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