Floris, Count of Holland (onder ps. Niels Kobet)

[p. 39]

act two

[p. 41]

Scene I

A room in Floris' castle.
Floris and the Friar; Amstel and Velzen; Roderick.

 

floris

 

As I have said before, there is no way

 

In which we can escape the coming war

 

With Flanders. Guy Dampierre, its Count, appears

 

Determined to increase the odds against

 

His country and himself, for not content

 

With the most deadly danger posed by France

 

To present safety and prosperity,

 

He picks a quarrel with his son-in-law

 

And threatens to invade the islands that

 

Divide his sphere of influence and mine.

 

velzen

 

Why should he want to do so rash a thing?

 

floris

 

I see that you are not yet broken to

 

The byways of diplomacy.

 

Alone,

 

He is unable to withstand the might

 

Of France's chivalry. With England's help

 

He can stand proud against the Gallic tide.

 

And so he fears the contract we're about

 

To make with Edward, lest he lose what in

 

The past has been his undivided lot:

 

Support and favour of the English King.

 

This irks and prods him to preventive war.

[p. 42]

 

amstel

 

What is this contract that you have in mind?

 

floris

 

You'll learn about it now.

 

Please call him in.

Roderick exit.

Enter Roderick and Antony Bek, Bishop of Durham.

 

roderick

 

My Lord, the Bishop Antony.

Roderick exit.

 

antony bek

 

I come

 

To bear good wishes from my Lord, the King

 

Of England, to the Count of Holland, both

 

Of whose domains are bordered by the sea

 

That separates their lands yet joins them in

 

The peaceful aims of trade and that therefore

 

Promotes a natural alliance, so

 

These maritime and friendly lands become

 

A check and hindrance to the arrogance

 

Of continental France.

 

floris

 

Your words seem clear

 

Yet we are not the only ones to live

 

On this side of the narrow seas. We have

 

A neighbour in the South. It's Flanders that

 

I have in mind. You may have heard of it:

 

Its cities are much favoured by your King.

 

antony bek

 

Indeed, indeed, we do much trade in wool

 

With those industrious towns, to their and our

 

Prosperity. What would you have us do?

[p. 43]

 

floris

 

I ask the King to send his wool to us.

 

antony bek

 

Is this the reason you have sent for me?

 

floris

 

Not quite - I know full well King Edward would

 

Not change the destination of his wool

 

Because I ask for it. I am prepared

 

To offer large and solid benefits

 

That will accrue to him as counterpart.

 

antony bek

 

What are these benefits you mean, my Lord?

 

floris

 

My only child, my daughter Margaret

 

Is fourteen years of age. King Edward's son,

 

Alfonso, needs a wife. I offer him

 

My daughter's hand, whose dowry will consist

 

Of half the lands that I possess...

 

amstel

 

My Lord!

 

floris

 

If I should die without a son as heir.

 

antony bek

 

Your daughter's hand and half your lands against

 

All England's wool?

 

floris

 

Not quite - there's one more thing.

 

antony bek

 

I thought there might be something else.

[p. 44]

 

floris

 

You know

 

That Scotland's throne is vacant since the death

 

Of it's late King and Edward must decide

 

And choose between the rival clans that now

 

Oppose their claims and gather men and arms.

 

I too lay claim to Scotland's throne for I

 

Have Ada Huntingdon as grandmother

 

Who was the sister of a Scottish King.

 

 

 

Let Edward lend me his support as third

 

Component of this treaty which will make

 

Us strong and lasting friends.

 

amstel

 

My Lord, I think...

 

antony bek

 

What you propose, although of interest,

 

May not be easy to achieve, my Lord.

 

Permit me to retire, so I may give

 

King Edward an account of this design.

 

floris

 

Of course, present him with my compliments.

Antony Bek exit.

 

amstel

 

This is too much... You would a second time

 

Dispose of what I own without so much

 

As ‘by your leave’... without consulting me...

 

You treat me as of no account... You've killed

 

My cousin John... You've turned my niece into

 

A whore...

 

velzen

 

Forget what's happened in the past!

[p. 45]

 

amstel

 

By God, this is too much... You give support

 

To miserable peasants who deny

 

My immemorial rights... You lay the axe

 

Against the very roots... against the oak

 

Of vested interest and my content...

 

You grind my face into the dust...

