Poems by Adam Lindsay Gordon Part 39

And thus, Lady Abbess, it came to pa.s.s That my father vow'd his vow; Must his daughter espouse the Church? Alas!

Is she better or wiser now?

For some are feeble and others strong, And feeble am I and frail.

Mother! 'tis not that I love the wrong, 'Tis not that I loathe the veil, But with heart still ready to go astray, If a.s.sail'd by a fresh temptation, I could sin again as I sinned that day, For a girl's infatuation.

See! Harold, the Dane, thou say'st is dead, Yet I weep NOT BITTERLY; As I fled with the Dane, so I might have fled With Hugo of Normandy.

Ursula: My child, I advise no hasty vows, Yet I pray that in life's brief span Thou may'st learn that our Church is a fairer spouse Than fickle and erring man; Though fenced for a time by the Church's pale, When that time expires thou'rt free; And we cannot force thee to take the veil, Nay, we scarce can counsel thee.

Enter the ABBOT hastily.

Basil (the Abbot): I am sorely stricken with shame and grief, It has come by the self-same sign, A summons brief from the outlaw'd chief, Count Rudolph of Rothenstein.

Lady Abbess, ere worse things come to pa.s.s, I would speak with thee alone; Alack and alas! for by the rood and ma.s.s I fear we are all undone.

SCENE--A Farm-house Near the Convent.

A Chamber furnished with writing materials. HUGO, ERIC, and THURSTON on one side; on the other OSRIC, RUDOLPH, and DAGOBERT.

Osric: We have granted too much, ye ask for more; I am not skill'd in your clerkly lore, I scorn your logic; I had rather die Than live like Hugo of Normandy: I am a Norseman, frank and plain; Ye must read the parchment over again.

Eric: Jarl Osric, twice we have read this scroll.

Osric: Thou hast read a part.

Eric: I have read the whole.

Osric: Aye, since I attached my signature!

Eric: Before and since!

Rudolph: Nay, of this be sure, Thou hast signed; in fairness now let it rest.

Osric: I had rather have sign'd upon Hugo's crest; He has argued the question mouth to mouth With the wordy lore of the subtle south; Let him or any one of his band Come and argue the question hand to hand.

With the aid of my battle-axe I will show That a score of words are not worth one blow.

Thurston: To the devil with thee and thy battle-axe; I would send the pair of ye back in your tracks, With an answer that even to thy boorish brain Would scarce need repet.i.tion again.

Osric: Thou Saxon slave to a milksop knight, I will give thy body to raven and kite.

Thurston: Thou liest; I am a freeborn man, And thy huge carcase--in cubit and span Like the giant's of Gath--'neath Saxon steel, Shall furnish the kites with a fatter meal.

Osric: Now, by Odin!

Rudolph: Jarl Osric, curb thy wrath; Our names are sign'd, our words have gone forth.

Hugo: I blame thee, Thurston.

Thurston: And I, too, blame Myself, since I follow a knight so tame!

[Thurston goes out.]

Osric: The Saxon hound, he said I lied!

Rudolph: I pray thee, good Viking, be pacified.

Osric: Why do we grant the terms they ask?

To crush them all were an easy task.

Dagobert: That know'st thou not; if it come to war, They are stronger, perhaps, than we bargain for.

Eric: Jarl Osric, thou may'st recall thy words-- Should we meet again.

Osric: Should we meet with swords, Thou, too, may'st recall them to thy sorrow.

Hugo: Eric! we dally. Sir Count, good-morrow.

SCENE--The Guest Chamber of the Convent.

HUGO, ERIC, and ORION.

Eric: Hugo, their siege we might have tried; This place would be easier fortified Than I thought at first; it is now too late, They have cut off our access to the gate.

Hugo: I have weigh'd the chances and counted the cost, And I know by the stars that all is lost If we take up this quarrel.

Eric: So let it be!

I yield to one who is wiser than me. (Aside.) Nevertheless, I have seen the day When the stars would scarcely have bade us stay.

Enter the ABBOT, CYRIL, and other Monks.

Hugo: Lord Abbot, we greet thee. Good fathers all, We bring you greeting.

Orion (aside): And comfort small.

Abbot: G.o.d's benediction on you, my sons.

Hugo: May He save you, too, from Nors.e.m.e.n and Huns!

Since the gates are beleaguer'd and walls begirt By the forces of Osric and Dagobert; 'Tis a heavy price that the knaves demand.

Abbot: Were we to mortgage the Church's land We never could raise what they would extort.

Orion (aside): The price is too long and the notice too short.

Eric: And you know the stern alternative.

Abbot: If we die we die, if we live we live; G.o.d's will be done; and our trust is sure In Him, though His chast'nings we endure.

Two messengers rode from here last night, To Otto they carry news of our plight; On my swiftest horses I saw them go.

Orion (aside): Then his swiftest horses are wondrous slow.