University of Virginia Library

ACT II.

Scene I.

—(As in Act I. Scene I.)
The same Party enters.
Rudyard.
Twelve subsidies!

Vane.
Oh Rudyard, do not laugh
At least!

Rudyard.
True: Strafford called the Parliament—
'T is he should laugh!

A Puritan.
Out of the serpent's root
Comes forth a cockatrice.

Fiennes.
—A stinging one,
If that's the Parliament: twelve subsidies!
A stinging one! but, brother, where's your word
For Strafford's other nest-egg, the Scots' war?

The Puritan.
His fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

Fiennes.
Shall be? It chips the shell, man; peeps abroad.
Twelve subsidies!—Why, how now, Vane?

Rudyard.
Peace, Fiennes!

Fiennes.
Ah?—But he was not more a dupe than I,
Or you, or any here, the day that Pym
Returned with the good news. Look up, friend Vane!
We all believed that Strafford meant us well
In summoning the Parliament.

Hampden enters.
Vane.
Now, Hampden,
Clear me! I would have leave to sleep again:
I'd look the People in the face again:
Clear me from having, from the first, hoped, dreamed
Better of Strafford

Hampden.
You may grow one day
A steadfast light to England Henry Vane!

Rudyard.
Meantime, by flashes I make shift to see
Strafford revived our Parliaments; before,
War was but talked of; there's an army, now:
Still, we've a Parliament! Poor Ireland bears
Another wrench (she dies the hardest death!)—
Why, speak of it in Parliament! and lo,
'T is spoken, so console yourselves!

Fiennes.
The jest!
We clamoured, I suppose, thus long, to win
The privilege of laying on our backs
A sorer burden than the King dares lay!

Rudyard.
Mark now: we meet at length, complaints pour in
From every county, all the land cries out
On loans and levies, curses ship-money,
Calls vengeance on the Star Chamber; we lend
An ear. “Ay, lend them all the ears you have!”
Puts in the King; “my subjects, as you find,
“Are fretful, and conceive great things of you.
“Just listen to them, friends; you'll sanction me
“The measures they most wince at, make them yours,
“Instead of mine, I know: and, to begin,
“They say my levies pinch them,—raise me straight
“Twelve subsidies!”

Fiennes.
All England cannot furnish
Twelve subsidies!

Hollis.
But Strafford, just returned
From Ireland—what has he to do with that?
How could he speak his mind? He left before
The Parliament assembled. Pym, who knows
Strafford . . .

Rudyard.
Would I were sure we know ourselves!
What is for good, what, bad—who friend, who foe!

Hollis.
Do you count Parliaments no gain?

Rudyard.
A gain?
While the King's creatures overbalance us?
—There's going on, beside, among ourselves
A quiet, slow, but most effectual course
Of buying over, sapping, leavening
The lump till all is leaven. Glanville's gone.
I'll put a case; had not the Court declared
That no sum short of just twelve subsidies
Will be accepted by the King—our House,
I say, would have consented to that offer
To let us buy off ship-money!

Hollis.
Most like,
If, say, six subsidies will buy it off,
The House . . .

Rudyard.
Will grant them! Hampden, do you hear?
Congratulate with me! the King's the king,
And gains his point at last—our own assent
To that detested tax? All's over, then!
There's no more taking refuge in this room,
Protesting, “Let the King do what he will,
“We, England, are no party to our shame:
“Our day will come!” Congratulate with me!

Pym enters.
Vane.
Pym, Strafford called this Parliament, you say,
But we'll not have our Parliaments like those
In Ireland, Pym!

Rudyard.
Let him stand forth, your friend!
One doubtful act hides far too many sins;
It can be stretched no more, and, to my mind,
Begins to drop from those it covered.

Other Voices.
Good!
Let him avow himself! No fitter time!
We wait thus long for you.

Rudyard.
Perhaps, too long!
Since nothing but the madness of the Court,
In thus unmasking its designs at once,
Has saved us from betraying England. Stay—
This Parliament is Strafford's: let us vote
Our list of grievances too black by far
To suffer talk of subsidies: or best,
That ship-money's disposed of long ago
By England: any vote that's broad enough:
And then let Strafford, for the love of it,
Support his Parliament!

Vane.
And vote as well
No war to be with Scotland! Hear you, Pym?
We'll vote, no war! No part nor lot in it
For England!

Many Voices.
Vote, no war! Stop the new levies!
No Bishops' war! At once! When next we meet!

Pym.
Much more when next we meet! Friends, which of you
Since first the course of Strafford was in doubt,
Has fallen the most away in soul from me?

Vane.
I sat apart, even now under God's eye,
Pondering the words that should denounce you, Pym,
In presence of us all, as one at league
With England's enemy.

Pym.
You are a good
And gallant spirit, Henry. Take my hand
And say you pardon me for all the pain
Till now! Strafford is wholly ours.

Many Voices.
Sure? sure?

Pym.

Vane.
Forgive me, Pym!

