Oliver Cromwell | Page 8

Bridget: It seems he was in a tavern here one evening, and they were
talking about ship money. Seth said it was a bad thing, and he spoke of
our Cousin Hampden.
Amos: He remembered Mr. Hampden when he was at Ely, sir. He
always took a great opinion of Mr. Hampden, Seth did.
Bridget: He said Cousin John was a great patriot because he wouldn't
pay. The King's spies were there. Seth was taken. He got a message
sent down to Amos. It was to be a Star Chamber matter.
Amos: There wasn't a better lad in the shire, sir.
Cromwell: What has been done?
Bridget: We don't know. I brought Amos up at once to find you. I
wanted to come alone, but he wouldn't let me.
Amos: I couldn't stay, sir. They'll not have hurt him surely?
Bridget: What will they do? Is it too late? Can't it be stopped?
Cromwell: Bassett.
(The officer comes.)
Bassett: Yes, sir.
Cromwell: Have you heard any Star Chamber news these last days?
Bassett: Nothing out of the way, sir. A few croppings and brandings.

Cromwell: Any names?
Bassett: Jollyboy was one. That's an anyhow name for a man, now, isn't
it? Lupton there was, too. He was cropped, both ears--said a bishop was
a man. That was blasphemous. And a fellow about ship money. That
was savage. Tanner his name was.
Amos: Yes--but not Seth--it wasn't Seth Tanner?
Bassett: Tanner was all I heard.
Amos: It wouldn't be Seth.
Bridget: What did they do to him?
Bassett: It's not proper hearing for your sort. But they let him go.
Cromwell: What was it? The girl has heart enough.
Bassett: Both thumbs, both ears, the tongue, and a T on the forehead.
Amos: It wasn't Seth, sir. It couldn't be Seth--not like that. He was the
beauty of the four parishes.
Bassett (to CROMWELL): Was he something to do with you, sir?
Cromwell: There is a boy, Seth Tanner, we have a care for.
Bassett: Because I made bold to take him in. He was dazed, as it
were--didn't seem to know where to go.
Cromwell: It was a good man's doing. Where is he?
Bassett: I live under the walls here, as you might say.
Cromwell: Could we see him?
Bassett: Nay--it's no place to take you to. But I'll fetch him if you will.
He doesn't sleep.

Cromwell: Do, then.
(BASSETT goes.)
Amos: It's not my Seth, is it, sir? Not his tongue--and a bloody T. They
would know how he could sing, and he looked like Gabriel in the
books.
Hampden: Shall we go, Oliver?
Cromwell: No. Let us all see it out.
Bridget: Father, it's horrible. They don't do things like that, do they?
Amos: Dumb--and a bloody T--and the thumbs. It's some other poor
lad.
(BASSETT returns; with him a figure, the hands and ears bound up in
rough thick bandages, and on his forehead a burning red T. He looks at
them, with reason hardly awake.)
Amos (going to him): Seth--Seth, boy.
(SETH moves his lips, but makes no sound. They look at him in
horror.)
Bridget: Father--father.
Cromwell: There--no--no. (To BASSETT.) Take him, good fellow.
Care for him as you can. Get a surgeon for him. Here's money. No, no,
old man.
(BASSETT goes with SETH.)
Amos: A bloody T. And dumb. God blast the King!
Cromwell: Take him to our lodging, daughter. Go with them, Ireton. I'll
follow.

(BRIDGET, AMOS, and IRETON go.)
Cromwell: John, you are my best-beloved friend.
Hampden: I praise myself in that more than in most.
Cromwell: I call you to witness. That is a symbol. Before God, I will
not rest until all that it stands for in this unhappy England is less than
the dust. Amen.
Hampden: Amen.
(A linkman is heard calling in the street. CROMWELL and
HAMPDEN go out.)
THE SCENE CLOSES

SCENE III
CROMWELL'S house at Ely. A year later, 1642. It is afternoon in
winter. MRS. CROMWELL is sitting by the fire, reading. She looks a
little more her eighty-odd years than she did in the first scene. After a
few moments BRIDGET comes in. She is opening a letter.
Bridget: Father has written, grandmother. Shall I read it to you?
Mrs. Cromwell: Yes, child.
Bridget (sits by the fire, and reads): My dear daughter, I am lately
arrived in London, from Edgehill in the county of Warwickshire, where
for the first time our men met the King's army in set dispute. It was late
on the Sabbath afternoon, so that, as we lay for the attack, the sound of
church bells came to us from three or four places. The King had the
better ground, also they exceeded us in numbers, both horse and foot,
and in cannon. It is hard to say which