 

velzen

 

Do not

 

Exaggerate - you too have had your share

 

Of the prosperity that comes along

 

With peace.

 

amstel

 

To hell with your prosperity!

 

I want my rights!

 

By God, this is too much!

 

You use me as a tool! You throw my lands

 

Into the bargain so that you can get

 

The English wool you seem to want so much.

 

I hope you choke on it! You use my land

 

To whet Alfonso's appetite and lust

 

For Margaret. You give me bitter bread

 

To eat, but one day I shall face you as

 

A man and stuff your throat with English wool!

Amstel exit.

 

velzen

 

My Lord, I hope you will forgive him for

 

This sudden outburst of disgust and spite.

 

I know he does not mean it as it sounds.

 

He is a most impulsive man but soon

 

He will regain his normal self and rue

 

His words.

 

floris

 

He is not only, as you say,

[p. 46]

 

Impulsive - neither does he understand,

 

For what I said to Antony was: Half

 

My lands - from which our friend at once concludes

 

That this encompasses the grounds he holds

 

In liege, not stopping to consider that

 

I have much else besides.

 

But you, who are

 

His friend and intimate, go after him

 

And try to pacify the tempest in

 

His mind-

 

or rather, ask your wife to use

 

Her charm and smiling countenance.

 

velzen

 

My Lord,

 

I think...

 

floris

 

Oh well, arrange it as you wish.

Velzen exit.

 

friar

 

You play a risky game. You stand to lose

 

A lot - your gain would be uncertain, for

 

The wool that would be brought to market here

 

Could well be sold elsewhere in little time.

 

The throne of Scotland can but be of small

 

Importance to this land, so why pursue

 

Such vague and distant interests?

 

floris

 

I know.

 

I know that Edward is not likely to

 

Support my claim to Scotland's throne, as he

 

Cannot afford to lose his influence

 

Amongst the Bruces and the other clans

 

By favouring a man that is not of

 

Their kind.

[p. 47]

 

But I, by claiming much, make him

 

The more desirous to comply with that

 

Part of my wish that is within his reach.

 

Do not forget he seeks a counterweight

 

To balance Flanders and to make her more

 

Subservient to his country's affluence.

 

I badly need his money and support.

 

We're therefore natural confederates.

 

 

 

There is, however, one more thing, of which

 

You cannot be aware. You seem to think

 

That I shall never have a son. Well then-

 

My Beatrice expects a child again.

 

friar

 

Thank God!

 

And let it be a son, so needed in

 

These times of hazard, lest our newly found

 

Stability become endangered by

 

A woman's feeble hand. But what, if it

 

Should be a girl, or if the child should die?

 

It would not be the first!

 

floris

 

If that should come

 

To pass, which God forbid - who surely must

 

At long last grant me what I have desired

 

For all these years and what my country needs-

 

If God should yet again deny my wish-

 

Or if the English King should break his word-

 

I shall have recourse to the King of France

 

Who does not miss an opportunity

 

To press the Count of Flanders and to bring

 

To heel those wealthy towns.

 

friar

 

You seem to think

 

You can discard alliances as you

[p. 48]

 

Would throw away an old and outworn coat.

 

floris

 

Oh Father - in this deadly game I play

 

The risks indeed are very high but so

 

Are the rewards. It's either eat or else

 

Be eaten by whoever shows himself

 

To be the stronger, faster, smarter man.

 

But think what fruits, what wealth and what renown

 

Would fall to Holland if I can succeed

 

In turning it into the market place

 

Of England's wool and if I can outwit

 

That sly old fox, the father of my wife.

 

 

 

Please go and see how Amstel does and talk

 

Him into a more peaceful frame of mind.

Friar exit.

 

The Friar's blood is running thin. He fears

 

I'll overreach myself. He may be right.

 

It is not difficult to put the screws

 

Onto the Bishop's thumbs or knock some sense

 

Into a Frisian or two - it is

 

Another thing to try and overthrow

 

The wealth and weight of Flanders and to place

 

This hazardous attempt upon a base

 

Of shifting mud, because alliances

 

With French or English Kings can no more be

 

Relied upon than can a stinking swamp.

 

And all the while, the gangrene of dissent

 

Will spread, through Amstel, its decay and mould

 

Behind my back. Perhaps I should pay heed

 

To what the Friar says.

