SHADOW-OF-A-LEAFCome in, my scraps of Lincoln green; come in,My slips of greenwood. You're much wanted here!Head, heart and eyes, we are all pent up in wallsOf stone—nothing but walls on every side—And not a rose to break them—big blind walls,Neat smooth stone walls! Come in, my ragged robins;Come in, my jolly minions of the moon,My straggling hazel-boughs! Hey, bully friar,Come in, my knotted oak! Ho, little Much,Come in, my sweet green linnet. Come, my cushats,Larks, yellow-hammers, fern-owls, Oh, come in,Come in, my Dian's foresters, and drown usWith may, with blossoming may!FITZWALTEROut, Shadow-of-a-Leaf!Welcome, welcome, good friends of Huntingdon,Or Robin Hood, by whatsoever nameYou best may love him.CRIESRobin! Robin! Robin![EnterRobin Hood.]FITZWALTERRobin, so be it! Myself I am right gladTo call him at this bright betrothal feastMy son.[Lays a hand onRobin'sshoulder.]Yet, though I would not cast a cloudAcross our happy gathering, you'll forgiveAn old man and a father if he seesAll your glad faces thro' a summer mistOf sadness.ROBINSadness? Yes, I understand.FITZWALTERNo, Robin, no, you cannot understand.ROBINWhere's Marian?FITZWALTERAy, that's all you think of, boy.But I must say a word to all of youBefore she comes.ROBINWhy—what?...FITZWALTERNo need to lookSo startled; but it is no secret here;For many of you are sharers of his wildAdventures. Now I hoped an end had comeTo these, until another rumour reached me,This very day, of yet another prank.You know, you know, how perilous a roadMy Marian must ride if HuntingdonTramples the forest-laws beneath his heelAnd, in the thin disguise of Robin Hood,Succours the Saxon outlaws, makes his houseA refuge for them, lavishes his wealthTo feed their sick and needy.[TheSheriffand two of his men appear in the great doorway out of sight of the guests.]SHERIFF[Whispering.]Not yet! keep back!One of you go—see that the guards are set!He must not slip us.FITZWALTEROh, I know his heartIs gold, but this is not an age of gold;And those who have must keep, or lose the powerEven to help themselves. No—he must doffHis green disguise of Robin Hood for ever,And wear his natural coat of Huntingdon.ROBINAh, which is the disguise? Day after dayWe rise and put our social armour on,A different mask for every friend; but steelAlways to case our hearts. We are all so wrapped,So swathed, so muffled in habitual thoughtThat now I swear we do not know our soulsOr bodies from their winding-sheets; but Custom,Custom, the great god Custom, all day longShovels the dirt upon us where we lieBuried alive and dreaming that we standUpright and royal. Sir, I have great doubtsAbout this world, doubts if we have the rightTo sit down here for this betrothal feastAnd gorge ourselves with plenty, when we knowThat for the scraps and crumbs which we let fallAnd never miss, children would kiss our handsAnd women weep in gratitude. SupposeA man fell wounded at your gates, you'd notPass on and smile and leave him there to die.And can a few short miles of distance blind you?Miles, nay, a furlong is enough to closeThe gates of mercy. Must we thrust our handsInto the wounds before we can believe?Oh, is our sight so thick and gross? We came,We saw, we conquered with the Conqueror.We gave ourselves broad lands; and when our kingDesired a wider hunting ground we setHundreds of Saxon homes a-blaze and tossedWomen and children back into the fireIf they but wrung their hands against our will.And so we made our forest, and its leavesWere pitiful, more pitiful than man.They gave our homeless victims the same refugeAnd happy hiding place they give the birdsAnd foxes. Then we made our forest-laws,And he that dared to hunt, even for food,Even on the ground where we had burned his hut,The ground we had drenched with his own kindred's blood,Poor foolish churl, why, we put out his eyesWith red-hot irons, cut off both his hands,Torture him with such horrors that ... Christ God,How can I help but fight against it all?SHADOW-OF-A-LEAFAh, gossips, if the Conqueror had but burnedEverything with four walls, hut, castle, palace,And turned the whole wide world into a forest,Drenched us with may, we might be happy then!With sweet blue wood-smoke curling thro' the boughs,And just a pigeon's flap to break the silence,And ferns, of course, there's much to make men happy.Well, well, the forest conquers at the last!I saw a thistle in the castle courtyard,A purple thistle breaking thro' the pavement,Yesterday; and it's wonderful how soonSome creepers pick these old grey walls to pieces.These nunneries and these monasteries now,They don't spring up like flowers, so I supposeOld mother Nature wins the race at last.FITZWALTERRobin, my heart is with you, but I knowA hundred ages will not change this earth.SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF[With a candle in his hand.]Gossip, suppose the sun goes out like this.Pouf![Blows it out.]Stranger things have happened.FITZWALTERSilence, fool!...So, if you share your wealth with all the worldEarth will be none the better, and my poor girlWill suffer for it. Where you got the goldYou have already lavished on the poorHeaven knows.FRIAR TUCKOh, by the mass and the sweet moonOf Sherwood, so do I? That's none so hardA riddle!SHADOW-OF-A-LEAFAh, Friar Tuck, we know, we know!Under the hawthorn bough, and at the footOf rainbows, that's where fairies hide their gold.Cut me a silver penny out of the moonNext time you're there.[Whispers.]Now tell me, have you broughtYour quarter-staff?FRIAR TUCK[Whispering.]Hush! hush.SHADOW-OF-A-LEAFOh, mum's the word!I see it!FITZWALTERBelieve me, Robin, there's one wayAnd only one—patience! When Lion-HeartComes home from the Crusade, he will not brookThis blot upon our chivalry. Prince JohnIs dangerous to a heart like yours. BewareOf rousing him. Meanwhile, your troth holds good;But, till the King comes home from the CrusadeYou must not claim your bride.ROBINSo be it, then....When the great King comes home from the Crusade!...FITZWALTERMeanwhile for Marian's sake and mine, I prayDo nothing rash.[EnterWidow Scarlet. She goes up toRobin Hood.]WIDOW SCARLETAre you that Robin HoodThey call the poor man's friend?ROBINI am.WIDOW SCARLETThey told me,They told me I should find you here. They told me!ROBINCome, mother, what's the trouble?WIDOW SCARLETSir, my sonWill Scarlet lies in gaol at NottinghamFor killing deer in Sherwood! Sir, they'll hang him.He only wanted food for him and me!They'll kill him, I tell you, they'll kill him. I can't helpCrying it out. He's all I have, all! Save him!I'll pray for you, I'll ...ROBIN[ToFitzwalter, as he raisesWidow Scarletgently to her feet.]Sir, has not the KingCome home from the Crusade? Does not your heartFling open wide its gates to welcome him?FITZWALTERRobin, you set me riddles. Follow your conscience.Do what seems best.ROBINI hope there is a way,Mother. I knew Will Scarlet. Better heartThere never beat beneath a leather jerkin.He loved the forest and the forest loves him;And if the lads that wear the forest's liveryOf living green should happen to break outAnd save Will Scarlet (as on my soul I swear,Mother, they shall!) why, that's a matter noneShall answer for to prince, or king, or God,But you and Robin Hood; and if the judgmentStrike harder upon us than the heavenly smileOf sunshine thro' the greenwood, may it fallUpon my head alone.[Enter theSheriff, with two of his men.]SHERIFF[Reads.]In the King's name!Thou, Earl of Huntingdon, by virtue of this writ art herebyattainted and deprived of thine earldom, thy lands and all thygoods and chattels whatsoever and whereas thou hast at diverstimes trespassed against the officers of the king by force ofarms, thou art hereby outlawed and banished the realm.ROBINThat's well.[He laughs.]It puts an end to the great questionOf how I shall dispose my wealth, Fitzwalter.But "banished"?—No! that is beyond their powerWhile I have power to breathe, unless they banishThe kind old oaks of Sherwood. They may call it"Outlawed," perhaps.FITZWALTERWho let the villain inThro' doors of mine?CRIESOut with him! Out with him![The guests draw swords and theSheriffretreats thro' the doorway with his men.]ROBINStop!Put up your swords! He had his work to do.[Widow Scarletfalls sobbing at his feet.]WIDOW SCARLETO master, master, who will save my son,My son?ROBIN[Raising her.]Why, mother, this is but a dream,This poor fantastic strutting show of law!And you shall wake with us in Sherwood ForestAnd find Will Scarlet in your arms again.Come, cheerly, cheerly, we shall overcomeAll this. Hark![A bugle sounds in the distance. There is a scuffle in the doorway andLittle Johnbursts in with his head bleeding.]LITTLE JOHNMaster, master, come away!They are setting a trap for thee, drawing their linesAll round the castle.ROBINHow now, Little John,They have wounded thee! Art hurt?LITTLE JOHNNo, no, that's nothing.Only a bloody cockscomb. Come, be swift,Or, if thou wert a fox, thou'dst never slipBetween 'em. Ah, hear that?[Another bugle sounds from another direction.]That's number two.Two sides cut off already. When the thirdSounds—they will have thee, sure as eggs is eggs.Prince John is there, Fitzwalter cannot save 'ee.They'll burn the castle down.ROBINPrince John is there?LITTLE JOHNAy, and my lord Fitzwalter had best lookWell to my mistress Marian, if these earsHeard right as I came creeping thro' their lines.Look well to her, my lord, look well to her.Come, master, come, for God's sake, come away.FITZWALTERRobin, this is thy rashness. I warned thee, boy!Prince John! Nay, that's too perilous a jestFor even a prince to play with me. Come, Robin,You must away and quickly.ROBINLet me haveOne word with Marian.LITTLE JOHNIt would be the lastOn earth. Come, if you ever wish to seeHer face again.FITZWALTERCome, Robin, are you mad?You'll bring us all to ruin![He opens a little door in the wall.]The secret passage,This brings you out by Much the Miller's wheel,Thro' an otter's burrow in the river bank.Come, quick, or you'll destroy us! Take this lanthorn.If you're in danger, slip into the streamAnd let it carry you down into the heartOf Sherwood. Come now, quickly, you must go!ROBINThe old cave, lads, in Sherwood, you know whereTo find me. Friar Tuck, bring Widow ScarletThither to-morrow, with a word or twoFrom Lady Marian!FITZWALTERQuickly, quickly, go.[He pushesRobinandLittle Johninto the opening and shuts the door. A pause.]Oh, I shall pay for this, this cursed folly!Henceforth I swear I wash my hands of him![EnterMarian, from a door on the right above the banqueting hall. She pauses, pale and frightened, on the broad steps leading down.]MARIANFather, where's Robin?FITZWALTERChild, I bade you stayUntil I called you.MARIANSomething frightened me!Father, where's Robin? Where's Robin?FITZWALTERHush, Marian, hark![All stand listening.]SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF[Stealing to the foot of the stairs and whispering toLady Marian.]Lady, they're all so silent now. I'll tell youI had a dream last night—there was a manThat bled to death, because of four grey wallsAnd a black-hooded nun.FITZWALTER[Angrily.]Hist, Shadow-of-a-Leaf![The third bugle sounds. There is a clamour at the doors. EnterPrince Johnand his retainers.]JOHN[Mockingly.]Now this is fortunate! I come in timeTo see—Oh, what a picture! Lady Marian,Forgive me—coming suddenly out of the darkAnd seeing you there, robed in that dazzling whiteAbove these verdant gentlemen, I feelLike one that greets the gracious evening starThro' a gap in a great wood.Is aught amiss?Why are you all so silent? Ah, my good,My brave Fitzwalter, I most ferventlyTrust I am not inopportune.FITZWALTERMy lord,I am glad that you can jest. I am sadly grievedAnd sorely disappointed in that youthWho has incurred your own displeasure.JOHNAh?Your future son-in-law?FITZWALTERNever on earth!He is outlawed—MARIANOutlawed!FITZWALTERAnd I wash my handsOf Huntingdon. His shadow shall not darkenMy doors again!JOHNThat's vehement! Ha! ha!And what does Lady Marian say?MARIANMy fatherSpeaks hastily. I am not so unworthy.FITZWALTERUnworthy?MARIANYes, unworthy as to desert himBecause he is in trouble—the bravest manIn England since the days of Hereward.You know why he is outlawed!FITZWALTER[ToPrince John.]Sir, she speaksAs the spoilt child of her old father's dotage.Give her no heed. She shall not meet with himOn earth again, and till she promise this,She'll sun herself within the castle gardenAnd never cross the draw-bridge.MARIANThen I'll swimThe moat!FRIAR TUCKHa! ha! well spoken.MARIANOh, you forget,Father, you quite forget there is a King;And, when the King comes home from the Crusade,Will you forget Prince John and change once more?