Iseult.Ay, Mark, I signed the bond.(With closed eyes quoting.)"And if from thisDay on Lord Tristram dares to show himselfWithin my realm, he dies, and with him diesIseult of Ireland"—I signed my nameAnd wrote it with my blood.Dinas.DenovalinMost solemnly has pledged his head and soulThat he has seen my nephew Tristram, LordOf Lyonesse within my realm, and so,If none stand forth to contradict, IseultOf Ireland shall die.Dinas(stands up).DenovalinHas lied!Dinas.Dinas of Lidan!Ganelun.Well said, goodDinas!Dinas.I, too, did meet a man todayAt early dawn whom I first held to beLord Tristram, nephew of King Mark.Since from the east I rode and thou, my LordDenovalin, came through the Morois landFrom thy good castle in the west, and sinceLubin stood as a central point betweenUs both, Lord Tristram must have been two-foldThat in the east and in the west he crossedMy path, and at the self-same hour, the roadOf Lord Denovalin. This cannot beAnd so one of the men was not the trueLord Tristram; one of us was therefore wrong.And if 'twas one, then why not bothMy Lord Denovalin and I?Dinas.Dinas,Had I not known thee from thy youth I mightHave held thee guilty with Iseult! Has sheEnsnared thee too with perjured oaths and falseAnd lying countenance, that thou dost seekTo die for her so eagerly? Thy hairIs gray like mine. Thou dreamest, man,Denovalin has pledged his word that heHas seen Lord Tristram! Ponder well ere thouTake up his downflung glove.2d Baron.Yet Dinas mayBe right.3d Baron.I think so too.5th Baron.There cannot beTwo Tristrams in the Morois wood.Denovalin(springing up).My Lords,I've pledged my word! Take heed unto your tongues!Ganelun.It seems but right to me that Queen IseultShould not be put to death until the trueLord Tristram, quick or dead, be found.2d Baron.Well saidLord Ganelun!3d Baron.So think we all. King Mark!Iseult.By God! my Lords, it is enough! ye sitDiscussing here in calm indifferenceIf I shall live or die, as though I wereAn animal! My race is nobly sprung;I will that ye bow down before my blood,Since ye do not bow down to womanhood!I will that ye permit me to returnTo my apartments and that ye do notHere keep me standing like a haltered beast!King Mark may let me know your will when yeDecide. And now I wish to go.Mark(in swelling anger).Oh hear her,My Lords, hear her, does she not make one wish.Groaning, to cast oneself before her feet;To kiss her very shoes when she can findSuch noble sentiments and words! BeholdHer there! Is she not fuller than the wholeWide world of smiles and tears. And when she laughedWith that fair mouth, entrancing and all pale,Or silvery bright that God's whole world did danceAnd sing in God's own hand, 'twas not on meShe smiled. And when upon her lowered lidsThere trembled tears like drops of pearly dewUpon a flower's brim, 'twas not for meShe wept! A phantom hovered over usIn all the sweet dark hours; 'twas for this ghost,The phantom likeness of Lord Tristram's self,She wept and smiled, true to her soul, though allThe while her soulless body lay all coldWithin mine arms deceiving me with smilesAnd tears! She shall not die till Tristram canBe found. Bethink you, Lords, the minutes thatYe grant that mouth to smile! The minutes thatYe grant those eyes to weep! Whom will it notDeceive,—her laughter and her tears! Both you,And me, and God! But I will change her smilesTo tears; her weeping to the bitter laughOf hideousness, that we at last may rest,And be secure from all her woman's wiles!And since she shall not die, then I will give herAs a gift! This surely is my kingly right,For I am Mark, her lawful spouse and lord.Today at noon, when in the sun her hairShall shine the brightest in the golden lightUnto the leprous beggars of LubinI'll give her as a gift!Dinas.Mark, art thou mad?Paranis.The Queen! Oh help!Iseult(recovering herself).'Tis nought; I'm better now.Ganelun.Thou speak'st a thing, in sorrow and in wrath,A thing so terrible one fears to thinkThereon!1st Baron.Bethink thee, Mark!2d Baron.Thou ravest, King.4th Baron.Thou dost a most foul thing;—recall thy words!Mark(crouches on the steps of the throne with his back to the barons).At mid-day shall the lepers of LubinCollect, and wait within the court.Dinas.Farewell,King Mark, I'll stay with thee no more!Ganelun.I goWith thee.1st Baron.And I.2d Baron.We leave thee, one and all!Mark(turns his head, almost smiling).Will no one stay with me?Denovalin(stepping forward).I will, King Mark.Mark(springing up).Oh, drive this man outside the walls, and bidHim ride with speed! I feel a greatDesire to dip my hands in his foul bloodAfter this awful marriage feast! And ifA second time the Lord shall testify'Gainst thee, Denovalin, then shalt thou die!I swear it! Thou shalt die!Denovalin(calmly).My castle wallsAre high and strong, oh Mark!Iseult.What loathsome brutes,What wretched beasts lust makes of men! BeholdThyself, Oh Mark, thou that art wise and kind;How deep consumed by lust! Thou wilt not letMe live, but dost thy best to shame. That whichThou lovest most, thou castest forth to beA prey to vultures, and thou think'st the whileThou hatest me! Oh Mark, how thou dost errIn thinking that thou hatest me! Behold,I pity thee! And shall I now beseech,And wring my hands, humbling myself to thee?I do not know how women nobly bornCan live on through the loathsome leper test,And will not think thereon, for 'tis enoughTo make a woman die, yet, once again,Before you all; before my God I swear,And will repeat my solemn oath, and then,When I have sworn it, He will send His helpOr let my flesh be torn between the dogsAnd leprous human vultures of Lubin.I swear that I have never thrilled with loveBut for that man who elapsed me in his arms,A maiden still, as clean and pure as snowNew-fallen on a winter's morn. This man,And this man only, have I loved with allThe faith and passion of my womanhood.I gave myself to him with all my soul;My heart was full of dancing and of song;My love was wreathed in smiles as some May-mornLaughs softly on the mountain tops. This manI loved; no other have I loved, though heMay grieve, and shame me, and deceive!—King Mark!Mark(almost screaming).Oh shield me, he that loves me, from her oaths!Denovalin(turns calmly toIseult).Lead back the Queen into her chamber, page!ACT IIIThe Inner Courtyard of the Castle.—In the foreground at the left is the Castle gate. In the background on the right, at the top of a broad flight of steps, under an arcade of columns, stands the door of the chapel. At the left of the gate entering the courtyard are some buildings, behind which may be seen the high castle walls surmounted by trees. The road from the Castle to the church is laid with carpets. In the middle of the stage, on the right, stands a stone well. In the background is a crowd of people held back by three armed guards. At the foot of the steps, one on each side, stand two men-at-arms.SCENE I1st GUARD.Back, crowd not there! Stand back!2d Guard.The children mayStand in the front, but hold them. There crawls one!1st Guard(pushing the child back into the crowd).My little friend, get back! Now see, I'll makeA line upon the ground, and if thy toes,But by a hair's breadth, cross that line again,I'll drop my spear on them and they shall beAs flat as any barley cake. [Laughter.]1st Girl.Ha, Ha!2d Girl.Hast thou become a baker, oh Gilain!1st Guard(lifting his mailed hand).Ay, wench, would'st see me knead my dough?