 

But then, what chance,

 

What opportunity to cuckold Guy,

 

Affirm my substance and identity

 

And turn my face against adversity,

 

And with one blow to raise this land of mine

 

My country, far above its neighbours and

[p. 49]

 

To make of it the hinge and fulcrum of

 

The trade that flows by sea from North to South

 

And goes by river and by land from East

 

To West - a free and open meeting ground

 

For commerce, merchants, customs, goods...

Enter Velzen.

 

velzen

 

My Lord!

 

My Lord! The Jew is here, it's Nathan, who

 

Brings tidings of the Bishop.

 

floris

 

What are they?

 

velzen

 

Since many years the people in his lands

 

Have put aside what little they could save-

 

A penny here, a farthing there - to help

 

To pay the costs of a crusade against

 

The infidel, a last attempt to free

 

The Holy Land from pestilential Turks.

 

These moneys were deposited in what

 

Was deemed to be a safe and holy place:

 

The monastery where the Bishop, so

 

He says, refreshes soul and mind in the

 

Spiritual solitude and simple life

 

That's lived by monks. The people's trust has been

 

Betrayed. The treasure, having swollen to

 

A goodly sum, has disappeared. There is

 

But one who can be held accountable:

 

Incompetent mismanagement of his

 

Affairs has pressed the Bishop to commit

 

The crime of misappropriation of

 

Those holy funds.

 

floris

 

The man whom God decides

[p. 50]

 

To overthrow will first be made to lose

 

His mind. It's happened even faster than

 

I had foreseen.

 

velzen

 

What shall I do?

 

floris

 

You must

 

Prepare yourself, with Amstel, to defend

 

Those fortresses I hold in pawn, for now

 

The Bishop can no longer hope to pay

 

His debt to me and in despair may well

 

Attempt to gain possession by the use

 

Of arms. Go off at once.

 

velzen

 

What of the Jew?

 

floris

 

Please tell him to come in.

Velzen exit.

Enter Nathan.

 

So how and in

 

What words did he approach you, Nathan, when

 

He was found out?

 

nathan

 

My Lord, he's frantic with

 

Despair. ‘For love of Christ’, he said to me.

 

‘The Jews have killed your Christ’, was my reply.

 

‘For pity's sake’, he begged. I said: ‘And who

 

Of all the Christians ever pitied us?’

 

I did however promise to convey

 

To you his urgent hope that you would help

 

Him in his deep and dark distress.

[p. 51]

 

floris

 

I will.

 

nathan

 

What interest and what security

 

Will you, my gracious Lord, demand this time?

 

floris

 

Now listen carefully and tell him this.

 

I am prepared to help him once again

 

So he can pay his debt, replace the sum

 

That he has stolen and suppress the slur

 

And degradation that would be his lot,

 

But only on condition that he does

 

The following. I have instructed both

 

The knights that hold the Bishop's fortresses

 

In gage to see in person that they are

 

In state of readiness against attack.

 

I want the Bishop to besiege those forts

 

Without delay. He need not fear that they

 

Will be relieved, for they are far away

 

From Amstel's own domains and I shall see

 

To it that no supporting troops will go

 

The Bishop's way.

 

And so your Lord will shed

 

This millstone on his back and I the dog

 

That's always yapping at my heels.

 

nathan

 

My Lord:

 

You will extend and ease the present loan

 

Expecting both their bodies in return.

 

floris

 

Your words are hardly delicate but that

 

Is in effect the substance of our deal.

Floris exit.

[p. 52]

 

nathan

 

What man is this? What ruthlessness, that first

 

Extorts such terms as force a debtor to

 

Default and then makes use of the despair

 

And stupid felony committed by

 

His prey to doublecross his principal

 

Lieutenants?

 

Treason and hypocrisy:

 

Those are the traits of Christianity!

 

One Pope declares that he will offer us

 

The shield of his protection and forbids

 

That any Christian shall presume to seize

 

Imprison torture kill or wound a Jew.

 

Another says that we are doomed to a

 

Perpetual servitude because we're held

 

To be the murderers of Christ and so

 

Aquinas teaches in their schools that we

 

Are slaves of their immortal church which is

 

Therefore entitled to dispose of all

 

That we possess.

