ETHELBERT.

Take away the dagger.

GERSA.

Softly; so!

OTHO.

Thank God for that!

SIGIFRED.

I fear it could not harm him.

GERSA.

No!-brief be his anguish !

LUDOLPH.

She's gone-I am content-Nobles, good night!
We are all weary, faint, set ope the doors-

I will to bed!-To-morrow

190

[Dies.

THE CURTAIN FALLS.

first; for in the manuscript-immediately after She's dead!-the following words stand cancelled :

I am content-Nobles good night

I will to bed tomorrow

falls and dies.

(188) This utterance was intended for Ethelbert first: in the margin we read—

Ethelbert. I fear the dagger...

But this is crossed through, and Sigifred's speech is substituted-a speech which in previous editions reads It could not harm him now.

VOL. II.

KING STEPHEN:

A DRAMATIC FRAGMENT.

I I

[This fragment appears to belong to the autumn of 1819; for Lord Houghton gives in the Aldine edition of 1876 the following note by Brown :-"As soon as Keats had finished' Otho the Great,' I pointed out to him a subject for an English historical tragedy in the reign of Stephen, beginning with his defeat by the Empress Maud and ending with the death of his son Eustace. He was struck with the variety of events and characters which must necessarily be introduced, and I offered to give, as before, their dramatic conduct. 'The play must open,' I began, 'with the field of battle, when Stephen's forces are retreating '- -'Stop,' he cried, 'I have been too long in leading-strings; I will do all this myself.' He immediately set about it, and wrote two or three scenes-about 170 lines." It will be seen that Brown's estimate was considerably within the mark, as there are about 193 lines. The dramatis persona, as far as the fragment reaches, may be tabulated thus :—

KING STEPHEN.

QUEEN MAUD.

THE EARL OF GLOCESTER.

THE EARL Of Chester.

EARL BALDWIN DE REDVERS.
DE KAIMS.

Knights, Captains, Soldiers.

There would of course have been many more characters had the

work been finished.-H. B. F.]

KING STEPHEN:

A DRAMATIC FRAGMENT.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Field of Battle.

Alarum. Enter King STEPHEN, Knights, and Soldiers.

STEPHEN.

If shame can on a soldier's vein-swoll'n front
Spread deeper crimson than the battle's toil,
Blush in your casing helmets! for see, see!
Yonder my chivalry, my pride of war,
Wrench'd with an iron hand from firm array,
Are routed loose about the plashy meads,
Of honour forfeit. O that my known voice
Could reach your dastard ears, and fright you more!
Fly, cowards, fly! Glocester is at your backs!
Throw your slack bridles o'er the flurried manes,
Ply well the rowel with faint trembling heels,
Scampering to death at last!

FIRST KNIGHT.

The enemy

Bears his flaunt standard close

upon

their rear..

SECOND KNIGHT.

Sure of a bloody prey, seeing the fens

Will swamp them girth-deep.

No matter! 'Tis a gallant enemy;

How like a comet he goes streaming on.

But we must plague him in the flank,-hey, friends?
We are well breathed,-follow!

No scare-crow, but the fortunate star

Of boisterous Chester, whose fell truncheon now
Points level to the goal of victory.

This way he comes, and if you would maintain
Your person unaffronted by vile odds,

Take horse, my Lord.

STEPHEN.

And which way spur for life?

Now I thank Heaven I am in the toils,
That soldiers may bear witness how my arm
Can burst the meshes. Not the eagle more
Loves to beat up against a tyrannous blast,
Than I to meet the torrent of my foes.
This is a brag,—be't so,—but if I fall,
Carve it upon my 'scutcheon'd sepulchre.
On, fellow soldiers! Earl of Redvers, back!
Not twenty Earls of Chester shall brow-beat
The diadem.

30

35

[Exeunt. Alarum.