Queen Mary; and, Harold Part 42

What's to be done?

[_To his_ MEN--_goes apart with them_.

FISHERMAN. Rolf, what fish did swallow Jonah?

ROLF. A whale!

FISHERMAN. Then a whale to a whelk we have swallowed the King of England. I saw him over there. Look thee, Rolf, when I was down in the fever, _she_ was down with the hunger, and thou didst stand by her and give her thy crabs, and set her up again, till now, by the patient Saints, she's as crabb'd as ever.

ROLF. And I'll give her my crabs again, when thou art down again.

FISHERMAN. I thank thee, Rolf. Run thou to Count Guy; he is hard at hand. Tell him what hath crept into our creel, and he will fee thee as freely as he will wrench this outlander's ransom out of him--and why not? for what right had he to get himself wrecked on another man's land?

ROLF. Thou art the human-heartedest, Christian-charitiest of all crab-catchers. Share and share alike!

[_Exit_.

HAROLD (_to_ FISHERMAN).

Fellow, dost thou catch crabs?

FISHERMAN. As few as I may in a wind, and less than I would in a calm.

Ay!

HAROLD. I have a mind that thou shalt catch no more.

FISHERMAN. How?

HAROLD. I have a mind to brain thee with mine axe.

FISHERMAN. Ay, do, do, and our great Count-crab will make his nippers meet in thine heart; he'll sweat it out of thee, he'll sweat it out of thee. Look, he's here! He'll speak for himself! Hold thine own, if thou canst!

_Enter_ GUY, COUNT OF PONTHIEU.

HAROLD. Guy, Count of Ponthieu?

GUY. Harold, Earl of Wess.e.x!

HAROLD. Thy villains with their lying lights have wreck'd us!

GUY. Art thou not Earl of Wess.e.x?

HAROLD. In mine earldom A man may hang gold bracelets on a bush, And leave them for a year, and coming back Find them again.

GUY. Thou art a mighty man In thine own earldom!

HAROLD. Were such murderous liars In Wess.e.x--if I caught them, they should hang Cliff-gibbeted for sea-marks; our sea-mew Winging their only wail!

GUY. Ay, but my men Hold that the shipwreckt are accursed of G.o.d;-- What hinders me to hold with mine own men?

HAROLD. The Christian manhood of the man who reigns!

GUY. Ay, rave thy worst, but in our oubliettes Thou shalt or rot or ransom. Hale him hence!

[_To one of his_ ATTENDANTS.

Fly thou to William; tell him we have Harold.

SCENE II.--BAYEUX. PALACE.

COUNT WILLIAM _and_ WILLIAM MALET.

WILLIAM. We hold our Saxon woodc.o.c.k in the springe, But he begins to flutter. As I think He was thine host in England when I went To visit Edward.

MALET. Yea, and there, my lord, To make allowance for their rougher fashions, I found him all a n.o.ble host should be.

WILLIAM. Thou art his friend: thou know'st my claim on England Thro' Edward's promise: we have him in the toils.

And it were well, if thou shouldst let him feel, How dense a fold of danger nets him round, So that he bristle himself against my will.

MALET. What would I do, my lord, if I were you?

WILLIAM. What wouldst thou do?

MALET. My lord, he is thy guest.

WILLIAM. Nay, by the splendour of G.o.d, no guest of mine.

He came not to see me, had past me by To hunt and hawk elsewhere, save for the fate Which hunted _him_ when that un-Saxon blast, And bolts of thunder moulded in high heaven To serve the Norman purpose, drave and crack'd His boat on Ponthieu beach; where our friend Guy Had wrung his ransom from him by the rack, But that I slept between and purchased him, Translating his captivity from Guy To mine own hearth at Bayeux, where he sits My ransom'd prisoner.

MALET. Well, if not with gold, With golden deeds and iron strokes that brought Thy war with Brittany to a goodlier close Than else had been, he paid his ransom back.

WILLIAM. So that henceforth they are not like to league With Harold against _me_.

MALET. A marvel, how He from the liquid sands of Coesnon Haled thy sh.o.r.e-swallow'd, armour'd Normans up To fight for thee again!

WILLIAM. Perchance against Their saver, save thou save him from himself.

MALET. But I should let him home again, my lord.

WILLIAM. Simple! let fly the bird within the hand, To catch the bird again within the bush!

No.

Smooth thou my way, before he clash with me; I want his voice in England for the crown, I want thy voice with him to bring him round; And being brave he must be subtly cow'd, And being truthful wrought upon to swear Vows that he dare not break. England our own Thro' Harold's help, he shall be my dear friend As well as thine, and thou thyself shalt have Large lordship there of lands and territory.

MALET. I knew thy purpose; he and Wulfnoth never Have met, except in public; shall they meet In private? I have often talk'd with Wulfnoth, And stuff'd the boy with fears that these may act On Harold when they meet.

WILLIAM. Then let them meet!

MALET. I can but love this n.o.ble, honest Harold.

WILLIAM. Love him! why not? thine is a loving office, I have commission'd thee to save the man: Help the good ship, showing the sunken rock, Or he is wreckt for ever.

_Enter_ WILLIAM RUFUS.