 

Our daily lives are vexed

 

By quite unnecessary rules. We are

 

To fast in Lent. We are obliged to wear

 

Distinctive badges on our dress. We may

 

Not enter churches nor build any schools

 

Besides the ones that we already have.

 

No Christian woman is allowed to nurse

 

A Jewish child. They speak of our Talmud

 

As an abomination and despise

 

‘The insolence of that perfidious race’.

 

Their Bishops seek and burn the sacred books

 

As if they fear a secret influence

 

And vile contamination of the mind.

 

We are accused of being powerful.

 

But money only leads to power when

 

Its owner can withhold it at his choice,

 

Which we, who are reluctant instruments

 

Of royal poverty, can never do.

[p. 53]

 

But none of this is of significance

 

Compared with what is taking place in those

 

Unhappy towns that have been smitten by

 

The plague, like Strassbourg, where it is the Jews

 

That are accused of having been its cause-

 

And who indeed already have confessed!

 

If they would roast my feet until the flesh

 

Dropped of my bones, I would be ready to

 

Admit that I had murdered God himself.

 

 

 

Our sense of unity is like a piece

 

Of grit that irritates their eyes, for those

 

That are uncircumcised remain outside

 

The Covenant. The promises were made

 

To Abraham and to his seed alone.

Nathan exit.

Enter Beatrice with candles.

 

beatrice

 

What awful dream that was!

Enter Amstel.

 

Oh Amstel won't

 

You listen to the dream I had last night?

 

amstel

 

With pleasure, if you so desire.

 

beatrice

 

It was

 

An awful dream. I saw a scenery

 

As I have never seen before and as

 

I hope I'll never see again. The air

 

Was filled with strange and evil creatures:

 

A stork whose body ended in a ship

 

Was flying Westward and in opposite

 

Direction flew a fish with wings, upon

 

Whose back was placed an ugly dwarf

 

Together with his wife. They seemed to fly

[p. 54]

 

Towards a city in the distance that

 

Had burst in flames and spread a reddish glow

 

Against a cloud of smoke. Much nearer were

 

The ruins of a tower and in front

 

I saw my husband playing dice and with

 

Him were my daughter Margaret, who wore

 

A crown of thorns, and two disgusting men:

 

A beggar with a feathered tail, whose leg

 

Was bent and at whose side there was a dog

 

Just like a harlequin. The other man

 

Was dressed in black. His face was like a pig's.

 

Upon his bristly hair there stood an owl.

 

He held a lute. He also held a key.

 

I did not know what game they played but saw

 

My Father to their right. He turned his back

 

On them and held two warning fingers up.

 

The wooden bridge beneath their feet stood in

 

The stagnant waters of a pond in which

 

There was a multitude of grisly things.

 

A monkey with a sword sat snarling in

 

A crate. A mouselike animal plucked at

 

A harp. An armour-plated fish swam with

 

A devil on his back towards a man

 

That was imprisoned in a duck. A jar

 

Upon the hindlegs of a horse stood hard

 

Against a bull that had a ratlike head.

 

And underneath a tree there stood the lewd

 

And gleaming figure of a naked girl

 

Who scratched between her thighs while looking at

 

A cat that held a fish between its claws.

 

 

 

And many other things too strange and weird

 

For me to tell about - except that they

 

So frightened me that I woke up in tears

 

And damp with sweat. What does all this portent?

 

amstel

 

My Lady Beatrice - I wish I could

[p. 55]

 

In truth declare that I don't understand

 

A thing of all you've dreamt. Alas, the signs

 

Are all too clear. The tower surely means

 

The Bishop's fortress which I must defend.

 

Its ruins do not spell much good for me.

 

The game of dice must signify the risks

 

Your husband takes in dealing with the King

 

Of England who would be the beggar with

 

The feathered tail, for Bishop Antony

 

Is most assuredly the clown-like dog.

 

I don't know who could be the other man,

 

In black, whose face was like a pig's. Perhaps

 

He is the King of France; the owl upon

 

His head may well be one of that parade

 

Of lawyers he employs to think up all

 

The reasons and the subtleties which he

 

Requires. Your daughter Margaret is crowned

 

With thorns to celebrate her marriage

 

To Edward's son.

 

beatrice

 

What did you say?

 

amstel

 

But don't

 

You know? He didn't tell you of his plans?

 

Your daughter Margaret is now to be

 

Alfonso's wife.

