The certain end, and offer me Pym's grace
If I'd renounce the King: and I stood firm
On the King's faith. The King who lives
Hollis.

The warrant for your death.

Strafford.

.

To sign

'Put not your trust 50

In princes, neither in the sons of men,
In whom is no salvation!'

Hollis.

Trust in God.

The scaffold is prepared: they wait for you:
He has consented. Cast the earth behind!
ATTENDANT [throwing off the cloak and revealing
himself as CHARLES].

Charles. You would not see me, Strafford, at your foot!

55

It was wrung from me! Only curse me not! Hollis. [To STRAFFORD.] As you hope grace and pardon in your need,

Be merciful to this most wretched man!

[Voices from within singing. Strafford. You'll be good to those children, sir?

You know

All's between you and me: what has the world To do with it? Farewell!

Charles [at the door.] Balfour! Balfour!

Enter BALFOUR.

The Parliament!-go to them: I grant all
Demands. Their sittings shall be permanent:
Tell them to keep their money if they will:
I'll come to them for every coat I wear
And every crust I eat: only I choose
To pardon Strafford.

60

65

Strafford. Balfour, say nothing to the world of this!

I charge you, as a dying man, forget

You gazed upon this agony of one...

Of one... or if... why you may say, Balfour, 70 The King was sorry: 'tis no shame in him:

Yes, you may say he even wept, Balfour,
And that I walked the lighter to the block
Because of it. I shall walk lightly, sir!

Earth fades, Heaven breaks on me: I shall stand

next

Before God's throne: the moment's close at hand
When Man the first, last time, has leave to lay
His whole heart bare before its Maker, leave
To clear up the long error of a life
And choose one happiness for evermore.
With all mortality about me, Charles,

The sudden wreck, the dregs of violent death—
What if, despite the opening angel-song,

75

80

There penetrate one prayer for you? Be saved
Through me! Bear witness, no one could prevent 85
My death! Lead on! ere he awake-best, now!
All must be ready: did you say, Balfour,
The crowd began to murmur? They'll be kept
Too late for sermon at St. Antholin's!
Now! but tread softly-children are at play
In the next room. Precede! I follow-

R. BROWNING (from Strafford).

90

20. Hollis. Sir Denzel Hollis, who held down the Speaker in his chair in 1629 to prevent him from adjourning the House at Charles's command. After Strafford's death he tried to act as mediator between Charles and the Parliament.

22. Prynne. A Puritan, who for writing satires reflecting on the Queen and the bishops was fined, pilloried, and committed to the Tower. He was released by the Long Parliament, and helped to prosecute Laud.

47. Pym was the leader in the impeachment and the attainder of Strafford, and with Hampden took the foremost part in that resistance to Charles which led up to the Civil War.

50. Put not your trust in princes... 60. Balfour. Constable at the Tower.

Psalm cxlvi. 3.

89. St. Antholin's, or St. Antony's. The church in Budge Row which the officers of the Tower attended. (The monuments of this church are now preserved in the Tower.)

Oxford: Horace Hart

Printer to the University

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