[Murmurs of assent from theForesters.]JOHNEnough of this.Though I be prince, I am vice-gerent too!Fitzwalter, I would have some private talkWith you and Lady Marian. Bid your guestsRemove a little—FITZWALTERI'll lead them all within!And let them make what cheer they may. Come, friends.[He leads them up the stairs to the inner room.]My lord, I shall return immediately![ExeuntFitzwalterand the guests.]JOHNMarian!MARIANMy lord!JOHN[Drawing close to her.]I have come to urge a pleaOn your behalf as well as on my own!Listen, you may not know it—I must tell you.I have watched your beauty growing like a flower,With—why should I not say it—worship; yes,Marian, I will not hide it.MARIANSir, you are mad!Sir, and your bride, your bride, not three months wedded!You cannot mean ...JOHNListen to me! Ah, Marian,You'd be more merciful if you knew all!D'you think that princes wed to please themselves?MARIANSir, English maidens do; and I am plightedNot to a prince, but to an outlawed man.JOHNListen to me! One word! Marian, one word!I never meant you harm! Indeed, what harmCould come of this? Is not your father poor?I'd make him rich! Is not your lover outlawed?I'd save him from the certain death that waits him.You say the forest-laws afflict your soulAnd his—you say you'd die for their repeal!Well—I'll repeal them. All the churls in EnglandShall bless your name and mix it in their prayersWith heaven itself.MARIANThe price?JOHNYou call it that!To let me lay the world before your feet,To let me take this little hand in mine.Why should I hide my love from you?MARIANNo more,I'll hear no more! You are a prince, you say?JOHNOne word—suppose it some small sacrifice,To save those churls for whom you say your heartBleeds; yet you will not lift your little fingerTo save them! And what hinders you?—A breath,A dream, a golden rule! Can you not break itFor a much greater end?MARIANI'd die to save them.JOHNThen live to save them.MARIANNo, you will not let me;D'you think that bartering my soul will helpTo save another? If there's no way but this,Then through my lips those suffering hundreds cry,We choose the suffering. All that is good in them,All you have left, all you have not destroyed,Cries out against you: and I'll go to them,Suffer and toil and love and die with themRather than touch your hand. You over-rateYour power to hurt our souls. You are mistaken!There is a golden rule!JOHNAnd with such lipsYou take to preaching! I was a fool to worryYour soul with reason. With hair like yours—it's hopeless!But Marian—you shall hear me.[He catches her in his arms.]Yes, by God,Marian, you shall! I love you.MARIAN[Struggling.]You should not live!JOHNOne kiss, then! Devil take it.[EnterFitzwalterabove.]MARIAN[Wresting herself free.]You should not live!Were I a man and not a helpless girlYou should not live!JOHNCome, now, that's very wicked.See how these murderous words affright your father.My good Fitzwalter, there's no need to lookSo ghastly. For your sake and hers and mineI have been trying to make your girl forgetThe name of Huntingdon. A few short monthsAt our gay court would blot his memory out!I promise her a life of dazzling pleasures,And, in return she flies at me—a tigress—Clamouring for my blood! Try to persuade her!FITZWALTERMy lord, you are very good. She must decideHerself.JOHN[Angrily.]I'll not be trifled with! I holdThe hand of friendship out and you evade it,The moment I am gone, back comes your outlaw.You say you have no power with your own child!Well, then I'll take her back this very night;Back to the court with me. How do I knowWhat treasons you are hatching here? I'll take herAs hostage for yourself.FITZWALTERMy lord, you jest!I have sworn to you.JOHNNo more! If you be loyal,What cause have you to fear?FITZWALTERMy lord, I'll giveA hundred other pledges; but not this.JOHNBy heaven, will you dictate your terms to me?I say that she shall come back to the courtThis very night! Ho, there, my men.[EnterJohn'sretainers.]EscortThis lady back with us.FITZWALTERBack there, keep back. Prince or no prince,I say she shall not go![He draws his sword.]I'd rather see herBegging in rags with outlawed HuntingdonThan that one finger of yours should soil her glove.JOHNSo here's an end of fawning, here's the truth,My old white-bearded hypocrite. Come, take her,Waste no more time. Let not the old fool daunt youWith that great skewer.FITZWALTER[AsJohn'smen advance.]By God, since you will have it,Since you will drive me to my last resort,Break down my walls, and hound me to the forest,This is the truth! Out of my gates! Ho, help!A Robin Hood! A Robin Hood![There is a clamour from the upper room. The doors are flung open and theForestersappear at the head of the steps.]FRIAR TUCK[Coming down into the hall and brandishing his quarter-staff.]A Robin?Who calls on Robin Hood? His men are hereTo answer.FITZWALTERDrive these villains out of my gates.FRIAR TUCK[ToPrince John.]Sir, I perceive you are a man of wisdom,So let me counsel you. There's not a ladUp yonder, but at four-score yards can shootA swallow on the wing. They have drunken deep.I cannot answer but their hands might looseTheir shafts before they know it. Now shall I giveThe word? Ready, my lads![TheForestersmake ready to shoot.Johnhesitates for a moment.]JOHNMy Lady Marian,One word, and then I'll take my leave of you![She pays no heed.]Farewell, then! I have five-score men at hand!And they shall be but lightning to the hellOf my revenge, Fitzwalter. I will not leaveOne stone upon another. From this night's workShall God Himself not save you.