Voices.
This looks like truth: Strafford can have, indeed
No choice.

Pym.
Friends, follow me! He's with the King.
Come, Hampden, and come, Rudyard, and come, Vane
This is no sullen day for England, sirs!
Strafford shall tell you!

Voices.
To Whitehall then! Come!

Scene II.

—Whitehall.
Charles and Strafford.
Charles.
Strafford!

Strafford.
Is it a dream? my papers, here—
Thus, as I left them, all the plans you found
So happy—(look! the track you pressed my hand
For pointing out)—and in this very room,
Over these very plans, you tell me, sir,
With the same face, too—tell me just one thing
That ruins them! How's this? What may this mean?
Sir, who has done this?

Charles.
Strafford, who but I?
You bade me put the rest away: indeed
You are alone.

Strafford.
Alone, and like to be!
No fear, when some unworthy scheme grows ripe,
Of those, who hatched it, leaving me to loose
The mischief on the world! Laud hatches war,
Falls to his prayers, and leaves the rest to me,
And I'm alone.

Charles.
At least, you knew as much
When first you undertook the war.

Strafford.
My liege,
Was this the way? I said, since Laud would lap
A little blood, 't were best to hurry over
The loathsome business, not to be whole months
At slaughter—one blow, only one, then, peace,
Save for the dreams. I said, to please you both
I'd lead an Irish army to the West,
While in the South an English . . . but you look
As though you had not told me fifty times
'T was a brave plan! My army is all raised,
I am prepared to join it . . .

Charles.
Hear me, Strafford!

Strafford.
. . . When, for some little thing, my whole design
Is set aside—(where is the wretched paper?)
I am to lead—(ay, here it is)—to lead
The English army: why? Northumberland
That I appointed, chooses to be sick—
Is frightened: and, meanwhile, who answers for
The Irish Parliament? or army, either?
Is this my plan?

Charles.
So disrespectful, sir?

Strafford.
My liege, do not believe it! I am yours,
Yours ever: 't is too late to think about:
To the death, yours. Elsewhere, this untoward step
Shall pass for mine; the world shall think it mine.
But here! But here! I am so seldom here,
Seldom with you, my King! I, soon to rush
Alone upon a giant in the dark!

Charles.
My Strafford!

Strafford
[examines papers awhile].
“Seize the passes of the Tyne!”
But, sir, you see—see all I say is true?
My plan was sure to prosper, so, no cause
To ask the Parliament for help; whereas
We need them frightfully.

Charles.
Need the Parliament?

Strafford.
Now, for God's sake, sir, not one error more!
We can afford no error; we draw, now,
Upon our last resource: the Parliament
Must help us!

Charles.
I've undone you, Strafford!

Strafford.
Nay—
Nay—why despond, sir, 't is not come to that!
I have not hurt you? Sir, what have I said
To hurt you? I unsay it! Don't despond!
Sir, do you turn from me?

Charles.
My friend of friends!

Strafford.
We'll make a shift. Leave me the Parliament!
Help they us ne'er so little and I'll make
Sufficient out of it. We'll speak them fair.
They're sitting, that's one great thing; that half gives
Their sanction to us; that's much: don't despond!
Why, let them keep their money, at the worst!
The reputation of the People's help
Is all we want: we'll make shift yet!

Charles.
Good Strafford!

Strafford.
But meantime, let the sum be ne'er so small
They offer, we'll accept it: any sum—
For the look of it: the least grant tells the Scots
The Parliament is ours—their staunch ally
Turned ours: that told, there's half the blow to strike!
What will the grant be? What does Glanville think?

Charles.
Alas!

Strafford.
My liege?

Charles.
Strafford!

Strafford.
But answer me!
Have they . . . O surely not refused us half?
Half the twelve subsidies? We never looked
For all of them. How many do they give?

Charles.
You have not heard . . .

Strafford.
(What has he done?)—Heard what?
But speak at once, sir, this grows terrible!
[The King continuing silent.
You have dissolved them!—I'll not leave this man.

Charles.
'T was old Vane's ill-judged vehemence.

Strafford.
Old Vane?

Charles.
He told them, just about to vote the half,
That nothing short of all twelve subsidies
Would serve our turn, or be accepted

Strafford.
[Suddenly taking up a paper, and continuing with a forced calmness.

Charles.
Too shameful, Strafford! You advised the war,
And . . .

Strafford.
Pym, Hampden, Vane, etc., enter.
[Dropping on his knee.]
[To Charles.]

Hampden.
The King dissolved us—'t is the King we seek
And not Lord Strafford.

Strafford.
[Under the pretence of an earnest farewell, Strafford conducts Charles to the door, in such a manner as to hide his agitation from the rest: as the King disappears, they turn as by one impulse to Pym, who has not changed his original posture of surprise.

Hampden.
Leave we this arrogant strong wicked man!

Vane and others.
Hence, Pym! Come out of this unworthy place
To our old room again! He's gone.

