MAP.
There again! when the full fruit of the royal promise might have dropt
into thy mouth hadst thou but opened it to thank him.
BECKET.
He fenced his royal promise with an _if_.
WALTER MAP.
And is the King's _if_ too high a stile for your lordship to overstep
and come at all things in the next field?
BECKET.
Ay, if this _if_ be like the Devil's '_if_
Thou wilt fall down and worship me.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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