[ExeuntJohnand his men.]FRIAR TUCK[As they go out.]My Lord Fitzwalter!I have confessed him! Shall I bid 'em shoot?'Twill save a world of trouble.FITZWALTERNo; or the KingHimself will come against me. Follow them out,Drive them out of my gates, then raise the drawbridgeAnd let none cross. Oh, I foresaw, foretold!Robin has wrecked us all![Exeunt theForestersandFitzwalter.Shadow-of-a-Leafremains alone withMarian.]MARIAN[She flings herself down on a couch and buries her head in her arms.]O Robin, Robin,I cannot lose you now!SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF[Sitting at her feet. The lights grow dim.]Ah, well, the princePromised to break the walls down. Don't you thinkThese villains are a sort of ploughshare, lady,And where they plough, who knows what wheat may spring!The lights are burning low and very low;So, Lady Marian, let me tell my dream.There was a forester that bled to deathBecause of four grey walls and a black nunWhose face I could not see—but, oh, beware!Though I am but your fool, your Shadow-of-a-Leaf,Dancing before the wild winds of the future,I feel them thrilling through my tattered witsLong ere your wisdom feels them. My poor brainIs like a harp hung in a willow-treeSwept by the winds of fate. I am but a fool,But oh, beware of that black-hooded nun.MARIANThis is no time for jesting, Shadow-of-a-Leaf.SHADOW-OF-A-LEAFThe lights are burning low. Do you not feelA cold breath on your face?MARIANFling back that shutter!Look out and tell me what is happening.SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF[Flinging back the shutter.]Look,Look, gossip, how the moon comes dancing in.Ah, they have driven Prince John across the drawbridge.They are raising it, now![There are cries in the distance, then a heavy sound of chains clanking and silence.Shadow-of-a-Leafturns from the window and stands in the stream of moonlight, pointing to the door on the left.]Look! Look!MARIAN[Starting up with a cry of fear.]Ah![The tall figure of a nun glides into the moonlit hall and throwing back her hood reveals the face ofQueen Elinor.]ELINORLady Marion,Tell me quickly, where is Huntingdon hiding?MARIANThe Queen!ELINORYes! Yes! I donned this uncouth garbTo pass through your besiegers. If Prince JohnDiscover it, all is lost. Come, tell me quickly,Where is Robin?MARIANEscaped, I hope.ELINORNot here?MARIANNo!ELINORCome, dear Lady Marian, do not doubt me.I am here to save you both.MARIANHe is not here.ELINORAh, but you know where I may find him, Marian.All will be lost if you delay to tell meWhere I may speak with him. He is in peril.By dawn Prince John will have five hundred menBeleaguering the castle. You are all ruinedUnless you trust me! Armies will scour the woodsTo hunt him down. Even now he may be wounded,Helpless to save himself.MARIANWounded!ELINORDear child,Take me to him. Here, on this holy cross,My mother's dying gift, I swear to youI wish to save him.MARIANOh, but how?ELINORTrust me!MARIANWounded! He may be wounded! Oh, if I could,I'd go to him! I am helpless, prisoned here.My father ...ELINORI alone can save your father.Give me your word that if I can persuade him,You'll lead me to your lover's hiding place,And let me speak with him.[EnterFitzwalter.]Ah, my Lord Fitzwalter!FITZWALTERThe queen! O madam, madam, I am drivenBeyond myself. This girl, this foolish girlHas brought us all to ruin. This Huntingdon,As I foresaw, foresaw, foretold, foretold,Has dragged me down with him.ELINORI am on your side,If you will hear me; and you yet may gainA son in Robin Hood.FITZWALTERMadam, I swearI have done with him. I pray you do not jest;But if you'll use your power to save my lands ...I was provoked!...Prince John required this child here—ELINOROh, I know!But you'll forgive him that! I do not wonderThat loveliness like hers—FITZWALTERAy, but you'll pardonA father's natural anger. Madam, I swearI was indeed provoked. But you'll assure himI've washed my hands of Huntingdon.MARIANAnd yetHis men are, even now, guarding your walls!Father, you cannot, you shall not—FITZWALTEROh, be silent!Who wrapt me in this tangle? Are you bentOn driving me out in my old age to seekShelter in caves and woods?ELINORMy good Fitzwalter,It has not come to that! If you will trust meAll will be well; but I must speak a wordWith Robin Hood.FITZWALTERYou!ELINOROh, I have a reason.Your daughter knows his hiding place.FITZWALTERShe knows!ELINOROh, trust them both for that. I am risking much!To-morrow she shall guide me there. This birdBeing flown, trust me to make your peace with John.FITZWALTERBut—Marian!ELINORShe'll be safer far with Robin,Than loitering here until your roof-tree burns.I think you know it. Fitzwalter, I can save you,I swear it on this cross.FITZWALTERBut—Marian! Marian!ELINORYour castle wrapt in flame!...There's nought to fear,If she could—Marian, once, at a court masque,You wore a page's dress of Lincoln green,And a green hood that muffled half your face,I could have sworn 'twas Robin come again—He was my page, you know—Wear it to-morrow—go, child, bid your maidMake ready—we'll set out betimes.MARIAN[Going up to her father.]I'll go,If you will let me, father. He may be wounded!Father, forgive me. Let me go to him.ELINORGo, child, first do my bidding. He'll consentWhen you return.[ExitMarian.]My dear good friend Fitzwalter,Trust me,Ihave some power with Huntingdon.All shall be as you wish. I'll let her guide me,But—as for her—she shall not even see himUnless you wish. Trust me to wind them allAround my little finger.FITZWALTERIt is dark here.Let us within. Madam, I think you are right.And you'll persuade Prince John?ELINOR[As they go up the steps.]I swear by this,This holy cross, my mother's dying gift!FITZWALTERIt's very sure he'd burn the castle down.[Exeunt.]SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF[Coming out into the moonlight and staring up after them.]The nun! The nun! They'll whip me if I speak,For I am only Shadow-of-a-Leaf, the Fool.[Curtain.]
SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF
Come in, my scraps of Lincoln green; come in,My slips of greenwood. You're much wanted here!Head, heart and eyes, we are all pent up in wallsOf stone—nothing but walls on every side—And not a rose to break them—big blind walls,Neat smooth stone walls! Come in, my ragged robins;Come in, my jolly minions of the moon,My straggling hazel-boughs! Hey, bully friar,Come in, my knotted oak! Ho, little Much,Come in, my sweet green linnet. Come, my cushats,Larks, yellow-hammers, fern-owls, Oh, come in,Come in, my Dian's foresters, and drown usWith may, with blossoming may!
