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Edmund II

CONTENTS

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ACT 1

Scene I.I: Southampton

Scene I.2

Scene I.3

ACT II

Scene II.1

Scene II.2

Scene II.3

ACT III

Scene III.1

Scene III.2

Scene III.3

Scene III.4

Scene III.5

Scene III.6

ACT IV

Scene IV.I

Scene IV.2

Scene IV.3

Scene IV.4

ACT V

Scene V.I

Scene V.II

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

English

Edmund Ironside, King of the Saxons, son of Ethelred the Unready

Alfric, his general Officers

Ulfkettle Godwin

Aylward Gunthranus

Archbishop of York

Emma, widow of Ethelred, Stepmother of Edmund Her sons

Alfred

Edward (later the Confessor)

Two hostages, Sons of Leofric and Turkillus

Edrick, a poor man

His Wife, mother of Edricus

Stitch, her son by Edrick

Danes

Canutus, Prince of Denmark, son of King Sveyn Forkbeard Officers

Uskataulf Swetho

English Renegades

Leofric, Earl of Chester

Turkillus, Duke of Norfolk

Earl of Southampton, ally of Canute

Egina, his daughter, later wife of Canute

Edricus, Earl of Mercia

Archbishop of Canterbury

Chorus

Messengers, Herald, Danish and English Soldiers, Poor Danes, Bailiffs, Bluecoats

Scene: England, 1016

ACT 1

Scene I.I: Southampton

[Enter Canutus, Archbishop of Canterbury, Earl of Southampton, Edricus, Leofric, Turkillus, Uskataulf and Swetho. They sit at a table.]

CANUTUS: Archbishop and you other English peers

I hear how Ethelredus late your king

my tributary, is departed life

and how his son prince Edmund wears the crown

without the notice of your free consent

or homage unto me, his sovereign.

Yourselves, lords spiritual and temporal,

besides the due my father's conquest claims

have chosen me,

and by a universal sound decree ...

have solemnly throughout this little world

proclaimed me heir-apparent to the crown

when Ethelredus lived.

Then let not this young upstart prince of prates [He riseth.]

curb your proceedings with untutored words

but finish boldly what you have begun:

resist his private coronation

and put not up this vild dishonor done

unto you, chief commanders of the realm,

as though you were not worth the sending-for. ...

CANTERBURY: Indeed his rashness is unportable

and merely nothing but a proud contempt

against us of the clergy and the rest

that have for public profit of the realm

for peace, for quiet and utility

elected prince Canutus for our king,

whose valor we have proved unto our cost,

whose love unto the church we need not doubt,

whose care for all we may rely upon,

and whose true bounty is so notable ...

that even his foes admire and honor him,

when th' other what he is I need not tell

'tis too well known. I would I could say well;

but this I say and swear -- were I myself [He riseth.]

professed a soldier or a man at arms,

as I am one deprived from the world

and from my cradle called to serve the Lord,

I would with lance approve his title naught

and plead your coronation with my sword.

CANUTUS: Stout-hearted bishop, spoken like a man! ...

Would all the English lords were of thy mind.

SOUTHAMPTON: Am I not ready to defend your right

with force of arms as doth become a knight?

LEOFRIC: I ne'er was slack or hindmost of the rest,

but ever first and foremost with the best.

EDRICUS: Had I not been a help unto your father

whenas he first arrived in Albion,

you ne'er had stood in question for the crown

nor had your father's wars so prospered.

'Twas I that first did counsel Ethelred ...

to pay you tribute and to buy your league,

whereby we emptied all the treasury;

and had not gold failed, you had ne'er been king.

I had a navy once (the time when 'twas

in Ethelredus' days, your father living),

with which I should have met you on the sea

within the straits of England, and Iwis

had then no little vantage on your ships;

yet I as favoring your party most,

gave way and let you land without resistance, ...

and for that fact rest foully scandalized.

Was it not I that gave intelligence

of all the councils of king Ethelred

unto your father? Did not I, I pray,

feign