HAROLD. They lied.
WILLIAM. But thou and he--whom at thy word, for thou
Art known a speaker of the truth, I free
From this foul charge--
HAROLD. Nay, nay, he freed himself
By oath and compurgation from the charge.
The king, the lords, the people clear'd him of it.
WILLIAM. But thou and he drove our good Normans out
From England, and this rankles in us yet.
Archbishop Robert hardly scaped with life.
HAROLD. Archbishop Robert! Robert the Archbishop!
Robert of Jumieges, he that--
MALET. Quiet! quiet!
HAROLD. Count! if there sat within the Norman chair
A ruler all for England--one who fill'd
All offices, all bishopricks with English--
We could not move from Dover to the Humber
Saving thro' Norman bishopricks--I say
Ye would applaud that Norman who should drive
The stranger to the fiends!
WILLIAM. Why, that is reason!
Warrior thou art, and mighty wise withal!
Ay, ay, but many among our Norman lords
Hate thee for this, and press upon me--saying
God and the sea have given thee to our hands--
To plunge thee into life-long prison here:--
Yet I hold out against them, as I may,
Yea--would hold out, yea, tho' they should revolt--
For thou hast done the battle in my cause;
I am thy fastest friend in Normandy.
HAROLD. I am doubly bound to thee .
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