Britain ... - Blue-Lite

316 THE VARANGIAN. [Act It.
JUDITH.
Northumberland the Saxon ! he who holds
Thee in vile bondage, he for whom thou toiPst
Slave of his meanest slaves. Thy arm must strike
In secrecy ;
in ambush thou must wing
Thine arrows to his heart.
HEREWARD.
A thousand curses on thee fall for this !
Ten thousand fall on me, if I uplift
A hand to do him harm !
JUDITH.
Ha ! what said'st thou ?
MATILDA.
Dogs gnaw his heart-strings ! Have
Outwitted by a slave ?
HEREWARD.
I been deceived ?
Misdeem'st thou me
So base, because a bondman's badge I wear,
That 1 must be a miscreant cut-throat ruffian ?
Dost thou not know that many a gallant heart,
All worthiness and honour, beats beneath
The weeds of bondage ? while the jewelled vest,
The golden spur, and coronal of pomp
Are oft like flowers, that hide beneath their bloom
The spotted toad and adder ?
MATILDA.
Here's a knave !
A dunghill reeking with the fumes of honour !
A swine pranked with a jewel in his snout !
A kennel-raker in a bishop's cope,
Reading a homily ! Out and away
With the foul ditch-dog ! Let a gallows cord
The snatch-crust strangle !