Floris, Count of Holland (onder ps. Niels Kobet)
(1976)–Frits Bolkestein–
Auteursrechtelijk beschermd
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Scene I
A room in Floris' castle.
Velzen and Maud.
velzen
The Bishop had assembled all the men
That he thought capable of bearing arms.
It was a large but ill-assorted mass
That was imposing through its size though not
Because of quality.
maud
Oh yes?
velzen
It could
Be seen from far as ponderously he
Arranged its companies in some attempt
To form a disciplined formation. We
Had split our troops in two. While Amstel rode
Ahead I kept my soldiers back and out
Of sight, intending to march forward when
The moment would be opportune.
maud
Why yes!
velzen
The Bishop, seeing fewer troops than he
Expected, quickly drew ahead and met
With Amstel's army in a head-on clash
And pressed him hard. Outnumbered as he was
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The latter started to give way. His horse
Was killed, his standard even sank from sight.
The enemy mistakenly began
To think the day was theirs and raised a loud
Triumphant cry. It was the moment I
Had waited for.
maud
Oh yes?
velzen
I suddenly
Attacked the Bishop in his flank with fresh
And tireless energy. This great surprise
Confused the enemy and threw him back.
As they had not been keeping any of
Their soldiers in reserve no obstacle
Stood in our way to final victory.
maud
Why yes!
velzen
We caught the Bishop in the act
Of putting on the modest habit of
A monk but forced him to keep on his suit
Of heavy armour and a helmet on
His head. The sun was mercilessly hot.
At mealtimes we allowed him to refresh
And air his broiled and beet-red face as he
Continuously cursed the day he met
Count Floris.
maud
Yes?
Enter Floris and the Friar.
My Lord, until today
I had not realised my husband was
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So valiant a man but now that he
Has told me all about the way in which
He has defeated the forbidding might
With which the Bishop of Utrecht opposed
And fought him on the battlefield I know
The strongest arm is his.
floris
Of course, of course...
We all congratulate your husband on
His victory, which so delighted me
That I decided to entrust him with
A new and most important mission to
The Court of Edward, King of England.
velzen
But,
My Lord...
floris
Of course, if you should feel that you
Need first to get some rest...
velzen
It isn't that...
What is this mission that you want me to
Perform?
floris
You know that I arranged for the
Betrothal of my daughter Margaret
To Edward's son Alfonso and that she
Would bring as dowry to the marriage
One half of all my lands provided that
I die without a son as heir. You know
As well that Beatrice has given me
A healthy son, whose birth will clearly make
The King of England disinclined to see
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The matter through. I think we both would like
To make a new arrangement since we are
In need of one another. Please depart
Therefore as soon as possible and put
The following proposal to the King.
Propose to him three things. The first: my son's
Betrothal to his child Elizabeth.
And then: a treaty to ensure that he
Who is the friend or enemy of one
Shall also be the other's enemy
Or friend. And finally: that all his wool
Is always to be brought to market here.
As guarantee and pledge of which you shall
Take with you and hand over to the King,
For his good care, my child, my new born son.
velzen
My Lord... your infant son?
floris
My infant son.
velzen
Perhaps it would be best if Maud came too
In order to ensure the safety of
The child.
floris
I leave that up to you - she has
Her own to supervise - but as you wish...
maud
I think that's true: what can I do that can't
Be done by other women who don't have
To leave their own behind?
velzen
Well, if you think...
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floris
Decide yourself but do it quickly as
There is no time to lose. I want you to
Set sail tomorrow at the crack of dawn.
Floris, Velzen and Maud exeunt.
friar
There is a zenith in the lives of men
That marks the culmination and the top
Of all their strength, success and poise. Once they
Have passed that stage, the stars and planets move
From their auspicious constellation and
The tide begins to turn, unnoticed by
The very men whom once it carried to
The forefront of their kind. And such is our
Corrupt and blighted nature that not one
Of those that have been favoured by the Stars
Becomes aware of what is happening:
They blindly follow and pursue the course
That leads to their destruction - yes, they thrash
About in growing frenzy and despair
And obstinately hurry to their doom.
And so this man, this Floris, blessed with gifts
By Fortune's fleeting face, does not perceive
That he is steadily eroding all
The good that he has done in many years
Of patient work amoung his countrymen
To whom he brought prosperity and peace.
The very measure of success which he
Achieved within the borders of these lands
Became the cause that made him think he could
Exceed the limits of his time and place
And so surpass the confines of his realm.
Alone he cannot fight the might of Guy.
