DRAMATIS PERSONÆ ELIZABETH, Queen of England. MARY STUART, Queen of Scots, a Prisoner in England. ROBERT DUDLEY, Earl of Leicester. GEORGE TALBOT, Earl of Shrewsbury. WILLIAM CECIL, Lord Burleigh, Lord High Treasurer. SIR WILLIAM DAVISON, Secretary of State. SIR AMIAS PAULET, Keeper of Mary. SIR EDWARD MORTIMER, his Nephew. COUNT L'AUBESPINE, the French Ambassador. COUNT BELLIEVRE, Envoy Extraordinary from France. O'KELLY, Mortimer's friend. SIR DRUE DRURY, another Keeper of Mary. SIR ANDREW MELVIL, her House-Steward. BURGOYNE, her Physician. HANNAH KENNEDY, her Nurse. MARGARET CURL, her Attendant. Sheriff of the County. Officer of the Guard. French and English Lords. Soldiers. Servants of State, belonging to Elizabeth. Servants and Female Attendants of the Queen of Scots. 241 MARY STUART ACT FIRST Scene I.-Apartment in Castle of Fotheringay [Hannah Kennedy contending violently with Paulet, who is about to break open a closet; Drury with an iron crow. KENNEDY.-How now, Sir? What fresh outrage have we here? Back from that cabinet! PAULET. Whence came the jewel? I know 'twas from an upper chamber thrown; And you would bribe the gard'ner with your trinkets. A curse on woman's wiles! In spite of all My strict precaution and my active search, Still treasures here, still costly gems concealed! And doubtless there are more where this lay hid. [Advancing towards the cabinet. KENNEDY.-Intruder, back! here lie my lady's secrets. PAULET.-Exactly what I seek. KENNEDY. [Drawing forth papers. Mere trifling papers; The amusements only of an idle pen, So much the worse! That tongue betokens England's enemy. KENNEDY.-Sketches of letters to the Queen of England. PAULET.-I'll be their bearer. Ha! what glitters here? [He touches a secret spring, and draws out jewels from a private drawer. A royal diadem enriched with stones, And studded with the fleur-de-lis of France! [He hands it to his assistant. Here, take it, Drury, lay it with the rest. [Exit Drury. (And ye have found the means to hide from us KENNEDY. O insolent And tyrant power, to which we must submit! PAULET. She can work ill as long as she hath treasures; For all things turn to weapons in her hands. KENNEDY [supplicating].—O Sir! be merciful; deprive us not 'Tis my poor Lady's only joy to view Your hands long since have robbed us of the rest. 'Twill be restored to you with scrupulous care. KENNEDY.-Who that beholds these naked walls could say That Majesty dwelt here? Where is the throne? Where the imperial canopy of state? Must she not set her tender foot, still used Who, rear'd in Catherine's luxurious court, A noble heart in time resigns itself But yet it cuts one to the soul, to part At once with all life's little outward trappings! In penitence; for a lewd, vicious life, With her own heart and God she must account :- PAULET. She shall have judgment where she hath transgress'd. KENNEDY. Her narrow bonds restrain her from transgression. This realm against our Queen, (whom God preserve,) (The noble house of Howard fell with him.) These mad adventurers, whose rival zeal The bloody scaffold bends beneath the weight O! curses on the day when England took KENNEDY.-Did England then receive her hospitably? O hapless Queen! who, since that fatal day |