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_ ACT IV - SCENE IV
[Night. The garden of the King's palace (as before), but
lighted with torches for the masque. Music swells up and
dies away continually. Maskers pass to and fro between
the palace and the garden. On the broad terrace in front
some of them are dancing a galliard.]
[PRINCE JOHN enters and is met by QUEEN ELINOR, neither of them masked.]
ELINOR.
All safe?
PRINCE JOHN.
Ay, buried and bricked up now, to think
Alone, in the black night, of all I told him.
Thank God, we have heard the last of Robin Hood.
ELINOR.
[She puts on her mask.]
You are sure?
PRINCE JOHN.
I saw him entombed with my own eyes!
Six feet of solid masonry. Look there,
There's the young knight you've lately made your own.
Where is my Lady Marian? Ah, I see her!
With that old hypocrite, Fitzwalter.
[They part. PRINCE JOHN puts on his mask as he goes.]
A LADY.
But tell me
Where is Prince John?
A MASKER.
That burly-shouldered man
By yonder pillar, talking with old Fitzwalter,
And the masked girl, in green, with red-gold hair,
Is Lady Marian!
THE LADY.
Where is Robin Hood?
I have never seen him, but from all one hears
He is a wood-god and a young Apollo,
And a more chaste Actaeon all in one.
MASKER.
Oh, ay, he never watched Diana bathing,
Or, if he did, all Sherwood winked at it.
Who knows? Do you believe a man and maid
Can sleep out in the woods all night, as these
Have slept a hundred times, and put to shame
Our first poor parents; throw the apple aside
And float out of their leafy Paradise
Like angels?
LADY.
No; I fear the forest boughs
Could tell sad tales. Oh, I imagine it--
Married to Robin, by a fat hedge-priest
Under an altar of hawthorn, with a choir
Of sparrows, and a spray of cuckoo-spit
For holy water! Oh, the modest chime
Of blue-bells from a fairy belfry, a veil
Of evening mist, a robe of golden hair;
A blade of grass for a ring; a band of thieves
In Lincoln green to witness the sweet bans;
A glow-worm for a nuptial taper, a bed
Of rose-leaves, and wild thyme and wood-doves' down.
Quick! Draw the bridal curtains--three tall ferns--
Across the cave mouth, lest a star should peep
And make the wild rose leap into her face!
Pish! A sweet maid! But where is Robin Hood?
MASKER.
I know not; but he'd better have a care
Of Mistress Marian. If I know Prince John
He has marked her for his own.
LADY.
I cannot see
What fascinates him.
MASKER.
No, you are right, nor I.
PRINCE JOHN.
Come, Lady Marian, let me lead you out
To tread a measure.
MARIAN.
Pray, sir, pardon me!
I am tired.
FITZWALTER.
[Whispering angrily to her.]
Now, Marian, be not so ungracious.
You both abuse him and disparage us.
His courtiers led the ladies they did choose.
Do not displease him, girl. I pray you, go!
Dance out your galliard. God's dear holy-bread,
Y'are too forgetful. Dance, or by my troth,
You'll move my patience. I say you do us wrong.
MARIAN.
I will do what you will. Lead, lead your dance.
[Exeunt JOHN and MARIAN.]
FIRST MASKER.
[To a lady, as they come up from the garden.]
Will you not let me see your face now, sweet?
LADY.
You hurt my lip with that last kiss of yours.
Hush, do not lean your face so close, I pray you;
Loosen my fingers. There's my lord.
FIRST MASKER.
Where? Where?
Now, if I know him, I shall know your name!
LADY.
That tall man with the damozel in red.
FIRST MASKER.
Oh, never fear him. He, too, wore a mask!
I saw them--
[They pass out talking.]
SECOND MASKER.
[Looking after them.]
Saw you those two turtle-doves!
SECOND LADY.
Yes.
SECOND MASKER.
Come with me, I'll show you where I caught them
Among the roses, half an hour ago.
[They laugh and exeunt into the gardens.
The music swells up and more dancers appear.]
[Enter ROBIN HOOD., still in his forester's garb, but
wearing a mask. He walks as if wounded and in pain. He
sits down in the shadow of a pillar watching, and
partly concealed from the throng.]
THIRD LADY.
Remember now to say you did not see me
Here at the masque.
THIRD MASKER.
Or shall I say that I
Was out in Palestine?
[They pass. Enter little ARTHUR PLANTAGENET. He comes up to ROBIN HOOD.]
ARTHUR.
Are you not Robin Hood?
ROBIN.
Hush, Arthur. Don't you see I wear a mask
Like all the rest to-night?
ARTHUR.
Why do they wear
Masks?
ROBIN.
They must always wear some sort of mask
At court. Sometimes they wear them all their lives.
ARTHUR.
You are jesting, Robin. Now I wanted you
To tell me tales of Sherwood. Tell me how
You saved Will Scarlet.
ROBIN.
Why, I've told you that
A score of times.
ARTHUR.
I know, I want to hear it
Again. Well, tell me of that afternoon
When Lion-Heart came home from the Crusade.
I have often thought of that. It must have been
Splendid! You weren't expecting it at all?
ROBIN.
No, not at all; but, Arthur, tell me first
Have you seen Lady Marian?
ARTHUR.
Yes, I saw her
Treading a measure with my Uncle John!
ROBIN.
Stand where you are and watch; and, if you see her,
Beckon her. Then I'll tell you how the King
Came home from the Crusade.
ARTHUR.