FITZWALTER
Out, Shadow-of-a-Leaf!Welcome, welcome, good friends of Huntingdon,Or Robin Hood, by whatsoever nameYou best may love him.
CRIES
Robin! Robin! Robin!
[EnterRobin Hood.]
FITZWALTER
Robin, so be it! Myself I am right gladTo call him at this bright betrothal feastMy son.
[Lays a hand onRobin'sshoulder.]
Yet, though I would not cast a cloudAcross our happy gathering, you'll forgiveAn old man and a father if he seesAll your glad faces thro' a summer mistOf sadness.
ROBIN
Sadness? Yes, I understand.
FITZWALTER
No, Robin, no, you cannot understand.
ROBIN
Where's Marian?
FITZWALTER
Ay, that's all you think of, boy.But I must say a word to all of youBefore she comes.
ROBIN
Why—what?...
FITZWALTER
No need to lookSo startled; but it is no secret here;For many of you are sharers of his wildAdventures. Now I hoped an end had comeTo these, until another rumour reached me,This very day, of yet another prank.You know, you know, how perilous a roadMy Marian must ride if HuntingdonTramples the forest-laws beneath his heelAnd, in the thin disguise of Robin Hood,Succours the Saxon outlaws, makes his houseA refuge for them, lavishes his wealthTo feed their sick and needy.
[TheSheriffand two of his men appear in the great doorway out of sight of the guests.]
SHERIFF
[Whispering.]
Not yet! keep back!One of you go—see that the guards are set!He must not slip us.
FITZWALTER
Oh, I know his heartIs gold, but this is not an age of gold;And those who have must keep, or lose the powerEven to help themselves. No—he must doffHis green disguise of Robin Hood for ever,And wear his natural coat of Huntingdon.
ROBIN
Ah, which is the disguise? Day after dayWe rise and put our social armour on,A different mask for every friend; but steelAlways to case our hearts. We are all so wrapped,So swathed, so muffled in habitual thoughtThat now I swear we do not know our soulsOr bodies from their winding-sheets; but Custom,Custom, the great god Custom, all day longShovels the dirt upon us where we lieBuried alive and dreaming that we standUpright and royal. Sir, I have great doubtsAbout this world, doubts if we have the rightTo sit down here for this betrothal feastAnd gorge ourselves with plenty, when we knowThat for the scraps and crumbs which we let fallAnd never miss, children would kiss our handsAnd women weep in gratitude. SupposeA man fell wounded at your gates, you'd notPass on and smile and leave him there to die.And can a few short miles of distance blind you?Miles, nay, a furlong is enough to closeThe gates of mercy. Must we thrust our handsInto the wounds before we can believe?Oh, is our sight so thick and gross? We came,We saw, we conquered with the Conqueror.We gave ourselves broad lands; and when our kingDesired a wider hunting ground we setHundreds of Saxon homes a-blaze and tossedWomen and children back into the fireIf they but wrung their hands against our will.And so we made our forest, and its leavesWere pitiful, more pitiful than man.They gave our homeless victims the same refugeAnd happy hiding place they give the birdsAnd foxes. Then we made our forest-laws,And he that dared to hunt, even for food,Even on the ground where we had burned his hut,The ground we had drenched with his own kindred's blood,Poor foolish churl, why, we put out his eyesWith red-hot irons, cut off both his hands,Torture him with such horrors that ... Christ God,How can I help but fight against it all?
SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF
Ah, gossips, if the Conqueror had but burnedEverything with four walls, hut, castle, palace,And turned the whole wide world into a forest,Drenched us with may, we might be happy then!With sweet blue wood-smoke curling thro' the boughs,And just a pigeon's flap to break the silence,And ferns, of course, there's much to make men happy.Well, well, the forest conquers at the last!I saw a thistle in the castle courtyard,A purple thistle breaking thro' the pavement,Yesterday; and it's wonderful how soonSome creepers pick these old grey walls to pieces.These nunneries and these monasteries now,They don't spring up like flowers, so I supposeOld mother Nature wins the race at last.
FITZWALTER
Robin, my heart is with you, but I knowA hundred ages will not change this earth.
SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF
[With a candle in his hand.]
Gossip, suppose the sun goes out like this.Pouf!
[Blows it out.]
Stranger things have happened.
FITZWALTER
Silence, fool!...So, if you share your wealth with all the worldEarth will be none the better, and my poor girlWill suffer for it. Where you got the goldYou have already lavished on the poorHeaven knows.
FRIAR TUCK
Oh, by the mass and the sweet moonOf Sherwood, so do I? That's none so hardA riddle!
SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF
Ah, Friar Tuck, we know, we know!Under the hawthorn bough, and at the footOf rainbows, that's where fairies hide their gold.Cut me a silver penny out of the moonNext time you're there.
[Whispers.]
Now tell me, have you broughtYour quarter-staff?
FRIAR TUCK
[Whispering.]
Hush! hush.
SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF
Oh, mum's the word!I see it!
FITZWALTER
Believe me, Robin, there's one wayAnd only one—patience! When Lion-HeartComes home from the Crusade, he will not brookThis blot upon our chivalry. Prince JohnIs dangerous to a heart like yours. BewareOf rousing him. Meanwhile, your troth holds good;But, till the King comes home from the CrusadeYou must not claim your bride.
ROBIN
So be it, then....When the great King comes home from the Crusade!...
FITZWALTER
Meanwhile for Marian's sake and mine, I prayDo nothing rash.
[EnterWidow Scarlet. She goes up toRobin Hood.]
WIDOW SCARLET
Are you that Robin HoodThey call the poor man's friend?
ROBIN
I am.
WIDOW SCARLET
They told me,They told me I should find you here. They told me!
ROBIN
Come, mother, what's the trouble?
WIDOW SCARLET
Sir, my sonWill Scarlet lies in gaol at NottinghamFor killing deer in Sherwood! Sir, they'll hang him.He only wanted food for him and me!They'll kill him, I tell you, they'll kill him. I can't helpCrying it out. He's all I have, all! Save him!I'll pray for you, I'll ...
ROBIN
[ToFitzwalter, as he raisesWidow Scarletgently to her feet.]
