Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/429

LEO.: Princes and nobles, I will not accept King Richard’s defiance. He hath been chosen the leader against the Saracens, and if his conscience can answer the accusation of provoking an ally to the field, rather than settle the issue by arbitration, my conscience, at least, cannot endure the reproach of accepting it. But touching this beardless knight of Scotland, or against any other, I will defend my honor in the lists, and prove whoever impeaches it a false liar. I disclaim the motive of insulting the flag of England. What I have done, and what every prince and king in this league has a right to do, was to claim equal honor and rank with the King of England.

BALD: My liege, the archduke of Austria hath spoken like a good knight and a true Crusader, I beseech your gracious Majesty to permit the quarrel to end at this point.

PHIL: And I, brother of England, ask you, on your part, to recall the offensive epithets which you have applied to the noble archduke of Austria.

RICH: My lord archbishop and your Majesty of France, my tongue shall never belie my thoughts. I, Richard of England, have a royal name and a knight’s honor to defend; and defend it I shall at all events and against all odds.

PHIL: Since, then, our rank makes us umpire in this unhappy affair, we appoint the fifth day hence for the decision thereof, according to knightly usage. Richard of England to appear by his champion as challenger, and Leopold of Austria in his own person as defendant.—Meanwhile we dismiss this assembly, and charge you all, as Christian men and noble knights, that ye let this unhappy feud lead to no further brawling in the camp, but regard it as referred to the judgment of Heaven, whose will be done.

Scene 1. (The camp of the Crusaders. Enter Amaury and Conrad.)

AMAU: I ever told thee, Conrad, that Richard would break thru thy flimsy wiles as a lion would thru a spider’s web. Thou hast thought to unbind the knot that held these chiefs to the English Lion; I would call thy plan a good one, had there been in that crowd one Austrian bold enough to cut that knot in twain with his sword. A knot untied may be bound again; but a knot cut asunder remains asunder. I tell thee this English archbishop will yet succeed to tie together the bond thou hast been at such pains to sever.

CON.: Nay, I think not so. Touching the archbishop. I grant you, he is a man of peace; but for that very reason, he is no fighting man. His battle-field is the pulpit, and his sword the crucifix. Think you, man, that Richard will permit himself to be preached into abandoning a knightly quarrel wherein his honor is at stake? No; Richard would as soon fight the archbishop himself as yield a point of honor to the Austrian.

AMAU.: No, Conrad; I tell thee that the storm thou hast aroused will blow over, the straws will settle as quietly as before, and we, mark you, shall be as we were.—Saladin has refused the terms of peace. The time for marching on Jerusalem comes apace, Jerusalem will be taken, and Richard, the leader of the Crusade, will—unless I miss my guess—be crowned King Guardian of the Holy City;—and the Marquis of Montserrat will be well, what he may!

CON.: What? The Englishman King of Jerusalem?

AMAU.: Aye, indeed. So the rumor has it—with Guy de Lusignan as his representative. And this, I greatly fear me, will come to pass, for, I perceive, the Italian dragon has too great a fear of the English Lion.

CON.: What! I fear Richard? No, no more than I fear thee, Sir Knight Templar!

AMAU.: That thou fearest me not I can see by thy half-drawn sword. But forsooth, thou deemest the Knight Templar a lamb, whilst Richard is a lion.

CON.: Lamb or lion, Sir Giles, I care not which; for I had as lief stick