KING STEPHEN.
413
De Kaims. Yes, of thy madness thou shalt take the meed.
Stephen. Barest thou?
De Kaims.How dare, against a man disarm'd?
Stephen. What weapons has the lion but himself?
Come not near me, De Kaims, for by the price
Of all the glory I have won this day,
Being a king, I will not yield alive
To any but the second man of the realm,
Robert of Glocester.
Come not near me, De Kaims, for by the price
Of all the glory I have won this day,
Being a king, I will not yield alive
To any but the second man of the realm,
Robert of Glocester.
De Kaims.Thou shalt vail to me.
Stephen. Shall I, when I have sworn against it, sir?
Thou think'st it brave to take a breathing king,
That, on a court-day bow'd to haughty Maud,
The awed presence-chamber may be bold
To whisper, there's the man who took alive
Stephen—me—prisoner. Certes, De Kaims
The ambition is a noble one.
Thou think'st it brave to take a breathing king,
That, on a court-day bow'd to haughty Maud,
The awed presence-chamber may be bold
To whisper, there's the man who took alive
Stephen—me—prisoner. Certes, De Kaims
The ambition is a noble one.
De Kaims.'Tis true,
And, Stephen, I must compass it.
And, Stephen, I must compass it.
Stephen.No, no.
Do not tempt me to throttle you on the gorge,
Or with my gauntlet crush your hollow breast,
Just when your knighthood is grown ripe and full
For lordship.
Do not tempt me to throttle you on the gorge,
Or with my gauntlet crush your hollow breast,
Just when your knighthood is grown ripe and full
For lordship.
A Soldier. Is an honest yeoman's spear
Of no use at a need? Take that.
Of no use at a need? Take that.
Stephen.Ah, dastard!
De Kaims. What, you are vulnerable! my prisoner!
Stephen. No, not yet. I disclaim it, and demand
Death as a sovereign right unto a king
Death as a sovereign right unto a king
