 | The Earl of Douglas |  |
SCENE IV.
Lady Beatrix, Douglas, Lord William.Lady Beatrix.
My Lord, you have a letter from the States,
I come to give you joy. No more your fame
Shall vilely be traduc'd; as silver tried,
Your character must brighter shine; your foes
By truth's superior lustre dash'd must hide
Their dastard heads. The conduct of the States
Does honour to themselves, and right to you.
Douglas.
It does, my sister; yet our friends have drawn
Such strange conclusions—
Lady Beatrix.
Fleming seems to doubt
The honour of the States. For me, my Lord,
I cannot think so ill of human kind:
It is not come to that: however loose
The principles of some, the publick faith
Is sacred deem'd by all.
Douglas.
Your sentiments
And mine exactly correspond: to me
No ground of doubt appears: I would not live,
Suspected of the crimes, the busy world
26
Lady Beatrix.
'Tis your, my Lord,
To wipe such foul aspersions off your house;
'Tis yours, to drag those miscreants into light,
Who hid in darkness, shoot their poison'd shafts,
To wound your rising fame. But still my Lord,
Let prudence be your guide; weigh, coolly weigh,
Whate'er your more experienc'd friends have said.
Douglas.
Our cousin Grame and I have duly weigh'd
Their grounds of doubt: meantime I must dispatch
My answer to the States.
[Exit.
Lord William.
'Tis not in man
To 'scape the censure of a busy world:
But injur'd innocence, at last shall shine
Refulgent through the mist by envy rais'd.
[Exeunt.
| The Earl of Douglas | |