Britain ... - Blue-Lite

Scene I.] THE DEVOTED ONE. 195
This fellow here again ! Whyy
Enter Edric.
EDIUC.
no man soon
Will dare approach the King without his leave.
Art thou chief warder of the royal chamber ?
GODWIN.
Art thou chief executioner, and com'st
With bloody hand to tell the King thou hast done
Thine office featly on some hapless wretch,
'Neath court displeasure fallen ?
EDRIC.
Destruction crush
Thy very bones to dust ! And yet must I,
To pluck the secret of his lineage forth,
Soothe him with artful words of kind regard. [Aside.
Brave son of Wulfnoth, how comes this, that thou
Wilt ever cast on me such fierce contempt.
Disdaining
kin with Mercians Duke to claim ?
GODWIN.
Who told thee, fool, that I was Wulfnoth's son ?
Claim kin to thee ! No, sooner would I claim
Relationship with helFs dark master-fiend.
Ere I would own thee of my blood, Yd call
A scurvy dog my brother.
EDRIC (aside.)
I'll make thee howl for this.
Enter Canute, Turkeetul, Rolf Iric, Guards and
Attendants.
CANUTE.
Emma of Normandy shall be our Queen,
And quickly change her weeds of widowhood
To bridal robes of state.
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