KING DAVID I
(An Historical Drama in the manner sometimes attributed to the Lord Verulam.)
Scene:The Welsh Hills near Criccieth. A vast concourse of people, Druids and Burghers among them. Flourish of trumpets. EnterKing David,attended byAlfred, Knight of Swansea,andRiddell of Walton Heath.
Scene:The Welsh Hills near Criccieth. A vast concourse of people, Druids and Burghers among them. Flourish of trumpets. EnterKing David,attended byAlfred, Knight of Swansea,andRiddell of Walton Heath.
The Knight of Swansea: Gif me your attentions, I pray you, and mark vell dese vorts. Ve Velshman haf great traditions. Ve are proud and ancient peoples. Some tink perhaps ve shows too much ze pride of race, yes? Ze fierce Celtic patriotism? But ve are chustly proud to tink ourself descendant of Cadvallader, cradle of Tudors, and fine stocks of Owen Clendower, look you—Mark den vat vorts our leader shall tell you and observe dese rulings. (He withdraws a pace.)
First Druid:
Methinks his words, though seasoned with good senseAnd aptly illustrative of our merits,Bewray a foreign origin.
Methinks his words, though seasoned with good senseAnd aptly illustrative of our merits,Bewray a foreign origin.
Methinks his words, though seasoned with good senseAnd aptly illustrative of our merits,Bewray a foreign origin.
Methinks his words, though seasoned with good sense
And aptly illustrative of our merits,
Bewray a foreign origin.
Second Druid:
Why, sir,The man’s as good a Welshman as e’er breathed!His pedigree I’ll tell you in brief space,Identifying in so many wordsWales with the lost ten tribes of Israel.Moses begat——
Why, sir,The man’s as good a Welshman as e’er breathed!His pedigree I’ll tell you in brief space,Identifying in so many wordsWales with the lost ten tribes of Israel.Moses begat——
Why, sir,The man’s as good a Welshman as e’er breathed!His pedigree I’ll tell you in brief space,Identifying in so many wordsWales with the lost ten tribes of Israel.Moses begat——
Why, sir,
The man’s as good a Welshman as e’er breathed!
His pedigree I’ll tell you in brief space,
Identifying in so many words
Wales with the lost ten tribes of Israel.
Moses begat——
A Herald: Peace Ho! Have silence there.
Voices from the Crowd: Silence for David.
Other Voices: Peace for the Man of Wales.
Riddell(aside):
Mark, Swansea, how impregnable he looks,Like some proud eagle, weary of scouring the skies,That pauses on a lofty pinnacleRefashioning his pinions, whetting his beakReady to swoop again.
Mark, Swansea, how impregnable he looks,Like some proud eagle, weary of scouring the skies,That pauses on a lofty pinnacleRefashioning his pinions, whetting his beakReady to swoop again.
Mark, Swansea, how impregnable he looks,Like some proud eagle, weary of scouring the skies,That pauses on a lofty pinnacleRefashioning his pinions, whetting his beakReady to swoop again.
Mark, Swansea, how impregnable he looks,
Like some proud eagle, weary of scouring the skies,
That pauses on a lofty pinnacle
Refashioning his pinions, whetting his beak
Ready to swoop again.
King David:
Good countrymen,And ye, my immemorial Cymric Hills,I came among ye in my indecisionTo steel myself anew.Good countrymen,I have well pondered here in CricciethAnd now have made resolve, in which I’ll prayA moment hence for your support; but first’Tis meet I should explain.Ye well do knowHow lately has arisen from the ranksA party sutler, subtle enough it seems,Older than I, yet Younger by God’s grace,Who seeks to take direction by the throat,Sow discord where was harmony before,Bring ruin on the Coalition, bindOur fortunes, mine and yours, to Torydom,Vex all my policies, overthrow my plans,And make of our political affairsThe kind of stew the French callbouillabaisse.
Good countrymen,And ye, my immemorial Cymric Hills,I came among ye in my indecisionTo steel myself anew.Good countrymen,I have well pondered here in CricciethAnd now have made resolve, in which I’ll prayA moment hence for your support; but first’Tis meet I should explain.Ye well do knowHow lately has arisen from the ranksA party sutler, subtle enough it seems,Older than I, yet Younger by God’s grace,Who seeks to take direction by the throat,Sow discord where was harmony before,Bring ruin on the Coalition, bindOur fortunes, mine and yours, to Torydom,Vex all my policies, overthrow my plans,And make of our political affairsThe kind of stew the French callbouillabaisse.
