TOSTIG. Away! [Exit TOSTIG. QUEEN. Spite of this grisly star ye three must gall Poor Tostig. LEOFWIN. Tostig, sister, galls himself, He cannot smell a rose but pricks his nose Against the thorn, and rails against the rose. QUEEN. I am the only rose of all the stock That never thorn'd him; Edward loves him, so Ye hate him. Harold always hated him. Why-how they fought when boys-and, Holy Mary! How Harold used to beat him! HAROLD. Why, boys will fight. Leofwin would often fight me, and I beat him. Even old Gurth would fight. I had much ado On a sudden-at a something-for a nothing- Till thou wouldst get him all apart, and tell him That where he was but worsted, he was wrong'd. Thou art the Queen; ye are boy and girl no more: Side not with Tostig in any violence, Lest thou be sideways guilty of the violence. QUEEN. Come fall not foul on me. I leave, thee, brother. Nay, my good sister— HAROLD. [Exeunt QUEEN, HAROLD, GURTH, and LEOFWIN. ALDWYTH. Gamel, son of Orm, What thinkest thou this means? [Pointing to the comet. GAMEL. War, my dear lady, War, waste, plague, famine, all malignities. ALDWYTH. It means the fall of Tostig from his earldom. GAMEL. That were too small a matter for a comet! ALDWYTH. It means the lifting of the house of Alfgar. GAMEL. Too small! a comet would not show for that! ALDWYTH. Not small for thee, if thou canst compass it. GAMEL. Thy love? ALDWYTH. As much as I can give thee, man; This Tostig is, or like to be, a tyrant; Stir up thy people: oust him! GAMEL. And thy love? ALDWYTH. As much as thou canst bear. GAMEL. I can bear all, And not be giddy. ALDWYTH. No more now: to-morrow. SCENE II.-IN THE GARDEN. THE KING'S HOUSE NEAR LONDON. SUNSET. EDITH. Mad for thy mate, passionate nightingale . I fain would hear him coming! . . . near me ... near, Like thine to thine. (Singing.) Love is come with a song and a smile, Why cannot he stay? They call him away: Love will stay for a whole life long. |