Delphi Complete Poetical Works of Algernon Charles Swinburne (Illustrated) (Delphi Poets Series)

by Algernon Charles Swinburne

  Claim to your kingdom, and to none will give

  Place ever save to me.

  BURGHLEY.

  Still stands the charge

  On written witness of your secretaries

  Great on all points against you.

  MARY STUART.

  Wherefore then

  Are not these writers with these writings brought

  To outface me front to front? For Gilbert Curle,

  He is in the Frenchman’s hands a waxen toy,

  Whom the other, once mine uncle’s secretary,

  The cardinal’s of Lorraine, at his mere will

  Moulds, turns, and tempers: being himself a knave

  That may be hired or scared with peril or coin

  To swear what thing men bid him. Truth again

  Is this that I deny not, seeing myself

  Against all right held fast in English ward,

  I have sought all help where I might hope to find:

  Which thing that I dispute not, let this be

  The sign that I disclaim no jot of truth

  In all objected to me. For the rest,

  All majesty that moves in all the world

  And all safe station of all princes born

  Fall, as things unrespected, to the ground,

  If on the testimony of secretaries

  And on their writings merely these depend,

  Being to their likeness thence debased: for me,

  Nought I delivered to them but what first

  Nature to me delivered, that I might

  Recover yet at length my liberty.

  I am not to be convicted save alone

  By mine own word or writing. If these men

  Have written toward the queen my sister’s hurt

  Aught, I wist nought of all such writ at all:

  Let them be put to punishment: I am sure,

  Were these here present, they by testimony

  Would bring me clear of blame.

  GAWDY.

  Yet by their mean

  They could not in excuse of you deny

  That letters of communion to and fro

  Have passed between you and the Spaniard, whence

  What should have come on England and the queen

  These both well know, and with what messages

  Were English exiles entertained of you

  By mean of these men, of your secretaries,

  Confirmed and cherished in conspiracy

  For this her kingdom’s overthrow: in France

  Paget and Morgan, traitors in design

  Of one close mind with you, and in your name

  Cheered hence for constant service.

  MARY STUART.

  That I sought

  Comfort and furtherance of all Catholic states

  By what mean found soever just and good,

  Your mistress from myself had note long since

  And open warning: uncompelled I made

  Avowal of such my righteous purpose, nor

  In aught may disavow it. Of these late plots

  No proof is here to attaint mine innocence,

  Who dare all proof against me: Babington

  I know not of, nor Ballard, nor their works,

  But kings my kinsmen, powers that serve the church,

  These I confess my comforters, in hope

  Held fast of their alliance. Yet again

  I challenge in the witness of my words

  The notes writ of these letters here alleged

  In mine own hand: if these ye bring not forth,

  Judge all good men if I be not condemned

  In all your hearts already, who perchance

  For all this pageant held of lawless law

  Have bound yourselves by pledge to speak me dead:

  But I would have you look into your souls,

  Remembering how the theatre of the world

  Is wider, in whose eye ye are judged that judge,

  Than this one realm of England.

  BURGHLEY.

  Toward that realm

  Suffice it here that, madam, you stand charged

  With deadly purpose: being of proven intent

  To have your son conveyed to Spain, and give

  The title you pretend upon our crown

  Up with his wardship to King Philip.

  MARY STUART.

  Nay,

  I have no kingdom left to assign, nor crown

  Whereof to make conveyance: yet is this

  But lawful, that of all things which are mine

  I may dispose at pleasure, and to none

  Stand on such count accountable.

  BURGHLEY.

  So be it

  So far as may be: but your ciphers sent

  By Curle’s plain testimony to Babington,

  To the lord Lodovic, and to Fernihurst,

  Once provost on your part in Edinburgh

  By mean of Grange your friend his father-in-law,

  Speak not but as with tongue imperial, nor

  Of import less than kingdoms.

  MARY STUART.

