But heaven and our good saint will bring to nought
Their wicked machinations.
Enter an Officer of the Castle.
Off. Th' assembled Thanes my Lord, attend without.
Ethw. Well, let them enter.(Exit Off,
Our stool beneath us will not shake, I trust,
Enter several Thanes with Hereulf at their head, and presently after followed by Ethelbert.
Her. (stretching out his hand with respectful dignity.)
Our king and sire, in true and humble duty
We come before you, earnestly intreating
Your royal ear to our united voice.
Ethw. Mine ear is ever open to the voice
Of faithful duty.
Her. We are all men who, in th' embattled field,
Have by your side the front of danger braved,
With greater lack of prudence than of daring;
And have opposed our rough and scarred breasts
To the fell push of war, with liberality
Not yielding to the bravest of your Thanes,
The sons of warlike sires. But we are men
Who, in our cheerful halls, have also been
Lords of the daily feast; where, round our boards,
The hoary headed warriour, from the toil
Of arms releas'd, with the cheer'd stranger smiled:
