William Wilfred Campbell - Mordred: Act IV, Scene 3 lyrics

PLACE—The King's lodge in the forest. ARTHUR walks back and forth. AR. Would I had not done this! Heaven this hour Be kind to this poor King, suspend thy wrath. For my past frailties judge me not too heavy. Oh, were it dawning! Nay, if it be shame, Night roll forever round your shrouding glooms, Hide Arthur's woe in your convenient black. Rise not, O pitiless day, with searching white, Showing abroad catastrophe and doom. Hark! 'tis the messenger. Now, my royal soul, Is it black or white, is it d**h or life to thee? Enter Messenger. Mess. Sire! AR. Speak! Is it calamity? Mess. Yea, sire, it is calamity; Sir Launcelot ta'en— AR. In the Queen's chamber Mess. Yea, sire. AR. Then, sable Night, shut out the morning now! O Blackness, bury Arthur in thy shroud! O Calamities, pelt, pelt your fire! Sink now, proud Arthur, sink to rise no more! Enter MORDRED and two knights. MOR. We bring you evil news in sorry haste. Launcelot ta'en by us in the Queen's apartments, When we, hailing him traitor, would bring him out, Then he, mad with a devil, did issue forth And slay the most of us, so that we are scarce fled with our lives, As these two knights do witness. Knights. 'Tis true, King. AR. Murder and Treason walk abroad this night. Adultery and Incest leave their graves. Arthur, Arthur, thou art a King no more! MOR. We would arrest the Queen, did we know thy will. AR. O Night! Night! Night! MOR. 'Tis not an hour for grief and memories, sire, But action, instant action is the word, If thou wouldst keep thy kingdom. Sir Launcelot knoweth That thou wert privy to this heavy matter, And, swearing direst vengeance on us all, Buildeth a party for to help the Queen And oust thee from thy royalty. AR. Dost thou not know I loved this Launcelot? And had I chosen a brother or a son, It had been Launcelot! O thou cruel world! Thou hast no cloud of evils brooding dire, So much hath rained. Mordred, take my crown. To illegitimacy pa** my glory now. MOR. Nay, sire, but be a King until thou takest A King's dread vengeance on thine enemies. AR. Enemies, thou sayest! Who so low To stoop to hate this cuckold, shamèd King? I am a King no more, my Table Round Is but a stall-yard where the swine of men Will rend and snarl and tear my glory down. Enter GWAINE. GWA. This is a bad and foolish matter, King, And thou wert fool to fetch it to an issue. But now thou makest bad worse. Didst thou send out For Launcelot's arrest and the Queen's murder? MOR. The order hath gone out in the King's name. 'Tis gone too far for compromises now. GWA. 'Tis thou hast done all this, thou plotter! MOR. Thou liest! 'Tis but the natural end of circumstance that worked its issue. I tell thee, the King ordered this. GWA. King, didst thou give these orders? AR. Gwaine, thy words were ever over-blunt, But now they're fitting. None need show me reverence. GWA. I know not reverence, but I would of facts. Didst thou proclaim that Guinevere should die, Being found of treason foul against thy person, And doom her to the stake to-morrow noon? AR. The Queen! The Queen! thou sayest? I'll have no queens! If there be a Queen to-morrow in this land, She shall die the d**h! 'Tis the King's word! MOR. Now thou hast thine answer. GWA. Then fear Sir Launcelot's hate and split this kingdom, Topple yonder King and bring him down, As thou wouldst love to. Gwaine will none o' this. The Pope shall hear it! What's a woman worth That, truth or untruth, she should wreck a kingdom? Enter a Messenger in haste. MOR. Speak! Mess. Sir Launcelot and many knights have rescued the Queen and have taken her to Joyeous Guarde, and in the quick struggle Sir Gareth and Sir Lynnette were slain. AR. More woes! More woes! Where will this end? MOR. (to SIR GWAINE) Now art thou satisfied? GWA. (to Messenger) What! Thou liest! tell me my brothers be slain? Mess. 'Tis true, master, mine own eyes saw them dead. GWA. Hell! who did the deed? Mess. Sir Launcelot himself. He rode quick i' the Court, and lighted and hacked without looking at whom he met, to reach the Queen, whom bearing to horse, he stayed not to see who were dead or wounded, but straight rode away. GWA. This world or the next, he will answer me! Mine own two brothers, and all for a damned wench! Queen or no, King, thou shalt answer here. Yea, all shall answer for this fatal business. MOR. Yea, I will help thee. 'Twas most unnatural, Who never harmed him, he should serve them so. GWA. Launcelot, Launcelot, now I cast thee out! One world won't hold us! MOR. This works my way. O world, thou are moulding swift To my poor vengeance! (to ARTHUR) Sire, what wilt thou do? AR. To arms, to arms! we'll siege him in his hold. 'Tis d**h that cures dishonor. He will reap The swift, dread harvest of Heaven's retribution. GWA. Would Launcelot were but two men, I'd slay him twice 'Twould suit my feelings. CURTAIN.