[Strafford, just about to follow the King, looks back.
Pym.
Not gone!
[To Strafford.]
Keep tryst! the old appointment's made anew:
Forget not we shall meet again!

Strafford.
So be it!
And if an army follows me?

Vane.
His friends
Will entertain your army!

Pym.
[Pym, Hampden, etc., go out.

Strafford.
Lady Carlisle enters.

Lady Carlisle.
Hush—
I know it all: hush, Strafford!

Strafford.
Ah? you know?
Well. I shall make a sorry soldier, Lucy!
All knights begin their enterprise, we read,
Under the best of auspices; 't is morn,
The Lady girds his sword upon the Youth
(He's always very young)—the trumpets sound,
Cups pledge him, and, why, the King blesses him—
You need not turn a page of the romance
To learn the Dreadful Giant's fate. Indeed.
We've the fair Lady here; but she apart,—
A poor man, rarely having handled lance,
And rather old, weary, and far from sure
His Squires are not the Giant's friends. All's one:
Let us go forth!

Lady Carlisle.
Go forth?

Strafford.
What matters it?
We shall die gloriously—as the book says.

Lady Carlisle.
To Scotland? Not to Scotland?

Strafford.
Am I sick
Like your good brother, brave Northumberland?
Beside, these walls seem falling on me.

Lady Carlisle.
Strafford,
The wind that saps these walls can undermine
Your camp in Scotland, too. Whence creeps the wind?
Have you no eyes except for Pym? Look here!
A breed of silken creatures lurk and thrive
In your contempt. You'll vanquish Pym? Old Vane
Can vanquish you. And Vane you think to fly?
Rush on the Scots! Do nobly! Vane's slight sneer
Shall test success, adjust the praise, suggest
The faint result: Vane's sneer shall reach you there.
—You do not listen!

Strafford.
Oh,—I give that up!
There's fate in it: I give all here quite up.
Care not what old Vane does or Holland does
Against me! 'T is so idle to withstand!
In no case tell me what they do!

Lady Carlisle.
But, Strafford . . .

Strafford.
I want a little strife, beside; real strife;
This petty palace-warfare does me harm:
I shall feel better, fairly out of it.

Lady Carlisle.
Why do you smile?

Strafford.
I got to fear them, child!
I could have torn his throat at first, old Vane's,
As he leered at me on his stealthy way
To the Queen's closet. Lord, one loses heart!
I often found it in my heart to say
“Do not traduce me to her!”

Lady Carlisle.
But the King . . .

Strafford.
The King stood there, 't is not so long ago,
—There; and the whisper, Lucy, “Be my friend
“Of friends!”—My King! I would have . . .

Lady Carlisle.
. . . Died for him?

Strafford.
Sworn him true, Lucy: I can die for him.

Lady Carlisle.
But go not, Strafford! But you must renounce
This project on the Scots! Die, wherefore die?
Charles never loved you.

Strafford.
And he never will.
He's not of those who care the more for men
That they're unfortunate.

Lady Carlisle.
Then wherefore die
For such a master?

Strafford.
You that told me first
How good he was—when I must leave true friends
To find a truer friend!—that drew me here
From Ireland,—“I had but to show myself
“And Charles would spurn Vane, Savile and the rest”—
You, child, to ask me this?

Lady Carlisle.

Strafford.
Yes, Lucy.
There's one man here I have to meet.

Lady Carlisle.

Strafford.
When could it be? no! Yet . . . was it the day
We waited in the anteroom, till Holland
Should leave the presence-chamber?

Lady Carlisle.
What?

Strafford.
—That I
Described to you my love for Charles?

Lady Carlisle.
(Ah, no—
One must not lure him from a love like that!
Oh, let him love the King and die! 'T is past.
I shall not serve him worse for that one brief
And passionate hope, silent for ever now!)
And you are really bound for Scotland then?
I wish you well: you must be very sure
Of the King's faith, for Pym and all his crew
Will not be idle—setting Vane aside!

Strafford.
If Pym is busy,—you may write of Pym.

Lady Carlisle.
What need, since there's your King to take your part?
He may endure Vane's counsel; but for Pym—
Think you he'll suffer Pym to . . .

Strafford.
Child, your hair
Is glossier than the Queen's!

Lady Carlisle.
Is that to ask
A curl of me?

Strafford.
Scotland—the weary way!

Lady Carlisle.
Stay, let me fasten it.
—A rival's, Strafford?

Strafford
[showing the George].
He hung it there: twine yours around it, child!

Lady Carlisle.
No—no—another time—I trifle so!
And there's a masque on foot. Farewell. The Court
Is dull; do something to enliven us
In Scotland: we expect it at your hands.

Strafford.
I shall not fail in Scotland.

Lady Carlisle.
Prosper—if
You'll think of me sometimes!

Strafford.
How think of him
And not of you? of you, the lingering streak
(A golden one) in my good fortune's eve.

Lady Carlisle.
Strafford . . . Well, when the eve has its last streak
The night has its first star.

[She goes out.
Strafford.