Queen Mary; and, HaroldTennyson, Alfred Tennyson, Baron
History
Queen Mary; and, Harold
Tennyson, Alfred Tennyson, Baron
Drama; Mary I, Queen of England, 1516-1558 -- Drama
HAROLD. Except it be a soft one,
And undereaten to the fall. Mine amulet ...
This last ... upon thine eyelids, to shut in
A happier dream. Sleep, sleep, and thou shalt see
My grayhounds fleeting like a beam of light,
And hear my peregrine and her bells in heaven;
And other bells on earth, which yet are heaven's;
Guess what they be.
EDITH. He cannot guess who knows.
Farewell, my king.
HAROLD. Not yet, but then--my queen.
[_Exeunt_.
_Enter_ ALDWYTH _from the thicket_.
ALDWYTH. The kiss that charms thine eyelids into sleep,
Will hold mine waking. Hate him? I could love him
More, tenfold, than this fearful child can do;
Griffyth I hated: why not hate the foe
Of England? Griffyth when I saw him flee,
Chased deer-like up his mountains, all the blood
That should have only pulsed for Griffyth, beat
For his pursuer. I love him or think I love him.
If he were King of England, I his queen,
I might be sure of it. Nay, I do love him.--
She must be cloister'd somehow, lest the king
Should yield his ward to Harold's will. What harm?
She hath but blood enough to live, not love.--
When Harold goes and Tostig, shall I play
The craftier Tostig with him? fawn upon him?
Chime in with all? 'O thou more saint than king!'
And that were true enough. 'O blessed relics!'
'O Holy Peter!' If he found me thus,
Harold might hate me; he is broad and honest,
Breathing an easy gladness ... not like Aldwyth ...
For which I strangely love him. Should not England
Love Aldwyth, if she stay the feuds that part
The sons of Godwin from the sons of Alfgar
By such a marrying? Courage, noble Aldwyth!
Let all thy people bless thee!
Our wild Tostig,
Edward hath made him Earl: he would be king:--
The dog that snapt the shadow, dropt the bone.--
I trust he may do well, this Gamel, whom
I play upon, that he may play the note
Whereat the dog shall howl and run, and Harold
Hear the king's music, all alone with him,
Pronounced his heir of England.
I see the goal and half the way to it.--
Peace-lover is our Harold for the sake
Of England's wholeness--so--to shake the North
With earthquake and disruption--some division--
Then fling mine own fair person in the gap
A sacrifice to Harold, a peace-offering,
A scape-goat marriage--all the sins of both
The houses on mine head--then a fair life
And bless the Queen of England.
MORCAR (_coming from the thicket_).
Art thou assured
By this, that Harold loves but Edith?
ALDWYTH. Morcar!
Why creep'st thou like a timorous beast of prey
Out of the bush by night?
MORCAR. I follow'd thee.
ALDWYTH. Follow my lead, and I will make thee earl.
MORCAR. What lead then?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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