King Edward will desert his doubtful cause.
The Frisians are soon to rise again.
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The Bishop is an utter enemy.
The Duke of Brabant hates him bitterly,
While Amstel holds a dagger to his back.
I see it all draw near. What can I do,
An old and weary monk, but hope and pray?
Enter Maud.
maud
Friar, Friar, why look so glum?
Friar, Friar, life is for fun!
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Scene II
The English Court.
King Edward; Edmund of Lancaster.
edward
As I have said before, there is no way
In which we can avoid the coming war
With France. The situation in the South,
In Aquitaine, is now untenable.
I am its Duke but owe allegiance
To Philip, King of France, whose sovereignty
Enables him to offer and extend
Protection to whatever miscreants
And rogues that, having lost their suit before
My Courts of Law, attempt to gain redress
By making an appeal to Philip's court.
Those men declare themselves to be direct
Dependants of the King. They have renounced
Allegiance to me, their feudal lord,
And group themselves within their stubborn walls,
While Philip's lawyers have devised a new
And subtle category of the law
Which they call ‘royal cases’, that concern,
They say ‘the safety of the realm’ and fall
Therefore within the jurisdiction of
Their Court - a definition such as they
Can use, of course, whichever way they wish.
So homicide and larceny remain
Without due punishment. The men that are
Condemned immediately take their case
To Philip's officers, who lose no time
To question and arrest, imprison, draw
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Up instruments, distrain and confiscate,
Protected by the Lily of the King.
The countryside is furrowed by those bands
That call themselves ‘appellants’ but that are
No more than common criminals who kill
And rape and plunder churches and who keep
My bailiffs at a distance, saying that
They have ‘appealed’ to Philip's court. This can't
Go on. What shall I do?
edmund
You cannot rule
While under feudal obligation so
You must shake off the fetter and the yoke
Which you assumed that Whitsun, nine long years
Ago, when on your knees you put your hands
In Philip's hands and, doing homage, said
You were his man according to the peace
That was established by our forefathers.
This Philip now demands the seisin of
Six fortresses as guarantee and bond
Until such time as you have met and have
Agreed to settle all your various
Complaints. I say: yield all of Aquitaine,
So that you can regain possession by
The use of arms, which will entitle you
To rule thenceforth without encumbrance or
Restraint.
edward
I think you're right, for things have gone
Too far. The animosity between
Our seamen and the men of Normandy
Has now flared up in almost constant war.
We seize a ship from them, they one of ours.
We hang a Frenchman from the mast. They crop
The ears of twenty of our men. We drown
The sailors of a ship that we have seized.
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Their men then take revenge by cutting hands
And feet off any English sailor caught
And leaving him adrift to die a slow
And painful death. And so it goes from bad
To worse until we now have reached the stage
Where recently two hundred of our ships
Put out from Portsmouth and encountered in
The Channel just as large a fleet that had
Set sail from Normandy. The victory
Was ours, but where will all that end?
edmund
We should
Descend upon the town of La Rochelle
In a surprise attack.
edward
What purpose would
That serve?
edmund
We also should detach the Count
Of Flanders from his feudal Lord, the King
of France.
edward
Indeed, but how do you propose
To set about that task?
edmund
You should forbid
All trade with Flanders and let it be known
That your decision stems from Guy Dampierre's
Support of Philip's cause. His country is
Already torn between the factions that
Reject or favour France and this blocade
Would shift the balance to our side and so
Prepare and soften Guy. We then hold out
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An advantageous treaty under which
His daughter is betrothed to Edward, Prince
Of Wales, your eldest son, while he equips
And fields an army with our gold to fight
Our cause but with his men and in return
Receives our wool again which in between
We had been selling in the North.
edward
Why yes!
Enter Footman.
footman
My Lord, the Bishop Antony.
Enter Antony Bek. Footman exit.
edward
Well now,
What brings you here?
antony bek
My Lord, I have received
An emissary from Count Floris with
The latest news.
edward
Which is?
antony bek
That contrary
To what I thought and told your Majesty
His wife has borne a son. The Mother has
Since died, the child is very much alive.
edward
So farewell dowry, farewell marriage.
antony bek
Indeed, except that this resourceful man
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Has now proposed another marriage:
Between your Majesty's Elizabeth
And this, his only son.
edward
What does he want
Himself?
antony bek
He wants two things: a treaty to
Assure him of assistance at all times,
And secondly, and as before, your wool.
