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Hangs on her fate; what if her voice fhou'd pierce
The prifon walls, and thro' the nation found
A fignal for a second maffacre?

1

Eliz. Ah, there is the word! that word recalls my mind,

Chills all my blood, and drives its current back.
Heav'n doth exact a facrifice to thofe

Who fell for our true faith: 'Tis Heav'n's decree-
It is refolv'd-She dies-Fly, Davifon!
Outftrip the winds, and with the winged fpeed
Of lightning, let the thunder-bolt of Heav'n
Strike her devoted head!-Away! Away!

[Exeunt.

АСТ

V,

SCENE I. FOTHERINGAY CASTLE.

Enter Lady Douglas and Beton.

BETON,

LADY DOUGLAS.

ETON, alas! you prophecy too well; Each moment brings fome melancholy proof Of your forboding spirit.

Beton. Cou'd I doubt

The confequence of fuch facility?

You know how oft and earnestly I urg'd

The danger of fubmiffion; but to plead,

A Queen, in her own perfon, thus to plead !—
L. Doug Had fhe not pleaded, this pre-judging
Court,

As by confeffion, had pronounc'd her doom.
And yet, cou'd she suspect that such a lift

Of all the great nobility, fuch names,
The warriors, heroes, patriots of the land,
Cou'd fo difgracefully be led to join
In concert to her ruin ?-

Beton. Oh! too oft

Servile compliances are brought about

By joining numbers and great names, where none,
No fingle, worthy individual

Would show his face, or lend his honest fame.
Know you what urg'd her to appear in court?

L. Doug. 'Twas to defend her honour that the came In all the majefty of innocence;

Defcending from a throne, the offer'd up
Her dignity, a willing facrifice,

To her fair fame; impell'd by confcious pride,
That inward pride which purity of mind
Infpires, and prompts to dare corruption's art,
To face, upon unequal terms, the wiles

Of perjur'd treachery.-Oh! 'twas a fight
New to the world; fo ftrange, that mortal eyes
Their credit loft; none who beheld, believed;
But, Beton, fuch a mockery as this
Can ne'er be realiz'd ?-

Beton. Oh, furely not;

'Tis but an artifice to juftify

Paft cruelties; and, what I fear the most,

Perhaps ftill clofer cuftody.

L. Doug, Alas!

They dare not fure proceed to take her life? Beton. Oh, no! 'twou'd roufe all Europe; fhake all thrones;

Loofen the deepest-rooted monarchies :

They dare not think of it-you fee they're gone

For farther counfel to the Star Chamber.

L. Doug. 'Tis time t' attend the Queen, Heav'n'

guard her ftill!

[Exit.

SCENE II. Mary's Chamber, Fotheringay Cafle.

Enter Lady Douglas to the Queen.

Mary. Douglas! come hither Douglas! fit by n
Thou art the conftant folace of my woes.
I am almoft worn out with grief and care;

And, as you fometimes hint, I plainly find
My health is much impair'd-I had not strength
Or fpirits to do justice to my cause
Before this Court.-

L Doug. Oh, my royal Mistress!

How cou'd you condefcend to plead to them?
Mary. Alas! too confident in innocence,
I undervalued human treachery;

Suffer'd my ears to catch the fpecious found
Of Hatton's foft perfuafive eloquence;
Who, fair and falfe as Belial, from his tongue
Shed manna, which beguil'd my filly heart,
• Brought me to compromise my dignity,
By condefcenfions, which the petulence
Of rancorous Burleigh's bitter enmity,
• Had ne'er effected.'-Oh, accurfed fraud!

L. Doug. Fraud! aye, and open force; did they

not feize

Your papers, burst your cabinet, and rob,
Aye, bafely pilfer all your little hoard,

The remnant of your treasure, which you fav'd
To pay your poor domestics, and for acts
Of charity?-

Mary. But that, you know, of late

Has been prohibited; becaufe 'twas found
One ftill remaining fource of happiness.

L. Doug. Infernal, unexampled-infamy!
Yes, my dear Mistress, 'twas a cruelty
More felt by you than by the poor themselves
Who loft your daily charity.-

Mary. Douglas !

Forfaken as I am, I cou'd not think
That my own Secretary wou'd have turn'd
Against his Mistress; and, in that, where he,
Above all others, knew me innocent:

I never much efteem'd the man; but yet
I did not think the viper wou'd have bit
The hand that fed it. He first came to me
From my poor uncle, the late Cardinal,
My uncle was the prop of all my counfels;
Alas! he's gone; and Charles, my brother, now
No longer reigns in France-he too is loft!

• His end was wretched and unnatural.'
And for my fon, my only child, he reigns
In Scotland, patient of a mother's wrongs;
I am forbid to hear from him.'-Alas!
Had he the heart or spirit of a man-

Enter BETON.

Beton. Pardon the meffenger of dismal news!
L. Doug, [Afide.] Oh, me, what now?-
Beton. And, oh, prepare to hear

The heaviest tidings

Mary. I've been long prepar'd.

Beton. Your own misfortunes you have ever born With fortitude, but other's fufferings

Mary. What others? fpeak! alas, I guess-
Beton. Too well, I fear-

Mary. The Duke?

Beton. His troubles are no more;

He refts in peace, beyond the tyrant's sway,
Where mortal envy cannot reach: alas!
Poor man! he fell a victim to his love;
His dying breath ftill blefs'd you.-
Mary. Oh, juft Heavens !

Since it has pleas'd you thus to visit him
For my offences-let my prayers afcend
In his behalf-yet Qay; he's rifen now,
Whence he looks down with pity and contempt
On worldly cares; views with ferenity
Her despicable malice.'Oh, mean wretch!
Why dar'd you not let fall your vengeance here?
He dies at last in my defence!-to fave
This poor forlorn existence-Fie upon't!

Why lingers yet my breath?-Out, out for fhame i
Seek the wide air, and catch my Norfolk's foul.

SCENE III The Hall.

Enter Beton, meeting Sir Amias Paulet.

Beton. [Afide.] Paulet arrived!-What is your pleasure here ?

Paul. I am about to feek your Mistress, Sir.-
Beton. The Queen is ill at ease, and needs repofe.
Paul. Sir, I have business to communicate-
Beton. Concerning her ?-

Paulet.

Aye, very nearly too.

Beton. From Westminster?

Paul.

From the ftar Chamber, Sir;

No less than that her Secrataries both

Have now confefs'd the plot, and sworn to it.

Beton. Oh, perjur'd' venal flaves! They never Confront her with thefe murderous lies-the fight. Of injur'd innocence had choak'd their speech.

Paul, Say rather their repentence has produc'd
Full proof to justify the course of law.

Beton. Who, but a judge determined to convið,
Wou'd credit thofe whofe faith is forfeited
By plain, avow'd desertion of their trust?
'Twere a judicial murder-the worst crime
This finful world has known: firft, as the Judge
Is, for his purity and wifdom, plac'd
In high authority and charg'd to guard
Fair innocence: then, as the sufferer
By fuch injuftice, feels difgrace and shame
Added to all the bitterness of death

above law?

Paul. Is fhe, who claims protection,
Beton. Call you imprisonment protection? Oh!

Mere fubterfuges, worthy of your Queen;
This laft exploit of bribing evidence

Was an atchievement fuiting her great power,
Her riches, her wife Minifters-Oh, fhame!

Paul. Is this the language, Sir, of Mary Stuart,

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