Q. E. By the eternal God, whose name and power thou tremblest at, answer what we shall ask. Thou shalt not pass from hence but to execution, till thou dost speak the truth.

L. L. Ask what thou wilt.

Q. E. Think'st thou to rise from beggar's state unto this princely seat? Hast thou intent to destroy the realm and slay your sovereign?

L. L. 'Tis their intent to slaughter me.
Oh, were mine eyeballs into bullets turn'd,
That I, in rage, might shoot them at their faces!
Grant me th' commission, gracious sovereign,
And you may behold confusion of your foes.
So help me righteous God, against this state
I have no thought; with pure, unspotted heart,
Never yet taint with aught but love, I have,
O gentle Princess, ever sought to be

A faithful servant t' mine anointed Queen:

Your grace doth know, it is because no one should sway,— No one but he, should be about your grace,

That doth engender thunder in his breast,

And makes him roar his accusations forth;

But he shall know I am as good as he.

L. C. No, my good lords, it is not that offends,

It is not that, that hath incensed me!

Thou lordly sir, and what art thou, I pray,
But one imperious in another's throne?
And if thy thoughts were sifted, I fear me
The Queen, thy sovereign, is not quite exempt
From envious malice of thy swelling heart.
For such is thy audacious wickedness,-

Thy lewd, pestif'rous and dissentious pranks,—

As very infants prattle of thy pride.

L. L. I do desire thee, sovereign, and lords,
Vouchsafe to give me hearing what I shall reply.
If I were covetous, ambitious or perverse,

As he will have me, how am I so poor?
Or how haps it I seek not to advance

Or raise myself, but keep my wonted colour?
And for dissensions, who preferreth peace
More than I do-except I be provok'd?

Mark the intent o' this nimble-witted councillor,
Who, in cold considerance hath sentenc'd me!
He knows the game, how true he keeps the wind.

Q. E. Silence! Be patient, lords! Why stand ye on nice points? My lord Earl, we have made thee Master of our Forces. Stoop, and bend thy knee. Swear that thou wilt, whilst thou enjoyest this royal dignity, ease thy country of distressful war; and though in foreign land, when dreadful danger feeds his doubtful humour, and is wont all zeal of justice to cut off, that thou wilt hold up our warlike sword, and for St. George and victory fight: and that thou wilt live and die for England's fame, and be true liegeman to our crown. Take thou thy oath.

L. L. So help me God, I will, your majesty.

Q. E. Take thy commission then, as General of the
Forces.

Success unto our valiant general,

And happiness to his accomplices.

As time and our concernings importune,

We shall write to thee how it goes with us:

And so, my lord, with all the speed thou mayst,

Set on towards thy commandment.

The justice of the quarrel and the cause,

Much honor will engrave upon thy brows.

This sudden execution of our will,

We know thou wilt excuse, for till thou dost return

We rest perplexed with a thousand cares.
But we, as erst Princess Andromanche,
Seated amidst the crew of Priam's sons,
Have liberty to choose where best we love.
Then be not sad, for 'tis our right,

To name our captain and our knight.”

(Exeunt.)

Scena Secunda.

(Council Chamber of Palace, twelve months later.)
Lords of the Council and QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Queen Elizabeth. Lords, take your places. Lord Chamberlain, where are our notes? Behold, my lords, the sly conveyances of Scotland's Queen unto Henry King of France. She here doth claim our crown by right, and we pray you all, proceed from this true evidence. God forbid any malice should prevail, or that faultless, you condemn her. Pray God she may acquit her of suspicion but if she be approved in practice culpable, then we intend to try her grace.

27. "Now I slide over twelve months space: I turn my glass, and give my scene such growing, as you had slept between. My tale is now about the Lady's death."

"Were your eyes witness of her attainder and her death?" "No, but I was in the beaten track of that I tell you of." "Thou soulderest close impossibilities, and make them kiss, that speakest with every tongue, to every purpose; let us on." "Good my lord, look then. Officers and counsellors are in place. The Queen begins:

Lord Chancellor. Great Sovereign, vouchsafe to hear me speak, and let your chancellor's counsel now prevail. I bend my knee against the Queen, that in thus aiming at your life hath tempted judgment. I, and the rest that are your counselors, with a general consent, demand that articles shall forthwith be drawn touching the rank treason of the Queen. Before my God, I might not this believe, without the sensible and true avouch of mine own eyes, but I have viewed these treasonable abuses of her grace, and madam, I would have her, in private, ascend to heaven. Granted scope of speech, will she not swear false allegations to o'erthrow the state? Then let her be sent to heaven, without the acclamations and applauses of the people.

Q. E. Heaven forbid! My lords, at once the care you have of us, to mow down thorns that would annoy our foot is worthy praise. We thank you. These words content us much, but shall we speak our conscience? God forefend that Mary be done to death in secret. There are such proofs of the Queen's treason, letters from the King of France found in her boxes, the bold-faced, bloody, devilish practises upon our life, with many other evidences of deep deceit that proclaim her with all certainty, to be a fox in stealth, false in heart and bloody of hand, but we can give the loser leave to chide; and we will not contrary to law, devise strange death for her; and we heartily beseech you, dishonor not your sovereign : therefore call home again the noble Earl, and in the balance of our English peers, let her be weighed: If she weigh light then she needs must fall. Here are your commissions. And now, my gentle lords, fair duty to you, all. Look into the bottom of this troublesome evil, for know,

under our seal we have with special and displayed mind, lent you our terror, dressed you with our love, and to you, given all the organs of our power. We think you will solemnly bear at full, our grace, honor and wisdom.

L. C. Always obedient to your grace, we will not warp the ample power that your highness hath possessed us with, against our oaths and true allegiance sworn.

Q. E. On Thursday next, thou shalt set forward. The Clerk of the Crown hath begun the penning of your lordships' letters of commission, which are fac-similies of this. Forty peers, knights, captains, lawyers and gentlemen, we shall employ to try this o'er-topping woman's treason, and to dispose of her as they think good. To-night, we hold our solemn supper, and we request the presence of our friends.

All. Let your highness command us.
Q. E. God's benyson go with you all.

Farewell, 28
(Exeunt.)

28. "In conduct of the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Queen of Scots had, within the realm of England, been at Coventry, Wingfield, Sheffield, and Shrewsbury, but was a short time before her trial, by will and warrant of our gracious sovereign, removed to Fotheringay Castle, in Northamptonshire. Of those summoned to serve, thirty-four answered. My lords of Derby, Pembroke, Rutland, Worcester, Northumberland, Shrewsbury, Kent, Lincoln, Oxford, Stafford, Gray and Warwick, the Lord Treasurer, the Knights Montague, Hatton, Walsingham and many other lords and gentlemen appeared at the castle, and on the eleventh of the eighth month, and for some twelve days thereafter, diligently applied themselves to the cause. The Lord Chancellor called Mary before them, and as a prisoner she was brought to the bar, and, in view of the commission, spake to this effect: