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Act V
Eric’s Palace.
ERIC Not by love only, but by force and love. This man must lower his fierceness to the fierce, He must be beggared of the thing left, his pride, And know himself for clay, before he will consent To value my gift. He would not honour nor revere This unfamiliar movement of my soul But would contemn and think my seated strength Had changed to trembling. Strike the audience-bell, Harald. The master of my stars is he Who owns no master. Odin, what is this play, Thou playest with thy world, of fall and rise, Of death, birth, greatness, ruin? The time may come When Eric shall not be remembered! Yes, But there’s a script, there are archives that endure. Before a throne in some superior world Bards with undying lips and eyes still young After the ages sing of all the past And the immortal Children hear. Somewhere In this gigantic world of which one grain of dust Is all our field, Eternal Memory keeps Our great things and our trivial equally To whom the peasant’s moans above his dead Are tragic as a prince’s fall. Some say Atomic Chance put Eric here, Swegn there, Aslaug between. O you revealing Gods,
Page – 603 But I have seen myself and know though veiled The immortality that thinks in me, That plans and reasons. Masters of Norway, hail! For all are masters here, not I alone Who am my country’s brain of unity, Your oneness. Swegn’s at last in Norway’s hands, Who shook our fates. And what shall Norway do with Swegn, One of her mightiest?
GUNTHAR If his might submits Then, Eric, let him live. We cannot brook These discords always.
ERIC Norway cannot brook. Therefore he must submit. Bring him within. We’ll see if this strong iron can be bent, This crudeness bear the fire. Swegn Olafson, Hast thou considered yet thy state? hast thou Submitted to the gods; or must we, Swegn, Consider now thy sentence?
SWEGN I have seen My dire misfortunes, I have seen myself And know that I am greater. Do thy will, Since what the son of Yarislaf commands, The son of Olaf bears!
ERIC Thou wilt not yield?
SWEGN My father taught me not the word. Page – 604 ERIC Shall I? Thou hast forgotten, Swegn, thy desperate words. Or were they meant only for the free snows, And here retracted?
SWEGN Son of Yarislaf, they stand. I claim the cross I would have nailed thee on, I claim the flayer’s knife.
ERIC These for thyself. And for thy wife and sister, Swegn?
SWEGN Alas!
ERIC I think thy father taught thee not that word, But I have taught thee. Since thou lovest yet, — No man who says that he will stand alone, Swegn, can afford to love, — thou then art mine Inevitably. He must be half a god Who can oppose Thor’s anger, Odin’s will Nor dream of breaking. Such the gods delight in, Raising or smiting; such in the gods delight, Raised up or smitten. But thou wast always man And canst not now be more. Thou vauntst thy blood, Thy strength? Thou art much stronger, so thou sayst, Than thy misfortunes. Art thou stronger, Swegn, Than theirs? Can all thy haughty pride of race Or thy heart’s mightiness undo my will In whose strong hands they lie? Swegn Olafson, The gods are mightier than thy race and blood, The gods are mightier than thy arrogant heart. They will not have one violent man oppose
Page – 605 His egoism, his pride and his desire Against a country’s fate. Use then thy eyes And learn thy strength. At a sign of his hand Aslaug and Hertha are brought in. Thou hast no strength, For thou and these are only Eric’s slaves Who have been his stubborn hinderers. Therefore Fate, Whose favourite and brother I have grown, Turned wroth with you and dragged you all into my grasp. I will that you should live and yield. These yield, But thou withstandest wisdom, Fate and love Allied against thee. Swegn Olafson, submit, Stand by my side and share thy father’s throne.
SWEGN (after a silence) Yes, thou art fierce and subtle! Let them pronounce My duty’s preference if not my heart’s, To them or Right.
ERIC O narrow obstinate heart! Had this been for thy country or a cause Men worship, then it would indeed have been A noble blindness, but thou serv’st thy pride, Swegn, son of Olaf, not the noble cause Of God or man or country. Look now on these. I give thee the selection of their fate. If these remain my slaves, an upstart’s, Swegn, Who yet are Olaf’s blood and Norway’s pride, I swear ’tis thou that mak’st them so. Now choose. (Swegn is silent) How sayst thou, Swegn Olafson, shall these be Eric’s thralls? Wilt thou abide by their pronouncement, Swegn? Aslaug and Hertha, see your brother and lord, This mighty captive, royal once, now fallen Page – 606 And helpless in my hands. I wish to spare His mightiness, his race, his royal heart; But he prefers the cross instead, prefers Your shame — thy brother, Aslaug, — Hertha, he. Thy spouse consents to utmost shame for both If from the ages he can buy this word, “Swegn still was stubborn.” That to him is all. He who forgot to value Norway’s will, Forgets to value now your pride, your love. This was not royal, nor like Olaf’s son! Come, will you speak to him, will you persuade? Walk there aside awhile; aim at his heart. Hertha, my subject, Aslaug, thou my thrall, Save, if he will, this life.
