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mary-tudor · 7 years

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Shakespeare’s Lost Play: Edmund Ironside, Act II

Scene II.1 [Drum and trumpets sound. Enter a banquet. Then enter Canutus, Southampton, Archbishop, Uskataulf and Swetho, Edricus.]

CANUTUS: My lord, my lord, you are too bountiful. Half this expense would well have satisfied the homely stomachs of our soldiers and entertained ourself right royally. Where is your daughter?

SOUTHAMPTON: ~~~ She shall give attendance to wait upon your grace at dinner time.

CANUTUS: Nay, good my lord, unless you give her leave to sit at board and find me table talk, I shall not think myself a welcome guest. ... [II.1.10]

SOUTHAMPTON: May I crave pardon of your majesty. My daughter, being young in years and manners, is far unfit to keep a Queen's estate.

CANUTUS: I'faith, my lord, you are too scrupulous, too unadvised, too fearful without cause, to stand upon such nice excuses. I love to see a table furnished, and sure I will not sit till she comes in.

SOUTHAMPTON: Egina, daughter, come away, sweet girl. [Enter Egina.] The king will have thee dine with him today. ... [II.1.20] Be not too coy, nor yet too flexible. If chance he proffer any courtesy, behave yourself in honorable sort and answer him with modesty and mirth. A means may be to make thee Queen.

CANUTUS: What, is your daughter come? Welcome, fair lady. Your presence is as welcome as the day after a long and weary watchful night. Sit down, fair lady. Sit down, noble lord. Fill me a cup of wine. Here's to the health ... [II.1.30 of Ironside and all his followers. Who will pledge me?

EGINA: Pardon your handmaid, and Egina will.

CANUTUS: Wilt pledge me to the health of Ironside? What reason moves you so to fancy him?

EGINA: The good regard I bear your majesty, for should he die before these wars were done and you have finished strife though victory, some other CADMUS bird worse than himself might hap to broach some new commotion and trouble all the state with mutinies, ... [II.1.40] where if he lives till you have conquered him, none after him dares renovate the wars.

CANUTUS: Sweetly and wisely answered, noble queen, for by that name if heaven and thou consent, by sunset all the camp shall wish thee health. My lord, what say you to this motion?

SOUTHAMPTON: As it shall please your royal majesty, dispose of me and whatsoe'er is mine.

CANUTUS: Madam, pleaseth it you to be a queen? ... [II.1.50]

EGINA: What my dread sovereign and my father wills I dare not, nay I will not, contradict.

CANUTUS: Then for a manual seal receive this kiss, [He kisseth her.] the chief dumb utterer of the heart's intent; and noble father -- now I'll call you so -- if this rash-seeming match do like you well, deliver me possession presently of this fair lady, your beloved child, and we will straight to church and celebrate the duties which belong to marriages. ... [II.1.60] Bishop of Canterbury, you will marry us without the sibert-asking, will ye not?

CANTERBURY: I am prepared if every part be pleased.

CANUTUS: Faith, I am pleased.

ARCHBISHOP: ~~~ But what say you?

EGINA: I say a woman's silence is consent.

CANUTUS: Why, here's a match extempore, small ado about a weighty matter. Some perhaps would have consumed millions to effect what I by some spent breath have compassed. ... [II.1.70] Lords, let us in, for I intend to be espoused tonight with all solemnity. After our marriage we do mean to go to meet in open field our open foe. [Exeunt omnes.]

Scene II.2 [Enter Edrick, a poor man, his wife, and Stitch.]

EDRICK: Nay, Stitch, and you once see my son you'll swear he is a bouncer, all in silks and gold, vengeable rich.

STITCH: How say you that?

WIFE: I can tell you, you may bless the day that ever you happed into his service, he is a man every hairs-breadth, a most vild brave man i' faith.

STITCH: Then we shall be well met, for I love bravery and cleanliness out of all cry, and indeed of all things I cannot brook an ill-favored face, hang him that wants a good face. ... [II.2.10]

EDRICK: You are of my mind, we may say 'a pox of all good faces' and never hurt our own.

STITCH: We may indeed, God be praised. But what house is this? How far off are we from Southampton?

WIFE: Why, we are in the town. Th' king Canutus lies here now, and my son is here, and all our neighbors will be here today at the bridal for alms. [Enter Edricus.]

EDRICUS: Whoso desires to mount a lofty pitch must bear himself against the stubborn wind and shun base common popularity. ... [II.2.20]

STITCH: Who is this?

WIFE: Oh 'tis my son. Make ye handsome, tie your garters for shame, wipe your shoes, mend your shirt-band.

EDRICK: Oh let me go to him first. God save ye, son.

EDRICUS: A pox upon him, 'tis the knave my father. Good fellow, hast thou any suit to us? Deliver up thy supplication.

