May sunder us till heaven and earth turn hell。
ALBOVINE。
I deemed not thee dishonourable： and thy queen
Now knows thee true as I did。 Rosamund；
Forgive and give him back his bride。
ROSAMUND。
I will；
King。
ALBOVINE。
Boy； thy queen hath shown thee grace； be thou
Thankful。 I leave thee here to yield her thanks。
＇Exit。
ALMACHILDES。
Queen； I would die to serve and thank thee。
ROSAMUND。
Die？
So young and glad and glorious？ Thou shalt not
Die。 Was thy bride's face bright to look upon
When last night's moon and stars illumined it？
ALMACHILDES。
Thou knowest I might not look upon it。
ROSAMUND。
No。
Thou hast never loved before？
ALMACHILDES。
I have loathed； not loved；
The loveless harlots clasped of all the camp：
I have followed wars and visions all my days
Even till my love's eyes lit and stung to life
The soul within my body。 Till I loved；
I knew not woman。
ROSAMUND。
Now thou knowest。 This love
Is no good lordno gentle godno soft
Saviour。 Thou knowest perchance thy bride's namehers
Whose body and soul were one but now with thine？
ALMACHILDES。
How should not I？ What darkling light is this
That burns and broods and lightens in thine eyes；
Queen？
ROSAMUND。
Hildegard it was not。
ALMACHILDES。
Art not thou …
Or am not Isun…smitten through the brain
By this mad might of midsummer？ Who was it
That slept or slept not with me while the night
Was more than noon and more than heaven？ What name
Was hers who made me godlike？
ROSAMUND。
Rosamund。
ALMACHILDES。
Thine？ was it thou？ It was not。
ROSAMUND。
It was I。
ALMACHILDES。
Does the sun stand in heaven？ Or stands it fast
As when God bade it halt on high？ My life
Is broken in me。
ROSAMUND。
Nay； fair sir； not yet。
Thy life is now mineas the ring I wear
That seals my hand a wife's。 Die thou shalt not；
But slay； and live。
ALMACHILDES。
Slay whom？
ROSAMUND。
Thy lord and mine。
ALMACHILDES。
I had rather go down quick to hell。
ROSAMUND。
I know it。
I leave thee not the choice。 Keep thou thy hand
Bloodless； and Hildegard； whom yet I love；
Dies； and in fire； the harlot's death of shame。
Last night she lured thee hither。 Hate of me；
Because of late I smote her； being in wrath
Forgetful of her noble maidenhood；
Stung her for shame's sake to take hands with shame。
This if I swear； may she unswear it？ Thou
Canst not but say she bade thee seek her。 She
Lives while I will； as Albovine and thou
Live by my grace and mercy。 Live； or die。
But live thou shalt not longer than her death；
Her death by burning； if thou slay not him。
I see my death shine in thine eyes： I see
My present death inflame them。 That were not
Her surety； Almachildes。 Thou shouldst know me
Now。 Though thou slay me； this may save not her。
My lines are laid about her life； and may not
By breach of mine be broken。
ALMACHILDES。
God must be
Dead。 Such a thing as thou could never else
Live。
ROSAMUND。
That concerns not thee nor me。 Be thou
Sure that my will and power to serve it live。
Lift now thine eyes to look upon thy lord。
Re…enter ALBOVINE。
ALBOVINE。
By this time hath he thanked thee not enough？
ROSAMUND。
More hath he given than thanks。
ALBOVINE。
What more may be？
ROSAMUND。
His plighted faith to heal the wrong he wrought
Faithfully。
ALBOVINE。
Boy； strike then thy hand in mine。
Thou art loyal as I knew thee。
ALMACHILDES。
King； I may not
Touch hands with thee。
ALBOVINE。
Thou art false； then； ha？ Thou hast lied？
ALMACHILDES。
King； till the wrong I have wrought be wreaked or healed
I clasp not hands with honour。 Nay； and then
Perchance I may not。
ALBOVINE。
Boy I called thee： child
I call thee now。 But； boy； the child thou art
Is noble as our sires。
ALMACHILDES。
Would God it were！
＇Exit。
ALBOVINE。
What ails him？
ROSAMUND。
Love and shame。
ALBOVINE。
No more than these？
ROSAMUND。
Enough are they to darken death and life。
ALBOVINE。
Thou art less than gentle towards his love and him。
ROSAMUND。
I would not speak ungently。 Her I love；
Poor child； and him I hate not。
ALBOVINE。
Thou shalt live
To love him too。
ROSAMUND。
This heaviness of heat
Kills love and hate and life in me。 I know not
Aught lovesome save the sweet brief death of sleep。
ALBOVINE。
I am weary as thou。 Good night we may not say …
Good noon I bid thee。 Sleep shall heal us。
ROSAMUND。
Ay；
No healing and no help for life on earth
Hath God or man found out save death and sleep。
＇Exeunt。
ACT IV
The same Scene。
Enter ALMACHILDES and HILDEGARD。
HILDEGARD。
Hast thou forgiven me？
ALMACHILDES。
I have not forgiven
God。
HILDEGARD。
Wilt thou slay thy soul and mine？
ALMACHILDES。
Wilt thou
Madden me？ God hath given us up to her
Who is deadlier than the fiery fang of death …
Us； innocent and loyal。
HILDEGARD。
Nay； if I
Forgive her love of theethough this be hard；
Canst thou forgive not？
ALMACHILDES。
Sweet； for thee and me
Remains no rescue save by death or flight
From worse than flight or death is。
HILDEGARD。
