PERSONS. CHARLES I. Earl of HOLLAND, Lord SAVILE. Sir HENRY VANE. WENTWORTH, Viscount WENTWORTH, Earl of STRAFFORD. JOHN PYM. JOHN HAMPDEN, The younger VANE. DENZIL HOLLIS. BENJAMIN RUDYARD. NATHANIEL FIENNES. Earl of LOUDON. MAXWELL, Usher of the Black Rod. BALFOUR, Constable of the Tower. A Puritan. Queen HENRIETTA. LUCY PERCY, Countess of Carlisle. Presbyterians, Scots Commissioners, Adherents of Strafford. Secretaries, Officers of the Court, &c. Two of Strafford's children. STRAFFORD, 1837 ACT I. SCENE I.-A House near Whitehall. HAMPDEN, HOLLIS, the younger VANE, RUDYARD, FIENNES and many of the Presbyterian Party: LOUDON and other Scots Commissioners. Vane. I say, if he be here Rudyard. (And he is here!) Hollis. For England's sake let every man be still Nor speak of him, so much as say his name, Till Pym rejoin us! Rudyard! Henry Vane ! One rash conclusion may decide our course And with it England's fate-think-England's fate ! Hampden, for England's sake they should be still! Vane. You say so, Hollis ? Well, I must be still. It is indeed too bitter that one man, Any one man's mere presence, should suspend England's combined endeavour : little need To name him! Rudyard. For you are his brother, Hollis ! Hampden. Shame on you, Rudyard! time to tell him that, When he forgets the Mother of us all. Rudyard. Do I forget her? Hampden. You talk idle hate Against her foe: is that so strange a thing? Is hating Wentworth all the help she needs? A Puritan. The Philistine strode, cursing as he went : But David-five smooth pebbles from the brook Within his scrip . . . Rudyard. Be you as still as David! Fiennes. Here's Rudyard not ashamed to wag a tongue Stiff with ten years' disuse of Parliaments; Why, when the last sat, Wentworth sat with us! Rudyard. Let's hope for news of them now he returns He that was safe in Ireland, as we thought! -But I'll abide Pym's coming. Vane. Now, by Heaven Then may be cool who can, silent who will— |