Good countrymen,And ye, my immemorial Cymric Hills,I came among ye in my indecisionTo steel myself anew.Good countrymen,I have well pondered here in CricciethAnd now have made resolve, in which I’ll prayA moment hence for your support; but first’Tis meet I should explain.Ye well do knowHow lately has arisen from the ranksA party sutler, subtle enough it seems,Older than I, yet Younger by God’s grace,Who seeks to take direction by the throat,Sow discord where was harmony before,Bring ruin on the Coalition, bindOur fortunes, mine and yours, to Torydom,Vex all my policies, overthrow my plans,And make of our political affairsThe kind of stew the French callbouillabaisse.
Good countrymen,
And ye, my immemorial Cymric Hills,
I came among ye in my indecision
To steel myself anew.
Good countrymen,
I have well pondered here in Criccieth
And now have made resolve, in which I’ll pray
A moment hence for your support; but first
’Tis meet I should explain.
Ye well do know
How lately has arisen from the ranks
A party sutler, subtle enough it seems,
Older than I, yet Younger by God’s grace,
Who seeks to take direction by the throat,
Sow discord where was harmony before,
Bring ruin on the Coalition, bind
Our fortunes, mine and yours, to Torydom,
Vex all my policies, overthrow my plans,
And make of our political affairs
The kind of stew the French callbouillabaisse.
The Crowd(murmuring): We’ll have none of that. None of that. We’ll rise and storm their strongholds. We’ll burn down their castles to the ground.
King David:
Peace, peace, my friends, and hear me out. They say(Insolent curs), these Younger statesmen say,They’d have my leadership because they know,Perchance, that I have prowess in the field.But in the Council Chamber I’ll be nought,A thing, a cipher, ordered here and there....What? Shall we now on Unionists depend?Sue them for favours, fawn on them for smiles?Eat from the dish of infamy the foodThey’d grudge to give had they the giving of it?Not in these trousers, sirs!
Peace, peace, my friends, and hear me out. They say(Insolent curs), these Younger statesmen say,They’d have my leadership because they know,Perchance, that I have prowess in the field.But in the Council Chamber I’ll be nought,A thing, a cipher, ordered here and there....What? Shall we now on Unionists depend?Sue them for favours, fawn on them for smiles?Eat from the dish of infamy the foodThey’d grudge to give had they the giving of it?Not in these trousers, sirs!
Peace, peace, my friends, and hear me out. They say(Insolent curs), these Younger statesmen say,They’d have my leadership because they know,Perchance, that I have prowess in the field.But in the Council Chamber I’ll be nought,A thing, a cipher, ordered here and there....What? Shall we now on Unionists depend?Sue them for favours, fawn on them for smiles?Eat from the dish of infamy the foodThey’d grudge to give had they the giving of it?Not in these trousers, sirs!
Peace, peace, my friends, and hear me out. They say
(Insolent curs), these Younger statesmen say,
They’d have my leadership because they know,
Perchance, that I have prowess in the field.
But in the Council Chamber I’ll be nought,
A thing, a cipher, ordered here and there....
What? Shall we now on Unionists depend?
Sue them for favours, fawn on them for smiles?
Eat from the dish of infamy the food
They’d grudge to give had they the giving of it?
Not in these trousers, sirs!
Druids:
Nay, never! Never!He’s been despitefully and most vilely used.
Nay, never! Never!He’s been despitefully and most vilely used.
Nay, never! Never!He’s been despitefully and most vilely used.
Nay, never! Never!
He’s been despitefully and most vilely used.
King David:
Must I go on and watch complacentlyThe fairest promise turned to rottennessBy bigots—dull, reactionary fools?Why, I could form a better Government(With Riddell’s and my faithful Swansea’s help)Of certain Davieses and sundry Jones,Llewellyns a few, an Evans here and there,A sprinkle of the goodly Williams blood;And not a Chamberlain among the lotTo dull our spirits with his laggard’s breath.
Must I go on and watch complacentlyThe fairest promise turned to rottennessBy bigots—dull, reactionary fools?Why, I could form a better Government(With Riddell’s and my faithful Swansea’s help)Of certain Davieses and sundry Jones,Llewellyns a few, an Evans here and there,A sprinkle of the goodly Williams blood;And not a Chamberlain among the lotTo dull our spirits with his laggard’s breath.
Must I go on and watch complacentlyThe fairest promise turned to rottennessBy bigots—dull, reactionary fools?Why, I could form a better Government(With Riddell’s and my faithful Swansea’s help)Of certain Davieses and sundry Jones,Llewellyns a few, an Evans here and there,A sprinkle of the goodly Williams blood;And not a Chamberlain among the lotTo dull our spirits with his laggard’s breath.
Must I go on and watch complacently
The fairest promise turned to rottenness
By bigots—dull, reactionary fools?