EDRICK: Oh sir, ye know me well enough: I am goodman Edrick, your father.

EDRICUS: My father, grout-head? Sir knave, I say you lie, ... [II.2.30] you whoreson cuckold, you base vagabond, you slave, you mongrel peasant, dolt and fool, can'st thou not know a duke from common men?

WIFE: By my troth, I learned him all these names to call his father when he was a child, and see if he can forget them yet. Oh he is a wise man, for in faith my husband is none of his father, for indeed a soldier begot him of me as I went once to a fair. But son, know ye me?

EDRICUS: Thee, old hag, witch, quean, slut, drab, whore and thief: how should I know thee, black Egyptian? ... [II.2.40]

WIFE: This is his old tricks, husband. Come, come, son: I am sure ye know me.

EDRICUS: Aye, if not too well. Wherefore comes yon sheep-biter? You, sir knave, you are my brother, are ye not I pray?

STITCH: No sir, and it like ye.

EDRICUS: It likes me very well. What is your name? Wherefore came ye hither?

WIFE: His name is Stitch, my son, we came with him to help him to your service. ... [II.2.50]

EDRICUS: You answer for him, gossip -- wants he tongue?

STITCH: No sir, I have tongue enough if that be good. [He shows his tongue.]

EDRICUS: What can ye do?

STITCH: Anything, dress a horse, scour a chamber pot, go to plow, thrash, dick and indeed what not.

EDRICUS: Canst make clean shoes?

STITCH: Who, I? It is part of my occupation; you win my heart. I am a cobbler for need, I can piece a shoe as well as the best. Wipe a shoe? Look you here else -- give me your foot.

EDRICUS: Stay, not so hasty. ... [II.2.60] We that by sly devices mean to mount and creep into opinion by deceit must not of all things have a scholar know our practices; we must suppress good wits and keep them under; we must favor fools and with promotions win their shallow pates. A ready wit would quickly wind us out and pry into our secret treacheries and wade as deep in policy as we. But such loose-brained windy-headed slaves; ... [II.2.70] such block-heads, dolts, fools, dunces, idiots, such logger-headed rogues are best for us; for we may work their wills to what we will and win their hearts with gold to anything. Come hither, Stitch. This villain and quean that brought thee hither claim an interest in my nobility, whenas God knows my noble father died long since in wars, being Duke of Mercia then as I am now. Therefore -- but first to cut off long delays, ... [II.2.80] I entertain thee for my chamberlain; and as thou shalt prove secret, trusty, true, I will reward thee with some higher place. But first, to try thee, fetch the constable. Yet stay awhile. They would suspect the truth. I'll have thee, when thou seest me gone away, beat these two beggars hence and teach them how they shall hereafter choose a meaner son. Wilt thou be trusty, wilt thou cudgel them?

STITCH: Never take care for that; I'll beat them, they ... [II.2.90] were never better beaten since they were born.

EDRICUS: Aye, do so, Stitch, I prithee beat them well, hark ye, and see them whipped out of the town, and if they speak or prattle, curse or rave, for every word give them ten blows, sweet slave.

EDRICK: Oh son, son, stay!

STITCH: Son, son, with a pestilence. You are much like to be his father and you his mother. You brought me hither --

EDRICK: Aye.

STITCH: -- and I must beat you hence, and if you desire ... [II.2.100] to know why, you must hereafter learn to find a meaner man for your son than my lord is. [He beats them about the stage.]

WIFE: He is my son. Oh! Oh! Oh good Stitch, hold thy hand!. [Exeunt.]

Scene II.3 [Enter Canutus, Archbishop, Edricus, Uskataulf, Swetho.]

CANUTUS: Then are they gone, 'tis certain they are fled? Turkillus and Leofric: who would have thought it? Did I not use them well, gave them good words, rewarded their endeavors, and besides graced them as much as any person here?

EDRICUS: You used them but too well, and let me say your lenity did cause them run away.

CANUTUS: Have we not pledges of their loyalty?

EDRICUS: Ye have, my lord.

CANUTUS: ~~~ Their eldest sons, I think? ... [II.3.10]

EDRICUS: True, but they know you are too merciful.

CANUTUS: They are deceived, for since they have disturbed the settled solace of our marriage day and daunted our determined merriments with causeless flight, to plague their fathers' fact, I'll lay the treason on their children's back and make their guiltless shoulders bear the burthen. Fetch me the pledges, Swetho, and with them some bloody varlet from the Danish host, and let him bring an axe, a block and knife ... [II.3.20] along with him, but do it quickly, Swetho, and come again as fast.

EDRICUS: What doth your grace intend to do with them?

CANUTUS: I'll cut their hands and noses off.

EDRICUS: Your judgment doth not far enough extend unto the height of runaways' desert. Death is too light a punishment for traitors, and loss of hands and nose is less than death.