Sir, has not the KingCome home from the Crusade? Does not your heartFling open wide its gates to welcome him?
FITZWALTER
Robin, you set me riddles. Follow your conscience.Do what seems best.
ROBIN
I hope there is a way,Mother. I knew Will Scarlet. Better heartThere never beat beneath a leather jerkin.He loved the forest and the forest loves him;And if the lads that wear the forest's liveryOf living green should happen to break outAnd save Will Scarlet (as on my soul I swear,Mother, they shall!) why, that's a matter noneShall answer for to prince, or king, or God,But you and Robin Hood; and if the judgmentStrike harder upon us than the heavenly smileOf sunshine thro' the greenwood, may it fallUpon my head alone.
[Enter theSheriff, with two of his men.]
SHERIFF
[Reads.]
In the King's name!Thou, Earl of Huntingdon, by virtue of this writ art herebyattainted and deprived of thine earldom, thy lands and all thygoods and chattels whatsoever and whereas thou hast at diverstimes trespassed against the officers of the king by force ofarms, thou art hereby outlawed and banished the realm.
ROBIN
That's well.
[He laughs.]
It puts an end to the great questionOf how I shall dispose my wealth, Fitzwalter.But "banished"?—No! that is beyond their powerWhile I have power to breathe, unless they banishThe kind old oaks of Sherwood. They may call it"Outlawed," perhaps.
FITZWALTER
Who let the villain inThro' doors of mine?
CRIES
Out with him! Out with him!
[The guests draw swords and theSheriffretreats thro' the doorway with his men.]
ROBIN
Stop!Put up your swords! He had his work to do.
[Widow Scarletfalls sobbing at his feet.]
WIDOW SCARLET
O master, master, who will save my son,My son?
ROBIN
[Raising her.]
Why, mother, this is but a dream,This poor fantastic strutting show of law!And you shall wake with us in Sherwood ForestAnd find Will Scarlet in your arms again.Come, cheerly, cheerly, we shall overcomeAll this. Hark!
[A bugle sounds in the distance. There is a scuffle in the doorway andLittle Johnbursts in with his head bleeding.]
LITTLE JOHN
Master, master, come away!They are setting a trap for thee, drawing their linesAll round the castle.
ROBIN
How now, Little John,They have wounded thee! Art hurt?
LITTLE JOHN
No, no, that's nothing.Only a bloody cockscomb. Come, be swift,Or, if thou wert a fox, thou'dst never slipBetween 'em. Ah, hear that?
[Another bugle sounds from another direction.]
That's number two.Two sides cut off already. When the thirdSounds—they will have thee, sure as eggs is eggs.Prince John is there, Fitzwalter cannot save 'ee.They'll burn the castle down.
ROBIN
Prince John is there?
LITTLE JOHN
Ay, and my lord Fitzwalter had best lookWell to my mistress Marian, if these earsHeard right as I came creeping thro' their lines.Look well to her, my lord, look well to her.Come, master, come, for God's sake, come away.
FITZWALTER
Robin, this is thy rashness. I warned thee, boy!Prince John! Nay, that's too perilous a jestFor even a prince to play with me. Come, Robin,You must away and quickly.
ROBIN
Let me haveOne word with Marian.
LITTLE JOHN
It would be the lastOn earth. Come, if you ever wish to seeHer face again.
FITZWALTER
Come, Robin, are you mad?You'll bring us all to ruin!
[He opens a little door in the wall.]
The secret passage,This brings you out by Much the Miller's wheel,Thro' an otter's burrow in the river bank.Come, quick, or you'll destroy us! Take this lanthorn.If you're in danger, slip into the streamAnd let it carry you down into the heartOf Sherwood. Come now, quickly, you must go!
ROBIN
The old cave, lads, in Sherwood, you know whereTo find me. Friar Tuck, bring Widow ScarletThither to-morrow, with a word or twoFrom Lady Marian!
FITZWALTER
Quickly, quickly, go.
[He pushesRobinandLittle Johninto the opening and shuts the door. A pause.]
Oh, I shall pay for this, this cursed folly!Henceforth I swear I wash my hands of him!
[EnterMarian, from a door on the right above the banqueting hall. She pauses, pale and frightened, on the broad steps leading down.]
MARIAN
Father, where's Robin?
FITZWALTER
Child, I bade you stayUntil I called you.
MARIAN
Something frightened me!Father, where's Robin? Where's Robin?
FITZWALTER
Hush, Marian, hark!
[All stand listening.]
SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF
[Stealing to the foot of the stairs and whispering toLady Marian.]
Lady, they're all so silent now. I'll tell youI had a dream last night—there was a manThat bled to death, because of four grey wallsAnd a black-hooded nun.
FITZWALTER
[Angrily.]
Hist, Shadow-of-a-Leaf!
[The third bugle sounds. There is a clamour at the doors. EnterPrince Johnand his retainers.]
JOHN
[Mockingly.]
Now this is fortunate! I come in timeTo see—Oh, what a picture! Lady Marian,Forgive me—coming suddenly out of the darkAnd seeing you there, robed in that dazzling whiteAbove these verdant gentlemen, I feelLike one that greets the gracious evening starThro' a gap in a great wood.Is aught amiss?Why are you all so silent? Ah, my good,My brave Fitzwalter, I most ferventlyTrust I am not inopportune.
FITZWALTER
My lord,I am glad that you can jest. I am sadly grievedAnd sorely disappointed in that youthWho has incurred your own displeasure.
JOHN
Ah?Your future son-in-law?
FITZWALTER
Never on earth!He is outlawed—
MARIAN
Outlawed!
FITZWALTER
And I wash my handsOf Huntingdon. His shadow shall not darkenMy doors again!
JOHN
That's vehement! Ha! ha!And what does Lady Marian say?
MARIAN
My fatherSpeaks hastily. I am not so unworthy.
FITZWALTER
Unworthy?
MARIAN
Yes, unworthy as to desert himBecause he is in trouble—the bravest manIn England since the days of Hereward.You know why he is outlawed!
FITZWALTER
[ToPrince John.]
Sir, she speaksAs the spoilt child of her old father's dotage.Give her no heed. She shall not meet with himOn earth again, and till she promise this,She'll sun herself within the castle gardenAnd never cross the draw-bridge.