Worse is nought
But shame： and how may shame take hold on us；
On us who have sinned not？ Me she bound to play thee
False； and betray thee to her arms： I might not
Choose； though my heart should rend itself in twain
And cleave with ravenous anguish： yet I live。
Vex not thy soul too sorely： me； not her；
Thy spirit embraced； thine arms and lips made thine
Me； not my darkling wraith； my changeling foe；
My thief of love； our traitress。 This I bid thee；
Forget thy fear and shame to have wronged me： night
Breeds treacherous dreams that can but poison day
If thought be found so base a fool as dares
Fear。 Did I doubt thy love of me； I durst not
Live or look back upon thee。
ALMACHILDES。
Wilt thou then
Fly？
HILDEGARD。
Dost thou know what flight meansthou？
It means
Fear。 And is fear a new…born friend of thine？
ALMACHILDES。
God help us！ if he live； and hate not man …
If Satan be not God。 We will not fly。
Enter ALBOVINE and ROSAMUND。
ALBOVINE。
Fly？ What should love at height of happiness
Or youth at height of honour fear and fly？
Would ye take wing for heaven？ take shame on earth
To wed in peace and honour？
ALMACHILDES。
No； my king。
No； surely。
ROSAMUND。
Weep not； maiden。 Dost not thou；
Man； that we thought her bridegroom sealed of love；
Love her？
ALMACHILDES。
No saint loved ever God as I
Her。
ROSAMUND。
And betray her to shame thou wouldst not？
See；
My lord； the silent answer flash aloud
From cheek and eye a goodly witness。 Thou；
My maiden； dost thou love not him？ Nay； speak。
HILDEGARD。
I cannot say itI cannot strive to say。
ROSAMUND。
Thou shalt。 Are all we not fast bound in love …
My lord and thine； my maiden and her queen；
A fourfold chain of faith twice linked of love？
Speak： let not shame find place where shame is none。
HILDEGARD。
I will not。 King and queen and God shall hear。
I love him as our songs of old time say
Men have been loved of women akin to gods
By blood as they by spirit； albeit in me
Nought lives that woman or man or God could say
Were worth his love； if mine by grace of love
Be found not all unworthy。 Mine am I
No more： mine own in no wise now； but his
To save or slay； to cherish or cast out；
Crown and discrown； abase and comfort。 Shame
Were more to me than honour if his will
It were that shame should clothe me round； and life
Were the only death left fearful if he bade me
Die。 Could his love be turned from me； and set
On one less loving but more fair than I；
A thrall more base than treason or a queen
Too high for shame to brand her shameful； even
Though sin had stamped and signed her foul as fraud
And loathsome as a masked adulterous lie；
Hers would I make him if I might； and yield
To her the hatefullest of hell…born things
The man found lovelier by my love than heaven。
ROSAMUND。
Great love is this to brag of： great and strange。
HILDEGARD。
Love is no braggart： lust and fraud and hate
Vaunt their vile strength when shame unveils them： love
Vaunts not itself。 I spake not uncompelled；
And blushed not out the avowal。
ALBOVINE。
Boy； I held
And hold thee noblest of my lords of war；
And worthier than thine elders born and tried
Ere battle found thee ripe and glad at heart
To stem and swim the tide of spears： but this
I know not if thou be or any man
Be worthy of。
ALMACHILDES。
Of all men born on earth
I am most unworthy of it。 None might be
Worthy。
ROSAMUND。
He weeps： thy boy is humble。
ALMACHILDES。
Queen；
I weep not。 Shamed with no ignoble shame
Thou seest me： but I weep not。 Yea； God knows；
Humbled I am； and humble； not to thee。
ALBOVINE。
Chafe not： and thou； queen though thou be； and mine；
Tempt not a true man's wrath with words that bear
Fangs keener than thou knowest of。
ROSAMUND。
King； henceforth；
Being warned； I will not。 Dangerous as the sea
A true man's wrath isand a true man's love：
A woman's hath no peril in it： her tears
Wash wrath and peril away。
ALBOVINE。
I have never seen thee
Weep。
ROSAMUND。
How should I weepI； thy wife？
ALBOVINE。
I have heard thee
Laugh； and thy smiles were always bright as fire。
ROSAMUND。
Well were it with meay； and reason found
For me to live and do the living world
Some servicecould my husband warm thereat
His heart as winter…stricken hands in frost
Are warmed at winter fires。
ALBOVINE。
No need； no need：
The sun thou art warms all our year with love；
And leaves no chill on winter。
ROSAMUND。
Albovine；
Love now secludes us not from sight of man …
From sight of this my maiden and the man
Who shines but as the battle's boy for thee
But lives for me my maiden's lovertrue
As truth isAlmachildes。
ALBOVINE。
How thy lips
Hang lingering on his name as though 'twere thou
That loved him！ Thou shouldst love thy maiden well。
ROSAMUND。
As she loves me I love her。 Hildegard；
Leave us。 Thou knowest I love thee。
HILDEGARD。
Queen； I know。 ＇Exit。
ALBOVINE。
What ails the boy？ what rapturous agony