USKATAULF: If an honest man had said so, I would have liked it never the worse. ... [II.3.30]

CANUTUS: This punishment is worse than loss of life, for it is a stinging corsive to their souls as often as they do behold themselves lopped and bereft of those two ornaments which necessary use doth daily crave. Again, it giveth others daily cause to think how traitors should be handled, whereas the memory of present death is quickly buried in oblivion, doing no good but whilst it is in doing. ... [II.3.40] A traitor may be likened to a tree, which being shred and topped when it is green, doth for one twig which from the same was cut yield twenty arms, yea twenty arms for one, but being hacked and mangled with an axe, the root dies and piecemeal rots away. Even so with traitors. Cut me off their heads, still more out of the self-same stock will sprout, but plague them with the loss of needful members as eyes, nose, hands, ears, feet or any such; ... [II.3.50] oh these are cutting cards unto their souls, earmark to know a traitorous villain by, even as a brand is to descry a thief. These desperate persons for example's sake, these ruffians, these all-daring lusty bloods, these court appendixes, these madcap lads, these nothing-fearing hotspurs that attend our royal court -- tell them of hanging cheer, they'll say it is a trick or two above ground; tell them of quartering or the heading axe, ... [II.3.60] they'll swear beheading is a gallant death, and he is a dastard that doth fear to die; but say to them, you shall be branded or your hands cut off, or your nostrils slit; then shallow fear makes their quivering tongues to speak abruptly -- 'rather let us die than we should suffer this vild ignominy'. A valiant heart esteemeth light of death, but honorable minds are jealous of honorable names, then to be marked, ... [II.3.70] which robs them of their honors, likewise robs their hearts of joy; and like to irksome owls, they will be bashful to be seen abroad.

USKATAULF: Alas, poor souls, it was against their wills that their hard-hearted fathers broke the league.

EDRICUS: Alas, poor souls, it is against their wills that they must lose their noses and their hands. [Enter Swetho, the two pledges, and Stitch with an axe.]

CANUTUS: Come on, gentlemen, 'cause I have found your fathers trusty as they promised unto my father and to me; ... [II.3.80] therefore I mean to make you worthy men such as the world shall afterward report did suffer torments for their country's good. Come on, I say, prepare your visages to bear the tokens of eternity; prepare your noses, bid your hands adieu, because your sires have proved themselves so true.

1 PLEDGE: Rather than this, oh kill us presently; these being gone, we do abhor our lives, and having these we loathe to live accursed, ... [II.3.90] accompted traitors to our native soil. Suffer us first to try our stripling force with any giant of your Cyclops' size, and let our arms fight once before our deaths to wreak their malice on their masters' foes, so let us perish like to gentlemen, like to ourselves, and like to Englishmen.

CANUTUS: Look how cold water cast on burning coals doth make the fire more fervently to flame; even so your tears doth add unto my rage ... [II.3.100] and makes it hotter when it 'gins to cool. 'Tis not my pleasure you should suffer death, 'cause I believe 'twould ease your fathers' griefs; 'tis not my pleasure you should try your powers so I should give you honors undeserved and you perchance might so redeem yourselves; but you shall see our judgments straight performed. Do execution on them presently! I'll teach your fathers if they do not know what 'tis to violate a lawful oath. ... [II.3.110] I'll teach them what it is to play with kings, presuming on their mercy: come I say, what trifle ye? Delay no more the time, for you must suffer for your fathers' crime.

2 PLEDGE: What sir, must you cut off my hands?

STITCH: Aye, and your noses too, 'twere pity in faith to mar two such faces. Boys, will you change beards with me?

1 PLEDGE: You shall not touch my nose with those base hands: by heaven, I'll sooner cut it off myself!

STITCH: You will think a worse pair than these a good ... [II.3.120] pair ere night. How they'll look when their noses be off! Everyone will take them for Frenchmen.

CANUTUS: Dispatch, I say, I must not stay so long: the more you delay the time, the worse you speed.

1 PLEDGE: Give me the axe, I'll quickly execute this direful judgment on my guiltless hands.

STITCH: With all my heart, you save me a labor.

CANUTUS: Stay, unadvised villain, hold thy hand, or I will hack thee piecemeal with thy axe. Why, art thou mad, to give thy enemy ... [II.3.130] an instrument to kill thyself and me? Cut off his hands first, then deliver it him. [He cuts off one hand.] So, cut off th'other. [He cuts off the other hand.] Now sir, fight your fill.

1 PLEDGE: Let these my stumps crave vengeance at thy hands, thou judge of judges and thou king of kings!

CANUTUS: Cut off his nose, then let him pray again: perchance his praying mitigates his pain. [He cuts off his nose.]