SWEGN ‘Tis thus we meet, — Were not the snows of Norway preferable, Daughter of Olaf?
ASLAUG They were high, but cold.
HERTHA Wilt thou not speak to Hertha, Swegn, my lord?
SWEGN Hertha, alas, thy crooked scheming brain That brought us here.
HERTHA The gods use instruments, Not ask their counsel. O Swegn, accept the gods And their decision.
ASLAUG Must we live always cold?
Page – 607 O brother, cast the snows out of thy heart. Let there be summer.
HERTHA Yield, husband, to the sun. There is no shame in yielding to the gods.
ASLAUG Nor to a god, although his room be earth And his body mortal.
SWEGN There was an Aslaug once Whose speech had other grandeurs. Can it find In all its sweet and lofty harmonies The word or argument that can excuse thy fall, O not to me, but to that worshipped self Thou wast, my sister?
ASLAUG I have no argument except my heart Nor need excuse for what I glory in. Brother, were we not always one? ‘Tis strange That I must reason with thee.
SWEGN O, thou knewest. Therefore I fell, therefore my strength is gone, And where a god’s magnificence lived once, Here, here ’tis empty. O inconstant heart, Thou wast my Fate, my courage, and at last Thou hast gone over to my enemy, Taking my Fate, my courage. I will hear No words from such. Thou wouldst betray what’s left, Until not even Swegn is left to Swegn, But only a coward’s shadow. Page – 608 HERTHA Hear me, Swegn.
SWEGN Ah, Hertha! what hast thou to say to me?
HERTHA Save me, my lord, from my own punishment, Forgetting my deserts.
SWEGN Alas! thy love, Though great, was never wise, and must it ask So huge a recompense? Thou hadst myself. Thou askst my honour.
ASLAUG Will this persuade thee? I have nothing else.
SWEGN Thou only and so only couldst prevail. O thou hast overcome my strength at last. King, thou hast conquered. Not to thee I yield, But those I loved are thy allies. From these Recall thy wrath and on my head pronounce What doom thou wilt, though yielding is doom enough For Swegn of Norway.
ERIC Abjure rebellion then; receive my boons, Receive my mercy.
SWEGN Mercy. It is received. Let all the world hear Olaf’s son abjure His birth and greatness. I accept — accept! King Eric’s boons, King Eric’s mercy. O torture!
Page – 609 The spirit of Olaf will no more sit still Within me. O though thou slaughter these with pangs, I will not yield. Take, take thy mercy back.
ERIC I take it back. What wouldst thou in its stead?
SWEGN Do what thou wilt with these and me. I have done!
ERIC Thou castst thy die, thou weak and violent man, I will cast mine And conquer.
SWEGN I have endured the worst. ERIC Not so. Thou thinkest I will help thee to thy death, Allowing the blind grave to seal thy eyes To all that I shall do to these. Learn, Swegn, I am more cruel! Thou shalt live and see On these my vengeance. Go, Aslaug, and return Robed as thou wast upon the night thou knowest Wearing thy dagger, wearing too thy ring.
SWEGN What wilt thou do with her? God! what wilt thou do? O wherefore have I seen and taken back love Into a heart had shut itself to all But death and greatness?
ERIC I will inflict on them What thou canst not endure to gaze upon — Or if thou canst, then with that hardness live Page – 610 For die thou shalt not. I have ways for that. Thou thoughtst to take thy refuge in a grave And let these bear thy punishment for thee, Thy heart being spared. It was no valiant thought, No worthy escape for Swegn. Aslaug and Hertha, Remove your outer robes.
SWEGN What must I see?
ERIC As dancing-girls these women came to me. As dancing-girls I keep them. Thou shalt see Aslaug of Norway at her trade — to dance Before me and my courtiers. That begins, There’s more behind, unless thou change thy mood.
SWEGN Thou knowest how to torture.
ERIC And to break. Aslaug re-enters. Thou seest, Swegn. Shall I command the dance? Shall this be the result of Olaf’s house?
SWEGN Daughter of Olaf, wilt thou then obey?
ASLAUG Yes, since thou lov’st me not, my brother Swegn, Whom else should I obey, save him I love? If thou hadst loved me still, I should not need.
ERIC Dance. Page – 611 SWEGN No. Stay, Aslaug. Since thou bad’st me love Thee, not my glory, as indeed I must To save the house of Olaf from this shame, — Whose treacherous weakness works for him and thee, —
ERIC Pause not again — for pause is fatal now.
