Read The Tragedy of Arthur: A Novel Online
Authors: Arthur Phillips
GLOUCESTER
No golden-fingered Croesus
38
holds such sums.
ARTHUR
Then what? Is’t land he crave or privilege?
I’ll grant he is the Soldan of the Turks
39Or Duke of Africa.
CUMBRIA
Or Prince of Wales.
ARTHUR
What sense is here?
CUMBRIA
There is no prince, no heir.
ARTHUR
The queen is bursting ripe with coming child.
CUMBRIA
The queen has lost two breathless bloody heirs,
And may yet many false conceptions
40
shed.This Mordred knows. In change for his sworn arms,
Entail
41
to him your throne upon your death,Conditionally
42
no natural heir is bornBy this or any queen your highness takes.
CORNWALL
Or any? Cumbria, I’ll snap thy bones.
Cod up thy will
43
and tame thy serpent’s tongue.
ARTHUR
Thy care of queen is brotherly, my earl,
But hear with no more passion than a luce
44What wisdom here conceiveth: Mordred sure
Doth take me as my family’s dockèd tail.
45If for some mouth-made
46
words he takes our part,And after is my heir safe-born, what harm?
Thereafter I shall act my father’s rate
47And ready me eternally for war.
Go, smooth your sister’s mind of what we do.
It is a devil’s chance to play a kingdom
On th’unproofed vigor
48
of an unborn prince!Bold Cumbria, raise up what force we have,
And Gloucester, send our word to Mordred’s court.
Invite our momentary
49
son and heirTo ride with us most lovingly to war.
Exeunt
[
Location: The Queen’s Chamber, London
]
Queen solus
[
very pregnant
]
GUENHERA
Is no one waiting?
Enter Nurse
NURSE
Majesty, you called?
GUENHERA
Is there no word from Linmouth? Of the king?
NURSE
There’s nothing, madam. Have you any wish?
The pain’s come? Will you I should call the wife?
1
GUENHERA
I have no word of my own battleground,
No more than aught we learn of Saxon wars.
Come, press my back.
NURSE
Aye, sit.
GUENHERA
Nay, standing’s best.
NURSE
As comfort bids you, that’s the way.
GUENHERA
O! O!
I cannot stand with ease.
NURSE
As lief
2
you’d sit.
GUENHERA
Perhaps upon my side.
NURSE
So then, your side.
GUENHERA
Is there then nothing for it?
NURSE
Nothing now.
You yielded comfort nine full moons ago.
There, there, sit quiet now. You jar
3
the prince.But sit now! You do move and move, my queen,
As yet I washed your younger muddied cheeks.
Is’t here you ache?
GUENHERA
Just there, that’s well. Thou’rt kind.—
What ancient sage first wond’ring marked that line
Of moons ’twixt lover’s smile and labor’s cries?
NURSE
’Twas known when Adam first leered eyes at Eve.
GUENHERA
The king did riddle me afore he rode
And put to me this question wrapped in smiles:
“What burden is’t that cannot still be borne,
My queen, that day when it will no more bear?”
Quoth I, “My king, you riddle at your pleasure.”
Came he, “Nay, at my burden.” Mark’st thou, nurse?
It is a wife, a wife. He kissed me then,
And rode to war, and called me his own Guen.
NURSE
And left your prince to start on his own ride.
Doth he yet kick and spur his heels at you?
GUENHERA
He hath been still within an hour.
4As under-ocean spouts do lend their breath
To beasts below the waves,
5
find air, my prince,Come out and fill my hungry ears and arms
And fill the king with pride of you.—No word?
How is’t that we have nothing yet of him?
Would he not send to us? Not think on us,
Conceiveth he that we have no concern
In victory or death? But who hath more?
NURSE
Now back you go, my girl, sit still and calm.
GUENHERA
If Arthur lives, he makes of me a bargain
With strange a king from strange a northern land.
They wrangle
8
over my own bursting womb!The king has luck, my boy’s in lusty health,
And cries out first for milk and then for scepter.
If th’child doth die, the other thanks his fortune.
Can such men be, that would raise kingdoms up
Upon a chrisom’s
9
grave?
NURSE
Hush, hush, go to.
GUENHERA
If Arthur dies, then so too dies his heir,
For Mordred will not stop at its small breaths
To puff him from the throne.
10
—I’ll fly with himIn peasant weeds
11
and kerchief.—Arthur lives,And child doth die, what then remains of me?
For heirs must rise or kingdoms surely fall,
And no king born can bear a barren queen.
NURSE
You drop a case, my girl. I’ll tutor you.
If victory is won, the Saxons scourged,
’Twas you who took the day, heroic queen!
For by your lady’s womb were allies found:
Your king still lives, the child is born, and you
Are Linmouth’s rescuer, bold Guenhera.
GUENHERA
I feel them both, those rival-friendly kings.
They counter-strive
12
to read their fates in me,All futures vie in this discov’ry-space.
13Wherefore he leaves me gnashing ignorant?
Is no one waiting there? Is no word come?
O! O!
NURSE
There now it starts! So kings are born!
Come walk a ways with me in th’lower hall
And by that prompting urge our prince to fall.
Exeunt
[
Location: The field of Linmouth
]
[
Enter
]
Mordred solus
MORDRED
And now does Arthur love me, says I am
A steady friend he loves above his life,
1Belovèd heir, his brother, almost son.
When Saxon lance did fling me from my horse,
King Arthur charged, restored me to my feet,
And shouted I was “Hector
2
born anew!”He lies, I know. He cannot think me so.
He boasts more speed and brawn than I, and yet,
Today, his words did something make it so,
And I did smite the Saxon with more strength
For Arthur said I would, and so I did.
At battle’s end, whilst numbering the slain,
I ought have plunged a blade into his back,
But pleased was I to have his ear and eye,
To blush as he made me fair weather.
3He seems to wish for nothing but that he
Should breathe his last and I should warm his throne.
I know he lies, and yet I thank his love.
The Saxons vanquished, off he posts
4
to courtAnd thence to rebel-factious Ireland’s shores,
’Gainst death and all oblivious enmity.
5His kiss upon my cheek, I watch him fly,
And then do mind
6
his murder of my flesh.Were I that king, I would send Mordred north
To wait his certain crown and wait and wait,
While queens do toil abed to thwart his rights.
By my assent he fashioneth complotment!
7But I am I. I will not wait amort.
8I will to London, there to greet my queen.
I’ll have her promise I am heir, and view
Her beauty, all renowned. Should Arthur die
In Ireland’s wars, she could become my queen.
By reputation’s whisper I have heard
That she is liberal
9
with gifts of love.By Mordred’s holy seed might not we soon
Implant a prince ourselves to hold our claim
And with her womb prove Mordred’s right to rule.
Yes. Then will I obtain from England’s lords,
And vulgar tribune sorts who must be paid,
Such love, subjection, dread that may be bought.
Success made sure, I’ll turn resistant thought
To acting as a vengeful brother ought.
Exit