Joseph Mellish - Mary Stuart (Act 4 Scene 6) lyrics

LEICESTER (bursts open the door with violence, and enters with an imperious air). LEICESTER. Fain would I see the shameless man who dares Forbid me the apartments of my queen! ELIZABETH (avoiding his sight). Audacious slave! LEICESTER. To turn me from the door! If for a Burleigh she be visible, She must be so to me! BURLEIGH. My lord, you are Too bold, without permission to intrude. LEICESTER. My lord, you are too arrogant, to take The lead in these apartments. What! Permission! I know of none who stands so high at court As to permit my doings, or refuse them. [Humbly approaching ELIZABETH. 'Tis from my sovereign's lips alone that I—— ELIZABETH (without looking at him). Out of my sight, deceitful, worthless traitor! LEICESTER. 'Tis not my gracious queen I hear, but Burleigh, My enemy, in these ungentle words. To my imperial mistress I appeal; Thou hast lent him thine ear; I ask the like. ELIZABETH. Speak, shameless wretch! Increase your crime—deny it. LEICESTER. Dismiss this troublesome intruder first. Withdraw, my lord; it is not of your office To play the third man here: between the queen And me there is no need of witnesses. Retire—— ELIZABETH (to BURLEIGH). Remain, my lord; 'tis my command. LEICESTER. What has a third to do 'twixt thee and me? I have to clear myself before my queen, My worshipped queen; I will maintain the rights Which thou hast given me; these rights are sacred, And I insist upon it, that my lord Retire. ELIZABETH. This haughty tone befits you well. LEICESTER. It well befits me; am not I the man, The happy man, to whom thy gracious favor Has given the highest station? this exalts me Above this Burleigh, and above them all. Thy heart imparted me this rank, and what Thy favor gave, by heavens I will maintain At my life's hazard. Let him go, it needs Two moments only to exculpate me. ELIZABETH. Think not, with cunning words, to hide the truth. LEICESTER. That fear from him, so voluble of speech: But what I say is to the heart addressed; And I will justify what I have dared To do, confiding in thy generous favor, Before thy heart alone. I recognize No other jurisdiction. ELIZABETH. Base deceiver 'Tis this, e'en this, which above all condemns you. My lord, produce the letter. [To BURLEIGH. BURLEIGH. Here it is. LEICESTER (running over the letter without losing his presence of mind). 'Tis Mary Stuart's hand—— ELIZABETH. Read and be dumb! LEICESTER (having read it quietly). Appearance is against me, yet I hope I shall not by appearances be judged. ELIZABETH. Can you deny your secret correspondence With Mary?—that she sent and you received Her picture, that you gave her hopes of rescue? LEICESTER. It were an easy matter, if I felt That I were guilty of a crime, to challenge The testimony of my enemy: Yet bold is my good conscience. I confess That she hath said the truth. ELIZABETH. Well then, thou wretch! BURLEIGH. His own words sentence him—— ELIZABETH. Out of my sight! Away! Conduct the traitor to the Tower! LEICESTER. I am no traitor; it was wrong, I own, To make a secret of this step to thee; Yet pure was my intention, it was done To search into her plots and to confound them. ELIZABETH. Vain subterfuge! BURLEIGH. And do you think, my lord—— LEICESTER. I've played a dangerous game, I know it well, And none but Leicester dare be bold enough To risk it at this court. The world must know How I detest this Stuart, and the rank Which here I hold; my monarch's confidence, With which she honors me, must sure suffice To overturn all doubt of my intentions. Well may the man thy favor above all Distinguishes pursue a daring course To do his duty! BURLEIGH. If the course was good, Wherefore conceal it? LEICESTER. You are used, my lord, To prate before you act; the very chime Of your own deeds. This is your manner, lord; But mine is first to act, and then to speak. BURLEIGH. Yes, now you speak because you must. LEICESTER (measuring him proudly and disdainfully with his eyes). And you Boast of a wonderful, a mighty action, That you have saved the queen, have snatched away The mask from treachery; all is known to you; You think, forsooth, that nothing can escape Your penetrating eyes. Poor, idle boaster! In spite of all