SWEGN King, I have yielded, I accept thy boons. Heir of a starveling Earl, I bow my head Even to thy mercies. I am Olaf’s son, Yet yield — that name remember, speak this word — I shall be faithful to my own disgrace. O fear not, King, I can be great again.
ERIC Without conditions hast thou yielded?
SWEGN No. Let these be spared all shame — for that I yield. My honour has a price — and O ’tis small.
ERIC That’s given. Without terms besides?
SWEGN One prayer. Give me a dungeon deep enough, O King, To hide my face from all these eyes.
ERIC Swear then, Whatever prison I assign thee, be it wide Or narrow, to observe its state, its bounds Page – 612 And do even there my will.
SWEGN (with a gesture) That too is sworn! Let Thor and Odin witness to my oath.
ERIC Four prisons I assign to Olaf’s son. Thy palace first in Trondhjem, Olaf’s roof — This house in Yara, Eric’s court — thy country To whom thou yieldest, Norway — and at last My army’s head when I invade the world.
SWEGN (amazed and doubtful) Thou hast surprised me, Eric, with an oath And circumvented.
ERIC Hertha, to thy lord Return unharmed — thou seest thou wast safe As in his dearest keeping. Take, Hertha, Trondhjem with thee and Olaf’s treasures; sit The second in the land, beneath our throne.
SWEGN Eric, enough. Have I not yielded? Here Let thy boons rest.
ERIC ‘Tis truth. For my next boon Is to myself. Look not upon this hand I clasp in mine, although the fairest hand That God has made. Observe this ring instead And recognise it.
GUNTHAR It is Freya’s ring
Page – 613 On Aslaug’s hand; she who once wears it sits Thenceforth on Norway’s throne.
ERIC Possess thy father’s chair Intended for thee always from the first, Nor be amazed that in these dancing robes I seat her here, for they increase its pomp More than imperial purple. Think not, Swegn, Thy sister shamed or false who came to me, Spilling my blood and hers to give thee back thy crown, A violent and mighty purpose such As only noble hearts conceive; and only She yielded to that noble heart at last Because of Odin’s pressure.
SWEGN So they came. Aslaug, thou soughtst my throne, but findst it thine. I grudge it not to thee — for thy great heart Deserved it. Eric, thou hast won at last, Now only.
ERIC I could not shame thy sister, Swegn, Save by my wife’s disgrace, and this was none But only a deceit to prove thy heart And now thou seest thou couldst not have rebelled Except by violence to Olaf’s seed That must again rule Norway.
SWEGN Eric, for thy boons, They hurt not now, take what return thou wilt, For I am thine. Thou hast found out the way To save from me thy future. It is secured Even with my heart’s strings. Page – 614 ERIC Swegn, I too have boons To ask of thee.
SWEGN Let them be difficult then, If thou wouldst have me grant them.
ERIC Swegn, excuse and love Thy comrade Hardicnut, for he intended A kind betrayal.
SWEGN This is nothing, King. His act my heart had come to understand And it has pardoned.
ERIC Forgive then Swegn, dearest, Sigurd, thy foe, as I have pardoned first My father’s slaughterer. This thing is hard.
SWEGN He’s pardoned, not forgiven. Let him not come Too often in my sight.
ERIC The gods have won. Let this embrace engulf our ended strife, Brother of Aslaug.
SWEGN Husband of my sister, Thou assum’st our blood and it ennobles thee To the height of thy great victories — this thy last And greatest. Thou hast dealt with me as a King, Page – 615 Then as a brother. Thou adornst thy throne.
ERIC Rest, brother, from thy hardships, toils and wars Until I need the sword that matched with mine, To smite my foemen. Aslaug, what thinkst thou? If thou art satisfied, all was well done.
ASLAUG Thou hast the tyrant in thy nature still, And so I love thee best, for then I recognise My conqueror. O what canst thou do but well? For in thy every act and word I see The gods compel thee.
ERIC O thou hast changed me with thy starry eyes, Daughter of Olaf, and hast made me a man Where was but height and iron; all my roots Of action, mercy, greatness, enterprise, Sit now transplanted to thy breast, O charm, O noble marvel! From thy bosom my strength Comes out to me. Mighty indeed is love, Thou sangst of, Aslaug, once, the golden hoop Mightier, swifter than the warrior’s sword. Dost thou remember what thou cam’st to do, Aslaug, from Gothberg?
ASLAUG (wondering) Only ten days ago I came from Gothberg! She turns with a laugh and embraces Eric. ERIC The gods have spoken since and shown their hand. Page – 616 They seal our eyes and drive us, but at last Our souls remember when the act is done, That it was fated. Aslaug, now for us The world begins again, — our world, beloved, Since once more we — who since the stars were formed Playing the game of games by Odin’s will Have met and parted — parted, meet again For ever. Page – 617 |