Charles. That man must love me.

Queen.

Why, he looks yellower than ever!

At least we shall not hear eternally

Is it over then?

Well,

Of service-services: he 's paid at least.

Charles. Not done with: he engages to surpass

All yet performed in Ireland.

Queen.

I had thought

Nothing beyond was ever to be done.

The war, Charles-will he raise supplies enough?

Charles. We've hit on an expedient; he . . . that is,

I have advised . . we have decided on

The calling-in Ireland-of a Parliament.

Queen. O truly! You agree to that? Is that
The first fruit of his counsel? But I guessed
As much.

Charles. This is too idle, Henriette !

I should know best. He will strain every nerve,

And once a precedent established . . .

Queen.

How sure he is of a long term of favour!

Notice

He'll see the next, and the next after that;
No end to Parliaments!

Charles.

Well, it is done.

He talks it smoothly, doubtless. If, indeed,

The Commons here .

Queen.

Here! you will summon them

Here? Would I were in France again to see

Queen. Let Wentworth listen-you confide in him! Charles. I do not, love,-I do not so confide!

The Parliament shall never trouble us

Nay, hear me! I have schemes, such schemes:
we 'll buy

The leaders off: without that, Wentworth's counsel
Had ne'er prevailed on me. Perhaps I call it
To have excuse for breaking it for ever,

And whose will then the blame be? See you not?
Come, dearest !-look, the little fairy, now,

That cannot reach my shoulder! Dearest, come!

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.

Vane.

HAMPDEN enters.

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.

Twelve subsidies!

Hollis.

All England cannot furnish

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.

While the King's creatures overbalance us?

A gain?

-There's going on, beside, among ourselves