And hath King Edward not
pronounced
his heir?
Tennyson
Then let me hence With Wulfnoth to King Edward.
WILLIAM. So we will. We hear he hath not long to live.
HAROLD. It may be.
WILLIAM. Why then the heir of England, who is he?
HAROLD. The Atheling is nearest to the throne.
WILLIAM. But sickly, slight, half-witted and a child,
Will England have him king?
HAROLD. It may be, no.
WILLIAM.
And hath King Edward not pronounced his heir?
HAROLD. Not that I know.
WILLIAM. When he was here in Normandy,
He loved us and we him, because we found him.
A Norman of the Normans.
HAROLD. So did we.
WILLIAM. A gentle, gracious, pure and saintly man!
And grateful to the hand that shielded him,
He promised that if ever he were king
In England, he would give his kingly voice
To me as his successor. Knowest thou this?
HAROLD. I learn it now.
WILLIAM. Thou knowest I am his cousin,
And that my wife descends from Alfred?
WILLIAM. So we will. We hear he hath not long to live.
HAROLD. It may be.
WILLIAM. Why then the heir of England, who is he?
HAROLD. The Atheling is nearest to the throne.
WILLIAM. But sickly, slight, half-witted and a child,
Will England have him king?
HAROLD. It may be, no.
WILLIAM.
And hath King Edward not pronounced his heir?
HAROLD. Not that I know.
WILLIAM. When he was here in Normandy,
He loved us and we him, because we found him.
A Norman of the Normans.
HAROLD. So did we.
WILLIAM. A gentle, gracious, pure and saintly man!
And grateful to the hand that shielded him,
He promised that if ever he were king
In England, he would give his kingly voice
To me as his successor. Knowest thou this?
HAROLD. I learn it now.
WILLIAM. Thou knowest I am his cousin,
And that my wife descends from Alfred?
