AND. I think my mouth was made at first

To tell these tragic tales, my liefest lord.

K. OF SCOTS. What, is Ateukin dead? tell me the worst.

AND. No, but your Ida-shall I tell him all?-
Is married late-ah! shall I say to whom?-
My master sad-for why, he shames the court,-
Is fled away; ah most unhappy flight!
Only myself-ah who can love you more!-
To shew my duty, duty past belief,

Am come unto your grace, O gracious liege,
To let you know-O would it were not thus !-
That love is vain, and maids soon lost and won.
K. OF SCOTS. How have the partial heavens then
dealt with me,

Boding my weal for to abase my power!
Alas, what thronging thoughts do me oppress!
Injurious love is partial in my right,

And flattering tongues by whom I was misled,
Have laid a snare to spoil my state and me.
Methinks I hear my Dorothea's ghost
Howling revenge for my accursed hate.
The ghosts of those my subjects that are slain
Pursue me crying out, woe, woe to lust!
The foe pursues me at my palace door,
He breaks my rest, and spoils me in my camp.
Ah, flattering brood of sycophants, my foes!
First shall my dire revenge begin on you.

I will reward thee, Andrew.

SLIP. Nay, sir, if you be in your deeds of charity, remember me. I rubbed master Ateukin's horseheels, when he rid to the meadows.

K. OF SCOTS. And thou shalt have thy recompence

for that.

Lords, bear them to the prison, chain them fast,
Until we take some order for their deaths.

AND. If so your Grace in such sort give rewards, Let me have nought; I am content to want.

SLIP. Then, I pray, sir, give me all; I am as ready for a reward as an oyster for a fresh tide; spare not me, sir.

K. OF SCOTS. Then hang them both as traitors to the king.

SLIP. The case is altered, sir: I'll none of your gifts. What, I take a reward at your hands, master! faith, sir, no; I am a man of a better conscience.

K. OF SCOTS. Why dally you? go draw them hence away.

SLIP. Why, alas, sir, I will go away. I thank you, gentle friends; I pray you spare your pains. I will not trouble his honour's mastership; I'll run away.

Enter OBERON* and ANTICS, and carry away the Clown [SLIPPER]; he makes mops, and sports, and scorns. [Andrew is carried out.]

K. OF SCOTS. Why stay you? move me not. search be made

For vile Ateukin: whoso finds him out,

Let

Shall have five hundred marks for his reward. Away with them. Lords, troop about my tent:‡ *OBERON] The 4to. "ADAM." Oberon had told Bohan that he would save his son on this critical occasion;

"Ober. Yea, [and] yon laddy; for the sport he made,

Shall see, when least he hopes, I'll stand his friend,
Or else he capers in a halter's end.

Boh. What, hang my son," &c. See p. 136. † mops] i. e. grimaces. The 4to. "pots." tured "pouts.'

66

I once conjec

Away with them. Lords, troop about my tent] The 4to. Away with the Lords troupes about my tent." I suppose the entrance of Oberon and the removal of Slipper and Andrew were not intended to take place till after the king had spoken the words, "Away with them." In our old dramas, which were generally printed from manuscript copies used at the theatres, the stage directions very frequently occur too soon, in order to give the players notice to be in readiness.

Let all our soldiers stand in battle 'ray,
For lo the English to their parley come.

[March over bravely, first the English host, the sword carried before the king by Percy: the Scottish on the other side, with all their pomp, bravely.

K. OF SCOTS. What seeks the king of England in this land?

K. OF ENG. False, traitrous Scot, I come for to revenge

My daughter's death; I come to spoil thy wealth,
Since thou hast spoil'd me of my marriage joy ;
I come to heap thy land with carcasses,

That this thy thirsty soil, chok'd up with blood,
May thunder forth revenge upon thy head;
I come to quite thy loveless love with death:
In brief, no means of peace shall e'er be found,
Except I have my daughter or thy head.

K. OF SCOTS. My head, proud king! abase thy pranking plumes :*

So striving fondly may'st thou catch thy grave.
But if true judgment do direct thy course,
These lawful reasons should divide + the war :
Faith, not by my consent thy daughter died.

K. OF ENG. Thou liest, false Scot! thy agents have confess'd it.

These are but fond delays: thou canst not think
A means to reconcile me for thy friend.

I have thy parasite's confession penn'd ;
What then canst thou allege in thy excuse ?

K. OF SCOTS. I will repay the ransom for her blood. K. OF ENG. What, think'st thou, caitiff, I will sell my child?

No, if thou be a prince and man at arms,
In single combat come and try thy right,
Else will I prove thee recreant to thy face.
K. OF SCOTS. I brook* no combat, false injurious
But since thou needless art inclin❜d to war,
Do what thou dar'st; we are in open field:
Arming my battles, I will fight with thee.
K. OF ENG. Agreed. Now trumpets sound a
dreadful charge.

[king.

Fight for your princess, [my] brave Englishmen ! K. OF SCOTS. Now ‡ for your lands, your children, and your wives,

My Scottish peers, and lastly for your king!

Alarum sounded: both the battles offer to meet, and, as the Kings are joining battle, enter SIR CUTHBERT [ANDERSON] and LADY ANDERSON,§ with the Queen, DOROTHEA, richly attired, [and NANO.]

SIR CUTH. Stay, princes, wage not war: a privy Twixt such as you, most high in majesty, [grudge Afflicts both nocent and the innocent.

How many swords, dear princes, see I drawn!
The friend against his friend, a deadly fiend ;||
A desperate division in those lands,

Which if they join in one, command the world.
O, stay! with reason mitigate your rage;
And let an old man, humbled on his knees,
Entreat a boon, good princes, of you both.

[years

K. OF ENG. I condescend, for why thy reverend

*brook] The 4to." took."

t my] The 4to. "thy."

Now, &c.] The 4to. gives these two lines to the King of England.

Sand LADY ANDERSON] The 4to. " to his Lady Cuthbert." fiend] The 4to. "friend."

Import some news of truth and consequence :
I am content, for Anderson I know. [me good.
K. OF SCOTS. Thou art my subject, and dost mean
SIR CUTH. But by your gracious favours grant
me this,

To swear upon your sword to do me right.

K. OF ENG. See, by my sword, and by a prince's In every lawful sort I am thine own.

[faith, K. of Scots. And by my sceptre and the Scottish I am resolv'd to grant thee thy request. [crown, SIR CUTH. I see you trust me, princes, who repose

The weight of such a war upon my will.
Now mark my suit. A tender lion's whelp,
This other day, came straggling in the woods,
Attended by a young and tender hind,
In courage haughty, yet 'tir'd like a lamb.
The prince of beasts had left this young in keep,
To foster up as love-mate and compeer,
Unto the lion's mate, and neighbour friend:
This stately guide, seduced by the fox,
Sent forth an eager wolf, bred up in France,
That grip'd the tender whelp, and wounded it.
By chance, as I was hunting in the woods,
I heard the moan the hind made for the whelp:
I took them both and brought them to my house.
With chary care I have recur'd the one;
And since I know the lions are at strife

About the loss and damage of the young,
I bring her home; make claim to her who list.
[He discovereth her.
DOR. I am the whelp, bred by this lion up,
This royal English king, my happy sire:
Poor Nano is the hind that tended me.
My father, Scottish king, gave me to thee,
A hapless wife: thou, quite misled by youth,
Hast sought sinister loves and foreign joys.