[Laughter.]A Boy.Be stillI hear the crier's voice from down below!A Girl.He's wandered up and down the streets since dawnAnd called until my blood runs cold!The Boy.Hush.The Girl.Hark!Voice of the Crier(distant and ringing).Today at noon, because King Mark has foundHer faithless and untrue, shall Queen IseultBe given to the lepers of Lubin,—A gift to take or leave. And, furthermore,Lord Tristram, who was once her paramour,Transgressed King Mark's decree by enteringHis realm. Whoever catches him and bringsHim quick or dead unto the King shall haveOne hundred marks of gold for his reward.'Tis good King Mark's decree that every oneShould hear and know these things that I have cried.A Child.Oh, I'm afraid! Will he come here, that man?The Girl.I know it all by heart, and still he cries!A Man.Ay, let him cry!Another Man.Lord Tristram, he's a fox;To catch him they must have a good deep pitOr else he'll scratch them so that all their livesThey'll think thereon.A Girl.Tristram's a noble lord,I'd shield him an I could.A Second Girl.I want to seeThe Queen close by.A Third Girl.Ay, so do I!A Fourth Girl.I'll strewSome flowers in her path as she goes past.1st Girl.My father made her once a pair of shoesOf fine white satin, bound with golden claspsAnd crimson 'broidery. He says her feetAre delicate and small; as white and slimAs are the Virgin Mary's in the shrineThat stands within Tintagel's lofty churchAbove the great high altar.4th Girl.Poor, poor soul!Old Woman.Ay, let her see where those white feet of hersHave carried her!3d Guard(to a boy who has climbed upon the wall).Hey, thou! Come down! The wallAnd rocks are full an hundred fathoms high,So, if thou fall, thy howling will not help.The Boy.I want to sit here when the lepers come!Another Boy.A good place that! I'll climb up too.A Fourth Boy.I too!1st GUARD.Now none of you may stay within the courtTo stare when Queen Iseult is given o'erUnto the lepers. Mark has granted thisUnto the Queen since 'twas her only wish.Ye all must go into the church.A Man.May noneThen stay without and watch the lepers?Another Man.'s wounds!Why then I came for nothing, all this way!A Woman(indignantly).Oh shame, thou beast, would'st gloat and make a showOf that which one scarce dares to think of? Fie!For such foul thoughts thou shouldst be thrownTo Husdent to devour!2d Guard.Stop wrangling, there!A Girl.Poor Queen! I pity her!A Second Girl.King Mark's too harsh!A Man.She's made a cuckold of him, Girl!Old Woman.And nowHe's tossing her with those new horns of his!Young Shepherd.Is then the Queen Iseult so wondrous fairAs she is said to be?A Girl.Hast thou not seenThe Queen?Shepherd.No, never yet!A Girl.He's never seenThe Queen?A Boy.Behold, here's one who never sawOur Queen!A Voice.Who is he?1st GUARD.Speak, where wast thou, friend,When Queen Iseult stood bound here to the stake?A Girl.All naked in her wondrous beauty—Another Girl.AllFor her great love.The Boy.We all did see her then.Shepherd.I've come since then from Toste in the hills.A Woman.Here, let this fellow stand in front, that heMay see the Queen's fair face before this swarmOf vultures has devoured it.1st GUARD.Come here;If thou hast never seen the Queen thou may'stStand here beside the steps.Shepherd.I thank thee.A Soldier(drawing him beside him).Here!A Voice.Here come the soldiers!A Child.Lift me, father.A Voice.Hsh—!SCENE IISoldiers march past and enter the church. The church door stays open.A Girl.I pray thee, Gilain, who will lead the Queen?1st GUARD.The hangman and King Mark.The Girl.Poor soul!Old Woman.Why weep'stThou, girl?Old Man(as a crucifix is carried past).Friends, cross yourselves. The crucifix!Shepherd(leans forward so that he can see across the courtyard into the castle).Behold, she comes! My God, how beautiful—!An angel—!The Soldier(asGimellapasses).That, my friend, is but her maidGimella.2d Guard.Back! Stand back! Thou shalt not push!Shepherd.Oh there! Behold, she is a fairy! Yea,And she is fairer than Gimella far!I'll fall upon my knees when she goes past.She's wondrous fair, ay, fairer than a flower,A lily—See—!The Soldier(asBrangaenegoes by).Stand up, thou knave, for that'sBrangaene. She's our lady's faithful maid.Shepherd.She too was fair! Can one imagine then,There's any one more beautiful than she?What wondrous women Mark has at his court!Such ladies have I never seen—There dwellNone such in Toste! See—! This one—! Oh, God!Oh, God! The sun has fall'n—! Its blindingrays—! [Falls on his knees.]A_Daughter_of_the_PeopleA DAUGHTER OF THE PEOPLEThe Soldier(softly).That was the Queen![Iseultwalks past betweenMarkand thehangman. She is draped in a purple cloak;her feet are bare.Paranisfollows her.Part of the crowd kneels down.]Shepherd(staring).Oh, Queen Iseult! IseultThe Goldenhaired!A Girl.Oh fairest, dearest one!Another Girl.Oh Queen, smile down upon us once again![A rattling sound is heard. The StrangeLeper steps from behind one of the columns.His bearded face is hidden by the hood ofhis cloak. The crowd draws away shuddering,the procession halts. The leper kneelsbeforeIseultand bows so low that hisforehead almost touches her feet.]A Voice.A leper, see!A Girl.Oh Virgin Mary, help!A 2d Girl.Whence came he here!A 3d Girl.He had concealed himself!Mark(slowly).—Thou cam'st too soon my friend![The leper disappears sidewise under thesteps. The procession goes into thechurch, from which an organ begins tosound. The soldiers and the crowd followafter.]A Girl(covering her face with her hands).Oh, our poor Queen!A 2d Girl.She was like alabaster, cold and white!A 3d Girl.Not once along the awful way she raisedHer eyes!A 4th Girl.She did not wish to see!The 1st Girl.Oh fie,That Mark should shame her so!The 2d Guard.Make haste, ye mustGo in!1st Guard(to the kneeling shepherd).Wake up! Thou too must go withinThe church. Now come!Shepherd.The sun fell down!It grazed my eyes!A Girl.I'll pray with all my heartFor our poor Queen!A 2d Girl.We all will pray—and curseThe King!3d Guard.Thou slut, be still, and hold thy tongue!Make haste into the church—go in!1st GUARD.I hearThe lepers coming! hark!3d Guard.Here, girl, thou'st droppedThy kerchief! [He picks it up.]The Girl.Thanks!1st Guard(taking the old man by the arm).Take hold of me, old man.Make haste.[The doors of the church close: the stageremains empty for a few seconds. The musicof the organ swells, and a hymn is heard.Then, by snatches, first distantly, thennearer, the rythmical rattling of the lepersresounds.]SCENE IIIThe lepers enter the courtyard. They are a wild pack dressed in gaudy rags, and rumpled, armless cloaks with hoods; carrying long staves and crutches; with colored cloths bound about their sinister foreheads. Their faces are sunburnt, their hair is snow-white and streams in the wind. Some have their heads shaved. Their arms and feet are bare. Altogether they present a motley appearance, though the hardships of their life, as a band forced to live together, give them the aspect of weather-beaten and dried chaff driven hither and thither by the wind. They stand shyly and rock unsteadily on their dried and shrunken legs—silent and restless. Like ghosts of the noonday, they try to hush their voices throughout the scene.Iwein(is the first to enter; the others file past him).Come quick! They've all gone in!A Leper.Right hereThe cat shall catch the bird!A Young Leper(wearing a wreath, made of three or fourlarge red flowers, in his dark hair).Heisa! Heisa!Iwein.Speak softly, there, lest ye disturb the mass.An Old Leper(feeble, and supporting himself on a crutch, in the tone of the town crier, almost singing).Today shall Queen Iseult, our good King's spouseBe given to us, the lepers of Lubin—So cried the herald!—Young Leper.Brother, brother, danceWith me, for I'm the bridegroom—Ah!—Old Leper(in the same tone).TodayShall Queen Iseult—[Every time that the old leper begins tospeak he is silenced by the others.]Young Leper(striking him).Thou fool!(To a fourth leper.)Come dance!4th Leper.Be still!At noon to eat raw turnips, then at nightTo have the Queen to sleep with in the straw!Ha, ha! It makes me laugh!A Redhaired Leper.King Mark shall giveUs wine to celebrate our wedding feast!Young Leper(dancing).Oh, brother, come and dance with me!A Sixth Leper.I wantTo look at her and then get drunk!Young Leper.Come, then,And dance with me, my little brother, dance!Iwein(coming from the gate).Be still, and stand in order by the steps,That we may see her when the hangman bringsHer forth.1st Leper(sits down on the ground).I will not stand.Iwein.Then crawl, thou toad!7th Leper.Iseult the Goldenhaired!