Late Queen of Scotland? fhe fhall answer for it;

I must proceed to her.

Beton. Mean fervile wretch !

Paulet! if you're a man, fome future day
You'll not refufe atonement for these words.

SCENE IV. The Queen's Chamber.

Queen Mary, Lady Douglas, Two Maids, and Sir Amias Paulet.

Mary. Are these your orders, Sir, before my face To take my canopy?

Paul. No doubt they are.

Mary. And you're inftructed thus t' infult a Queen. Paul. I am inftructed to confider you

As one attempting to destroy a Queen.

Mary. 'Tis falfe, by all that's facred! Heav'n well knows

I wou'd not touch the meanest life on earth,
Much lefs the Queen's for all that the enjoy's,
All her great empire-No: on ny royal word.-
Paul. Henceforth, no more let convicts idly dream
Of forfeit titles-Farewell, Mary Stuart

Mary. Thinks fhe that fuch indignities degrade
My native titles? tell her the doth fix
Eternal fhame, contempt and ridicule
On her own name, by thefe low practices;
And fay, tho' fhe may rob me of my life,
Mary will die the lawful Queen of Scots.

[Exit Sir A. Paulet.

L. Doug. Oh, my dear Mistress! heed not fuck

base men,

Theyare beneath your care.

Mary. They harass me;

My fpirits are worn out; I'll lay me down;

[Mary reclines on her Sopha, Methinks foft mufic wou'd compofe my nerves; I once had mufic at command,'---but, oh !

G

The lute's unftrung that fmooth'd the brow of care;
Cold is the tongue that charm'd with living fire.
L. Doug. Allow your faithful maid to try her

voice.

[Here Queen Mary's Lamentations should be fung by Lady Douglas or one of the Maids. Mary. These plaintive strains bring quiet to mind, Balm to my troubled foul; they footh my woes, • Recall old times, and tell me what I was. Douglas! while yet I was in infancy, The cruel father of this cruel Queen

Afk'd me in marriage, from my native land,
For his own fon and failing in his fuit,

Wag'd war with Scotland: afterwards, you know,
It was my fate to mount the throne of France,
As confort to young Francis; on whofe death,
(Oh, ever lamentable, fatal lofs!)

• İ Çay'd in France till, by the jealoufy

• And cruel arts of Catherine, I was driven
To feek my own hereditary crown.'-
Doeft thou remember how reluctantly

I left the gay and sprightly Court of France?

L. Doug. Aye, as 'twere yefterday I fee you ftill,' Fix'd like a ftatute at the vessel's stern,

With eyes intent upon the Galic fhore,
Watching each leffening object, till the coaft,
The wide extended coalt, and distant fpires
Of Calais, glittering in the evening skies,
Alone remain'd in view; darkness came on,'
And tears inceffant; till the morning calm
Gave one faint glimpse of the departing fcene:
Oh, then you beat your breast and wav'd your hand,
While intermingled tears, and fobs, half choak'd
Your ill articulated, laft adieu.

Mary. Oh, what a change for a young Queen of
France!

From all the pleasures of that fplendid court,
To the morofe, four afpect, the dull cant,
And furious zeal, of Scotland's puritans!
L. Doug. What barbarous, fanatic infolence!
Mary. Oh, I was deftin'd in my native land
To heavier ills; to Darnley's cruelty;

Murray's ambition; Morton's treachery;
My fubjects' mean defertion of their Queen;
Their base revolt; and bafer calumnies.

L. Doug. The time shall come when the impartial world

Shall nobly vindicate your injur'd fame.

Mary. Long fince, dear Douglas, I've refign'd this world,

With all its vanities, and fix'd my heart
On Heav'n alone-Ah, me! who's this?

Enter DAVISON.

L. Doug. Who art thou?

Dav. One whofe approach forebodes a blacker form Than e'er ftruck terror in the human breast,

Mary, Know you this man?

L. Doug. No; but I fear he brings

Fresh infults and new rigours.

Mary. Whence come you?

Dav. From the Queen's felf; who moft reluctantly, Nor without many bitter fighs and tears

L. Doug. Tears of a crocodile.

Dav. I fay with tears

The Queen difpatch'd me, to announce the fate,
The fate contain'd within this warrant.

Mary. Ha!

[Delivering a Warrant.

[reading the Warrant.

Enter BETONA Drum is heard beating a flow

March.

Beton. Oh, mercy! Heavens! alas, my Queen! I

fear

Some dreadful fate; the Earls of Shrewsbury

And Huntingdon, attended by the guards,

Are at the castle gate.

L. Doug. Ah, here they come !

Th' array of death! Ah! is it come to this?

Enter Shrewsbury and Huntingdon, with Guards, Executioner, &c.

Shrews. The painful office which I now perform→→→ Mary. I know your bufinefs.

Shrews. Ah! know you, alas !

With what dispatch we're order'd to proceed? L. Doug. Oh, murder! murder! cruel murderers ftay!

Mary. Patience, my child! I did not think, I own, My fifter Queen wou'd have proceeded thus; But if my body cannot fuftain one blow, My foul deferves not thofe eternal joys In Heav'n my holy faith has promis'd me.

Hunt. 'Tis your accurfed faith that feals your doom;

While you're on earth, there is no furety
For our true faith.-

Mary. What do I hear! good Heav'n!
Say you that I'm to fuffer for my faith?
Oh, happy and glad tidings! glorious news!
Repeat that word, thou me lenger of joy!

Angels defcending from their bleft abodes,

Cou'd not have hail'd me with more welcome founds.

Then it hath pleas'd the gracious Heav'ns at laft To hear my prayers, and recompenfe my woes.' Now, in one bleffed moment, all my pain, All my long fufferings are exchang'd for blifs. Thefe ears have heard me thus proclaim'd a faint; And Mary's, aye, poor Mary's weeping eyes Have liv'd to fee her crown of Martyrdom.— I'll make short preparation; and mean while, Let all my fervants be in readiness;

And bid my confeffor to follow me,

L. Doug. We will obey

[Exit Lady Douglas, with the Maids.

Hunt. This may not be allow'd;

We came not here to see our holy faith

Mock'd by the tricks and fuperilitious forms

Of Papal ceremony-Your confeffor
Muft not approach-

Mary. Sir, I was born to reign;

I am your Mistress' kinfwoman; like her,
Defcended from King Henry--"Dowager

Of France, and Scotland's lawful Queen; as fuch,
I pray you, treat me

[Exit Mary to her Oratory.

Peton. Inhuman tyranny,

That wou'd extend its barbarous cruelties

Beyond the grave!

Shrews. We may not violate

Our strict commands

Beton. Heav'n will remember them:
You are, then, order'd to refufe a Queen,
In the last moments of her life, thofe rites,
That confolation, which is always given
To the most harden'd, graceless criminals,
That e'er infulted juftice, or brought shame
On human nature?-

Hunt, Nay, urge not that; for, lo! A pious prelate now attends without

To offer his affiftance-I'll propose

[Huntingdon offers to go towards the Oratory. Beton. If you're not loft to all humanity,

Disturb not her laft meditations thus.

[Stopping Huntingdon.

Enter Lady Douglas with four Maids, a Phyfician, and an Almoner-Beton places himself with them.

Hunt. Why are you all affembled here!-
L. Doug. You fee

The fad remains of her poor family.

Hunt. You are, at belt, but useless, idle fhew; Perhaps employ'd for fuperftitious ute;

Retire!

L. Doug. You cannot mean to hinder us From this laft, wretched office?

Hunt. Nav, begone!

Beton. Infernal favage!-