Act IV - Page 2

save Your land from waste; I saved it once before, For when your people banish'd Tostig hence, And Edward would have sent a host against you, Then I, who loved my brother, bad the king Who doted on him, sanction your decree Of Tostig's banishment, and choice of Morcar, To help the realm from scattering.

VOICE. King! thy brother, If one may dare to speak the truth, was wrong'd. Wild was he, born so: but the plots against him Had madden'd tamer men.

MORCAR. Thou art one of those Who brake into Lord Tostig's treasure-house And slew two hundred of his following, And now, when Tostig hath come back with power, Are frighted back to Tostig.

OLD THANE. Ugh! Plots and feuds! This is my ninetieth birthday. Can ye not Be brethren? Godwin still at feud with Alfgar, And Alfgar hates King Harold. Plots and feuds! This is my ninetieth birthday!

HAROLD. Old man, Harold Hates nothing; not his fault, if our two houses Be less than brothers.

VOICES. Aldwyth, Harold, Aldwyth!

HAROLD. Again! Morcar! Edwin! What do they mean?

EDWIN. So the good king would deign to lend an ear Not overscornful, we might chance--perchance-- To guess their meaning.

MORCAR. Thine own meaning, Harold, To make all England one, to close all feuds, Mixing our bloods, that thence a king may rise Half-Godwin and half-Alfgar, one to rule All England beyond question, beyond quarrel.

HAROLD. Who sow'd this fancy here among the people?

MORCAR. Who knows what sows itself among the people? A goodly flower at times.

HAROLD. The Queen of Wales? Why, Morcar, it is all but duty in her To hate me; I have heard she hates me.

MORCAR. No! For I can swear to that, but cannot swear That these will follow thee against the Norsemen, If thou deny them this.

HAROLD. Morcar and Edwin, When will you cease to plot against my house?

EDWIN. The king can scarcely dream that we, who know His prowess in the mountains of the West, Should care to plot against him in the North.

MORCAR. Who dares arraign us, king, of such a plot?

HAROLD. Ye heard one witness even now.

MORCAR. The craven! There is a faction risen again for Tostig, Since Tostig came with Norway--fright not love.

HAROLD. Morcar and Edwin, will ye, if I yield, Follow against the Norseman?

MORCAR. Surely, surely!

HAROLD. Morcar and Edwin, will ye upon oath, Help us against the Norman?

MORCAR. With good will; Yea, take the Sacrament upon it, king.

HAROLD. Where is thy sister?

MORCAR. Somewhere hard at hand. Call and she comes.

[One goes out, then enter ALDWYTH.

HAROLD. I doubt not but thou knowest Why thou art summon'd.

ALDWYTH. Why?--I stay with these, Lest thy fierce Tostig spy me out alone, And flay me all alive.

HAROLD. Canst thou love one Who did discrown thine