The Riding To Lithend - A Play In One Act

TO EDWARD THOMAS HERE in the North we speak of you, And dream and wish the dream were true That when the evening has grown late You will appear outside our gate - As though some Gipsy-Scholar yet Sought this far pZace that men forfet Or some taN hero still unknown, Out of the Mabinogion, Were seen at nightfaN Zooking in, Passing mysteriously to win His earlier earth, his ancient mind, Where man was true and l more kind Lived with the mountains and the trees And other steadfast presences, Where large and simple passions gave The insight and the peace we crave, And he no more had nigh forgot The old high battles he had fouxht. Ah, pause to-night outside our gnte And enter ere it is too late To se the gardens deep on deep And talk a little ere we sleep. When you were here a year ago I told yotr of a l o r - i o t r s w oe, Thr n rrie wrto e of Gunnat dead A 11d its p-o trtl t 7-aitr of men l o 7 z sp ed, Fit brothet-s to yotrr tzolle thougllts Then, as their shouts and Gunnars shouts W l z t down once nrore undyingly A nrl the erye saga was put by, I told you of my old desire To lifhi atpain that bygone fire, To body Hol ferds ruinous Great hair and wrangling mouth for us, Ant1 lzear her voice deny again T znt hait-to Glrnnar in his pain. Because your heart could understand The hopes of their primeval l a d , The hearts of dim heroic forms Made clear by tenderness and storms, You caught my glow and rrvged me on So now the tale is once more done I turn to you, I bring my play, Longing, 0 friend, to hear you say I have not dwarfed those olden thi7zgs Nor tarnirht by my furbishings. I bring my play, I turn to you And wish it might to-nkht be true That you would seek this old small horrse Twixt laurel boughs and appft boughs Then I would give it, bravely manned, To you, and with my play my hand. THE RIDING TO LITHEND PERSONS GUNNAR H AMUNDSSON HALLGERD LONGCOAT, his Wife RANNVEIG, his Mother ODDNY, ASTRID, and STEINVOR, Hallgerds House-women ORMILD a , W oman Thrall BIARTEY, JOFRID, and GUDFINN B , e ggarwomen GIZUR THE WHITE, MORD VALGARDSSON, THORGK T I H M E EASTERLING, THORBRA T N H D O RLEIKSS a n O d N A S B R A N D his Brother, AUNUND, THORGE an I d R H ROALD, R iders Many other riders and voices of riders In Iceland, A. D. 990 THE RIDING TO LITHEND The scene is the hall of GUNNAR h S ou se at Lithend in South Iceland. The portion shewn is set on the stage diagonally, so that to the right one end is seen while, from the rear corner of this, one side runs down almost to the left front. The side wall is low and wainscotted with carved panelling on which hang weapons, shields, and coats of mail. In one place a panel slid aside shews a shut bed. In front of fhe panelling are two long benches with a carved high-seat between them. Across the end of the hall are similar panelling and the seats, with corresponding fables, of the. womens dais behind these and in the gable wall is a high narrow door with a rounded top. A timber roof slopes down to the side wall and is upheld by cross-beams and t w o rows of tall piNars which make a rather narrow nave of the centre of the hall. One of these rows rzms parallel to the side wall, the pair of pillars before the high-seat being cawen and ended with imafes of the other row only two pillars are visible at the extt-eme right. Within this nave is the space for the hearths but the only hearth visible is the one near the womens dais. In the roof above it there is a louvre the fire llows and no snzoRe rises. The hall is lit everywhere by the firPlighr. The ra trr-S over the womens dais carry a poor at the level of the side walls, forming an oprtz loft which is reached by a wide ladder fixed against the wad a bed is seen in this lojt...