MARIAN
Then I'll swimThe moat!
FRIAR TUCK
Ha! ha! well spoken.
MARIAN
Oh, you forget,Father, you quite forget there is a King;And, when the King comes home from the Crusade,Will you forget Prince John and change once more?
[Murmurs of assent from theForesters.]
JOHN
Enough of this.Though I be prince, I am vice-gerent too!Fitzwalter, I would have some private talkWith you and Lady Marian. Bid your guestsRemove a little—
FITZWALTER
I'll lead them all within!And let them make what cheer they may. Come, friends.
[He leads them up the stairs to the inner room.]
My lord, I shall return immediately!
[ExeuntFitzwalterand the guests.]
JOHN
Marian!
MARIAN
My lord!
JOHN
[Drawing close to her.]
I have come to urge a pleaOn your behalf as well as on my own!Listen, you may not know it—I must tell you.I have watched your beauty growing like a flower,With—why should I not say it—worship; yes,Marian, I will not hide it.
MARIAN
Sir, you are mad!Sir, and your bride, your bride, not three months wedded!You cannot mean ...
JOHN
Listen to me! Ah, Marian,You'd be more merciful if you knew all!D'you think that princes wed to please themselves?
MARIAN
Sir, English maidens do; and I am plightedNot to a prince, but to an outlawed man.
JOHN
Listen to me! One word! Marian, one word!I never meant you harm! Indeed, what harmCould come of this? Is not your father poor?I'd make him rich! Is not your lover outlawed?I'd save him from the certain death that waits him.You say the forest-laws afflict your soulAnd his—you say you'd die for their repeal!Well—I'll repeal them. All the churls in EnglandShall bless your name and mix it in their prayersWith heaven itself.
MARIAN
The price?
JOHN
You call it that!To let me lay the world before your feet,To let me take this little hand in mine.Why should I hide my love from you?
MARIAN
No more,I'll hear no more! You are a prince, you say?
JOHN
One word—suppose it some small sacrifice,To save those churls for whom you say your heartBleeds; yet you will not lift your little fingerTo save them! And what hinders you?—A breath,A dream, a golden rule! Can you not break itFor a much greater end?
MARIAN
I'd die to save them.
JOHN
Then live to save them.
MARIAN
No, you will not let me;D'you think that bartering my soul will helpTo save another? If there's no way but this,Then through my lips those suffering hundreds cry,We choose the suffering. All that is good in them,All you have left, all you have not destroyed,Cries out against you: and I'll go to them,Suffer and toil and love and die with themRather than touch your hand. You over-rateYour power to hurt our souls. You are mistaken!There is a golden rule!
JOHN
And with such lipsYou take to preaching! I was a fool to worryYour soul with reason. With hair like yours—it's hopeless!But Marian—you shall hear me.
[He catches her in his arms.]
Yes, by God,Marian, you shall! I love you.
MARIAN
[Struggling.]
You should not live!
JOHN
One kiss, then! Devil take it.
[EnterFitzwalterabove.]
MARIAN
[Wresting herself free.]
You should not live!Were I a man and not a helpless girlYou should not live!
JOHN
Come, now, that's very wicked.See how these murderous words affright your father.My good Fitzwalter, there's no need to lookSo ghastly. For your sake and hers and mineI have been trying to make your girl forgetThe name of Huntingdon. A few short monthsAt our gay court would blot his memory out!I promise her a life of dazzling pleasures,And, in return she flies at me—a tigress—Clamouring for my blood! Try to persuade her!
FITZWALTER
My lord, you are very good. She must decideHerself.
JOHN
[Angrily.]
I'll not be trifled with! I holdThe hand of friendship out and you evade it,The moment I am gone, back comes your outlaw.You say you have no power with your own child!Well, then I'll take her back this very night;Back to the court with me. How do I knowWhat treasons you are hatching here? I'll take herAs hostage for yourself.
FITZWALTER
My lord, you jest!I have sworn to you.
JOHN
No more! If you be loyal,What cause have you to fear?
FITZWALTER
My lord, I'll giveA hundred other pledges; but not this.
JOHN
By heaven, will you dictate your terms to me?I say that she shall come back to the courtThis very night! Ho, there, my men.
[EnterJohn'sretainers.]
EscortThis lady back with us.
FITZWALTER
Back there, keep back. Prince or no prince,I say she shall not go!
[He draws his sword.]
I'd rather see herBegging in rags with outlawed HuntingdonThan that one finger of yours should soil her glove.
JOHN
So here's an end of fawning, here's the truth,My old white-bearded hypocrite. Come, take her,Waste no more time. Let not the old fool daunt youWith that great skewer.
FITZWALTER
[AsJohn'smen advance.]
By God, since you will have it,Since you will drive me to my last resort,Break down my walls, and hound me to the forest,This is the truth! Out of my gates! Ho, help!A Robin Hood! A Robin Hood!
[There is a clamour from the upper room. The doors are flung open and theForestersappear at the head of the steps.]
FRIAR TUCK
[Coming down into the hall and brandishing his quarter-staff.]
A Robin?Who calls on Robin Hood? His men are hereTo answer.
FITZWALTER
Drive these villains out of my gates.
FRIAR TUCK
[ToPrince John.]
Sir, I perceive you are a man of wisdom,So let me counsel you. There's not a ladUp yonder, but at four-score yards can shootA swallow on the wing. They have drunken deep.I cannot answer but their hands might looseTheir shafts before they know it. Now shall I giveThe word? Ready, my lads!
[TheForestersmake ready to shoot.Johnhesitates for a moment.]
JOHN
My Lady Marian,One word, and then I'll take my leave of you!
[She pays no heed.]
Farewell, then! I have five-score men at hand!And they shall be but lightning to the hellOf my revenge, Fitzwalter. I will not leaveOne stone upon another. From this night's workShall God Himself not save you.
[ExeuntJohnand his men.]
FRIAR TUCK
[As they go out.]
My Lord Fitzwalter!I have confessed him! Shall I bid 'em shoot?'Twill save a world of trouble.