Why, I could form a better Government
(With Riddell’s and my faithful Swansea’s help)
Of certain Davieses and sundry Jones,
Llewellyns a few, an Evans here and there,
A sprinkle of the goodly Williams blood;
And not a Chamberlain among the lot
To dull our spirits with his laggard’s breath.
The Davieses(talking among themselves): There’s much in this.
The Williamses: Most true and notable.
The Evanses: Not to be lightly put aside, look you.
A Druid: Peace, he begins again.
King David:
My noble friends,This, then, the resolution I have formed.I’ll back to Westminster and beard them thereAnd put this Younger’s power to the test.If, as I think, he fall before my lance,Why, we’ll admit them to some sort of quarter;But if, as may be, they resist my terms,Then to the hustings with our banners high,Our hopes and hearts and courage higher still;And I, and doughty Riddell, and wise Mond,Fisher and Greenwood, Churchill and Monro,And all these gallant gentlemen of ours,Will armour up and lead our forces out’Gainst Bonar and his liver-hearted crewOf purse-proud commoners and needy peers,And bear them down and roll them in the dust.Heads shall fall right and left, Curzon’s and Chamberlain’s,Amery’s, Baldwin’s. We’ll have Ormsby’s gore,Young F. E.’s Birken-head and Carson’s scowl,Old Devonshire’s yawning mask, and Derby’s jowl;And Younger on a dung heap shall be thrownThat day when David comes into his own.
My noble friends,This, then, the resolution I have formed.I’ll back to Westminster and beard them thereAnd put this Younger’s power to the test.If, as I think, he fall before my lance,Why, we’ll admit them to some sort of quarter;But if, as may be, they resist my terms,Then to the hustings with our banners high,Our hopes and hearts and courage higher still;And I, and doughty Riddell, and wise Mond,Fisher and Greenwood, Churchill and Monro,And all these gallant gentlemen of ours,Will armour up and lead our forces out’Gainst Bonar and his liver-hearted crewOf purse-proud commoners and needy peers,And bear them down and roll them in the dust.Heads shall fall right and left, Curzon’s and Chamberlain’s,Amery’s, Baldwin’s. We’ll have Ormsby’s gore,Young F. E.’s Birken-head and Carson’s scowl,Old Devonshire’s yawning mask, and Derby’s jowl;And Younger on a dung heap shall be thrownThat day when David comes into his own.
My noble friends,This, then, the resolution I have formed.I’ll back to Westminster and beard them thereAnd put this Younger’s power to the test.If, as I think, he fall before my lance,Why, we’ll admit them to some sort of quarter;But if, as may be, they resist my terms,Then to the hustings with our banners high,Our hopes and hearts and courage higher still;And I, and doughty Riddell, and wise Mond,Fisher and Greenwood, Churchill and Monro,And all these gallant gentlemen of ours,Will armour up and lead our forces out’Gainst Bonar and his liver-hearted crewOf purse-proud commoners and needy peers,And bear them down and roll them in the dust.Heads shall fall right and left, Curzon’s and Chamberlain’s,Amery’s, Baldwin’s. We’ll have Ormsby’s gore,Young F. E.’s Birken-head and Carson’s scowl,Old Devonshire’s yawning mask, and Derby’s jowl;And Younger on a dung heap shall be thrownThat day when David comes into his own.
My noble friends,
This, then, the resolution I have formed.
I’ll back to Westminster and beard them there
And put this Younger’s power to the test.
If, as I think, he fall before my lance,
Why, we’ll admit them to some sort of quarter;
But if, as may be, they resist my terms,
Then to the hustings with our banners high,
Our hopes and hearts and courage higher still;
And I, and doughty Riddell, and wise Mond,
Fisher and Greenwood, Churchill and Monro,
And all these gallant gentlemen of ours,
Will armour up and lead our forces out
’Gainst Bonar and his liver-hearted crew
Of purse-proud commoners and needy peers,
And bear them down and roll them in the dust.
Heads shall fall right and left, Curzon’s and Chamberlain’s,
Amery’s, Baldwin’s. We’ll have Ormsby’s gore,
Young F. E.’s Birken-head and Carson’s scowl,
Old Devonshire’s yawning mask, and Derby’s jowl;
And Younger on a dung heap shall be thrown
That day when David comes into his own.
All:
Away. Away. We’ll to the fray, amain;And see Welsh David cleanse the land again.
Away. Away. We’ll to the fray, amain;And see Welsh David cleanse the land again.
Away. Away. We’ll to the fray, amain;And see Welsh David cleanse the land again.
Away. Away. We’ll to the fray, amain;
And see Welsh David cleanse the land again.
(Sound a flourish.Exeunt.)