Paul. The Queen!

Accursed hand! infernal machination!

Mort. The Queen!-what Queen ?—

Paul. What Queen! the Queen of England ;She has been murder'd on the road to London.

[hastens into the house.

But

Mortimer, soon after, O'Kelly.

Mort. [after a pause.] Am I then mad? Came not one running by

now, and cried aloud, the Queen is muder'd?— No, no; I did but dream;—a fev'rish fancy

Paints that upon my mind as true and real,
Which but existed in my frantic thoughts.
Who's there? It is O'Kelly-so dismay'd-
O'Kelly. [rushing in.] Flee, Mortimer, O! flee-
for all is lost!

Mort. What then is lost?

O'Kelly. O question me not long,

Think but on speedy flight.

Mort. What then?

O'Kelly. Sauvage,

That madman, struck the blow.

Mort. It is then true!

O'Kelly. True, true-O! save yourself.

Mort. [exultingly.] The Queen is murder'd,— And conqu'ring Mary, mounts the English throne! O'Kelly. Is murder'd! who said that ?—

And I, and you, and all of us are lost.

Mort. She lives!

O'Kelly. The blow was badly aim'd, her cloak Receiv'd it, Shrewsbury disarm'd the murd'rer. Mort. She lives!

O'Kelly. She lives to whelm us all in ruin ;
Come, they surroud the park already; come-
Mort. Who did this frantic deed ?-.
O'Kelly. It was the monk

From Toulon, whom you saw immers'd in thought,
As in the chapel the Pope's bull was read,
By which the Queen was anathemiz'd.-
He wish'd to take the nearest, shortest way,

To free, with one bold stroke, the church of God,

And gain the crown of martyrdom :-he trusted
His purpose only to the priest, and

In execution on the London road.

put it

Mort. [after a long silence.] Alas! a fierce destructive fate pursues thee,

Unhappy one!-yes-now thy death is fix'd;

Thy very angel has prepar'd thy fall!

O'Kelly. Say, whither you will take

To hide me in the forests of the north.

your flight?

Mort. Fly thither, and may God attend your flight;

But I will strive my love once more to save,

If not, I'll make my bed upon her grave.

[Exeunt at different sides.

ACT IV.

Scene.-ANTI-CHAMBER.

Count L'Aubespine, the Earls of Kent and Leicester.

L'AUBESPINE.

How fares her Majesty, my lords? you see me
Still stunn'd, and quite beside myself for terror?
How happen'd it? how was it possible

That, in the midst of this most loyal people

Lei. The deed was not attempted by the people; The murd'rer was a subject of your king, A Frenchman.

L'Aub. Sure a lunatic.

Lei. A Papist,

Count L'Aubespine.

To them, Burleigh in conversation with Davison.

Burl. Sir; let the death-warrant

Be instantly made out, and

pass

the seal;

Then let it be presented to the Queen;

Her Majesty must sign it.-Hasten, Sir,

We have no time to lose.

Dav. It shall be done.

[he goes.

L'Aub. My lord high Treasurer, my faithful heart

Partakes the just rejoicings of the realm;

Prais'd be almighty God, who hath averted
Assassination from our much-lov'd Queen!-

Bur. Prais'd be his name, who thus hath turn'd to

scorn

The malice of our foes!

L'Aub. May God confound

The perpetrator of this cursed deed!

Bur. Its perpetrator and its base contriver!

L'Aub. Please you, my lord, to bring me to the

Queen,

That I may lay the warm congratulations

Of my imperial master at her feet.

Burl. There is no need of this.

L'Aub. [officiously.] My lord of Burleigh, I know my duty.

Bur. Sir, your duty is

To quit, and that without delay, this kingdom.