First, let me tell you
Just how I think it was. It must have been
Like a great picture. All your outlaws there
Sitting around your throne of turf, and you
Judging the rich and poor. That's how it was
Last night, I dreamed of it; and you were taking
The baron's gold and giving it to the halt
And blind; and then there was a great big light
Between the trees, as if a star had come
Down to the earth and caught among the boughs,
With beams like big soft swords amongst the ferns
And leaves, and through the light a mighty steed
Stepped, and the King came home from the Crusade.
Was it like that? Was there a shining light?
ROBIN.
I think there must have been, a blinding light,
ARTHUR.
Filling an arch of leaves?
ROBIN.
Yes!
ARTHUR.
That was it!
That's how the King came home from the Crusade.
ROBIN.
But there--you've told the story!
ARTHUR.
Ah, not all!
ROBIN.
No, not quite all. What's that?
[The music suddenly stops. The maskers crowd together whispering excitedly.]
ARTHUR.
Why have they stopped
The music? Ah, there's Hubert. Shall I ask him?
ROBIN.
Yes, quickly, and come back!
[ARTHUR runs up to a masker. Several go by hurriedly.]
FIRST MASKER.
The King is dead!
SECOND MASKER.
Where did it happen? France?
FIRST MASKER.
I know not, sir!
[ARTHUR returns.]
ARTHUR.
Robin, they say the King is dead! So John
Is king now, is he not?
ROBIN.
Ay, John is king!
Now, tell me quickly, use your eyes, my boy,
Where's Lady Marian?
ARTHUR.
Ah, there she is at last,
Alone!
ROBIN.
Go to her quickly, and bring her hither.
[ARTHUR runs off and returns with MARIAN.]
MARIAN.
Robin, thank God, you have returned. I feared--
ROBIN.
No more, dear heart, you must away to Sherwood!
Shadow-of-a-Leaf is waiting by the orchard
With your white palfrey. Away, or the new king
Will hunt us down. I'll try to gain you time.
Go--quickly!
MARIAN.
Robin, your face is white, you are wounded!
What's this--there's blood upon your doublet!
Robin!
ROBIN.
Nothing! Go, quickly!
MARIAN.
Robin, I cannot leave you.
ROBIN.
Go, Marian. If you ever loved me, go.
MARIAN.
You'll follow?
ROBIN.
Oh, with my last breath I will,
God helping me; but I must gain you time!
Quickly! Here comes the King!
MARIAN.
Oh, follow soon!
[Exit.]
[ROBIN sits down again, steadying himself against the pillar.
JOHN appears at the doors of the palace, above the terrace, a
scroll in his hand.]
JOHN.
My friends, the King is dead!
MASKERS.
[Taking off their masks, with a cry.]
Long live King John!
JOHN.
[Coming down amongst them.]
Our masque is ended by this grievous news;
But where's my Lady Marian? I had some word
To speak with her! Not here! Why--
ROBIN.
[Still masked, rises and confronts the King,
who stares at him and shrinks back a little.]
All the masks
Are off, sire! No, perhaps they wear them still.
JOHN.
Who is this?
ROBIN.
One that was dead and lives. You say
Your brother, the great King, is dead. Oh, sire,
If that be so, you'll hear a dead man speak,
For your dead brother's sake. You say the King
Is dead; but you are king. So the King lives!
You are King of England now from sea to sea,
Is it not so? Shout, maskers, once again,
Long live the King!
MASKERS.
Long live the King!
ROBIN.
You see
What power is yours! Your smile is life, your frown
Death. At a word from you the solid earth
Would shake with tramp of armies. You can call
Thousands to throw away their lives like straws
Upon your side, if any foreign king
Dare to affront you.
[He draws nearer to JOHN, who still shrinks a little, as if in fear.]
Richard, you say, is dead,
And yet, O King, I say that the great King
Lives!
[He strikes JOHN across the face. JOHN cowers and staggers
back. The MASKERS draw their swords, the women
scream and rush together. ROBIN turns, sword in hand,
to confront the MASKERS.]
Back, fools; for I say that the great King
Lives. Do not doubt it. Ye have dreamed him dead
How often. Hark, God in heaven, ye know that voice.
[A voice is heard drawing nearer thro' the
distant darkness of the garden, singing.
All listen. JOHN'S face whitens.]
[Song.]
Knight, on the narrow way,
Where wouldst thou ride?
"Onward," I heard him say,
"Love, to thy side."
ROBIN.
'Tis Blondel! Still vaunt-courier to the King,
As when he burst the bonds of Austria! Listen!
[Song nearer.]
"Nay," sang a bird above,
"Stay, for I see
Death, in the mask of love,
Waiting for thee."
MASKERS.
[Resuming their masks and muttering to one another.]
Can the King live? Is this John's treachery? Look,
He is crushed with fear!
ROBIN.
Listen! I'll go to meet him.
[Exit into the garden.]
MASKERS.
It was the song of Blondel! The same song
He made with Richard, long since!--
Blondel's voice!
Just as we heard it on that summer's night
When Lion-Heart came home from the Crusade.
[The Song still drawing nearer.]
"Death! What is Death?" he cried.
"I must ride on,
On to my true love's side,
Up to her throne!"
[Enter BLONDEL, from the garden. He stands,
startled by the scene before him.]
MASKERS.
Blondel! Where is the King? Where is the King?
BLONDEL.
Did ye not know?--Richard, the King, is dead!
MASKERS.
Dead!
JOHN.
Dead! And ye let the living dog escape
That dared snarl at our sovereignty. I know him,
Risen from the dead or not. I know 'twas he,
'Twas Robin Hood! After him; hunt him down!
Let him not live to greet another sun.
After him!
MASKERS.
[Drawing their swords and plunging into the darkness.]
After him; hunt the villain down!
[Curtain.] _
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