1 PLEDGE: Pour thy vengeance on this bloody Dane, and let him die some unheard monstrous death! ... [II.3.140]

CANUTUS: Make quick dispatch to execute the other. I am sure you will not now be pardoned?

2 PLEDGE: Not I, thou murthering stony-hearted Dane. I am resolved to suffer this and more to do my father or my country good; they gave me life; for them I'll shed my blood. [He cuts off his hands and nose.]

1 PLEDGE: Now thou hast spit thy venom, bloody king, we do return defiance in thy face.

CANUTUS: Sirs, temper well your tongues and be advised if not, I'll cut them shorter by an inch. ... [II.3.150] Remember that you both have lost your hands because your father did abuse their tongues in perjury; go quickly away and tell your traitorous fathers what I say.

2 PLEDGE: We go but to thy cost, proud Danish Canute, throughout this isle thy tyranny to bruit.

1 PLEDGE: We go thy cruel butchery to ring. Oh England, never trust a foreign king. [Exit pledges.]

EDRICUS: Ha, ha, ha.

CANUTUS: ~~~ Why laughest thou, Edricus? ... [II.3.160]

EDRICUS: I cannot choose, to see the villains rave.

STITCH: And I must needs laugh to bear my master company. [Enter a messenger running.]

CANUTUS: What news with thee?

MESSENGER: Renowned Canutus, thy forces in the north, which thou did'st send 'gainst Edmund Ironside, are clean dispersed and piecemeal overthrown by him, as these letters signify. [Canutus reads and then sayeth]

CANUTUS: 'Tis wonderful, what, twenty thousand slain of common soldiers? This unwelcome news nips like a hoary frost our springing hopes ... [II.3.170] and makes my fearful soldiers hang their heads. Come hither, Edricus, void the company that you and I may talk in secrecy. [Exit omnes.] Ah Edricus, what had I best to do to raze out this dishonorable blot out of the brass-leaved book of living fame? Shall it be said hereafter when report shall celebrate my noble father's acts that Canutus did lose what noble Sveynus got? Shall it be said that Edmund Ironside, ... [II.3.180] unfriended, poor, forsaken, desolate, did overthrow the power of mighty Canutus, whose wealth was great, friends more, but forces most? Never since Edmund was of force to bear a massy helmet and a curtle-axe could I return a victor from the field unless, as I remember, thou betrayedst the gallant stripling once into our hands. Then had not valor hewed him through our troops, that day had made an end of all our griefs; ... [II.3.190] but now, what now? Oh tell me if thou knowest how shall I extribute my stock and name that after-age may not report my shame?

EDRICUS: Despair not, noble king, time comes in time. Know ye not 'tis a deed of policy in fickle Chance to cross your mightiness, for else in time you might dismount the queen and throw her headlong from her rolling stone and take her whirling wheel into your hand. I tell your grace, Chance ever envies wise men ... [II.3.200] and favors fools, promoting them aloft. But as for this flea-spot of dishonor, the greatest monarchs have endured more, even blinking Philip's son, and many more whose repetition were needless to recite.

CANUTUS: I prithee flatter still, on, on, what more? Speak we of Fortune, honest sycophant? Chance favoreth not a fool in favoring thee; thy flattery is gracious in her eye. Come hither, Edricus. Oh strange miracle: ... [II.3.210] see you not in the heavens prodigious signs? Look how the sun looks pale, the moon shines red, the stars appear in the perturbed heaven like little comets, and not twelve o'clock. What is the cause then, that the stars are seen?

EDRICUS: I see them well, my lord, yet know no cause, unless it shows the fall of Ironside.

CANUTUS: Surely it doth. Look now, they are all gone. 'Tis night, 'tis dark, beware ye stumble not; lend me your hand, but first go fetch a torch [Exit Edricus.] ... [II.3.220] to light me to my tent -- make haste I pray. He's gone to fetch a torch to light the day! [Enter Edricus.]

EDRICUS: My lord, the misty vapors were so thick they almost quenched the torch.

CANUTUS: True as all the rest. I say thy wit is thick. Gross flattery, all-soothing sycophant, doth blind thy eyes and will not let thee see that others see thou art a flatterer. Amend, amend thy life; learn to speak truth. For shame do not, in thy declining age -- ... [II.3.230] Children may see thy lies, they are so plain. Oh whilst ye live, from flattery refrain.

EDRICUS: It stands not with my zeal and plighted faith otherwise to say than as your highness saith: your grace is able to give all their due to make truth lie and likewise make lies true.

CANUTUS: I would it lay in me to make thee true, but who can change the Ethiopian's hue? [Exeunt.]”

Source: http://www.elizabethanauthors.org/iron1.htm

#Shakespeare #The Lost Play #Edmund Ironside #King Edmund II #King Canute #King Cnut #Cnut of Denmark #Cnut the Great

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