Queen Mary and Harold | Page 6

or some other country house.
ELIZABETH. Why, my lord Bishop?
GARDINER. I do but bring the message, know no more. Your Grace
will hear her reasons from herself.
ELIZABETH. 'Tis mine own wish fulfill'd before the word Was spoken,
for in truth I had meant to crave Permission of her Highness to retire To
Ashridge, and pursue my studies there.
GARDINER. Madam, to have the wish before the word Is man's good
Fairy--and the Queen is yours. I left her with rich jewels in her hand,
Whereof 'tis like enough she means to make A farewell present to your
Grace.
ELIZABETH. My Lord, I have the jewel of a loyal heart.
GARDINER. I doubt it not, Madam, most loyal. [Bows low and exit.
HOWARD. See, This comes of parleying with my Lord of Devon.
Well, well, you must obey; and I myself Believe it will be better for
your welfare. Your time will come.
ELIZABETH. I think my time will come. Uncle, I am of sovereign
nature, that I know, Not to be quell'd; and I have felt within me
Stirrings of some great doom when God's just hour Peals--but this
fierce old Gardiner--his big baldness, That irritable forelock which he
rubs, His buzzard beak and deep-incavern'd eyes Half fright me.
HOWARD. You've a bold heart; keep it so. He cannot touch you save
that you turn traitor; And so take heed I pray you--you are one Who
love that men should smile upon you, niece. They'd smile you into
treason--some of them.
ELIZABETH. I spy the rock beneath the smiling sea. But if this Philip,
the proud Catholic prince, And this bald priest, and she that hates me,

seek In that lone house, to practise on my life, By poison, fire, shot,
stab--
HOWARD. They will not, niece. Mine is the fleet and all the power at
sea-- Or will be in a moment. If they dared To harm you, I would blow
this Philip and all Your trouble to the dogstar and the devil.
ELIZABETH. To the Pleiads, uncle; they have lost a sister.
HOWARD. But why say that? what have you done to lose her? Come,
come, I will go with you to the Queen.
[Exeunt.

SCENE V.--A ROOM IN THE PALACE.
MARY with PHILIP'S miniature. ALICE.
MARY (_kissing the miniature_). Most goodly, King-like and an
Emperor's son,-- A king to be,--is he not noble, girl?
ALICE. Goodly enough, your Grace, and yet, methinks, I have seen
goodlier.
MARY. Ay; some waxen doll Thy baby eyes have rested on, belike;
All red and white, the fashion of our land. But my good mother came
(God rest her soul) Of Spain, and I am Spanish in myself, And in my
likings.
ALICE. By your Grace's leave Your royal mother came of Spain, but
took To the English red and white. Your royal father (For so they say)
was all pure lily and rose In his youth, and like a lady.
MARY. O, just God! Sweet mother, you had time and cause enough To
sicken of his lilies and his roses. Cast off, betray'd, defamed, divorced,
forlorn! And then the King--that traitor past forgiveness, The false
archbishop fawning on him, married The mother of Elizabeth--a heretic
Ev'n as she is; but God hath sent me here To take such order with all
heretics That it shall be, before I die, as tho' My father and my brother
had not lived. What wast thou saying of this Lady Jane, Now in the
Tower?
ALICE. Why, Madam, she was passing Some chapel down in Essex,

and with her Lady Anne Wharton, and the Lady Anne Bow'd to the Pyx;
but Lady Jane stood up Stiff as the very backbone of heresy. And
wherefore bow ye not, says Lady Anne, To him within there who made
Heaven and Earth? I cannot, and I dare not, tell your Grace What Lady
Jane replied.
MARY. But I will have it.
ALICE. She said--pray pardon me, and pity her-- She hath harken'd
evil counsel--ah! she said, The baker made him.
MARY. Monstrous! blasphemous! She ought to burn. Hence, thou
(Exit ALICE). No--being traitor Her head will fall: shall it? she is but a
child. We do not kill the child for doing that His father whipt him into
doing--a head So full of grace and beauty! would that mine Were half
as gracious! O, my lord to be, My love, for thy sake only. I am eleven
years older than he is. But will he care for that? No, by the holy Virgin,
being noble, But love me only: then the bastard sprout, My sister, is far
fairer than myself. Will he be drawn to her? No, being of the true faith
with myself. Paget is for him--for to wed with Spain Would treble
England--Gardiner is