Page:The collected works of Henrik Ibsen (Heinemann Volume 3).djvu/158

Brand.

A beaten man?

The Mayor.

              As such I stand
Before you. When I open'd war,
And sought to drive you from the land,
The end I augur'd, I confess,
For you, was not just—well—success.

Brand.

Indeed——?

The Mayor.

            But though my cause I boast
The better, I'll contend no more.

Brand.

And why?

The Mayor.

         Because you have the <g>most</g>.

Brand.

Have I?

The Mayor.

        Oh, that you can't ignore:
Folks flock to you by sea and shore;
And in the whole of my confine
A spirit has of late been rife,
Which, God's my witness, is not mine;
Whence to conclude is only due,
That it originates with you.
Here is my hand: we'll end the strife!

Brand.

War such as we wage does not cease,
Howe'er the vanquished cry "No more!"