--
When Harold goes and Tostig, shall I play
The craftier Tostig with him? fawn upon him?
Chime in with all? 'O thou more saint than king!'
And that were true enough. 'O blessed relics!'
'O Holy Peter!' If he found me thus,
Harold might hate me; he is broad and honest,
Breathing an easy gladness ... not like Aldwyth ...
For which I strangely love him. Should not England
Love Aldwyth, if she stay the feuds that part
The sons of Godwin from the sons of Alfgar
By such a marrying? Courage, noble Aldwyth!
Let all thy people bless thee!
Our wild Tostig,
Edward hath made him Earl: he would be king:--
The dog that snapt the shadow, dropt the bone.--
I trust he may do well, this Gamel, whom
I play upon, that he may play the note
Whereat the dog shall howl and run, and Harold
Hear the king's music, all alone with him,
Pronounced his heir of England.
I see the goal and half the way to it.--
Peace-lover is our Harold for the sake
Of England's wholeness--so--to shake the North
With earthquake and disruption--some division--
Then fling mine own fair person in the gap
A sacrifice to Harold, a peace-offering,
A scape-goat marriage--all the sins of both
The houses on mine head--then a fair life
And bless the Queen of England.
MORCAR (_coming from the thicket_).
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