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Дата написания1970-01-01
Язык книгиen
Возрастное ограничение12+
Жанры
зарубежная драматургиязарубежная классиказарубежная старинная литературалитература 18 векапьесы и драматургия

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Thou tell'st me nothing of the share thou hadst

In Babington and Parry's bloody treason:

Thou diest for this a temporal death; for this

Wilt thou, too, die the everlasting death?

MARY.

I am prepared to meet eternity;

Within the narrow limits of an hour

I shall appear before my Judge's throne.

But, I repeat it, my confession's ended.

MELVIL.

Consider well-the heart is a deceiver.

Thou hast, perhaps, with sly equivocation,

The word avoided, which would make thee guilty

Although thy will was party to the crime.

Remember, that no juggler's tricks can blind

The eye of fire which darts through every breast.

MARY.

'Tis true that I have called upon all princes

To free me from unworthy chains; yet 'tis

As true that, neither by intent or deed,

Have I attempted my oppressor's life.

MELVIL.

Your secretaries then have witnessed falsely.

MARY.

It is as I have said;-what they have witnessed

The Lord will judge.

MELVIL.

Thou mountest, then, satisfied

Of thy own innocence, the fatal scaffold?

MARY.

God suffers me in mercy to atone,

By undeserved death, my youth's transgressions.

MELVIL (making over her the sign of the cross).

Go, then, and expiate them all by death;

Sink a devoted victim on the altar,

Thus shall thy blood atone the blood thou'st spilt.

From female frailty were derived thy faults,

Free from the weakness of mortality,

The spotless spirit seeks the blest abodes.

Now, then, by the authority which God

Hath unto me committed, I absolve thee

From all thy sins; be as thy faith thy welfare!

[He gives her the host.

Receive the body which for thee was offered-

[He takes the cup which stands upon the table,

consecrates it with silent prayer, then presents

it to her; she hesitates to take it, and makes

signs to him to withdraw it.

Receive the blood which for thy sins was shed,

Receive it; 'tis allowed thee by the pope

To exercise in death the highest office

Of kings, the holy office of the priesthood.

[She takes the cup.

And as thou now, in this his earthly body

Hast held with God mysterious communion,

So may'st thou henceforth, in his realm of joy,

Where sin no more exists, nor tears of woe,

A fair, transfigured spirit, join thyself

Forever with the Godhead, and forever.

[He sets down the cup; hearing a noise,

he covers his head, and goes to the door;

MARY remains in silent devotion on her knees.

MELVIL (returning).

A painful conflict is in store for thee.

Feel'st thou within thee strength enough to smother

Each impulse of malignity and hate?

MARY.

I fear not a relapse. I have to God

Devoted both my hatred and my love.

MELVIL.

Well, then, prepare thee to receive my Lords

Of Leicester and of Burleigh. They are here.

SCENE VIII.

Enter BURLEIGH, LEICESTER, and PAULET.

[LEICESTER remains in the background, without raising

his eyes; BURLEIGH, who remarks his confusion, steps

between him and the QUEEN.

BURLEIGH.

I come, my Lady Stuart, to receive

Your last commands and wishes.

MARY.

Thanks, my lord.

BURLEIGH.

It is the pleasure of my royal mistress

That nothing reasonable be denied you.

MARY.

My will, my lord, declares my last desires;

I've placed it in the hand of Sir Amias,

And humbly beg that it may be fulfilled.

PAULET.

You may rely on this.

MARY.

I beg that all

My servants unmolested may return

To France, or Scotland, as their wishes lead.

BURLEIGH.

It shall be as you wish.

MARY.

And since my body

Is not to rest in consecrated ground,

I pray you suffer this my faithful servant

To bear my heart to France, to my relations-

Alas! 'twas ever there.

BURLEIGH.

It shall be done.

What wishes else?

MARY.

Unto her majesty

Of England bear a sister's salutation;

Tell her that from the bottom of my heart

I pardon her my death; most humbly, too,

I crave her to forgive me for the passion

With which I spoke to her. May God preserve her

And bless her with a long and prosperous reign.

BURLEIGH.

Say, do you still adhere to your resolve,

And still refuse assistance from the dean?

MARY.

My lord, I've made my peace with God.

[To PAULET.

Good sir,

I have unwittingly caused you much sorrow,

Bereft you of your age's only stay.

Oh, let me hope you do not hate my name.

PAULET (giving her his hand).

The Lord be with you! Go your way in peace.

SCENE IX.

HANNAH KENNEDY, and the other women of the QUEEN crowd

into the room with marks of horror. The SHERIFF follows

them, a white staff in his hand; behind are seen, through

the open doors, men under arms.

MARY.

What ails thee, Hannah? Yes, my hour is come.

The sheriff comes to lead me to my fate,

And part we must. Farewell!

KENNEDY and CURL.

We will not leave thee,

We will not part from thee.

MARY (to MELVIL).

You, worthy sir,

And my dear, faithful Hannah, shall attend me

In my last moments. I am sure, my lord

Will not refuse my heart this consolation.

BURLEIGH.

For this I have no warrant.

MARY.

How, my lord;

Can you deny me, then, this small petition?

Respect my sex; who shall attend me else,

And yield me the last service? Sure, it never

Can be my sister's pleasure that in me

My sex should be insulted; that these men

With their rude hands should touch my royal person.

BURLEIGH.

'Tis ordered that no woman shall ascend

The scaffold steps with you. Their tears and moans--

MARY.

She shall not weep, my lord; she shall not moan;

I answer for my Hannah's resolution;

Be merciful; divide me not so soon

From my true foster-mother, from my friend.

She bore me on her arms into this life;

Let her then gently lead me to my death.

PAULET (to BURLEIGH).

Yield to her wishes.

BURLEIGH.

Be it so.

MARY.

I now

Have nothing in this world to wish for more.

[She takes the crucifix, and kisses it.

My God! My Comforter! My blest Redeemer!

As once thy arms were stretched upon the cross,

Let them be now extended to receive me!

[She turns round to go; at the same moment her

eyes fall upon LEICESTER, who, on her going, starts

involuntarily, and turns his eyes towards her; at

this sight MARY trembles, her knees fail her, she is

about to fall, when LEICESTER catches at her, and

receives her in his arms; she regards him for some

time earnestly, and in silence; he cannot support her

looks; at length she speaks.

You keep your word, my Lord of Leicester: for

You promised me your arm to lead me forth

From prison, and you lend it to me now.

At length the wished-for day is come, and what

Was oft the object of my fondest dreams

Is now accomplished: and the Earl of Leicester,

The long-expected, the long-wished-for friend,

Appears at length in Fotheringay Castle.

I see him standing in my prison; all

Is ready for the journey; all the gates

Stand open, and at length I cross the threshold,

Conducted by his hand; and now I leave

These dismal walls behind me, and forever.

All is fulfilled, and you have saved your honor.

[He stands as if annihilated; she continues,

with a gentle voice.

Yes, Leicester; not for liberty alone

I wished to be indebted to your hands.

You should have made me bless that liberty.

Led by your hand, and happy in your love,

I hoped once more to taste the joys of life.

Yes; now that I'm prepared from all the world

To part, and to become a happy spirit,

Whom earthly inclinations tempt no more!

Now, Leicester, I may venture to confess

Without a blush the frailty I have conquered;

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