STIGAND. A summer mere with sudden wreckful gusts From a side-gorge. Passionless? How he flamed When Tostig's anger'd earldom flung him, nay, He fain had calcined all Northumbria To one black ash, but that thy patriot passion Siding with our great Council against Tostig, Out-passion'd his! Holy? ay, ay, forsooth, A conscience for his own soul, not his realm; A twilight conscience lighted thro' a chink; Thine by the sun; nay, by some sun to be, When all the world hath learnt to speak the truth, And lying were self-murder by that state Which was the exception. HAROLD. That sun may God speed! STIGAND. Come, Harold, shake the cloud off! HAROLD. Can I, father? Our Tostig parted cursing me and England; Our sister hates us for his banishment; He hath gone to kindle Norway against England, And Wulfnoth is alone in Normandy. For when I rode with William down to Harfleur, 'Wulfnoth is sick,' he said; 'he cannot follow;' Then with that friendly-fiendly smile of his, 'We have learnt to love him, let him a little longer Remain a hostage for the loyalty Of Godwin's house.' As far as touches Wulfnoth I that so prized plain word and naked truth Have sinn'd against it--all in vain. LEOFWIN. Good brother, By all the truths that ever priest hath preach'd, Of all the lies that ever men have lied, Thine is the pardonablest. HAROLD. May be so! I think it so, I think I am a fool To think it can be otherwise than so. STIGAND. Tut, tut, I have absolved thee: dost thou scorn me, Because I had my Canterbury pallium, From one whom they dispoped? HAROLD. No, Stigand, no! STIGAND. Is naked truth actable in true life? I have heard a saying of thy father Godwin, That, were a man of state nakedly true, Men would but take him for the craftier liar. LEOFWIN. Be men less delicate than the Devil himself? I thought that naked Truth would shame the Devil, The Devil is so modest. GURTH. He never said it! LEOFWIN. Be thou not stupid-honest, brother Gurth! HAROLD. Better to be a liar's dog, and hold My master honest, than believe that lying And ruling men are fatal twins that cannot Move one without the other. Edward wakes!-- Dazed--he hath seen a vision.