Part 366 (1/2)

MARY.

I am the weak, she is the mighty one: 'Tis well, my lord; let her, then, use her power; Let her destroy me; let me bleed, that she May live secure; but let her, then, confess That she hath exercised her power alone, And not contaminate the name of justice.

Let her not borrow from the laws the sword To rid her of her hated enemy; Let her not clothe in this religious garb The b.l.o.o.d.y daring of licentious might; Let not these juggling tricks deceive the world.

[Returning the sentence.

Though she may murder me, she cannot judge me: Let her no longer strive to join the fruits Of vice with virtue's fair and angel show; But let her dare to seem the thing she is.

[Exit.

SCENE VIII.

BURLEIGH, PAULET.

BURLEIGH.

She scorns us, she defies us! will defy us, Even at the scaffold's foot. This haughty heart Is not to be subdued. Say, did the sentence Surprise her? Did you see her shed one tear, Or even change her color? She disdains To make appeal to our compa.s.sion. Well She knows the wavering mind of England's queen.

Our apprehensions make her bold.

PAULET.

My lord, Take the pretext away which buoys it up, And you shall see this proud defiance fail That very moment. I must say, my lord, Irregularities have been allowed In these proceedings; Babington and Ballard Should have been brought, with her two secretaries, Before her, face to face.

BURLEIGH.

No, Paulet, no.

That was not to be risked; her influence Upon the human heart is too supreme; Too strong the female empire of her tears.

Her secretary, Curl, if brought before her, And called upon to speak the weighty word On which her life depends, would straight shrink back And fearfully revoke his own confession.

PAULET.

Then England's enemies will fill the world With evil rumors; and the formal pomp Of these proceedings to the minds of all Will only signalize an act of outrage.

BURLEIGH.

That is the greatest torment of our queen, [That she can never 'scape the blame. Oh G.o.d!]

Had but this lovely mischief died before She set her faithless foot on English ground.

PAULET.

Amen, say I!

BURLEIGH.

Had sickness but consumed her!

PAULET.

England had been secured from such misfortune.

BURLEIGH.

And yet, if she had died in nature's course, The world would still have called us murderers.

PAULET.

'Tis true, the world will think, despite of us, Whate'er it list.

BURLEIGH.

Yet could it not be proved?