—The lepers' bride,And Queen!(He laughs.)Redhaired Leper.Well spoken, friend! We'll call her that!Old Leper.Today shall Queen Iseult—8th Leper.She shall be mineI' the morning of all holidays!1st Leper.And IWill have her late at night.Redhaired Leper.I'll take her first!6th Leper.Not so; Iwein shall have her first for he'sOur King!Young Leper(to redhaired leper).Who? Thou?9th Leper.Thou have her first? Who artThou, then, thou redhaired knave?10th Leper(calling out loudly).Here's one who saysHe'll tame the Queen!1st Leper.Oh, break his jaw!Young Leper.I wantHer now, my friends; my loins burn and itchFor her!Redhaired Leper.I'll beat you, cripples, and I'll makeYou all more cripple than ye are,Unless ye give her me to kiss and hugFor one full week at least!Iwein.What crowest thou,Redheaded rooster!—Ye shall all draw lotsFor who shall have her after me!11th Leper.Ay, let'sDraw lots.Redhaired Leper.Plague on you all!4th Leper.It's on us now!Come, let's draw lots!6th Leper.Draw lots!Old Leper.But first of allI'll make her mend my clothes.4th Leper(tearing up a cloth).I'll tear the lots!1st Leper.Here, put them in my cloak! Now come, and draw!12th Leper.Look yonder! There's another one.Redhaired Leper.Where! Where?[As they crowd around, the Strange Lepersteps from behind the column.]6th Leper.There, yonder, see—?10th Leper.Who is he?9th Leper.Look!Young Leper(goes to the steps).Who artThou!Iwein.Speak! Art thou a leper too, as we?Old Leper(to the stranger).Today shall Queen Iseult, our good King's spouse—Redhaired Leper.Be still, old fool!Iwein.Wilt thou not answer me?I am Iwein, the Lepers' King; what wouldstThou here?[The Strange Leper throws money among them.]1st Leper(leaping, with the rest, to seize the money).Holla!10th Leper.He's throwing money! See!Str. Leper.I am a leper from Karesh and wishTo dwell among you here at St. Lubin.4th Leper.Thou'st smelt the bird from far, good friend!Redhaired Leper.We willAdmit no new companion to our band!9th Leper.Go home, we'll none of thee!11th Leper.Hast thou more gold?Str. Leper(holding up a purse).Iwein shall have it and distribute itAmong you, if ye'll take me in.12th Leper.Ha! 's death!Thou art a rich young varlet!1st Leper.Let him stay!4th Leper.I care not if there be one more or less!Iwein.Come down to us. What is thy name?[The Strange Leper comes down from thesteps.]7th Leper.How tallThou art! If Godwin dares to threaten meThou'lt punish him.Young Leper.And what's thy name?Str. Leper.Why, callMe then the Sad One, for that is my name.Iwein.Then come, thou Sad One, take thy place. They'll keepUs not much longer waiting for our spouse.6th Leper(to the stranger).King Mark's a kind and gen'rous King to thinkOf giving us a wife!Old Leper(to the stranger).The herald criedThat Queen Iseult of Ireland, King Mark'sOwn spouse today should be—Iwein.Fool, hold thy tongue!Let's all together make a noise, and shakeOur clappers as a sign.[They shake their rattles.]12th Leper.The door! The door!Young Leper.Be still! Be still! She's coming now!Iwein.Be still.SCENE IVThe door of the church is partially opened. The hangman leadsIseultout. The Strange Leper falls on his knees and bows deep to the ground.Young Leper.Let's fall upon our knees, Iwein![A few lepers kneel. The hangman takesIseult'scrown and cloak away. She standsthere, draped only in her golden hair. Hereyes are closed and she remains motionless.]The Hangman(kissingIseult'sfoot).ForgiveMe, Queen Iseult, for God's sweet sake![He goes back into the church. The doorcloses and the organ sounds louder in thesilence.]Iwein.We areThe lepers of Lubin, and thou, by Mark'sDecree, art now our bride. Come down that we—[The Strange Leper, with a violent effort,springs to his feet, and turns upon thelepers.]Str. Leper.Who spoke? Which one of you? Tell me, who spoke?Scabs! Vultures! Curs, away! Be off! If oneOf you but speaks again I'll trample youBeneath my feet and grind you in the dirt.What wish ye here? Here's gold! Be off, ye curs![Only a few stoop to gather the gold hethrows among them.]Young Leper(rushes at him;Iweinholds him back).Thou! Thou!Iwein.Who art thou that insults us thus?10th Leper.Thou! Hold thy tongue, else will Iwein give theeSo sound a drubbing that thou shalt fall deadUpon the ground!8th Leper.Iwein is strong!—He wasA mighty Lord!Str. Leper.Will ye not go?1st Leper.Hark, thou,This woman here is ours.Redhaired Leper(thrusting a stick intoIwein'shand).Go, knock him down!7th Leper.Come on![The Strange Leper snatches the club fromthe feeble leper so that he falls, knocksIweinto the ground, and leaps into thecrowd dealing fierce blows right and left.In his left hand he holds a sword whichhe does not use. In the following scene,also, the lepers' voices are hushed fromfear and surprise.]Str. Leper.There lies Iwein! Be off, ye dogs!Old Leper.Ai! oh!10th Leper.He's killed Iwein!4th Leper.Lay hold of him!7th Leper.Thou, Red One, seize him by the throat—I'll leapUpon him from behind![The Strange Leper knocks the RedhairedLeper down.]Redhaired Leper.Help! Help!Str. Leper.There liesYour Red One!4th Leper.Fly! He has a sword!11th Leper(receiving a blow).Oh help!Old Leper.Come, brothers, let us run.6th Leper(struck).Oh, oh!Str. Leper.AwayWith you! Be off!7th Leper(struck).Ai! Ai![Some of the lepers try to carry away thewounded as they run.]Young Leper.Let's carry offIwein! Come, pick him up.1st Leper.And Godwin too!Make haste!11th Leper(struck).Oh help!Str. Leper(driving the whole troupe to the gate).Back, curs, back to your holes!Crawl back into your noisome dens!7th Leper(struck).Oh! 'tisBeelzebub himself!10th Leper.The devil!9th Leper.Hold!12th Leper.We go! We go!6th Leper.King Mark shall punish thee!Str. Leper(throwing the club after them).Here, take your crutch and flee, ye curs!Voices of the Lepers(outside).Oh, oh!—He wounded me!—Fly!—Fly!—SCENE VThe Strange Leper, whose hood has fallen back during the conflict, goes quickly to the foot of the steps. His forehead is bound with a narrow band.Iseultstands motionless with closed eyes.Str. Leper.Iseult!(Anxiously, wonderingly and imploringly.)Iseult!Iseult(throws back her head, shuddering. She keeps her eyes closed. Slowly and heavily.)Thou beast! Thou dog!Str. Leper.Iseult! 'Tis I who call!Iseult(hastily, as though to cover herself with the words).I beg thee, beast, thou evil beast, speak not!If in thy loathsome carcass there still dwellsSome remnant of a man, I pray thee slayMe, but speak not!Str. Leper(uncertainly).Iseult![He falls on his knees opposite the steps,but at a distance from them; and leansback until his thighs rest upon his heels.]Iseult.Speak not! Be still,And kill me now! They've left me not so muchAs one small pin with which to kill myself!Behold! I kneel to thee, and like some lowAnd humble maid, I beg thee, beast, to killMe, and I'll bless thee!Str. Leper.Oh, Iseult, dost thouNo longer love Lord Tristram who was onceThy friend?Iseult(stares at him for a moment).Thou speak'st, thou speak'st, thou beast, and star'st!Yet God shall punish thee since, though I beg,Thou would'st not kill me now!Str. Leper(crying out despairingly).Iseult, awake!Oh Golden One, 'tis Tristram calls!Iseult.Thou seekstWith scorn and biting words to martyr me,And kill me then! Oh say that thou wilt killMe afterward—when thou hast railed enough!—And thou wilt come no nearer than thou art?Str. Leper.Iseult, awake! Awake, Iseult, and speak,And tell me if thou lovest Tristram still!Iseult.Ah, he was once my friend! Why dost thou useThe dagger of his name to prick my heart?I loved him once, and 'tis for that I standHere!—Kill me now!Str. Leper(going to the foot of the steps).God help me! Hear me speak,Iseult, for I'm—(His voice breaks with a sigh.)I'm Tristram's messenger!Thine erstwhile friend—Him whom thou loved'st!Iseult(angrily).Would'st shameMe in my shame? Thou beast!Str. Leper.I wish to saveThee now. Dost thou love Tristram still?Iseult(going down a few steps, slowly and carefully).Thou artA messenger of his?