Tragic Poem of Wold, The - Act 1, Scene 4
SCENE IV — The Terraced Roof of Mervyn Castle . The Loyal H ARPER , a blind, white-haired old man, with a harp, is seen passing by a little way off, led by his daughter R ACHEL . After them comes a band of young girls, dressed in white, and carrying baskets of flowers.
Enter B LANCHE hastily, followed by L ADY M ERVYN and her old N URSE .
B LANCHE . Quick! here's our village welcome to Lord Wold:
This way, and now, he's looked for to ride in.
L ADY M ER . A sweet device! it makes me glad to see it.
N URSE . Do watch the Silent Lord: see how he'll blush,
Finding it all for him.
L ADY M ER . The Silent Lord?
Ay, but his deeds do speak for him.
N URSE . I to see Wold
Welcomed at Mervyn gate!
L ADY M ER . Why not, good Nurse?
N URSE . Ask, Sweetheart, do! as if the old feud were ne'er
Betwixt your lines!
L ADY M ER . Would I could end it here!
I'll wait and see Lord Wold I've heard of him
For all that's good. It may be that the sense
Of something difficult and forbidden draws me
To Wold; but so it is, I'd like to know
The old Duchess well: I'm sure I'd love her
N URSE . Ay,
But see you don't She's not for you to make
Or meddle with. Old sayings are out against her.
Keep out o' those prophetics!
L ADY M ER . She has seen
Much sorrow in her time?
N URSE . That you may say.
Strange on her looked her father when he saw
She was his only child, thinking, no doubt,
She was the " She " o' the weird, with whom Wold's house
Was doomed to " perish. "
L ADY M ER . May not all this have made her
Sterner than she's by nature, for they say
She's gentle too?
N URSE . Well, she grew up, and Wold
Had still a chance in marriage: she was married
To the last male o' the line, remote of kin
He fell — oh what a day was that for her! —
In single combat 'neath your father's sword,
In her first moon of marriage. Sorrow, said you?
Was not this sorrow?
L ADY M ER . Heavy, heavy!
N URSE . Days,
And nights, she sat in darkness, so they tell,
None with her. No one saw her when the pangs
Of travail were upon her. She brought forth
Her man-child thus — Thomas of Wold. And so
The old house still stands. O how that mother's heart
Was set on her grave boy — sad we may call him,
As if he had fed on the black milk of sorrow
Within her womb. In youth he dwelt apart,
Haunting the old woods with large white-breasted dogs.
And then he went to war — and who so great as he?
Fain would the Duchess see him wed, but he
Is shy as a virgin. Ay, the old prophecy
Is not for nothing: Wold has had its day
How now, my Bird? Well, if there's not a tear
In my child's eye!
L ADY M ER . God bless them both!
B LANCHE . Amen!
L ADY M ER How dark it grows!
B LANCHE . Look up
L ADY M ER . 'Tis black as thunder.
N URSE . Let's in.
B LANCHE . List, list! back comes the Harper, harping.
L ADY M ER . See what a strange unearthly glistering's cast
Down on those white young children! And their song,
What a wild sweetness in't! Look now, they're strewing
Their flowers i' the way: Lord Wold must be at hand
Under that ominous gleam, is it not like
Some spiritual vision? Hark! the hollow sound
Of coming hoofs in the grim hush: Two riders!
N URSE . That dark, staid, stately man's the Silent Lord
B LANCHE . And who's the fair young Knight that rides with him?
Why, what a goodly pair! A plague, say I,
O' their old world quarrels! What have we to do
With gear like that, eh? Let's wave to the brave
N URSE . But see, my child's too deep in her heart-gaze
To wave with you. Well now, if I don't think
She's riveted on Lord Thomas! Help you, Love,
Why look at him so? He's too old for you
L ADY M ER . In my heart's true sincerity, I pray
Heaven give me such a husband!
N URSE . Father, you mean?
In point of years, don't you see he might be
Even my Lord Dunley's father? As for looks,
What's yonder Grimness to your goodly cousin?
L ADY M ER . Well, well.
B LANCHE . 'Tis dreadful dark
L ADY M ER . The good lord looks
As if he did not like the pageantry;
And yet so sweet is it, so simple kind,
He can't be angry. No, see how he smiles
Down on them now.
