Three Wonder Plays Part 11

_Queen_: Ha, ha! You have the impudence! It is a _man_ the King said. He was not talking about cooks.

_Ma.n.u.s: (To the King.)_ I am before you as a serving lad, and you are a King in Ireland. Because you are a King and I your hired servant you will not refuse me justice. You gave your word.

_King_: If I did it was in haste and in vexation, and striving to save her from destruction.

_Ma.n.u.s_: I call you to keep to your word and to give your daughter to no other one.

_Queen_: Speak out now, Dall Glic, and give your opinion and your advice.

_Dall Glic_: I would say that this lad going away would be no great loss.

_Ma.n.u.s_: I did not ask such a thing, but as it has come to me I will hold to my right.

_Queen_: It would be right to throw him to the hounds in the kennel!

_Ma.n.u.s: (To King.)_ I leave it to the judgment of your blind wise man.

_Queen: (To Dall Glic.)_ Take care would you offend myself or the King!

_Ma.n.u.s_: I put it on you to split justice as it is measured outside the world.

_Dall Glic_: It is hard for me to speak. He has laid it hard on me. My good eye may go asleep, but my blind eye never sleeps. In the place where it is waking, an honourable man, king or beggar, is held to his word.

_King_: Is it that I must give my daughter to a lad that owns neither clod nor furrow? Whose estate is but a shovel for the ashes and a tongs for the red coals.

_Queen_: It is likely he is urged by the sting of greed--it is but riches he is looking for.

_King_: I will not begrudge him his own asking of silver and of gold!

_Ma.n.u.s_: Throw it out to the beggars on the road! I would not take a copper half-penny!

I'll take nothing but what has come to me from your own word!

_(King bows his head.)_

_Princess: (Coming forward.)_ Then this battle is not between you and an old king that is feeble, but between yourself and myself.

_Ma.n.u.s_: I am sorry, Princess, if it must be a battle.

_Princess_: You can never bring me away against my will.

_Ma.n.u.s_: I said no word of doing that.

_Princess_: You think, so, I will go with you of myself? The day I will do that will be the day you empty the ocean!

_Ma.n.u.s_: I will not wait longer than to-day.

_Princess_: Many a man waited seven years for a king's daughter!

_Ma.n.u.s_: And another seven--and seven generations of hags. But that is not my nature.

I will not kneel to any woman, high or low, or crave kindness that she cannot give.

_Princess_: Then I can go free!

_Ma.n.u.s_: For this day I take you in my charge.

I cross and claim you to myself, unless a better man will come.

_Princess_: I would think it easier to find a better man than one that would be worse to me!

_Ma.n.u.s_: If one should come that you think to be a better man, I will give you your own way.

_Princess_: It is you being in the world at all that is my grief.

_Ma.n.u.s_: Time makes all things clear. You did not go far out in the world yet, my poor little Princess.

_Princess_: I would be well pleased to drive you out through the same world!

_Ma.n.u.s_: With or without your goodwill, I will not go out of this place till I have carried out the business I came to do.

_Dall Glic_: Is it the falling of hailstones I hear or the rumbling of thunder, or is it the trots of horses upon the road?

_Queen: (Looking out.)_ It is the big man that is coming--Prince or Lord or whoever he may be.

_(To Dall Glic.)_ Go now to the door to welcome him. This is some man worth while. _(To Ma.n.u.s.)_ Let you get out of this.

_Ma.n.u.s_: No, whoever he is I'll stop and face him. Let him know we are players in the one game!

_King_: And what sort of a fool will you make of me, to have given in to take the like of you for a son-in-law? They will be putting ridicule on me in the songs.

_Queen_: If he must stop here we might put some face on him.... If I had but a decent suit.... Give me your cloak, Dall Glic. _(He gives it.)_ Here now ... _(To Ma.n.u.s.)_ Put this around you.... _(Ma.n.u.s takes it awkwardly.)_ It will cover up your kitchen suit.

_Ma.n.u.s_: Is it this way?

_Queen_: You have no right handling of it--stupid clown! This way!

_Ma.n.u.s: (Flinging it off.)_ No, I'll change no more suits! It is time for me to stop fooling and give you what you did not ask yet, my name. I will tell out all the truth.

_Gatekeeper: (At door.)_ The King of Sorcha!

_(Taig comes in.)_

_King and Queen_: The King of Sorcha! _(They rush forward to greet him.)_

_Nurse: (To Ma.n.u.s.)_ Did ever anyone hear the like!

_Ma.n.u.s_: It seems as if there will be a judgment between the man and the clothes!

_Queen: (To Taig.)_ There is someone here that you know, King. This young man is giving out that he was your cook.

_Taig_: He was not. I never laid an eye on him till this minute.