—And dost thou come,Perchance, to take me to him?(Breaking out.)Does thy LordDesire me, to give me as a giftFrom some strange land, to his new bride?[The Strange Leper hides his face in hishands.]Am ITo sit within a cage and watch him kissHer? Listen to him call his wife "Iseult?"Was this his sweet design, or does IseultThe Snowy Handed crave my golden hairTo make a pillow for voluptuous hours?How strange that Tristram should so long for meThat he sends forth his messengers! And willHe lay us both within the self-same bed?Caress and kiss us both at once throughoutThe night's long, heavy hours? In other daysMore modest was thy Lord in his desires.(Passionately.)Now kill me, kill me, beast! I've lived enough.Str. Leper.Iseult, dost thou not know me yet?Iseult.How shouldI know thee, beast, or in what roadside ditchLord Tristram found thee as he fled awayThis morning through the Morois from a manWho called upon him in my name?Str. Leper.Oh, judgeHim not too quickly. Queen Iseult! He stoodAnd waited for the man, who in thy nameHad called!Iseult(in fierce anger).He stood, say'st thou? Why thenHe has not wed Iseult, white handed Queen?I dreamed it all, and sobbed but in my dreams,Perhaps? 'Twas then dream-tears I wept at thisReport?Str. Leper.Be merciful to Tristram, Queen![Iseultdescends a few more steps; looksat him searchingly, and speaks, in a way,questioningly.]Iseult.Wast thou his servant while he still was true,And caught'st the plague while on his wedding trip?Then weep for him, thou poor diseasèd beast!I know thee not. And if thy master stoodHere too,—Lord Tristram, whom I once did loveAnd who returned my love in youthful years—If he now stood before me here, I shouldNot recognize his face behind the maskOf cowardice which he has worn of late.His faithlessness sticks to him like black slime!Go tell him that!—I hate him in this mask!He was so loving and so true when firstI knew and loved him! God shall punish him!Str. Leper.Iseult, great God has punished him enough;His soul is writhing in its agonyBefore thy feet!Iseult.His soul is leprous, ay!And 'tis an awful thing when one's own soulIs leprous grown!—I loathe and hate him now!Str. Leper(leaping up).Iseult!Iseult(wildly).Go call the Vultures, call them forth!I want to dance in their white arms, and fleeFrom Tristram's leprous soul that has betrayedAnd shamed me thus!Str. Leper.May God in mercy helpHim, for he loves thee still, Iseult, in lifeAnd death! [He starts toward the gate.]Voice of Lord Denovalin.Let none go out! Draw up the bridge,And close the castle gates! I'll catch the hound![Iseult staggers a few steps and collapses.]Str. Leper.Denovalin, Iseult! Our hated foeDenovalin! Quick, hide thy nakednessWithin this cloak![He covers her with his cloak and bendsover her.]Dear lady I will killThis man and then myself!(Denovalin enters.)Denovalin.Thou, there! Who artThou? Speak, thou hound! Who dares thus brazenlyTo set at naught King Mark's decreed commands?Str. Leper(who has sprung upon the curbing of the wall).Denovalin, a second time thou shaltNot flee from me!—Take heed, and guard thyself![He springs atDenovalinand overthrowshim. He then swings himself up on thewall and stands there for a second; hisleper's garment is thrown back and heappears in a coat of silver mail, shiningin the sunlight.]Denovalin.Tristram of Lyonesse!Str. Leper(pulling his cloth from his head).Dost recognizeHim by the stroke? God help me now![He leaps down from the wall. The stageremains for a time empty. The organsounds; the gates are opened and twoguards stand on either side of the steps.The church is gradually emptied.]SCENE VIA Soldier(in subdued tones).What? DostThou weep, Forzin?2d Soldier.I'm not ashamed! There's noneBut weeps, save Mark alone! The very stonesMust weep!1st Soldier.It makes me shudder when I thinkOf it.2d Soldier.Come, come, let's all go home.A Girl.Oh hark!Methought I heard one moan!2d Girl.Oh God! Behold!Here lies the Queen!3d Girl.They've murdered her!1st Soldier(running to the spot).The Queen!2d Soldier.My God!1st Soldier.The King doth call!A Man.She lives no more.3d Girl.Here lies another!1st Soldier(running up).Lord Denovalin!Stone dead!A Voice.Who? Where?2d Soldier.He bleeds and does not move!Paranis(rushes up and throws himself down besideIseult).Oh God! My queen!1st Soldier(pulling him away).Stand back there, boy!Paranis.Oh letMe kneel beside the Queen!—I always did!Oh, Queen Iseult, how pale thou art!—But, see,She breathes!2d Soldier.The Queen still breathes!Paranis.She is not dead!A Girl.Go call it out within that all may come,She is not dead!A Knight.Why shout ye so?A Boy.Behold,The lepers would not have Iseult!2d Boy.ProclaimIt round about!A Man.Be still, here comes the King!Make room!Mark comes down the steps and stops onthe last one, motionless and staring.]1st Soldier.King Mark, here lies the Queen Iseult.She breathes, but shows no signs of life.2d Soldier.And hereLies Lord Denovalin. He's dead, King Mark.[Mark leans against a column to supporthimself and stares down upon the scene.The crowd groups itself and throngs thedoor of the church behind him.]Gimella.What's this?A Boy.The lepers would not have Iseult.A Girl(toGimella).Here lies the Queen!A Man.Untouched and pure!A Woman.A great,And wondrous thing!—A judgment from the sky!Gimella.No one has touched her, see!A Voice.Is she asleep?A Man.See, one has wrapped her in a cloak!Shepherd(calling aloud).The cloakShall hang within the church!A Girl.Brangaene, come!She's smiling through her tears.Brangaene(bending overIseult—softly).Oh dear Iseult!Belovèd one!Gimella.She breathes as feverishlyAnd deep as does a sick and suffering childAt midnight in its sleep!1st Soldier.I'll to the gateAnd ask the guards if they have seen some signOr token how this miracle occur'd!Mark(cries angrily).I'll crucify the man who asks![All heads turn then in his direction and aterrified expression comes over allcountenances.Markspeaks harshly and calmly.]DinasOf Lidan? Is he here?1st GUARD.Lord Dinas leftThe castle gate today at dawn, my Lord.Dinas.Did Lord Denovalin receive his woundIn front, or from behind?1st GUARD.Here, at the throat.The wound is small and deep, as though a shaftOf lightning struck him there between the helmAnd gorget—sharp and swift.Voices.Oh listen! See,'Twas God that struck Denovalin, since heHad falsely testified against the Queen!Dinas.Then let the executioner strip offHis arms, and hang them in my armory,So that the sun shall shine thereon. The corpseShall he bind to a horse's tail, and dragIt o'er the common land and let it rot!Where lies the Queen!Shepherd.Stand back there, for King MarkWould see the Queen in her pale beauty! Back![The crowd stands back and a space iscleared aroundIseult.Marklooks downupon her from above and speaks coldlyand slowly, controlling himself.]Dinas.Let Queen Iseult be carried on that cloakWithin the castle. Place her there uponSoft pillows. Strew fresh flowers round aboutHer bed, and moisten all her robes and clothesWith sweetest perfumes. Kneel ye down and prayWhen she doth speak to you, for she must beIn some way sacred, since God loves her thus.(Almost shouting.)And if she should be found in Tristram's bedI'll kill the man who tells me of it, ay,And let his body rot upon the ground!Now saddle me a horse that I may goTo seek Lord Dinas, my most loyal friend!
Iseult.Ay, Mark, I signed the bond.
(With closed eyes quoting.)
"And if from thisDay on Lord Tristram dares to show himselfWithin my realm, he dies, and with him diesIseult of Ireland"—I signed my nameAnd wrote it with my blood.
Dinas.DenovalinMost solemnly has pledged his head and soulThat he has seen my nephew Tristram, LordOf Lyonesse within my realm, and so,If none stand forth to contradict, IseultOf Ireland shall die.
