Locrine - A Tragedy [11]
lives,
Falls dumb, and leaves the lie to bring forth strife.
The liar will say no more--his heart misgives
His knaveship--should he sunder man and wife?
Such, sister, in thy sight, it seems, am I.
Yet shalt thou take, to keep or cast it by,
The truth of shame I would not have thee hear, -
Not might I choose,--but choose I may not.
GUENDOLEN.
Shame
And truth? Shame never toward thine heart came near,
And all thy life hath hung about thy name.
Nor ever truth drew nigh the lips that fear
Whitens, and makes the blood that feeds them tame.
Speak all thou wilt--but even for shame, forsooth,
Talk not of shame--and tell me not of truth.
CAMBER.
Then shalt thou hear a lie. Thy loving lord
Loves none save thee; his heart's pulse beats in thine;
No fairer woman, captive of his sword,
Caught ever captive and subdued Locrine:
The god of lies bear witness. At the ford
Of Humber blood was never shed like wine:
Our brother Albanact lived, fought, and died,
Never: and I that swear it have not lied.
GUENDOLEN.
Fairer?
CAMBER.
They say it: but what are lies to thee?
GUENDOLEN.
Art thou nor man nor woman?
CAMBER.
Nay--I trust -
Man.
GUENDOLEN.
And hast heart to make thy spoil of me?
CAMBER.
Would God I might!
GUENDOLEN.
Thou art made of lies and lust -
Earth's worst is all too good for such to see,
And yet thine eyes turn heavenward--as they must,
Being man's--if man be such as thou--and soil
The light they see. Thou hast made of me thy spoil,
Thy scorn, thy profit--yea, my whole soul's plunder
Is all thy trophy, thy triumphal prize
And harvest reaped of thee; nay, trampled under
And rooted up and scattered. Yet the skies
That see thy trophies reared are full of thunder,
And heaven's high justice loves not lust and lies.
CAMBER.
Ill then should fare thy lord--if heaven be just,
And lies be lies, and lawless love be lust.
GUENDOLEN.
Thou liest. I know my lord and thee. Thou liest.
CAMBER.
If he be true and truth be false, I lie.
GUENDOLEN.
Thou art lowest of all men born--while he sits highest.
CAMBER.
Ay--while he sits. How long shall he sit high?
GUENDOLEN.
If I but whisper him of thee, thou diest.
CAMBER.
I fear not, if till then secure am I.
GUENDOLEN.
Secure as fools are hardy live thou still.
CAMBER.
While ill with good is guerdoned, good with ill.
GUENDOLEN.
I have it in my mind to take thine head.
Dost thou not fear to put me thus in fear?
CAMBER.
I fear nor man nor woman, quick nor dead:
And dead in spirit already stand'st thou here.
GUENDOLEN.
Thou darest not swear my lord hath wronged my bed.
Thou darest but smile and mutter, lie and leer.
CAMBER.
I swear no queen bore ever crown on brow
Who meeklier bore a heavier wrong than thou.
GUENDOLEN.
From thee will I bear nothing. Get thee hence:
Thine eyes defile me. Get thee from my sight.
CAMBER.
The gods defend thee, soul and spirit and sense,
From sense of things thou darest not read aright!
Farewell. [Exit.
GUENDOLEN.
Fare thou not well, and be defence
Far from thy soul cast naked forth by night!
Hate rose from hell a liar: love came divine
From heaven: yet she that bore thee bore Locrine.
[Exit.
ACT III.
SCENE I.--Troynovant. A Room in the Palace.
Enter LOCRINE and DEBON.
LOCRINE.
Thou knowest not what she knows or dreams of? why
Her face is dark and wan, her lip and eye
Restless and red as fever? Hast thou kept
Faith?
DEBON.
Has my master found my faith a lie
Once all these years through? have I strayed or slept
Once, when he bade me watch? what proof has leapt
At last to light against me?
LOCRINE.
Surely, none.
Weep not.
DEBON.
My lord's grey vassal hath not wept
Once, even since darkness covered from the sun
The woman's face--the sole sweet wifelike one -
Whose memory holds his heart yet fast: but now
Tears, were old age not poor in tears, might run
Free as the words that bid his stricken brow
Burn and bow down
Falls dumb, and leaves the lie to bring forth strife.
