My lord the King!
William the Norman, for the wind had changed--
HAROLD. I felt it in the middle of that fierce fight
At Stamford-bridge. William hath landed, ha?
THANE _from Pevensey_. Landed at Pevensey--I am from Pevensey--
Hath wasted all the land at Pevensey--
Hath harried mine own cattle--God confound him!
I have ridden night and day from Pevensey--
A thousand ships--a hundred thousand men--
Thousands of horses, like as many lions
Neighing and roaring as they leapt to land--
HAROLD. How oft in coming hast thou broken bread?
THANE _from Pevensey_.
Some thrice, or so.
HAROLD. Bring not thy hollowness
On our full feast. Famine is fear, were it but
Of being starved. Sit down, sit down, and eat,
And, when again red-blooded, speak again;
(_Aside_.) The men that guarded England to the South
Were scatter'd to the harvest.... No power mine
To hold their force together.... Many are fallen
At Stamford-bridge ... the people stupid-sure
Sleep like their swine ... in South and North at once
I could not be.
(_Aloud_.) Gurth, Leofwin, Morcar, Edwin!
(_Pointing to the revellers_.)
The curse of England! these are drown'd in wassail,
And cannot see the world but thro' their wines!
Leave them! and thee too, Aldwyth, must I leave--
Harsh is the news! hard is our honeymoon!
Thy pardon.
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