Dinas(stands up).DenovalinHas lied!
Dinas.Dinas of Lidan!
Ganelun.Well said, goodDinas!
Dinas.I, too, did meet a man todayAt early dawn whom I first held to beLord Tristram, nephew of King Mark.Since from the east I rode and thou, my LordDenovalin, came through the Morois landFrom thy good castle in the west, and sinceLubin stood as a central point betweenUs both, Lord Tristram must have been two-foldThat in the east and in the west he crossedMy path, and at the self-same hour, the roadOf Lord Denovalin. This cannot beAnd so one of the men was not the trueLord Tristram; one of us was therefore wrong.And if 'twas one, then why not bothMy Lord Denovalin and I?
Dinas.Dinas,Had I not known thee from thy youth I mightHave held thee guilty with Iseult! Has sheEnsnared thee too with perjured oaths and falseAnd lying countenance, that thou dost seekTo die for her so eagerly? Thy hairIs gray like mine. Thou dreamest, man,Denovalin has pledged his word that heHas seen Lord Tristram! Ponder well ere thouTake up his downflung glove.
2d Baron.Yet Dinas mayBe right.
3d Baron.I think so too.
5th Baron.There cannot beTwo Tristrams in the Morois wood.
Denovalin(springing up).My Lords,I've pledged my word! Take heed unto your tongues!
Ganelun.It seems but right to me that Queen IseultShould not be put to death until the trueLord Tristram, quick or dead, be found.
2d Baron.Well saidLord Ganelun!
3d Baron.So think we all. King Mark!
Iseult.By God! my Lords, it is enough! ye sitDiscussing here in calm indifferenceIf I shall live or die, as though I wereAn animal! My race is nobly sprung;I will that ye bow down before my blood,Since ye do not bow down to womanhood!I will that ye permit me to returnTo my apartments and that ye do notHere keep me standing like a haltered beast!King Mark may let me know your will when yeDecide. And now I wish to go.
Mark(in swelling anger).Oh hear her,My Lords, hear her, does she not make one wish.Groaning, to cast oneself before her feet;To kiss her very shoes when she can findSuch noble sentiments and words! BeholdHer there! Is she not fuller than the wholeWide world of smiles and tears. And when she laughedWith that fair mouth, entrancing and all pale,Or silvery bright that God's whole world did danceAnd sing in God's own hand, 'twas not on meShe smiled. And when upon her lowered lidsThere trembled tears like drops of pearly dewUpon a flower's brim, 'twas not for meShe wept! A phantom hovered over usIn all the sweet dark hours; 'twas for this ghost,The phantom likeness of Lord Tristram's self,She wept and smiled, true to her soul, though allThe while her soulless body lay all coldWithin mine arms deceiving me with smilesAnd tears! She shall not die till Tristram canBe found. Bethink you, Lords, the minutes thatYe grant that mouth to smile! The minutes thatYe grant those eyes to weep! Whom will it notDeceive,—her laughter and her tears! Both you,And me, and God! But I will change her smilesTo tears; her weeping to the bitter laughOf hideousness, that we at last may rest,And be secure from all her woman's wiles!And since she shall not die, then I will give herAs a gift! This surely is my kingly right,For I am Mark, her lawful spouse and lord.Today at noon, when in the sun her hairShall shine the brightest in the golden lightUnto the leprous beggars of LubinI'll give her as a gift!
Dinas.Mark, art thou mad?
Paranis.The Queen! Oh help!
Iseult(recovering herself).'Tis nought; I'm better now.
Ganelun.Thou speak'st a thing, in sorrow and in wrath,A thing so terrible one fears to thinkThereon!
1st Baron.Bethink thee, Mark!
2d Baron.Thou ravest, King.
4th Baron.Thou dost a most foul thing;—recall thy words!
Mark(crouches on the steps of the throne with his back to the barons).At mid-day shall the lepers of LubinCollect, and wait within the court.
Dinas.Farewell,King Mark, I'll stay with thee no more!
Ganelun.I goWith thee.
1st Baron.And I.
2d Baron.We leave thee, one and all!
Mark(turns his head, almost smiling).Will no one stay with me?
Denovalin(stepping forward).I will, King Mark.
Mark(springing up).Oh, drive this man outside the walls, and bidHim ride with speed! I feel a greatDesire to dip my hands in his foul bloodAfter this awful marriage feast! And ifA second time the Lord shall testify'Gainst thee, Denovalin, then shalt thou die!I swear it! Thou shalt die!
Denovalin(calmly).My castle wallsAre high and strong, oh Mark!
Iseult.What loathsome brutes,What wretched beasts lust makes of men! BeholdThyself, Oh Mark, thou that art wise and kind;How deep consumed by lust! Thou wilt not letMe live, but dost thy best to shame. That whichThou lovest most, thou castest forth to beA prey to vultures, and thou think'st the whileThou hatest me! Oh Mark, how thou dost errIn thinking that thou hatest me! Behold,I pity thee! And shall I now beseech,And wring my hands, humbling myself to thee?I do not know how women nobly bornCan live on through the loathsome leper test,And will not think thereon, for 'tis enoughTo make a woman die, yet, once again,Before you all; before my God I swear,And will repeat my solemn oath, and then,When I have sworn it, He will send His helpOr let my flesh be torn between the dogsAnd leprous human vultures of Lubin.I swear that I have never thrilled with loveBut for that man who elapsed me in his arms,A maiden still, as clean and pure as snowNew-fallen on a winter's morn. This man,And this man only, have I loved with allThe faith and passion of my womanhood.I gave myself to him with all my soul;My heart was full of dancing and of song;My love was wreathed in smiles as some May-mornLaughs softly on the mountain tops. This manI loved; no other have I loved, though heMay grieve, and shame me, and deceive!—King Mark!
Mark(almost screaming).Oh shield me, he that loves me, from her oaths!
Denovalin(turns calmly toIseult).Lead back the Queen into her chamber, page!
The Inner Courtyard of the Castle.—In the foreground at the left is the Castle gate. In the background on the right, at the top of a broad flight of steps, under an arcade of columns, stands the door of the chapel. At the left of the gate entering the courtyard are some buildings, behind which may be seen the high castle walls surmounted by trees. The road from the Castle to the church is laid with carpets. In the middle of the stage, on the right, stands a stone well. In the background is a crowd of people held back by three armed guards. At the foot of the steps, one on each side, stand two men-at-arms.
1st GUARD.Back, crowd not there! Stand back!
2d Guard.The children mayStand in the front, but hold them. There crawls one!
1st Guard(pushing the child back into the crowd).My little friend, get back! Now see, I'll makeA line upon the ground, and if thy toes,But by a hair's breadth, cross that line again,I'll drop my spear on them and they shall beAs flat as any barley cake. [Laughter.]
1st Girl.Ha, Ha!
2d Girl.Hast thou become a baker, oh Gilain!
1st Guard(lifting his mailed hand).Ay, wench, would'st see me knead my dough?
[Laughter.]
A Boy.Be stillI hear the crier's voice from down below!
A Girl.He's wandered up and down the streets since dawnAnd called until my blood runs cold!
The Boy.Hush.
The Girl.Hark!
Voice of the Crier(distant and ringing).Today at noon, because King Mark has foundHer faithless and untrue, shall Queen IseultBe given to the lepers of Lubin,—A gift to take or leave. And, furthermore,Lord Tristram, who was once her paramour,Transgressed King Mark's decree by enteringHis realm. Whoever catches him and bringsHim quick or dead unto the King shall haveOne hundred marks of gold for his reward.'Tis good King Mark's decree that every oneShould hear and know these things that I have cried.
A Child.Oh, I'm afraid! Will he come here, that man?
The Girl.I know it all by heart, and still he cries!
A Man.Ay, let him cry!
Another Man.Lord Tristram, he's a fox;To catch him they must have a good deep pitOr else he'll scratch them so that all their livesThey'll think thereon.
A Girl.Tristram's a noble lord,I'd shield him an I could.
A Second Girl.I want to seeThe Queen close by.
A Third Girl.Ay, so do I!
A Fourth Girl.I'll strewSome flowers in her path as she goes past.
