HAROLD. Nay--but the council, and the king himself.
QUEEN. Thou hatest him, hatest him.
HAROLD (_coldly_).
Ay--Stigand, unriddle
This vision, canst thou?
STIGAND. Dotage!
EDWARD (_starting up_).
It is finish'd.
I have built the Lord a house--the Lord hath dwelt
In darkness. I have built the Lord a house--
Palms, flowers, pomegranates, golden cherubim
With twenty-cubit wings from wall to wall--
I have built the Lord a house--sing, Asaph! clash
The cymbal, Heman! blow the trumpet, priest!
Fall, cloud, and fill the house--lo! my two pillars,
Jachin and Boaz!-- [_Seeing_ HAROLD _and_ GURTH.
Harold, Gurth,--where am I?
Where is the charter of our Westminster?
STIGAND. It lies beside thee, king, upon thy bed.
EDWARD. Sign, sign at once--take, sign it, Stigand, Aldred!
Sign it, my good son Harold, Gurth, and Leofwin,
Sign it, my queen!
ALL. We have sign'd it.
EDWARD. It is finish'd!
The kingliest Abbey in all Christian lands,
The lordliest, loftiest minster ever built
To Holy Peter in our English isle!
Let me be buried there, and all our kings,
And all our just and wise and holy men
That shall be born hereafter. It is finish'd!
Hast thou had absolution for thine oath? [_To_ HAROLD.
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