 

beatrice

 

My God - my daughter, still

 

So young - my only child - I could not bear

 

To see her go...

 

amstel

 

With reason did you dream

 

Your Father gave a warning sign to you.

 

And then that naked wench that's envious

[p. 56]

 

Of what the cat holds in its paws: that's Maud,

 

Young Velzen's wife, who is in rut and lusts

 

To have your husband's fish between her thighs.

 

beatrice

 

Oh no!

 

amstel

 

Oh yes!

 

beatrice

 

Oh no! That can't be true.

 

amstel

 

Why do you think that Velzen has been sent

 

Along with me?

 

beatrice

 

Because there are two forts

 

That must be held.

 

amstel

 

But don't you think I should

 

Be able to defend them both myself?

 

beatrice

 

I do not understand these things of war.

 

amstel

 

I think that you will soon begin to see.

 

beatrice

 

I know that Floris, in the past, has seen...

 

I mean, your niece... but not that woman Maud...

 

amstel

 

My Lady Beatrice, please pray for me.

 

I must now leave on an assignment that

[p. 57]

 

Is filled with danger - I may not return.

 

beatrice

 

I wish you well.

Amstel exit.

 

My God, take pity on

 

Us all.

Enter Floris.

 

floris

 

Tomorrow I must leave to fight

 

The Frisians and extirpate the shame

 

Of that disastrous day when they enticed

 

My men to enter the morass where most

 

Of them were killed. I also must at last

 

And at all cost discover where and how

 

The body of my Father has been kept

 

So I may have it taken to the town

 

Of Middelburg, its final resting place,

 

And give a Christian burial to him

 

That once was Holy Roman Emperor.

 

I cannot rest while that is left undone.

 

beatrice

 

Oh Floris, do you have to undertake

 

That dangerous campaign?

 

floris

 

There is no need

 

To fear that I shall make the same mistake.

 

beatrice

 

Last night I had a frightful dream: I dreamt

 

Of burning cities, fish that flew up in

 

The air, unnatural monstrosities,

 

The ruins of a tower, snarling cats,

 

All things of evil prophecy, and you

 

Were also there, you were with odious men

[p. 58]

 

And played at dice. It made my blood run cold.

 

floris

 

Your pregnancy is clearly having its

 

Effects on what you dream at night. I should

 

Not pay attention to those feverish

 

Disturbances.

 

beatrice

 

Why can't you wait until

 

Our child is borne?

 

floris

 

The time is ripe. I want

 

To do it now, before your Father starts

 

Attacking in the South, in order to

 

Avoid the danger of two fronts.

 

beatrice

 

Why have

 

You promised Margaret to Edward's son?

 

floris

 

By whom were you informed of that affair?

 

beatrice

 

I am the Mother of the girl!

 

floris

 

I say

 

By whom were you informed?

 

beatrice

 

By Amstel, who

 

Came here to say goodbye not long ago.

 

floris

 

What other news did you get out of that

[p. 59]

 

Absurd and spiteful man?

 

beatrice

 

It was enough!

 

I could not bear to see my Margaret

 

Departed from my side before her time-

 

Alone - unhappy in a foreign land-

 

floris

 

Don't worry, Beatrice, it is not yet

 

Confirmed. Perhaps King Edward will reject

 

The whole agreement that would bind our lands

 

Together and of which our daughter's hand

 

Is but a part.

 

beatrice

 

The part that interests

 

Me most.

 

floris

 

Perhaps she would be pleased to be

 

Alfonso's wife and live at Edward's court.

 

beatrice

 

Perhaps-

 

Why did you order Velzen to

 

Defend that fort?

 

floris

 

Because there are two forts

 

And Amstel can't defend them both himself.

 

 

 

I find your mood unpleasant and of ill

 

Intent. You are not usually in so

 

Inquisitive a frame of mind. And why

 

This sudden feeling of concern for the

 

Security of Velzen? Would you keep

 

Him here perhaps, around your skirts?

[p. 60]

 

Farewell!

Floris exit.

 

beatrice

 

The dream foretold

 

My husband's bold

 

And heavy-striking hand:

 

My daughter sold

 

For Edward's gold

 

To gain my Father's land.

 

 

 

The evil things

 

That power brings

 

When people are for sale-

 

The trumpet rings

 

The death of Kings

 

And all to no avail.