Page:Plays in Prose and Verse (1922).djvu/92

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76
THE KING'S THRESHOLD

Except find out the King and kneel to him,
And beg our ancient right.

For here are some

To say whatever we could say and more,
And fare as badly. Come, boy, that is no use.

[Raises youngest pupil.

If it seem well that we beseech the King,
Lay down your harps and trumpets on the stones
In silence, and come with me silently.
Come with slow footfalls, and bow all your heads,
For a bowed head becomes a mourner best.

[They lay harps and trumpets down one by one, and then go out very solemnly and slowly, following one another. Enter mayor, two cripples, and brian, an old servant. The mayor, who has been heard, before he came upon the stage, muttering 'Chief Poet,’ ‘Ireland,’ etc., crosses in front of seanchan to the other side of the steps. brian takes food out of basket. The cripples are watching the basket. The mayor has an Ogham stick in his hand.

mayor [as he crosses]. ‘Chief Poet,’ ‘Ireland,’ ‘Townsman,’ ‘Grazing land.’
Those are the words I have to keep in mind—
‘Chief Poet,’ ‘Ireland,’ ‘ Townsman,’ 'Grazing land.’