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Страница 31 из 31

SCENE XIV.

Enter DAVISON.

ELIZABETH.

The sentence, sir, which I but late intrusted

Unto your keeping; where is it?

DAVISON (in the utmost astonishment).

The sentence!

ELIZABETH (more urgent).

Which yesterday I gave into your charge.

DAVISON.

Into my charge, my liege!

ELIZABETH.

The people urged

And baited me to sign it. I perforce

Was driven to yield obedience to their will.

I did so; did so on extreme constraint,

And in your hands deposited the paper.

To gain time was my purpose; you remember

What then I told you. Now, the paper, sir!

SHREWSBURY.

Restore it, sir, affairs have changed since then,

The inquiry must be set on foot anew.

DAVISON.

Anew! Eternal mercy!

ELIZABETH.

Why this pause,

This hesitation? Where, sir, is the paper?

DAVISON.

I am undone! Undone! My fate is sealed!

ELIZABETH (interrupting him violently).

Let me not fancy, sir--

DAVISON.

Oh, I am lost!

I have it not.

ELIZABETH.

How? What?

SHREWSBURY.

Oh, God in heaven!

DAVISON.

It is in Burleigh's hands-since yesterday.

ELIZABETH.

Wretch! Is it thus you have obeyed my orders?

Did I not lay my strict injunction on you

To keep it carefully?

DAVISON.

No such injunction

Was laid on me, my liege.

ELIZABETH.

Give me the lie?

Opprobrious wretch! When did I order you

To give the paper into Burleigh's hands?

DAVISON.

Never expressly in so many words.

ELIZABETH.

And, paltering villain I dare you then presume

To construe, as you list, my words-and lay

Your bloody meaning on them? Wo betide you,

If evil come of this officious deed!

Your life shall answer the event to me.

Earl Shrewsbury, you see how my good name

Has been abused!

SHREWSBURY.

I see! Oh, God in heaven!

ELIZABETH.

What say you?

SHREWSBURY.

If the knight has dared to act

In this, upon his own authority,

Without the knowledge of your majesty,

He must be cited to the Court of Peers

To answer there for subjecting thy name

To the abhorrence of all after time.

SCENE XV.

Enter BURLEIGH.

BURLEIGH (bowing his knee before the QUEEN).

Long life and glory to my royal mistress,

And may all enemies of her dominions

End like this Stuart.

[SHREWSBURY hides his face. DAVIDSON wrings his hands in despair.

ELIZABETH.

Speak, my lord; did you

From me receive the warrant?

BURLEIGH.

No, my queen;

From Davison.

ELIZABETH.

And did he in my name

Deliver it?

BURLEIGH.

No, that I cannot say.

ELIZABETH.

And dared you then to execute the writ

Thus hastily, nor wait to know my pleasure?

Just was the sentence-we are free from blame

Before the world; yet it behooved thee not

To intercept our natural clemency.

For this, my lord, I banish you my presence;

And as this forward will was yours alone

Bear you alone the curse of the misdeed!

[To DAVISON.

For you, sir; who have traitorously o'erstepped

The bounds of your commission, and betrayed

A sacred pledge intrusted to your care,

A more severe tribunal is prepared:

Let him be straight conducted to the Tower,

And capital arraignments filed against him.

My honest Talbot, you alone have proved,

'Mongst all my counsellors, an upright man:

You shall henceforward be my guide-my friend.

SHREWSBURY.

Oh! banish not the truest of your friends;

Nor cast those into prison, who for you

Have acted; who for you are silent now.

But suffer me, great queen, to give the seal,

Which, these twelve years, I've borne unworthily,

Back to your royal hands, and take my leave.

ELIZABETH (surprised).

No, Shrewsbury; you surely would not now

Desert me? No; not now.

SHREWSBURY.

Pardon, I am

Too old, and this right hand is growing too stiff

To set the seal upon your later deeds.

ELIZABETH.

Will he forsake me, who has saved my life?

SHREWSBURY.

'Tis little I have done: I could not save

Your nobler part. Live-govern happily!

Your rival's dead! Henceforth you've nothing more

To fear-henceforth to nothing pay regard.

[Exit.

ELIZABETH (to the EARL of KENT, who enters).

Send for the Earl of Leicester.

KENT.

He desires

To be excused-he is embarked for France.

The Curtain drops.

Страница 31 из 31

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