1st Girl.My father made her once a pair of shoesOf fine white satin, bound with golden claspsAnd crimson 'broidery. He says her feetAre delicate and small; as white and slimAs are the Virgin Mary's in the shrineThat stands within Tintagel's lofty churchAbove the great high altar.
4th Girl.Poor, poor soul!
Old Woman.Ay, let her see where those white feet of hersHave carried her!
3d Guard(to a boy who has climbed upon the wall).Hey, thou! Come down! The wallAnd rocks are full an hundred fathoms high,So, if thou fall, thy howling will not help.
The Boy.I want to sit here when the lepers come!
Another Boy.A good place that! I'll climb up too.
A Fourth Boy.I too!
1st GUARD.Now none of you may stay within the courtTo stare when Queen Iseult is given o'erUnto the lepers. Mark has granted thisUnto the Queen since 'twas her only wish.Ye all must go into the church.
A Man.May noneThen stay without and watch the lepers?
Another Man.'s wounds!Why then I came for nothing, all this way!
A Woman(indignantly).Oh shame, thou beast, would'st gloat and make a showOf that which one scarce dares to think of? Fie!For such foul thoughts thou shouldst be thrownTo Husdent to devour!
2d Guard.Stop wrangling, there!
A Girl.Poor Queen! I pity her!
A Second Girl.King Mark's too harsh!
A Man.She's made a cuckold of him, Girl!
Old Woman.And nowHe's tossing her with those new horns of his!
Young Shepherd.Is then the Queen Iseult so wondrous fairAs she is said to be?
A Girl.Hast thou not seenThe Queen?
Shepherd.No, never yet!
A Girl.He's never seenThe Queen?
A Boy.Behold, here's one who never sawOur Queen!
A Voice.Who is he?
1st GUARD.Speak, where wast thou, friend,When Queen Iseult stood bound here to the stake?
A Girl.All naked in her wondrous beauty—
Another Girl.AllFor her great love.
The Boy.We all did see her then.
Shepherd.I've come since then from Toste in the hills.
A Woman.Here, let this fellow stand in front, that heMay see the Queen's fair face before this swarmOf vultures has devoured it.
1st GUARD.Come here;If thou hast never seen the Queen thou may'stStand here beside the steps.
Shepherd.I thank thee.
A Soldier(drawing him beside him).Here!
A Voice.Here come the soldiers!
A Child.Lift me, father.
A Voice.Hsh—!
Soldiers march past and enter the church. The church door stays open.
A Girl.I pray thee, Gilain, who will lead the Queen?
1st GUARD.The hangman and King Mark.
The Girl.Poor soul!
Old Woman.Why weep'stThou, girl?
Old Man(as a crucifix is carried past).Friends, cross yourselves. The crucifix!
Shepherd(leans forward so that he can see across the courtyard into the castle).Behold, she comes! My God, how beautiful—!An angel—!
The Soldier(asGimellapasses).That, my friend, is but her maidGimella.
2d Guard.Back! Stand back! Thou shalt not push!
Shepherd.Oh there! Behold, she is a fairy! Yea,And she is fairer than Gimella far!I'll fall upon my knees when she goes past.She's wondrous fair, ay, fairer than a flower,A lily—See—!
The Soldier(asBrangaenegoes by).Stand up, thou knave, for that'sBrangaene. She's our lady's faithful maid.
Shepherd.She too was fair! Can one imagine then,There's any one more beautiful than she?What wondrous women Mark has at his court!Such ladies have I never seen—There dwellNone such in Toste! See—! This one—! Oh, God!Oh, God! The sun has fall'n—! Its blindingrays—! [Falls on his knees.]
A_Daughter_of_the_People
A DAUGHTER OF THE PEOPLE
The Soldier(softly).That was the Queen!
[Iseultwalks past betweenMarkand thehangman. She is draped in a purple cloak;her feet are bare.Paranisfollows her.Part of the crowd kneels down.]
Shepherd(staring).Oh, Queen Iseult! IseultThe Goldenhaired!
A Girl.Oh fairest, dearest one!
Another Girl.Oh Queen, smile down upon us once again!
[A rattling sound is heard. The StrangeLeper steps from behind one of the columns.His bearded face is hidden by the hood ofhis cloak. The crowd draws away shuddering,the procession halts. The leper kneelsbeforeIseultand bows so low that hisforehead almost touches her feet.]
A Voice.A leper, see!
A Girl.Oh Virgin Mary, help!
A 2d Girl.Whence came he here!
A 3d Girl.He had concealed himself!
Mark(slowly).—Thou cam'st too soon my friend!
[The leper disappears sidewise under thesteps. The procession goes into thechurch, from which an organ begins tosound. The soldiers and the crowd followafter.]
A Girl(covering her face with her hands).Oh, our poor Queen!
A 2d Girl.She was like alabaster, cold and white!
A 3d Girl.Not once along the awful way she raisedHer eyes!
A 4th Girl.She did not wish to see!
The 1st Girl.Oh fie,That Mark should shame her so!
The 2d Guard.Make haste, ye mustGo in!
1st Guard(to the kneeling shepherd).Wake up! Thou too must go withinThe church. Now come!
Shepherd.The sun fell down!It grazed my eyes!
A Girl.I'll pray with all my heartFor our poor Queen!
A 2d Girl.We all will pray—and curseThe King!
3d Guard.Thou slut, be still, and hold thy tongue!Make haste into the church—go in!
1st GUARD.I hearThe lepers coming! hark!
3d Guard.Here, girl, thou'st droppedThy kerchief! [He picks it up.]
The Girl.Thanks!
1st Guard(taking the old man by the arm).Take hold of me, old man.Make haste.
[The doors of the church close: the stageremains empty for a few seconds. The musicof the organ swells, and a hymn is heard.Then, by snatches, first distantly, thennearer, the rythmical rattling of the lepersresounds.]
The lepers enter the courtyard. They are a wild pack dressed in gaudy rags, and rumpled, armless cloaks with hoods; carrying long staves and crutches; with colored cloths bound about their sinister foreheads. Their faces are sunburnt, their hair is snow-white and streams in the wind. Some have their heads shaved. Their arms and feet are bare. Altogether they present a motley appearance, though the hardships of their life, as a band forced to live together, give them the aspect of weather-beaten and dried chaff driven hither and thither by the wind. They stand shyly and rock unsteadily on their dried and shrunken legs—silent and restless. Like ghosts of the noonday, they try to hush their voices throughout the scene.
Iwein(is the first to enter; the others file past him).Come quick! They've all gone in!
A Leper.Right hereThe cat shall catch the bird!
A Young Leper(wearing a wreath, made of three or fourlarge red flowers, in his dark hair).Heisa! Heisa!
Iwein.Speak softly, there, lest ye disturb the mass.
An Old Leper(feeble, and supporting himself on a crutch, in the tone of the town crier, almost singing).Today shall Queen Iseult, our good King's spouseBe given to us, the lepers of Lubin—So cried the herald!—
Young Leper.Brother, brother, danceWith me, for I'm the bridegroom—Ah!—
Old Leper(in the same tone).TodayShall Queen Iseult—
[Every time that the old leper begins tospeak he is silenced by the others.]
Young Leper(striking him).Thou fool!
(To a fourth leper.)
Come dance!
4th Leper.Be still!At noon to eat raw turnips, then at nightTo have the Queen to sleep with in the straw!Ha, ha! It makes me laugh!
A Redhaired Leper.King Mark shall giveUs wine to celebrate our wedding feast!
Young Leper(dancing).Oh, brother, come and dance with me!
A Sixth Leper.I wantTo look at her and then get drunk!
Young Leper.Come, then,And dance with me, my little brother, dance!
Iwein(coming from the gate).Be still, and stand in order by the steps,That we may see her when the hangman bringsHer forth.
1st Leper(sits down on the ground).I will not stand.
Iwein.Then crawl, thou toad!
7th Leper.Iseult the Goldenhaired!—The lepers' bride,And Queen!
(He laughs.)
Redhaired Leper.Well spoken, friend! We'll call her that!
Old Leper.Today shall Queen Iseult—
8th Leper.She shall be mineI' the morning of all holidays!
1st Leper.And IWill have her late at night.
Redhaired Leper.I'll take her first!