your cunning, Mary Stuart Was free to-day, had I not hindered it. BURLEIGH. How? You? LEICESTER. Yes, I, my lord; the queen confided In Mortimer; she opened to the youth Her inmost soul! Yes, she went further still; She gave him, too, a secret, bloody charge, Which Paulet had before refused with horror. Say, is it so, or not? [The QUEEN and BURLEIGH look at one another with astonishment. BURLEIGH. Whence know ye this? LEICESTER. Nay, is it not a fact? Now answer me. And where, my lord, where were your thousand eyes, Not to discover Mortimer was false? That he, the Guise's tool, and Mary's creature, A raging papist, daring fanatic, Was come to free the Stuart, and to murder The Queen of England! ELIZABETH (with the utmost astonishment). How! This Mortimer! LEICESTER. 'Twas he through whom our correspondence pa**ed. This plot it was which introduced me to him. This very day she was to have been torn From her confinement; he, this very moment, Disclosed his plan to me: I took him prisoner, And gave him to the guard, when in despair To see his work o'erturned, himself unmasked, He slew himself! ELIZABETH. Oh, I indeed have been Deceived beyond example, Mortimer! BURLEIGH. This happened then but now? Since last we parted? LEICESTER. For my own sake, I must lament the deed; That he was thus cut off. His testimony, Were he alive, had fully cleared my fame, And freed me from suspicion; 'twas for this That I surrendered him to open justice. I thought to choose the most impartial course To verify and fix my innocence Before the world. BURLEIGH. He k**ed himself, you say Is't so? Or did you k** him? LEICESTER. Vile suspicion! Hear but the guard who seized him. [He goes to the door, and calls. Ho! who waits? [Enter the officer of the guard. Sir, tell the queen how Mortimer expired. OFFICER. I was on duty in the palace porch, When suddenly my lord threw wide the door, And ordered me to take the knight in charge, Denouncing him a traitor: upon this He grew enraged, and with most bitter curses Against our sovereign and our holy faith, He drew a dagger, and before the guards Could hinder his intention, plunged the steel Into his heart, and fell a lifeless corpse. LEICESTER. 'Tis well; you may withdraw. Her majesty Has heard enough. [The officer withdraws. ELIZABETH. Oh, what a deep abyss Of monstrous deeds? LEICESTER. Who was it, then, my queen, Who saved you? Was it Burleigh? Did he know The dangers which surrounded you? Did he Avert them from your head? Your faithful Leicester Was your good angel. BURLEIGH. This same Mortimer Died most conveniently for you, my lord. ELIZABETH. What I should say I know not. I believe you, And I believe you not. I think you guilty, And yet I think you not. A curse on her Who caused me all this anguish. LEICESTER. She must die; I now myself consent unto her d**h. I formerly advised you to suspend The sentence, till some arm should rise anew On her behalf; the case has happened now, And I demand her instant execution. BURLEIGH. You give this counsel? You? LEICESTER. Howe'er it wound My feelings to be forced to this extreme, Yet now I see most clearly, now I feel That the queen's welfare asks this bloody victim. 'Tis my proposal, therefore, that the writ Be drawn at once to fix the execution. BURLEIGH (to the QUEEN). Since, then, his lordship shows such earnest zeal, Such loyalty, 'twere well were he appointed To see the execution of the sentence. LEICESTER. Who? I? BURLEIGH. Yes, you; you surely ne'er could find A better means to shake off the suspicion Which rests upon you still, than to command Her, whom 'tis said you love, to be beheaded. ELIZABETH (looking steadfastly at LEICESTER). My lord advises well. So be it, then. LEICESTER. It were but fit that my exalted rank Should free me from so mournful a commission, Which would indeed, in every sense, become A Burleigh better than the Earl of Leicester. The man who stands so near the royal person Should have no knowledge of such fatal scenes: But yet to prove my zeal, to satisfy My queen, I waive my charge's privilege, And take upon myself this hateful duty. ELIZABETH. Lord Burleigh shall partake this duty with you. [To BURLEIGH. So be the warrant instantly prepared. [BURLEIGH withdraws; a tumult heard without.