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"A man of power and wealth, to be reclaim'd, "For his own sake, as well as for the queen's :" And should he plunge himself too deep in this, England may chance to lose the best of men.

Cec. The queen's peculiar safety be thy care;
Therefore the secretary's place be thine;
"In which high post, as from a perspective,
"Thou mayst discover all her foreign foes,
"And home conspiracies, how dark soe'er."
But most of all, let Mary be thy fear,

And what thou hear'st inform me of: I'll act
But in thy shape: be thou my proxy still.

Dav Not Cromwell ever trod with so much care
The subtle steps of the most famous Wolsey,
As I the dictates of the wiser Burleigh-

The Scottish regent yesterday arriv'd,

With new discover'd plots to accuse his queen :
And since, (to poise these heavy articles)
The Duke of Norfolk is from Mary come,
And both are to have audience strait-

The man I speak of.

Cec. Wait you on the queen.

Enter NORFOLK.

-Behold

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[Exit Dav.

Your Grace is welcome from the queen of Scotland.
How fares that sad and most illustrious pattern
Of all misfortunes.

"Nor. Dost thou pity her?

"Oh, let me fly, and hold thee to my bosom,

"Closer, and far more dear than ever bride

"Was held by hasty bridegroom in his arms! "Cec. My lord, you make me blush. Nor. "Should the hyena thus bemoan, "And thus the neighbouring rocks but echo him, "My queen, I would devour the precious sound, "And thus embrace him from whose lips it came, "Tho' wide and gaping as the mouth of hell.” My lord, I came to seek you; I've a secret T' unfold, which, while I keep it, weighs me down, And when 'tis out, I fear it will undo me. 81 Cec. Then hold it in your breast; let me not know What is not fit for you to speak, nor me to hear. Nor. Now, only now's the time; the traitor, Morton,

The false, usurping regent, is return'd,

With all the magazine of hell about him.
The queen, my lovely Albion Queen's in danger;
And if thou wilt not strait advise thy friend,
Mary's undone, and Norfolk is no more.
Cec. What is't, my lord?

Nor. First wear the looks of mildness,
Such as forgiving fathers do to sons:
Yet 'tis no treason, unless love be treason.
Cec. Out with't, my lord.

Nor. Wilt thou forgive my bold aspiring hopes
If I confess I love the queen of Scotland?
Cec. Ha, love her!" how?

"Nor. How should she be beloved,

"But as mild saints do to their altars bow,

"And human patriarchs kiss the copes of angels ?

"Cec. Love her! for what?"

Nor. Not for a crown, I swear.

Oh, hadst thou seen her in that plight as I did,
And hadst been Alexander, thou hadst kneel'd,
Thrown all thy globes and sceptres at her feet,
And given a crown for ev'ry tear she shed!
Cec. I dare not hear you out.

Nor. You must; you shall;

Nor let your ears be deaf alone, nice statesman! "And see yon chrystal champion o'er our heads,

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Throng'd with immortal warriors to her aid,

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"Whose voices, louder than the breath of thunder, "And swifter than the winds, proclaim" to "earth Bright" Mary's wrongs and my eternal love.

Cec. My lord, you've said too much; I dare not hear you.

Nor. Is pitying the distress'd, and loving her Whom none but envy hates, a crime?

Cec. You would not marry her?

Nor. Not marry her!

Yes, tho' she stood on Ætna's sulphurous brink, 120
Tho' its dread mouth ran o'er with liquid fire,
"And mounting flames higher than Phœbus shot,"
I'd swim the burning lake to make her mine.

Cec. For pity, recollect your banish'd reason;
Consider what you've said; it must undo you:
"The danger's greater far than I can feign."
Do you not know that's she's accus'd of treason?
That for the royal crown our mistress wears
She yet stands candidate, against all force,

And hopes to snatch it from her rightful head?

Nor. By those eternal rays that bless the world, 'Tis malice foul, as that bright orb is clear. Oh, Cecil, tell me what thou truly think'st! "Thou hast a soul with shining wisdom crown'd, "Whose virtuous honest steps whoever tracks, "May challenge to be blest: Oh, tell me then!" Can Scotland's queen with such a guilt be stain'd? Cec. I dare not utter every thought that pains me, Nor can I longer with my oath dispense, An oath that charges me, for life, to hold

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No dangerous secret from the queen-Farewel;
Repent, my lord, and urge this thing no more;
For 'twould be fatal, should our mistress know it.
Nor. The queen must know it, you shall tell her

too;

"Therefore I came, that thou shouldst intercede," You, from whose lips the queen takes nothing ill.

Cec. Not for the crown she wears, would I acquaint her.

Beware ambition, sir;

The queen has jealousy to give't a name,

Disloyalty, ambition is the least.

Nor. Rash man! thou wrong'st the faithfull'st of her subjects;

I'd touch a scorpion rather than her sceptre :

Her proud regalias are but glittering toys,

And the least word, a smile from Scotland's queen, Is worth whole pyramids of royal lumber.

We only ask for love and liberty:

Give us but these, we'll quit her all the rest;
For where love reigns so absolute as here,
There is no room for any other thought.

Cec. My lord, consider what you'd have me sayI dare not speak nor think of it-Farewel.

Nor. Tell her, or, by my desperate love, I swear, "I'll shout it in her ears, were she hemm'd in "With basilisks, or were she queen of furies; "Love, mighty love, should lead me and protect me. "And by those powers that pity the distress'd, "If she'll not hear me," I'll proclaim yet louder, And trumpet to the world the hated sound

Of royal Mary's wrongs.

[Going. Cec. My lord, my lord, come back; to save your

life,

(For nought but death can follow such a rashness) Restrain your passion but a few short moments, And I'll acquaint her favourite, Leicester, with it. 'Twill be more welcome from his mouth than mine; Him I will arm with reason for your sake, As shall the least incense the queen's displeasure.

Queen ELIZABETH, Morton, DAVISON, women, gentlemen, guards, all discovered at the throne. Behold she appears; the Scottish regent too. Nor. Confusion seize him!

Cec. Besure, my lord,

Whate'er you see, and hear, contain yourself.

Qu. El. Alas, my lords! when will you cease coniplaining?

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