6th Leper.Not so; Iwein shall have her first for he'sOur King!
Young Leper(to redhaired leper).Who? Thou?
9th Leper.Thou have her first? Who artThou, then, thou redhaired knave?
10th Leper(calling out loudly).Here's one who saysHe'll tame the Queen!
1st Leper.Oh, break his jaw!
Young Leper.I wantHer now, my friends; my loins burn and itchFor her!
Redhaired Leper.I'll beat you, cripples, and I'll makeYou all more cripple than ye are,Unless ye give her me to kiss and hugFor one full week at least!
Iwein.What crowest thou,Redheaded rooster!—Ye shall all draw lotsFor who shall have her after me!
11th Leper.Ay, let'sDraw lots.
Redhaired Leper.Plague on you all!
4th Leper.It's on us now!Come, let's draw lots!
6th Leper.Draw lots!
Old Leper.But first of allI'll make her mend my clothes.
4th Leper(tearing up a cloth).I'll tear the lots!
1st Leper.Here, put them in my cloak! Now come, and draw!
12th Leper.Look yonder! There's another one.
Redhaired Leper.Where! Where?
[As they crowd around, the Strange Lepersteps from behind the column.]
6th Leper.There, yonder, see—?
10th Leper.Who is he?
9th Leper.Look!
Young Leper(goes to the steps).Who artThou!
Iwein.Speak! Art thou a leper too, as we?
Old Leper(to the stranger).Today shall Queen Iseult, our good King's spouse—
Redhaired Leper.Be still, old fool!
Iwein.Wilt thou not answer me?I am Iwein, the Lepers' King; what wouldstThou here?
[The Strange Leper throws money among them.]
1st Leper(leaping, with the rest, to seize the money).Holla!
10th Leper.He's throwing money! See!
Str. Leper.I am a leper from Karesh and wishTo dwell among you here at St. Lubin.
4th Leper.Thou'st smelt the bird from far, good friend!
Redhaired Leper.We willAdmit no new companion to our band!
9th Leper.Go home, we'll none of thee!
11th Leper.Hast thou more gold?
Str. Leper(holding up a purse).Iwein shall have it and distribute itAmong you, if ye'll take me in.
12th Leper.Ha! 's death!Thou art a rich young varlet!
1st Leper.Let him stay!
4th Leper.I care not if there be one more or less!
Iwein.Come down to us. What is thy name?
[The Strange Leper comes down from thesteps.]
7th Leper.How tallThou art! If Godwin dares to threaten meThou'lt punish him.
Young Leper.And what's thy name?
Str. Leper.Why, callMe then the Sad One, for that is my name.
Iwein.Then come, thou Sad One, take thy place. They'll keepUs not much longer waiting for our spouse.
6th Leper(to the stranger).King Mark's a kind and gen'rous King to thinkOf giving us a wife!
Old Leper(to the stranger).The herald criedThat Queen Iseult of Ireland, King Mark'sOwn spouse today should be—
Iwein.Fool, hold thy tongue!Let's all together make a noise, and shakeOur clappers as a sign.
[They shake their rattles.]
12th Leper.The door! The door!
Young Leper.Be still! Be still! She's coming now!
Iwein.Be still.
The door of the church is partially opened. The hangman leadsIseultout. The Strange Leper falls on his knees and bows deep to the ground.
Young Leper.Let's fall upon our knees, Iwein!
[A few lepers kneel. The hangman takesIseult'scrown and cloak away. She standsthere, draped only in her golden hair. Hereyes are closed and she remains motionless.]
The Hangman(kissingIseult'sfoot).ForgiveMe, Queen Iseult, for God's sweet sake!
[He goes back into the church. The doorcloses and the organ sounds louder in thesilence.]
Iwein.We areThe lepers of Lubin, and thou, by Mark'sDecree, art now our bride. Come down that we—
[The Strange Leper, with a violent effort,springs to his feet, and turns upon thelepers.]
Str. Leper.Who spoke? Which one of you? Tell me, who spoke?Scabs! Vultures! Curs, away! Be off! If oneOf you but speaks again I'll trample youBeneath my feet and grind you in the dirt.What wish ye here? Here's gold! Be off, ye curs!
[Only a few stoop to gather the gold hethrows among them.]
Young Leper(rushes at him;Iweinholds him back).Thou! Thou!
Iwein.Who art thou that insults us thus?
10th Leper.Thou! Hold thy tongue, else will Iwein give theeSo sound a drubbing that thou shalt fall deadUpon the ground!
8th Leper.Iwein is strong!—He wasA mighty Lord!
Str. Leper.Will ye not go?
1st Leper.Hark, thou,This woman here is ours.
Redhaired Leper(thrusting a stick intoIwein'shand).Go, knock him down!
7th Leper.Come on!
[The Strange Leper snatches the club fromthe feeble leper so that he falls, knocksIweinto the ground, and leaps into thecrowd dealing fierce blows right and left.In his left hand he holds a sword whichhe does not use. In the following scene,also, the lepers' voices are hushed fromfear and surprise.]
Str. Leper.There lies Iwein! Be off, ye dogs!
Old Leper.Ai! oh!
10th Leper.He's killed Iwein!
4th Leper.Lay hold of him!
7th Leper.Thou, Red One, seize him by the throat—I'll leapUpon him from behind!
[The Strange Leper knocks the RedhairedLeper down.]
Redhaired Leper.Help! Help!
Str. Leper.There liesYour Red One!
4th Leper.Fly! He has a sword!
11th Leper(receiving a blow).Oh help!
Old Leper.Come, brothers, let us run.
6th Leper(struck).Oh, oh!
Str. Leper.AwayWith you! Be off!
7th Leper(struck).Ai! Ai!
[Some of the lepers try to carry away thewounded as they run.]
Young Leper.Let's carry offIwein! Come, pick him up.
1st Leper.And Godwin too!Make haste!
11th Leper(struck).Oh help!
Str. Leper(driving the whole troupe to the gate).Back, curs, back to your holes!Crawl back into your noisome dens!
7th Leper(struck).Oh! 'tisBeelzebub himself!
10th Leper.The devil!
9th Leper.Hold!
12th Leper.We go! We go!
6th Leper.King Mark shall punish thee!
Str. Leper(throwing the club after them).Here, take your crutch and flee, ye curs!
Voices of the Lepers(outside).Oh, oh!—He wounded me!—Fly!—Fly!—
The Strange Leper, whose hood has fallen back during the conflict, goes quickly to the foot of the steps. His forehead is bound with a narrow band.Iseultstands motionless with closed eyes.
Str. Leper.Iseult!
(Anxiously, wonderingly and imploringly.)
Iseult!
Iseult(throws back her head, shuddering. She keeps her eyes closed. Slowly and heavily.)Thou beast! Thou dog!
Str. Leper.Iseult! 'Tis I who call!
Iseult(hastily, as though to cover herself with the words).I beg thee, beast, thou evil beast, speak not!If in thy loathsome carcass there still dwellsSome remnant of a man, I pray thee slayMe, but speak not!
Str. Leper(uncertainly).Iseult!
[He falls on his knees opposite the steps,but at a distance from them; and leansback until his thighs rest upon his heels.]
Iseult.Speak not! Be still,And kill me now! They've left me not so muchAs one small pin with which to kill myself!Behold! I kneel to thee, and like some lowAnd humble maid, I beg thee, beast, to killMe, and I'll bless thee!
Str. Leper.Oh, Iseult, dost thouNo longer love Lord Tristram who was onceThy friend?
Iseult(stares at him for a moment).Thou speak'st, thou speak'st, thou beast, and star'st!Yet God shall punish thee since, though I beg,Thou would'st not kill me now!
Str. Leper(crying out despairingly).Iseult, awake!Oh Golden One, 'tis Tristram calls!
Iseult.Thou seekstWith scorn and biting words to martyr me,And kill me then! Oh say that thou wilt killMe afterward—when thou hast railed enough!—And thou wilt come no nearer than thou art?
Str. Leper.Iseult, awake! Awake, Iseult, and speak,And tell me if thou lovest Tristram still!
Iseult.Ah, he was once my friend! Why dost thou useThe dagger of his name to prick my heart?I loved him once, and 'tis for that I standHere!—Kill me now!
