Mary Stuart

SCENE II.

Enter ELIZABETH, led in by LEICESTER, COUNT AUBESPINE,

BELLIEVRE, LORDS SHREWSBURY and BURLEIGH, with other

French and English gentlemen.

ELIZABETH (to AUBESPINE).

Count, I am sorry for these noblemen

Whose gallant zeal hath brought them over sea

To visit these our shores, that they, with us,

Must miss the splendor of St. Germain's court.

Such pompous festivals of godlike state

I cannot furnish as the royal court

Of France. A sober and contented people,

Which crowd around me with a thousand blessings

Whene'er in public I present myself:

This is the spectacle which I can show,

And not without some pride, to foreign eyes.

The splendor of the noble dames who bloom

In Catherine's beauteous garden would, I know,

Eclipse myself, and my more modest merits.

AUBESPINE.

The court of England has one lady only

To show the wondering foreigner; but all

That charms our hearts in the accomplished sex

Is seen united in her single person.

BELLIEVRE.

Great majesty of England, suffer us

To take our leave, and to our royal master,

The Duke of Anjou, bring the happy news.

The hot impatience of his heart would not

Permit him to remain at Paris; he

At Amiens awaits the joyful tidings;

And thence to Calais reach his posts to bring

With winged swiftness to his tranced ear

The sweet consent which, still we humbly hope,

Your royal lips will graciously pronounce.

ELIZABETH.

Press me no further now, Count Bellievre.

It is not now a time, I must repeat,

To kindle here the joyful marriage torch.

The heavens lower black and heavy o'er this land;

And weeds of mourning would become me better

Than the magnificence of bridal robes.

A fatal blow is aimed against my heart;

A blow which threatens to oppress my house.

BELLIEVRE.

We only ask your majesty to promise

Your royal hand when brighter days shall come.

ELIZABETH.

Monarchs are but the slaves of their condition;

They dare not hear the dictates of their hearts;

My wish was ever to remain unmarried,

And I had placed my greatest pride in this,

That men hereafter on my tomb might read,

"Here rests the virgin queen." But my good subjects

Are not content that this should be: they think,

E'en now they often think upon the time

When I shall be no more. 'Tis not enough

That blessings now are showered upon this land;

They ask a sacrifice for future welfare,

And I must offer up my liberty,

My virgin liberty, my greatest good,

To satisfy my people. Thus they'd force

A lord and master on me. 'Tis by this

I see that I am nothing but a woman

In their regard; and yet methought that I

Had governed like a man, and like a king.

Well wot I that it is not serving God

To quit the laws of nature; and that those

Who here have ruled before me merit praise,

That they have oped the cloister gates, and given

Thousands of victims of ill-taught devotion

Back to the duties of humanity.

But yet a queen who hath not spent her days

In fruitless, idle contemplation; who,

Without murmur, indefatigably

Performs the hardest of all duties; she

Should be exempted from that natural law

Which doth ordain one half of human kind

Shall ever be subservient to the other.

AUBESPINE.

Great queen, you have upon your throne done honor

To every virtue; nothing now remains

But to the sex, whose greatest boast you are

To be the leading star, and give the great

Example of its most consistent duties.

'Tis true, the man exists not who deserves

That you to him should sacrifice your freedom;

Yet if a hero's soul, descent, and rank,

And manly beauty can make mortal man

Deserving of this honor--

ELIZABETH.

Without doubt,

My lord ambassador, a marriage union

With France's royal son would do me honor;

Yes, I acknowledge it without disguise,

If it must be, if I cannot prevent it,

If I must yield unto my people's prayers,

And much I fear they will o'erpower me,

I do not know in Europe any prince

To whom with less reluctance I would yield

My greatest treasure, my dear liberty.

Let this confession satisfy your master.

BELLIEVRE.

It gives the fairest hope, and yet it gives

Nothing but hope; my master wishes more.

ELIZABETH.

What wishes he?

[She takes a ring from her finger, and thoughtfully examines it.

In this a queen has not

One privilege above all other women.

This common token marks one common duty,

One common servitude; the ring denotes

Marriage, and 'tis of rings a chain is formed.

Convey this present to his highness; 'tis

As yet no chain, it binds me not as yet,

But out of it may grow a link to bind me.

BELLIEVRE (kneeling).

This present, in his name, upon my knees,

I do receive, great queen, and press the kiss

Of homage on the hand of her who is

Henceforth my princess.

ELIZABETH (to the EARL OF LEICESTER, whom she, during the last speeches,

had continually regarded).

By your leave, my lord.

[She takes the blue ribbon from his neck [1], and invests Bellievre

with it.

Invest his highness with this ornament,

As I invest you with it, and receive you

Into the duties of my gallant order.

And, "Honi soit qui mal y pense." Thus perish

All jealousy between our several realms,

And let the bond of confidence unite

Henceforth, the crowns of Britain and of France.

BELLIEVRE.

Most sovereign queen, this is a day of joy;

Oh that it could be so for all, and no

Afflicted heart within this island mourn.

See! mercy beams upon thy radiant brow;

Let the reflection of its cheering light

Fall on a wretched princess, who concerns

Britain and France alike.

ELIZABETH.

No further, count!

Let us not mix two inconsistent things;

If France be truly anxious for my hand,

It must partake my interests, and renounce

Alliance with my foes.

AUBESPINE.

In thine own eyes

Would she not seem to act unworthily,

If in this joyous treaty she forgot

This hapless queen, the widow of her king;

In whose behalf her honor and her faith

Are bound to plead for grace.

ELIZABETH.

Thus urged, I know

To rate this intercession at its worth;

France has discharged her duties as a friend,

I will fulfil my own as England's queen.

[She bows to the French ambassadors, who, with the other

gentlemen, retire respectfully.

[1] Till the time of Charles the First, the Knights of the Garter

wore the blue ribbon with the George about their necks, as they

still do the collars, on great days.-TRANSLATOR.