The Tragedy of Arthur_ A Novel - Arthur Phillips [156]
Do rock. And from each countless, tow’ring mast
Clap Saxon pennons: wolves and demi-fiends.
Unfinished yet are that coast’s daunting walls,
And force more vast than any we have known
Now wets its tongue on English blood and tears.
ARTHUR
We stand amazed at how it comes again,
And summer blue grows black by Saxon clouds.
Dear ladies, pray excuse our shifting key;
We must unwilling now hear other tunes.
GUENHERA
An hour yet, King, to see our matter’s end.
ARTHUR
How sweet, my love, to count each grain of time
Then turn th’hour-glass around again whilst thou
Dost sift the virtues in thy manuals.26
I feel remorse that we must turn to war
And bid you lead your ladies from the court.
GUENHERA
Unhappily we yield, my fearful liege,
But only if we may convene anon.
ARTHUR
Enough! There can be no more talk. Now, go!
Exeunt all ladies
Speak, Gloucester, Cumbria, all men of war:
What ready force might we in haste array?
GLOUCESTER
King, we are taken tardy by a phoenix
That we did reckon so much heaped-up ash.27
ARTHUR
These conquered Saxons practiced sorcery
That from their ruined state did plenish up28
So titely29 their annihilated strength.
CUMBRIA
No sorcery but your soft mercy, king,
When for their scabby pagan vows at York
You set them back on sea to breed and then
At Bath did qualm to slay but half their ranks
And loosed their weeping bearing boys to fly.
At Linmouth they repay your gentleness
While you do wail of clouds and sorcery!
GLOUCESTER
Withhold thine indignation, Cumbria,
And bow thy head in fear of thy king’s rage.
ARTHUR
Nay, nay, a king may rightly be rebuked.
’Twas youthful will to be unlike my sire
Provoked me to such bounty unadvised—
An Devon’s bulwarks are imperfect still,
I fear to know our count of ready men.
GLOUCESTER
Forsooth, scant thousand are trained up in arms.
To that add peasant ranks with knife and fork.30
CORNWALL
My power, nearest Linmouth in its day,
Was all brought north to fortify the Tyne.
ARTHUR
The Saxons find us lame, they will bestrut31
As far as London ere we give them fight.
What help can we account from northern lands?
CUMBRIA
The Pict will lend sworn arms at your command
But only if he fears your swift reproof.
ARTHUR
He knelt in Abbey’s echoes, kissed my ring.
Sure I doubt nothing of his fast reply.
Send now to him. Command his every pick.32
CUMBRIA
This reasons shallow, King. He bent his knees
When Arthur’s power waxed, and Pictland’s throne
Was filled as Arthur would.
ARTHUR
And now?
CUMBRIA
And now
Nor fear of you nor love for you hath he,
But grudgeful holds you Calvan’s slaughterer,
And will no bloody aid deliver you
But smiling tarry as your England burns.
ARTHUR
Though Britain joys first peace sith Roman days,
And harvests more can feed each mewling babe,
Though churches toll and tithe, and stalls33 are full,
Though our court’s glories ring to Muscovy,
Barbarians flow across the land like rats,
For Mordred, goat o’the moors, doth fear not me.
I’ll open up that cur from throat to paunch—
Might we in France an ally find?
GLOUCESTER
Sure not.
Not when their offered love was cast away
And you must wed where no alliance was.
ARTHUR
What game is this? Why come they yet again?
CUMBRIA
Your prideful realm is built on women’s dreams.
Surprised are you this peace lasts but a day?
That on our shores again these devils wash?
Beshrew34 the tide that does not plaud35 your court!36
There never will be day until the last,
Without some foeman come t’unsheathe his sword.
There’s only war. ’Tis man’s inheritance.
No peace, but now and then an instant’s breath
Made sweeter still by certain brevity.
’Twas this your father Uter taught to me.
ARTHUR
He taught me nought, nor this nor other words.
As Mordred makes us beg that is our right,
What ransom must we pay the proditor?37
What treasure yield to purchase love from him?
GLOUCESTER
No golden-fingered Croesus38 holds such sums.
ARTHUR
Then what? Is’t land he crave or privilege?
I’ll grant he is the Soldan of the Turks39