Str. Leper(going to the foot of the steps).God help me! Hear me speak,Iseult, for I'm—
(His voice breaks with a sigh.)
I'm Tristram's messenger!Thine erstwhile friend—Him whom thou loved'st!
Iseult(angrily).Would'st shameMe in my shame? Thou beast!
Str. Leper.I wish to saveThee now. Dost thou love Tristram still?
Iseult(going down a few steps, slowly and carefully).Thou artA messenger of his?—And dost thou come,Perchance, to take me to him?
(Breaking out.)
Does thy LordDesire me, to give me as a giftFrom some strange land, to his new bride?
[The Strange Leper hides his face in hishands.]
Am ITo sit within a cage and watch him kissHer? Listen to him call his wife "Iseult?"Was this his sweet design, or does IseultThe Snowy Handed crave my golden hairTo make a pillow for voluptuous hours?How strange that Tristram should so long for meThat he sends forth his messengers! And willHe lay us both within the self-same bed?Caress and kiss us both at once throughoutThe night's long, heavy hours? In other daysMore modest was thy Lord in his desires.
(Passionately.)
Now kill me, kill me, beast! I've lived enough.
Str. Leper.Iseult, dost thou not know me yet?
Iseult.How shouldI know thee, beast, or in what roadside ditchLord Tristram found thee as he fled awayThis morning through the Morois from a manWho called upon him in my name?
Str. Leper.Oh, judgeHim not too quickly. Queen Iseult! He stoodAnd waited for the man, who in thy nameHad called!
Iseult(in fierce anger).He stood, say'st thou? Why thenHe has not wed Iseult, white handed Queen?I dreamed it all, and sobbed but in my dreams,Perhaps? 'Twas then dream-tears I wept at thisReport?
Str. Leper.Be merciful to Tristram, Queen!
[Iseultdescends a few more steps; looksat him searchingly, and speaks, in a way,questioningly.]
Iseult.Wast thou his servant while he still was true,And caught'st the plague while on his wedding trip?Then weep for him, thou poor diseasèd beast!I know thee not. And if thy master stoodHere too,—Lord Tristram, whom I once did loveAnd who returned my love in youthful years—If he now stood before me here, I shouldNot recognize his face behind the maskOf cowardice which he has worn of late.His faithlessness sticks to him like black slime!Go tell him that!—I hate him in this mask!He was so loving and so true when firstI knew and loved him! God shall punish him!
Str. Leper.Iseult, great God has punished him enough;His soul is writhing in its agonyBefore thy feet!
Iseult.His soul is leprous, ay!And 'tis an awful thing when one's own soulIs leprous grown!—I loathe and hate him now!
Str. Leper(leaping up).Iseult!
Iseult(wildly).Go call the Vultures, call them forth!I want to dance in their white arms, and fleeFrom Tristram's leprous soul that has betrayedAnd shamed me thus!
Str. Leper.May God in mercy helpHim, for he loves thee still, Iseult, in lifeAnd death! [He starts toward the gate.]
Voice of Lord Denovalin.Let none go out! Draw up the bridge,And close the castle gates! I'll catch the hound!
[Iseult staggers a few steps and collapses.]
Str. Leper.Denovalin, Iseult! Our hated foeDenovalin! Quick, hide thy nakednessWithin this cloak!
[He covers her with his cloak and bendsover her.]
Dear lady I will killThis man and then myself!
(Denovalin enters.)
Denovalin.Thou, there! Who artThou? Speak, thou hound! Who dares thus brazenlyTo set at naught King Mark's decreed commands?
Str. Leper(who has sprung upon the curbing of the wall).Denovalin, a second time thou shaltNot flee from me!—Take heed, and guard thyself!
[He springs atDenovalinand overthrowshim. He then swings himself up on thewall and stands there for a second; hisleper's garment is thrown back and heappears in a coat of silver mail, shiningin the sunlight.]
Denovalin.Tristram of Lyonesse!
Str. Leper(pulling his cloth from his head).Dost recognizeHim by the stroke? God help me now!
[He leaps down from the wall. The stageremains for a time empty. The organsounds; the gates are opened and twoguards stand on either side of the steps.The church is gradually emptied.]
A Soldier(in subdued tones).What? DostThou weep, Forzin?
2d Soldier.I'm not ashamed! There's noneBut weeps, save Mark alone! The very stonesMust weep!
1st Soldier.It makes me shudder when I thinkOf it.
2d Soldier.Come, come, let's all go home.
A Girl.Oh hark!Methought I heard one moan!
2d Girl.Oh God! Behold!Here lies the Queen!
3d Girl.They've murdered her!
1st Soldier(running to the spot).The Queen!
2d Soldier.My God!
1st Soldier.The King doth call!
A Man.She lives no more.
3d Girl.Here lies another!
1st Soldier(running up).Lord Denovalin!Stone dead!
A Voice.Who? Where?
2d Soldier.He bleeds and does not move!
Paranis(rushes up and throws himself down besideIseult).Oh God! My queen!
1st Soldier(pulling him away).Stand back there, boy!
Paranis.Oh letMe kneel beside the Queen!—I always did!Oh, Queen Iseult, how pale thou art!—But, see,She breathes!
2d Soldier.The Queen still breathes!
Paranis.She is not dead!
A Girl.Go call it out within that all may come,She is not dead!
A Knight.Why shout ye so?
A Boy.Behold,The lepers would not have Iseult!
2d Boy.ProclaimIt round about!
A Man.Be still, here comes the King!Make room!
Mark comes down the steps and stops onthe last one, motionless and staring.]
1st Soldier.King Mark, here lies the Queen Iseult.She breathes, but shows no signs of life.
2d Soldier.And hereLies Lord Denovalin. He's dead, King Mark.
[Mark leans against a column to supporthimself and stares down upon the scene.The crowd groups itself and throngs thedoor of the church behind him.]
Gimella.What's this?
A Boy.The lepers would not have Iseult.
A Girl(toGimella).Here lies the Queen!
A Man.Untouched and pure!
A Woman.A great,And wondrous thing!—A judgment from the sky!
Gimella.No one has touched her, see!
A Voice.Is she asleep?
A Man.See, one has wrapped her in a cloak!
Shepherd(calling aloud).The cloakShall hang within the church!
A Girl.Brangaene, come!She's smiling through her tears.
Brangaene(bending overIseult—softly).Oh dear Iseult!Belovèd one!
Gimella.She breathes as feverishlyAnd deep as does a sick and suffering childAt midnight in its sleep!
1st Soldier.I'll to the gateAnd ask the guards if they have seen some signOr token how this miracle occur'd!
Mark(cries angrily).I'll crucify the man who asks!
[All heads turn then in his direction and aterrified expression comes over allcountenances.Markspeaks harshly and calmly.]
DinasOf Lidan? Is he here?
1st GUARD.Lord Dinas leftThe castle gate today at dawn, my Lord.
Dinas.Did Lord Denovalin receive his woundIn front, or from behind?
1st GUARD.Here, at the throat.The wound is small and deep, as though a shaftOf lightning struck him there between the helmAnd gorget—sharp and swift.
Voices.Oh listen! See,'Twas God that struck Denovalin, since heHad falsely testified against the Queen!
Dinas.Then let the executioner strip offHis arms, and hang them in my armory,So that the sun shall shine thereon. The corpseShall he bind to a horse's tail, and dragIt o'er the common land and let it rot!Where lies the Queen!
Shepherd.Stand back there, for King MarkWould see the Queen in her pale beauty! Back!
[The crowd stands back and a space iscleared aroundIseult.Marklooks downupon her from above and speaks coldlyand slowly, controlling himself.]
Dinas.Let Queen Iseult be carried on that cloakWithin the castle. Place her there uponSoft pillows. Strew fresh flowers round aboutHer bed, and moisten all her robes and clothesWith sweetest perfumes. Kneel ye down and prayWhen she doth speak to you, for she must beIn some way sacred, since God loves her thus.
(Almost shouting.)
And if she should be found in Tristram's bedI'll kill the man who tells me of it, ay,And let his body rot upon the ground!Now saddle me a horse that I may goTo seek Lord Dinas, my most loyal friend!