The liar will say no more--his heart misgives
His knaveship--should he sunder man and wife?
Such, sister, in thy sight, it seems, am I.
Yet shalt thou take, to keep or cast it by,
The truth of shame I would not have thee hear, -
Not might I choose,--but choose I may not.
GUENDOLEN.
Shame
And truth? Shame never toward thine heart came near,
And all thy life hath hung about thy name.
Nor ever truth drew nigh the lips that fear
Whitens, and makes the blood that feeds them tame.
Speak all thou wilt--but even for shame, forsooth,
Talk not of shame--and tell me not of truth.
CAMBER.
Then shalt thou hear a lie. Thy loving lord
Loves none save thee; his heart's pulse beats in thine;
No fairer woman, captive of his sword,
Caught ever captive and subdued Locrine:
The god of lies bear witness. At the ford
Of Humber blood was never shed like wine:
Our brother Albanact lived, fought, and died,
Never: and I that swear it have not lied.
GUENDOLEN.
Fairer?
CAMBER.
They say it: but what are lies to thee?
GUENDOLEN.
Art thou nor man nor woman?
CAMBER.
Nay--I trust -
Man.
GUENDOLEN.
And hast heart to make thy spoil of me?
CAMBER.
Would God I might!
GUENDOLEN.
Thou art made of lies and lust -
Earth's worst is all too good for such to see,
And yet thine eyes turn heavenward--as they must,
Being man's--if man be such as thou--and soil
The light they see. Thou hast made of me thy spoil,
Thy scorn, thy profit--yea, my whole soul's plunder
Is all thy trophy, thy triumphal prize
And harvest reaped of thee; nay, trampled under
And rooted up and scattered. Yet the skies
That see thy trophies reared are full of thunder,
And heaven's high justice loves not lust and lies.
CAMBER.
Ill then should fare thy lord--if heaven be just,
And lies be lies, and lawless love be lust.
GUENDOLEN.
Thou liest. I know my lord and thee. Thou liest.
CAMBER.
If he be true and truth be false, I lie.
GUENDOLEN.
Thou art lowest of all men born--while he sits highest.
CAMBER.
Ay--while he sits. How long shall he sit high?
GUENDOLEN.
If I but whisper him of thee, thou diest.
CAMBER.
I fear not, if till then secure am I.
GUENDOLEN.
Secure as fools are hardy live thou still.
CAMBER.
While ill with good is guerdoned, good with ill.
GUENDOLEN.
I have it in my mind to take thine head.
Dost thou not fear to put me thus in fear?
CAMBER.
I fear nor man nor woman, quick nor dead:
And dead in spirit already stand'st thou here.
GUENDOLEN.
Thou darest not swear my lord hath wronged my bed.
Thou darest but smile and mutter, lie and leer.
CAMBER.
I swear no queen bore ever crown on brow
Who meeklier bore a heavier wrong than thou.
GUENDOLEN.
From thee will I bear nothing. Get thee hence:
Thine eyes defile me. Get thee from my sight.
CAMBER.
The gods defend thee, soul and spirit and sense,
From sense of things thou darest not read aright!
Farewell. [Exit.
GUENDOLEN.
Fare thou not well, and be defence
Far from thy soul cast naked forth by night!
Hate rose from hell a liar: love came divine
From heaven: yet she that bore thee bore Locrine.
[Exit.
ACT III.
SCENE I.--Troynovant. A Room in the Palace.
Enter LOCRINE and DEBON.
LOCRINE.
Thou knowest not what she knows or dreams of? why
Her face is dark and wan, her lip and eye
Restless and red as fever? Hast thou kept
Faith?
DEBON.
Has my master found my faith a lie
Once all these years through? have I strayed or slept
Once, when he bade me watch? what proof has leapt
At last to light against me?
LOCRINE.
Surely, none.
Weep not.
DEBON.
My lord's grey vassal hath not wept
Once, even since darkness covered from the sun
The woman's face--the sole sweet wifelike one -
Whose memory holds his heart yet fast: but now
Tears, were old age not poor in tears, might run
Free as the words that bid his stricken brow
Burn and bow down