"
"I cannot, will not, do Elgiva this foul wrong. I tell thee, priest,
that if thy benediction has never been pronounced upon our union, we are
man and wife before heaven."
"I await your answer," said Odo. "Am I to understand you choose the
fearful penalty of excommunication?"
"Nay! nay! he does not; he cannot," cried the counsellors. "Your
holiness!--father!--in the king's name we yield!"
"You are all cowards and traitors! Let him do what he will, I cannot yield."
"Then, my lord king, I must proceed," said Odo. "You have not only acted
wickedly in this matter, but you have misgoverned the people committed
to your charge, and broken every clause of your coronation oath. First,
you have not given the Church of God peace, or preserved her from
molestation, but have yourself ravaged her lands, and even slain her
servants with the sword; one, specially honoured of God, you sought to
slay, sending that wicked man, who has been called by fire to his
judgment, to execute your impious will."
"That holy fox Dunstan! Would Redwald had slain him!" muttered Edwy.
"Secondly," continued Odo, not heeding the interruption, "so far from
preventing thefts and fraud in all manner of men, you have maintained
notorious oppressors amongst your officers, and in your own person you
have broken the oath; for did you not even rob your aged grandmother,
and consume her substance in riotous living?"
"What could the old woman do with it all?"
"Thirdly, you have not maintained justice in your judicial proceedings,
but have spent all your time, like Rehoboam of old, with the young and
giddy, and in chastising your people with scorpions.
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