William Wilfred Campbell - Mordred: Act III, Scene 3 lyrics

PLACE—Another part of the forest. Enter LAUNCELOT and GWAINE. GWA. Launcelot, thou art a fool. Thou art the King's man, and the best. Thou hast an arm and a sword on it. Thou must come. I will no longer here. LAUN. I may not; this hurt be too deep. GWA. Curse thy hurt, man! thou art sound as I. LAUN. 'Tis a deep hurt; Launcelot fights no more. Here I die. GWA. Better go a monk. Thou art a fool, man. This love is a girl's folly. Fighting is a man's trade and his sword his true mistress. Gwaine will have no other. Come, thou art not dead yet. LAUN. Aye, Gwaine, thou wastest words. Launcelot is ended. GWA. Nay! nay! I gave my word I would bring thee. Will I have to go forsworn, else carry thee on my back. Have I cured thy madness but for this? LAUN. Nay, nay, make peace best thou canst. Thou art a good fellow, but I cannot. Launcelot will die here. GWA. I say, damn thee, thou shalt come! LAUN. Thou liest! [Both spring to their feet and draw. Trumpets without. Enter the King's Messengers. GWA. Who comes? Mess. From the King. GWA. What want ye? Mess. We seek two knights, Sir Launcelot and Sir Gwaine. GWA. We be thy men—what be thy message? Mess. The King desireth thee in great haste; the Queen be in great peril. LAUN. Nay! Mess. Yea, of her life. She be condemned to the stake if a knight a**oil her not with his body on her accuser to-morrow noon. LAUN. Dread Heaven! GWA. What be the accusation? Mess. Murder on the body of Sir Patrise. LAUN. Enough! Hast thou brought horses? Mess. Yea. LAUN. Then quick! on your lives! lead us hence! [Exeunt LAUNCELOT and Messengers. GWA. The foul fiend take this love! It be a queer sickness, indeed. Anon it made him like to luke water, and now he be all fire. It bloweth now up, now down, like the wind i' a chimney. Yea, I love that man like a father his child. There is no sword like to his i' the whole kingdom. An' a wench that be a queen leadeth him like a goss-hawk. (voices without) Yea, I am coming. [Exit. CURTAIN.