The Tragedy of Arthur_ A Novel - Arthur Phillips [139]
DERBY
’Tis all?
ALEXANDER
With this complete and with your love,
He bids the Welsh and English chivalry
Unite with all his lands and western isles,
Together dash the Saxon from his realm.
DERBY
Art breathless yet?
GLOUCESTER
He asks no more than this?
Our lives, our wealth, vouchsafe his endless line,
And vail39 our pride to serve him as his bondmen?40
ALEXANDER
The duke hath taught me more should you dispute
The logic of my principal dispatch,
Although the latter words I fear to voice.
DERBY
How feculent41 thy northern vapors stink!
Would Mercury’s low wings be fixed above
And beating blow away these winds thou pip’st!42
Didst thou us beg pre-pardon43 and free tongue
To lick our ears with gleeks44 so sour and hot?
Come, take my true reply to your King Loth.
He strikes [Alexander]
ALEXANDER
Unrighteous knight, this violence45 done cold
’Gainst embassy’s anathema to God.
DERBY
O, messenger, pay heed to these few words.
What writing hand hast thou? A secretary’s?46
Wouldst thou then, boy, my words ink out with pen,
And dry with grains of fine white callis-sand,47
Or can thy cistern skull retain good water?48
Then tell thy king what Stephen Derby sayeth.
He strikes [Alexander]
ALEXANDER
Most vicious! Evil! Lawless, graceless knight!
NORFOLK
Do Loth and Mordred lust for England’s joys
And long t’embrace our rich and southern earth?
Then tell them, herald purpled,49 shamed to rose50
By bold Sir Derby’s steely words, that Norfolk
Doth bid them cool their passion, ice their stones51
In candied52 Clyde, for England hath her king,
A king who is beloved and temperate,
Extraught53 from ancient stock of heroes’ blood,
Full master of himself and bred to rule,
To freeze like basilisk54 the naughty Scot.
Tell this to Mordred from the Duke of Norfolk.
He strikes [Alexander]
ALEXANDER
Doth mickle55 England want for righteous men
As desert towns that God did burn to ash?56
GLOUCESTER
Restrain yourselves, nobility, and cease!
KENT
From Roman tower ride we north to Loth,
With war as key shall we unlock57 his land,
Upscale58 his Highland bounds and chastise him.
Look close this roweled59 spur of Earl of Kent
And tell Duke Mordred, jauncing60 Gall’way nag,61
That he will curb beneath King Arthur’s weight
Or feel this spur to perforate his hide.
He kicks [Alexander] with spur
ALEXANDER
But grant me leave to flee, cruel men! Enough!
GLOUCESTER
Retire, good Kent, this rage ill suits your name.
SOMERSET
Nay, Gloucester, ’tis no rage but honest law.
Attest, good prelate Caerleon, to this:
Six liberties are granted embassies:
Speak peace, or war, or amity, or none,
Set terms of ransom, voice a lord’s rebuke.
CAERLEON
’Tis by the square.
GLOUCESTER
But licenses no blows.
SOMERSET
Demands ill-mannered for our slavery
Would have us carry coals62 to King of Picts,
Heaps scorn upon our manhood and our king,
Commits felonious lese-majesty,63
Uncounted ways does tickle us to ire?
Were’t not this knave must hear our measured words
I’d cut away these hanging letters-patent.64
This froward65 wants a lesson in his speech,
And begs our gentle-voiced correction, so!
He strikes embassy
CUMBRIA
No English born, your Mordred and his Loth,
And loath are English born to bear strange rule.
To English born belongs this British isle,
To Arthur, noble bear, belongs the throne.
Now come, my saucy wayward embassy,
Bear north what words I will inscribe for thee,
[He draws dagger]
Steel quill, white parchment of your brow, red ink:
Arthur Rex!66
[He carves the letters on Alexander’s forehead]
ALEXANDER
Stop! God, O God, too cruel, hellish men, let go!
CUMBRIA
Rest still, my lazy drone67 and from this nest
Of eagles thou wilt fly true north with words
That weasel68 Pict might at his leisure read.
Exit [Alexander]
GLOUCESTER
Unruly lords of England, ’morrow’s king
May rue today’s ill-judged intemp’rature.69
Our gear70 allows no palfrey’s71 walking pace:
We now must lash your rights along the path:
How many liegemen here swear Arthur king?
CUMBRIA