WILLIAM. But thou and he--whom at thy word, for thou Art known a speaker of the truth, I free From this foul charge-- HAROLD. Nay, nay, he freed himself By oath and compurgation from the charge. The king, the lords, the people clear'd him of it. WILLIAM. But thou and he drove our good Normans out From England, and this rankles in us yet. Archbishop Robert hardly scaped with life. HAROLD. Archbishop Robert! Robert the Archbishop! Robert of Jumieges, he that-- MALET. Quiet! quiet! HAROLD. Count! if there sat within the Norman chair A ruler all for England--one who fill'd All offices, all bishopricks with English-- We could not move from Dover to the Humber Saving thro' Norman bishopricks--I say Ye would applaud that Norman who should drive The stranger to the fiends! WILLIAM. Why, that is reason! Warrior thou art, and mighty wise withal! Ay, ay, but many among our Norman lords Hate thee for this, and press upon me--saying God and the sea have given thee to our hands-- To plunge thee into life-long prison here:-- Yet I hold out against them, as I may, Yea--would hold out, yea, tho' they should revolt-- For thou hast done the battle in my cause; I am thy fastest friend in Normandy. HAROLD. I am doubly bound to thee ... if this be so. WILLIAM. And I would bind thee more, and would myself Be bounden to thee more. HAROLD. Then let me hence With Wulfnoth to King Edward. WILLIAM. So we will. We hear he hath not long to live. HAROLD. It may be. WILLIAM. Why then the heir of England, who is he? HAROLD. The Atheling is nearest to the throne. WILLIAM. But sickly, slight, half-witted and a child, Will England have him king? HAROLD. It may be, no. WILLIAM. And hath King Edward not pronounced his heir? HAROLD. Not that I know. WILLIAM. When he was here in Normandy, He loved us and we him, because we found him. A Norman of the Normans. HAROLD. So did we. WILLIAM. A gentle, gracious, pure and saintly man! And grateful to the hand that shielded him, He promised that if ever he were king In England, he would give his kingly voice To me as his successor. Knowest thou this? HAROLD. I learn it now. WILLIAM. Thou knowest I am his cousin, And that my wife descends from Alfred? HAROLD. Ay. WILLIAM. Who hath a better claim then to the crown So that ye will not crown the Atheling? HAROLD. None that I know ... if that but hung upon King Edward's will. WILLIAM. Wilt thou uphold my claim? MALET (_aside to_ HAROLD). Be careful of thine answer, my good friend. WULFNOTH (_aside to_ HAROLD). Oh! Harold, for my sake and for thine own! HAROLD. Ay ... if the king have not revoked his promise. WILLIAM. But hath he done it then? HAROLD. Not that I know. WILLIAM. Good, good, and thou wilt help me to the crown? HAROLD. Ay ... if the Witan will consent to this.