"Ivy and violet, what do ye here,

"With blossom and shoot in the warm spring weather, "Hiding the arms of Monchenci and Vere?"

HANMER.

WHO, HAVING NOTHING BETTER THAN THIS PLAY TO

GIVE HIM IN PROOF OF IT,

MUST SAY SO..

COLOMBE'S

BIRTHDAY.

PERSONS.

COLOMBE OF RAVESTEIN, Duchess of Juliers and Cleves.

VALENCE, Advocate of Cleves.

PRINCE BERTHOLD, Claimant of the Duchy.

MELCHIOR, his Confidant.

PLACE, The Palace at Juliers.

TIME, 16-.

ACT I.

Morning. SCENE.-A corridor leading to the Audience.

chamber.

GAUCELME, CLUGNET, MAUFROY, and other Courtiers, round GUIBERT, who is silently reading a paper: as he drops it

at the end

Gui. That this should be her birthday; and the day

We all invested her, twelve months ago,

As the late Duke's true heiress and our liege;

And that this also must become the day..

Oh, miserable lady!

1st Court.

Ay, indeed?

2nd Court. Well, Guibert ?

3rd Court.

But your news, my friend, your news! The sooner, friend, one learns Prince Berthold's pleasure, The better for us all : how writes the Prince ?

Give me -I'll read it for the common good

Gui. In time, sir-but, till time comes, pardon me!
Our old Duke just disclosed his child's retreat,
Declared her true succession to his rule,
And died this birthday was the day, last year,
We convoyed her from Castle Ravestein—
That sleeps out trustfully its extreme age
On the Meuse' quiet bank, where she lived queen
Over the water-buds,-to Juliers' Court
With joy and bustle: here again we stand;
Sir Gaucelme 's buckle's constant to his cap-

To-day 's much such another sunny day!

Gau. Come, Guibert—this outgrows a jest, I think! You're hardly such a novice as to need

The lesson, you pretend.

Gui.

What lesson, sir?

That everybody, if he 'd thrive at court,

Should, first and last of all, look to himself?

Why, no: and therefore, with your good example, (—Ho, Master Adolf !)—to myself I'll look.

Enter ADOLF.

Gui. The Prince's letter; why, of all men else, Comes it to me?

Adolf.

By virtue of your place,

Sir Guibert! 'Twas the Prince's express charge,
His envoy told us, that the missive there
Should only reach our lady by the hand
Of whosoever held your place.

Gui.

Enough! [ADOLF retires.]

Then, gentles, who 'll accept a certain poor
Indifferently honourable place,

My friends, I make no doubt, have gnashed their teeth

At leisure minutes these half-dozen years,

To find me never in the mood to quit ?

-Who asks may have it, with my blessing, and—

This to present our lady. Who 'll accept?

You, you, you? There it lies, and may, for me!
Mau. [a youth, picking up the paper, reads aloud.]
"Prince Berthold, proved by titles following
"Undoubted Lord of Juliers, comes this day
"To claim his own, with license from the Pope,
"The Emperor, the Kings of Spain and France
Gau. Sufficient "titles following," I judge!
Don't read another! Well,--" to claim his own?"