  Surely, sir,

  Such have I writ, and many; nor therein

  Beyond my birth have trespassed, to commend

  That lord you speak of, and another, both

  My friends in faith, to a cardinal’s dignity,

  And that, I trust, without offence: except

  It be not held as lawful on my part

  To commune with the chiefest of my creed

  By written word on matters of mine own

  As for your queen with churchfolk of her kind.

  BURGHLEY.

  Well were it, madam, that with some of yours

  You had held less close communion: since by proof

  Reiterated from those your secretaries

  It seems you know right well that Morgan, who

  Sent Parry privily to despatch the queen,

  And have assigned him annual pension.

  MARY STUART.

  This

  I know not, whether or no your charge be truth,

  But I do know this Morgan hath lost all

  For my sake, and in honour sure I am

  That rather to relieve him I stand bound

  Than to revenge an injury done your queen

  By one that lives my friend, and hath deserved

  Well at mine hands: yet, being not bound to this,

  I did affright the man from such attempts

  Of crimes against her, who contrariwise

  Hath out of England openly assigned

  Pensions to Gray my traitor, and the Scots

  Mine adversaries, as also to my son,

  To hire him to forsake me.

  BURGHLEY.

  Nay, but seeing

  By negligence of them that steered the state

  The revenues of Scotland sore impaired

  Somewhat in bounty did her grace bestow

  Upon your son the king, her kinsman: whom

  She would not, being to her so near of blood,

  Forget from charity. No such help it was

  Nor no such honest service that your friends

  Designed you, who by letters hither writ

  To Paget and Mendoza sent as here

  Large proffers of strange aid from oversea

  To right you by her ruin.

  MARY STUART.

  Here was nought

  Aimed for your queen’s destruction: nor is this

  Against me to be charged, that foreign friends

  Should labour for my liberty. Thus much

  At sundry times I have signified aloud

  By open message to her, that I would still

  Seek mine own freedom. Who shall bar me this?

  Who tax me with unreason, that I sent

  Unjust conditions on my part to be

  To her propounded, which now many times

  Have alway found rejection? yea, when even

  For hostages I proffered in my stead
r />   To be delivered up with mine own son

  The duke of Guise’s, both to stand in pledge

  That nor your queen nor kingdom should through me

  Take aught of damage; so that hence by proof

  I see myself utterly from all hope

  Already barred of freedom. But I now

  Am dealt with most unworthily, whose fame

  And honourable repute are called in doubt

  Before such foreign men of law as may

  By miserable conclusions of their craft

  Draw every thin and shallow circumstance

  Out into compass of a consequence:

  Whereas the anointed heads and consecrate

  Of princes are not subject to such laws

  As private men are. Next, whereas ye are given

  Authority but to look such matters through

  As tend to the hurt of your queen’s person, yet

  Here is the cause so handled, and so far

  Here are my letters wrested, that the faith

  Which I profess, the immunity and state

  Of foreign princes, and their private right

  Of mutual speech by word reciprocate

  From royal hand to royal, all in one

  Are called in question, and myself by force

  Brought down beneath my kingly dignity

  And made to appear before a judgment-seat

  As one held guilty; to none end but this,

  All to none other purpose but that I

  Might from all natural favour of the queen

  Be quite excluded, and my right cut off

  From claim hereditary: whereas I stand

  Here of mine own goodwill to clear myself

  Of all objected to me, lest I seem

  To have aught neglected in the full defence

  Of mine own innocency and honour. This

  Would I bring likewise in your minds, how once

  This queen herself of yours, Elizabeth,

  Was drawn in question of conspiracy

  That Wyatt raised against her sister, yet

  Ye know she was most innocent. For me,

  With very heart’s religion I affirm,

  Though I desire the Catholics here might stand

  Assured of safety, this I would not yet

  Buy with the blood and death of any one.

  And on mine own part rather would I play

  Esther than Judith; for the people’s sake

  To God make intercession, than deprive

  The meanest of the people born of life.