As guarantee that he will keep his word
He has entrusted and commends his son
To your good care.
edward
The child is here?
antony bek
Indeed.
edward
Why, tell him we accept and see to it
That all our wool is sent to Holland where
It shall be sold until our further wish.
And also see the child is kept in good
And careful custody. Not often does
A bird of such good omen nestle in
Our hand. Regarding Scotland, though, you must
Inform him that our choice has fallen on
John Baliol, that empty jacket of
A man, but that we shall allow for right
And proper compensation.
antony bek
Yes, my Lord.
Antony Bek exit.
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edward
And you prepare to carry out that raid
On La Rochelle that you proposed.
edmund
Indeed!
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Scene III
A room at the Court of Flanders.
Guy Dampierre, Count of Flanders; John, Duke of Brabant.
guy
I told you that you could not trust that man.
No sooner had we set him free or he
Created trouble where and when he could
By sending godforsaken scum to rob
And to destroy. We should have killed him when
We held him in our hands. And you, my friend,
Have lost the sum of twenty thousand pounds.
john
The wretched man has made a fool of me.
I shall not rest until I have the chance
To square accounts with him. I'm not without
Some influence among his noblemen.
guy
These times are hard for Flanders and for me.
There is a three-fold pressure on my land.
The first is from the North, as you yourself
Have found out at your cost. The second is
From France whose King is evermore intent
To strengthen all the attributes that he
Derives from feudal rule. I know that he
Can rightfully regard himself as my
Superior and sovereign Lord but does
That also mean that he may send his men
As agents to enquire and pry into
The private and internal business of
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This land? Or that my vassals must declare
And swear that they will march against myself
If Philip should decide that I have not
Acquitted and fulfilled my feudal oath?
Or that he archbishop of Reims should be
Allowed to excommunicate as soon
As I am deemed to be at fault? I must
Resist such centralising tendencies
And so must you, for Philip's appetite
Can only grow - and you are next, my friend.
As if this would not be enough, the King
Of England, Edward, he who was my friend
When we together fought against the Turk
Has now decided to repeat the ploy
And stratagem his father utilized
Against my Mother to such good effect.
He robs my country of the wool it needs,
Pretending that I am in league with France.
I do not understand what he can hope
To gain by this abrupt departure from
His hitherto reliable concern.
And this blocade inflames and aggravates
The power struggle that goes on between
The factions of this agitated land.
Some men proclaim themselves supporters of
The King whose lily and whose language they
Intend to see established here against
The wishes of the humbler folk that speak
The Flemish language and distrust the ways
Of wealthy merchants and of magistrates.
They hate the Frenchman's lily and oppose
To it the Flemish lion's claw. A cliff
Now separates the leaders from the led.
It's this divided country that I must
Inspire to stay together and confront
The dangers from without. What can I do?
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john
Throw in your lot with Edward. Do as I.
My son will soon have Edward's daughter as
His wife: a symbol of the link between
The house of Brabant and Plantagenet.
King Edward needs support against the King
Of France. He's had to yield in Aquitaine.
Propose to join his cause and you will see
That he will let you have the wool you need
And in addition pay you gold to field
An army and attack the North of France,
So Philip's energies and men will be
Diverted from the South. And then, as crown
And centrepiece of your diplomacy,
You should propose the marriage of both
Your eldest children so your daughter will
In time be England's Queen, a union
To hinder and to spite the pride of France.
guy
You know full well that I am not allowed
To marry Philippina if the King
Of France has not approved the marriage.
The match that you propose flies in the face
Of France's interests and makes of war
A virtual certainty. It is a course
Of action that is fraught with danger. But
To sit with folded arms and watch the French
Become through stealth the masters of this land
Is equally disastrous. Rather make
A clean and open break than let things slide
Until the situation is beyond
Repair. So, yes, let's ally Flanders with
The English - but on one condition: that
You put an end to the activities
Of Floris in the North. That filthy swine
Must now be run to ground. The task is not,
I think, beyond the wit, the money and
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The might of Edward and yourself, plus all
The disaffected noblemen that sulk
In Floris' own domains. This must be done.
john
It shall be done - I'll see to it myself.
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Scene IV
A room in Velzen's castle.
Velzen. Enter Amstel.
amstel
What visions did you have, my noble friend,
When you were on your trip? What dreams, what thoughts
Became your constant visitors at night?
What lustful sighs and groans have filled your ears?
velzen
Shut up!
amstel
Whose long and lissome legs spread out
To swallow and receive the hairy dirk?
Whose heaving breasts were bruised by greedy lips?