Oh what a blinding burst
Of fire was there! Ah, mercy! Look! he's down!
The thunderbolt has smote him — 'tis Lord Thomas.
Let's have him in.
Enter B LANCHE hastily, followed by L ADY M ERVYN and her old N URSE .
B LANCHE . Quick! here's our village welcome to Lord Wold:
This way, and now, he's looked for to ride in.
L ADY M ER . A sweet device! it makes me glad to see it.
N URSE . Do watch the Silent Lord: see how he'll blush,
Finding it all for him.
L ADY M ER . The Silent Lord?
Ay, but his deeds do speak for him.
N URSE . I to see Wold
Welcomed at Mervyn gate!
L ADY M ER . Why not, good Nurse?
N URSE . Ask, Sweetheart, do! as if the old feud were ne'er
Betwixt your lines!
L ADY M ER . Would I could end it here!
I'll wait and see Lord Wold I've heard of him
For all that's good. It may be that the sense
Of something difficult and forbidden draws me
To Wold; but so it is, I'd like to know
The old Duchess well: I'm sure I'd love her
N URSE . Ay,
But see you don't She's not for you to make
Or meddle with. Old sayings are out against her.
Keep out o' those prophetics!
L ADY M ER . She has seen
Much sorrow in her time?
N URSE . That you may say.
Strange on her looked her father when he saw
She was his only child, thinking, no doubt,
She was the " She " o' the weird, with whom Wold's house
Was doomed to " perish. "
L ADY M ER . May not all this have made her
Sterner than she's by nature, for they say
She's gentle too?
N URSE . Well, she grew up, and Wold
Had still a chance in marriage: she was married
To the last male o' the line, remote of kin
He fell — oh what a day was that for her! —
In single combat 'neath your father's sword,
In her first moon of marriage. Sorrow, said you?
Was not this sorrow?
L ADY M ER . Heavy, heavy!
N URSE . Days,
And nights, she sat in darkness, so they tell,
None with her. No one saw her when the pangs
Of travail were upon her. She brought forth
Her man-child thus — Thomas of Wold. And so
The old house still stands. O how that mother's heart
Was set on her grave boy — sad we may call him,
As if he had fed on the black milk of sorrow
Within her womb. In youth he dwelt apart,
Haunting the old woods with large white-breasted dogs.
And then he went to war — and who so great as he?
Fain would the Duchess see him wed, but he
Is shy as a virgin. Ay, the old prophecy
Is not for nothing: Wold has had its day
How now, my Bird? Well, if there's not a tear
In my child's eye!
L ADY M ER . God bless them both!
B LANCHE . Amen!
L ADY M ER How dark it grows!
B LANCHE . Look up
L ADY M ER . 'Tis black as thunder.
N URSE . Let's in.
B LANCHE . List, list! back comes the Harper, harping.
L ADY M ER . See what a strange unearthly glistering's cast
Down on those white young children! And their song,
What a wild sweetness in't! Look now, they're strewing
Their flowers i' the way: Lord Wold must be at hand
Under that ominous gleam, is it not like
Some spiritual vision? Hark! the hollow sound
Of coming hoofs in the grim hush: Two riders!
N URSE . That dark, staid, stately man's the Silent Lord
B LANCHE . And who's the fair young Knight that rides with him?
Why, what a goodly pair! A plague, say I,
O' their old world quarrels! What have we to do
With gear like that, eh? Let's wave to the brave
N URSE . But see, my child's too deep in her heart-gaze
To wave with you. Well now, if I don't think
She's riveted on Lord Thomas! Help you, Love,
Why look at him so? He's too old for you
L ADY M ER . In my heart's true sincerity, I pray
Heaven give me such a husband!
N URSE . Father, you mean?
In point of years, don't you see he might be
Even my Lord Dunley's father? As for looks,
What's yonder Grimness to your goodly cousin?
L ADY M ER . Well, well.
B LANCHE . 'Tis dreadful dark
L ADY M ER . The good lord looks
As if he did not like the pageantry;
And yet so sweet is it, so simple kind,
He can't be angry. No, see how he smiles
Down on them now.
Oh what a blinding burst
Of fire was there! Ah, mercy! Look! he's down!
The thunderbolt has smote him — 'tis Lord Thomas.
Let's have him in.
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