FITZWALTER
No; or the KingHimself will come against me. Follow them out,Drive them out of my gates, then raise the drawbridgeAnd let none cross. Oh, I foresaw, foretold!Robin has wrecked us all!
[Exeunt theForestersandFitzwalter.Shadow-of-a-Leafremains alone withMarian.]
MARIAN
[She flings herself down on a couch and buries her head in her arms.]
O Robin, Robin,I cannot lose you now!
SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF
[Sitting at her feet. The lights grow dim.]
Ah, well, the princePromised to break the walls down. Don't you thinkThese villains are a sort of ploughshare, lady,And where they plough, who knows what wheat may spring!The lights are burning low and very low;So, Lady Marian, let me tell my dream.There was a forester that bled to deathBecause of four grey walls and a black nunWhose face I could not see—but, oh, beware!Though I am but your fool, your Shadow-of-a-Leaf,Dancing before the wild winds of the future,I feel them thrilling through my tattered witsLong ere your wisdom feels them. My poor brainIs like a harp hung in a willow-treeSwept by the winds of fate. I am but a fool,But oh, beware of that black-hooded nun.
MARIAN
This is no time for jesting, Shadow-of-a-Leaf.
SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF
The lights are burning low. Do you not feelA cold breath on your face?
MARIAN
Fling back that shutter!Look out and tell me what is happening.
SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF
[Flinging back the shutter.]
Look,Look, gossip, how the moon comes dancing in.Ah, they have driven Prince John across the drawbridge.They are raising it, now!
[There are cries in the distance, then a heavy sound of chains clanking and silence.Shadow-of-a-Leafturns from the window and stands in the stream of moonlight, pointing to the door on the left.]
Look! Look!
MARIAN
[Starting up with a cry of fear.]
Ah!
[The tall figure of a nun glides into the moonlit hall and throwing back her hood reveals the face ofQueen Elinor.]
ELINOR
Lady Marion,Tell me quickly, where is Huntingdon hiding?
MARIAN
The Queen!
ELINOR
Yes! Yes! I donned this uncouth garbTo pass through your besiegers. If Prince JohnDiscover it, all is lost. Come, tell me quickly,Where is Robin?
MARIAN
Escaped, I hope.
ELINOR
Not here?
MARIAN
No!
ELINOR
Come, dear Lady Marian, do not doubt me.I am here to save you both.
MARIAN
He is not here.
ELINOR
Ah, but you know where I may find him, Marian.All will be lost if you delay to tell meWhere I may speak with him. He is in peril.By dawn Prince John will have five hundred menBeleaguering the castle. You are all ruinedUnless you trust me! Armies will scour the woodsTo hunt him down. Even now he may be wounded,Helpless to save himself.
MARIAN
Wounded!
ELINOR
Dear child,Take me to him. Here, on this holy cross,My mother's dying gift, I swear to youI wish to save him.
MARIAN
Oh, but how?
ELINOR
Trust me!
MARIAN
Wounded! He may be wounded! Oh, if I could,I'd go to him! I am helpless, prisoned here.My father ...
ELINOR
I alone can save your father.Give me your word that if I can persuade him,You'll lead me to your lover's hiding place,And let me speak with him.
[EnterFitzwalter.]
Ah, my Lord Fitzwalter!
FITZWALTER
The queen! O madam, madam, I am drivenBeyond myself. This girl, this foolish girlHas brought us all to ruin. This Huntingdon,As I foresaw, foresaw, foretold, foretold,Has dragged me down with him.
ELINOR
I am on your side,If you will hear me; and you yet may gainA son in Robin Hood.
FITZWALTER
Madam, I swearI have done with him. I pray you do not jest;But if you'll use your power to save my lands ...I was provoked!...Prince John required this child here—
ELINOR
Oh, I know!But you'll forgive him that! I do not wonderThat loveliness like hers—
FITZWALTER
Ay, but you'll pardonA father's natural anger. Madam, I swearI was indeed provoked. But you'll assure himI've washed my hands of Huntingdon.
MARIAN
And yetHis men are, even now, guarding your walls!Father, you cannot, you shall not—
FITZWALTER
Oh, be silent!Who wrapt me in this tangle? Are you bentOn driving me out in my old age to seekShelter in caves and woods?
ELINOR
My good Fitzwalter,It has not come to that! If you will trust meAll will be well; but I must speak a wordWith Robin Hood.
FITZWALTER
You!
ELINOR
Oh, I have a reason.Your daughter knows his hiding place.
FITZWALTER
She knows!
ELINOR
Oh, trust them both for that. I am risking much!To-morrow she shall guide me there. This birdBeing flown, trust me to make your peace with John.
FITZWALTER
But—Marian!
ELINOR
She'll be safer far with Robin,Than loitering here until your roof-tree burns.I think you know it. Fitzwalter, I can save you,I swear it on this cross.
FITZWALTER
But—Marian! Marian!
ELINOR
Your castle wrapt in flame!...There's nought to fear,If she could—Marian, once, at a court masque,You wore a page's dress of Lincoln green,And a green hood that muffled half your face,I could have sworn 'twas Robin come again—He was my page, you know—Wear it to-morrow—go, child, bid your maidMake ready—we'll set out betimes.
MARIAN
[Going up to her father.]
I'll go,If you will let me, father. He may be wounded!Father, forgive me. Let me go to him.
ELINOR
Go, child, first do my bidding. He'll consentWhen you return.
[ExitMarian.]
My dear good friend Fitzwalter,Trust me,Ihave some power with Huntingdon.All shall be as you wish. I'll let her guide me,But—as for her—she shall not even see himUnless you wish. Trust me to wind them allAround my little finger.
FITZWALTER
It is dark here.Let us within. Madam, I think you are right.And you'll persuade Prince John?
ELINOR
[As they go up the steps.]
I swear by this,This holy cross, my mother's dying gift!
FITZWALTER
It's very sure he'd burn the castle down.
[Exeunt.]
SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF
[Coming out into the moonlight and staring up after them.]
The nun! The nun! They'll whip me if I speak,For I am only Shadow-of-a-Leaf, the Fool.
[Curtain.]
Scene I.Sherwood Forest: An open glade, showing on the right the mouth of the outlaw's cave. It is about sunset. The giant figure ofLittle Johncomes out of the cave, singing.