Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/431

true, as sure as if the Witch of Endor had foretold the event.—Richard, thou knowest, woos danger as a youth woos his bride; he scorns precaution and care, and his very guards have taken the contagion, and are more on their guard for the good quality of their wine, and plenty of it, than for the safety of their royal master.—This evening, as is the custom, there will be the wonted revelry at Richard’s tent. I shall arrange it—for I have easy access to the commissariat—so that their wine will be drugged. The guards will be oppressed with sleep, and then you and I shall come to the hunting of the lion. We shall escape unknown and the guilt will fall upon Austria, because of his feud with the Englishman.—Come, Marquis, be true to thy mettle. The road to Jerusalem is too narrow for two; Richard and thou cannot march abreast. Put Richard out of thy way; then returns harmony and union and strength to the Christian host, the Paynim is crushed, and Marquis of Montserrat is crowned our most royal Majesty, King of Jerusalem. Come! (Exeunt.)

Scene 2. (Evening; before Richard’s pavilion. Discover Blondel, guards and soldiers, drinking and making merry. Two are wrestling.)

Soldiers: Bravo, Long Allen! A hold, a hold! Allen, hold him, man! Others: Throw him, Maurice! Pin his shoulders! Throw him into the arms of mother earth, and show him the stars. ’At aboy! (One of the two is thrown.)

Blondel: (Sings.) (Guards gradually fall asleep: the soldiers, slowly walk off. Enter Richard and De Vaux.)

RICH.: What? Thou still here, Blondel? Methinks it might suffice thee to amuse thy master; but thou must needs give a little to the servants of what belongs to their master. Yet I pardon thee; now get thee to bed.

BLONDEL: Aye, my royal patron. We were but celebrating your royal Majesty’s return to health, and therefore to the path of glory which leads to Jerusalem, though it be, to your Majesty’s joy, thru a hundred thousand Moslems.—God give you good night, my liege. (Exit.)

DE VAUX: Here, my liege, is the message from Saladin.

RICH, Aye, the answer to the Council’s terms of peace. (Reads.) “Saladin, King of kings, to Melech Ric, the Lion of England, and the assembled chiefs of Frangistan. Whereas, we have been informed by your last message that ye have chosen war instead of peace, then know ye, that we, Saladin, Soldan of Egypt and Syria, and general of a thousand tribes, do herewith defy you unto battle, and with the help of Allah and of his Prophet Mahommed, we shall wage a relentless war against every Christian misbeliever found in our realm.”—Confusion on the Paynim and his everlasting liar of a prophet! Aye, Saladin, thou art a good soldier, but it shall go hard if we do not send a few thousand of thy misbelieving dogs to keep company with thy howling prophet.—By my sword, ’tis the best piece of news we have received in a twelvemonth.—What else hast thou, Thomas?

DE VAUX: A packet of dispatches from England, my lord.

RICH: From England—our own England! Alas they little think how hard their sovereign has been beset with sickness and sorrow—with faint friends and forward enemies. (Opens the packet.)—Ha! this comes from no peaceful land!—They too have their feuds and quarrels,—Away, De Vaux; I must peruse these unpleasant tidings alone, and at my leisure.

DE VAUX: God give you pleasant rest, my lord. Good night. (Exit.)

RICH.: (Seats himself and reads.) “Your gracious Majesty’s brother John is in arms against his brother Geoffrey; Geoffrey arms against John, and both against the High Judiciary, the Lord Longchamp. The nobles oppress the peasantry, and the peasants are in arms against the nobles. . .” (Enter Amaury and Conrad cautiously; both muffled.)