"To catch me in a hundred snares of death; "And into France I must not, will not go; "For then my sister might with reason say,

"I went for help to drive her from her throne." Dow. See where he comes, just in the moment.

Fate,

Lo your ill stars against themselves are kind,
And send to warn you, that you might avoid it.
Qu. M. What shall I do? Say, Dowglas! Lo, I

stand

Like one that in a desart lost his way,

Sees several paths, yet knowing not the right,
Stands in amaze, and fears to venture any.

Enter NORFOLK and MORTON.

Nor. What! what in tears, thou mourning excellence!

Shed not the precious balm in vain; "but spare it, "To heal the world, when nature is a dying, 220 "And chaos shall be threaten'd once again;

"O save those pearls to buy large empires for us: "And when we have liv'd long centuries in love, "To purchase twice as many years from fate.”

Mor. Weep you, when love and hymen gladly wait To banish grief for ever from your breast?

Qu. M. Morton, I will proceed no further in this marriage,

My lord, I fear it will be fatal to us.

Nor. What do I hear!

Qu. M. By all my hopes I must not.

Most gallant Norfolk, to your generous love

I owe my freedom, nay, what's more, my life,
And Mary's heart is but the least return

That she can make; but if that heart proves fatal,
A wretched load to curse with woes the owner,
And sink the noble vessel that it freights,
Pity forbids me then to be so cruel-

Think I deny you for your own dear safety;
Think I deny myself-run, fly, forsake me,
Seek not for shelter in a falling tower,

But leave me to be wretched here alone.

240

Nor. "Should all the fiends break loose, and stop

my way,

"And yon blue marble roof and stars descend,
"To crush me in my hopes; I'd on this moment,
"And perish with my love, but I'd enjoy her."
Give me thy trembling hand: the whitest lily,
Set in the fairest garden of the world,
Chaster and purer than the virgin snow-

If 'tis a sin to blot out with a tear;

Oh, could it speak, 'twould expiate its crime, "And say my soul still wants a rougher language, "To chide my Albion Queen."

Qu. M. Cease, Norfolk, cease.

By all your hopes of happiness and mine,
Your kinder genius, not my own, foretels

This deed will be the ruin of us both :

First break it to the queen; gain her consent.
Mor. That is already done;

Leicester long since implor'd her royal leave,

She knows it, and in not forbidding it,
Her silence may be taken for a grant.

Qu. M. Delay it but a day, and let me haste, (If shame, your cruel foe, will give me leave) And ask the queen's consent.

Mor. You yet create new hazards,

260

And still forget the queen denies to see you : Besides, that were to wake some new surmise Of state; perhaps she'll then demur on the request, And call your foes to council; but, if done, And past prevention, she'll not blame the deed. "Nor. Oh, gallant Morton! let me hold thee thus; "More pitiful than sighing virgins are,

"And kind as interceding angels, thou."

Mor. Go quickly then, and tie the sacred knot Due to your interests, due to matchless love. "Elizabeth shall jealous be no more,

"Nor fearful then that any foreign prince

"Too soon should join his kingdom to your right,
"And claim your lawful title to the crown-
Go instantly-howe'er she seems to frown,
She'll smile within her heart when once 'tis done.

280

Nor. By all your woes now felt, and joys to come, And more, by all your precious vows, I charm you. Qu. M. Why do you hold me? Where d'ye hurry me? To be your fate! To be your enemy !

Nor. Remember, oh, remember Fotheringay! Forget not what is heard, and echoes still, Your oft repeated vows, and Norfolk's groans. Qu. M. Some pitying angel from above look down,

And shew me straight the path that I must follow. Mor. Away; the sun sets forth like a gay brideman with you.

Qu. M. Come then, conduct me, since I must,
And now ambition, empire, all be gone,

I leave you with your heavy weight, a crown;
And if I err, bright register above,

Mark, with forgiveness, all my fault was love.
Mor. Curst accident! The queen is here.

Qu. M. What's that you say? Oh, take me from her sight;

"Joy and pale fear within like giants fight;" Hope bids me go: my trembling heart forbids: goo But who can love and reason both obey?

"Do what you will with me, away, away.' [Retire.

Enter Queen ELIZABETH, CECIL, DAVISON, lords,
attendants, guards. Queen ELIZABETH sees Queen
MARY and NORFOLK going off on the other side.
Qu. El. Ha! see, my lords! behold!

Is that the queen and Norfolk so officious?
Traitor!

Cec. May it please your majesty, it is.

Qu. El. Bid him come back. See, she comes with him too.

My lord, how durst you to approach that hand?
Nay, talk with an offender against your queen,
And slight thus plain my absolute commands?
Qu. M. Alas! let not the noble duke for me be

blam'd,

F

Nor bear a weight so heavy as your anger,
"When I am thought by you the foul aggressor!"
He only met a poor abandon'd wretch,

Lost in a wild, and put her in the way;
For here I wander by myself forlorn,
Know few, and taken notice of by none.

"Qu. El. She has a royal presence, aweful form! "By those bright constellations o'er our heads, "Which story feigns were charming women once, "There is not half that beauty in those orbs, "Nor majesty on earth.

"Think you, my lords,

321

[Aside.

"That she appears so beautiful as fam'd? "Give me a glass-Ha! how's this jewel plac'd! "What a vile curl and aukward patch is here! "Look but on her! And yet, methinks, "She's much beholden to her sable dress, "As through a sky of jet, stars glitter most, "Cec. Not to deny the charms of Scotland's queen, "Yours rival hers, and all the sex.

"Qu. El. Nay, now you grossly flatter me, my lord; "'Tis long of such mean sycophants as thou, "That princes are so wretched, ne'er to know "The errors of their persons, or their minds." Qu. M. What, not a word! Am not I worth one word!

Now, stars, I dare you now to do your worst,
You cannot curse me more now if you would.

Qu. El. Ha! she shoots magic from her very looks, And every word's a charm that lulls my rage; 34°