Whose arms embraced the straining body of
The man you served so faithfully? Whose smooth
And auburn hair was used to wipe the sweat
And clean the musty loin?
velzen
I say Shut up!
amstel
What loving welcome greeted you, when you
Returned from Edward's court? What passion did
She show, when her beloved husband took
Her in his arms again? What did she say,
Your Maud, about the way in which she had
Been covered by that stallion?
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velzen
Oh No!
amstel
Oh yes, you fool, you poor deluded wretch!
velzen
Where is the proof? You're speaking out of spite!
amstel
The whoring of your wife is known to all.
velzen
By God, I'll kill the bitch.
amstel
Not her! Kill him!
She's but the creature of her desires
And whims - she can't be held accountable.
It's he that wakened dark and dreadful lust:
It's he that must be made to pay.
Enter Footman.
footman
My Lord,
The Duke of Brabant.
Footman exit.
Enter John, Duke of Brabant.
amstel
Welcome John, you're just
In time to join me and commiserate
With Velzen here, whom Floris cuckolded.
john
We've all been cuckolded, including you.
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amstel
Perhaps your wife has had her belly poked
By that repulsive goat, but mine has not!
john
I don't mean that, I mean the way in which
You were cut off from help and had to face
The Bishop of Utrecht alone when he
Attacked those fortresses you occupied.
He told me so himself: in urgent need
Of money he obtained a second loan
But had to promise that he would invest
Those forts at once, while Floris said he would
Prevent assistance from your own domains.
amstel
My God, what utter fools we've been!
You mean
To say that had the Bishop not been such
A blatantly incompetent baboon
We would have lost our heads through Floris' guile
And treachery?
john
I mean precisely that.
velzen
What man is this that treads on all the laws
Of loyalty and order and that shows
Such ruthlessness and disregard for all
The feelings of his fellow men? He pawns
His newborn son. He rapes my wife. He stabs
A dagger in our back. What does he want?
amstel
He wants to be the tyrant of this land.
He wants us all to have to lick his boots.
He wants our women and our daughters to
Beget his bastards and to quench his lust.
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But you have not yet told us how he has
Cuckolded you as well.
john
I got him to
Agree with Guy Dampierre that neither would
Invade the other's land, while I myself
Consented to pay damages if he
Did not observe this undertaking. As
You may have heard, he recently sent troops
To plunder and to kill in Flanders. I
Have lost the sum of twenty thousand pounds.
amstel
The man is mad and must be killed.
He lost
A brilliant opportunity when he
Allowed King Edward to deny his claim
To Scotland's throne, accepting in return
A paltry sum in compensation of
That grievous loss. He should have pressed his case,
Which surely was as good as anyone's,
And gained accession to that rich domain.
He then should have enfeoffed us nobles with
The most important parts of that severe
But energetic land, where we could raise
An army to march South and bring defeat
To Edward in the very heart of all
He owns, while Flemish mariners would keep
Him bottled up by sealing all his ports.
That would have been my grand design.
john
I think,
You slightly underestimate the King
Of England and his strength.
Enter Footman.
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footman
My Lord, a man
Desires to see you, who pretends to be
A Bishop by the name of Antony.
amstel
Why, talk about the devil-
velzen
Let him in.
Footman exit.
Enter Antony Bek.
antony bek
My Lords, I beg to be allowed to speak
To you of what is in my Master's mind.
King Edward has commanded me to tell
You of his deep concern with the affairs
Between your country and your neighbour to
The South. It seems that war with Flanders has
Become a certainty. This much disturbs
The balance in these lands and so assists
The growing appetite of France. Count Guy
Dampierre is France's main opponent in
The North. He must be helped not fought. And so
This is the reason why King Edward has
Concluded a most solemn treaty with
The Count of Flanders to confirm and fix
The following: the latter's eldest girl
To be betrothed to Edward, Prince of Wales.
And secondly: a promise to ensure
That he who is the friend or enemy
Of one shall also be the other's friend
Or enemy. And lastly: that the wool
Which now is sold in Holland will return
To where it used to go.
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velzen
But that is just
The treaty that King Edward made with us!
amstel
With us? With us? You mean with Floris! Why,
Do you still take the side of him who has
Befouled your nest?
antony bek
My Lords, I may be brief.
Count Floris has become a danger to
The equilibrium that Flanders needs
In order to restrain Philip the Fair.
His son is at King Edward's court. I think
The time has come for him to join his child.
I leave the means to you. It would be worth
Your while.
Antony Bek exit.
john
A very sound advice.
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