  Mine enemies have made broad report aloud

  That I was irreligious: yet the time

  Has been I would have learnt the faith ye hold,

  But none would suffer me, for all I sought,

  To find such teaching at your teachers’ hands;

  As though they cared not what my soul became.

  And now at last, when all ye can ye have done

  Against me, and have barred me from my right,

  Ye may chance fail yet of your cause and hope.

  To God and to the princes of my kin

  I make again appeal, from you again

  Record my protestation, and reject

  All judgment of your court: I had rather die

  Thus undishonoured, even a thousand deaths,

  Than so bring down the height of majesty;

  Yea, and thereby confess myself as bound

  By all the laws of England, even in faith

  Of things religious, who could never learn

  What manner of laws these were: I am destitute

  Of counsellors, and who shall be my peers

  To judge my cause through and give doom thereon

  I am ignorant wholly, being an absolute queen,

  And will do nought which may impair that state

  In me nor other princes, nor my son;

  Since yet my mind is not dejected, nor

  Will I sink under my calamity.

  My notes are taken from me, and no man

  Dares but step forth to be my advocate.

  I am clear from all crime done against the queen,

  I have stirred not up one man against her: yet,

  Albeit of many dangers overpast

  I have thoroughly forewarned her, still I found

  No credit, but have always been contemned,

  Though nearest to her in blood allied. When late

  Ye made association, and thereon

  An act against their lives on whose behalf,

  Though innocent even as ignorance of it, aught

  Might be contrived to endangering of the queen

  From foreign force abroad, or privy plots

  At home of close rebellion, I foresaw

  That, whatsoever of peril so might rise

  Or more than all this for religion’s sake,

  My many mortal enemies in her court

  Should lay upon me all the charge, and I

  Bear the whole blame of all men. Certainly,

  I well might take it hardly, nor without

  High cause, that such confederacy was made

  With mine own son, and I not knowing: but this

  I speak not of, being not so grieved thereat

  As that mine own dear sister, that the queen,

  Is misinformed of me, and I, now kept

  These many years in so strait prison, and grown

  Lame of my limbs, have lien neglected, nor

  For all most reasonable conditions made

  Or proffered to redeem my liberty

  Found audience or acceptance: and at last

  Here am I set with none to plead for me.

  But this I pray, that on this matter of mine

  Another meeting there be kept, and I

  Be granted on my part an advocate

  To hold my cause up; or that seeing ye know

  I am a princess, I may be believed

  By mine own word, being princely: for should I

  Stand to your judgment, who most plainly I see

  Are armed against me strong in prejudice,

  It were mine extreme folly: more than this,

  That ever I came to England in such trust

  As of the plighted friendship of your queen

  And comfort of her promise. Look, my lords,

  Here on this ring: her pledge of love was this

  And surety sent me when I lay in bonds

  Of mine own rebels once: regard it well:

  In trust of this I came amongst you: none

  But sees what faith I have found to keep this trust.

  BURGHLEY.

  Whereas I bear a double person, being

  Commissioner first, then counsellor in this cause,

  From me as from the queen’s commissioner here

  Receive a few words first. Your protest made

  Is now on record, and a transcript of it

  Shall be delivered you. To us is given

  Under the queen’s hand our authority, whence

  Is no appeal, this grant being ratified

  With the great seal of England; nor are we

  With prejudice come hither, but to judge

  By the straight rule of justice. On their part,

  These the queen’s learned counsel here in place

  Do level at nothing else but that the truth

  May come to light, how far you have made offence

  Against the person of the queen. To us

  Full power is given to hear and diligently

  Examine all the matter, though yourself

  Were absent: yet for this did we desire

  To have your presence here, lest we might seem

  To have derogated from your honour: nor

  Designed to object against you anything

  But what you knew of, or took part therein,

  Against the queen’s life bent. For this were these

  Your letters brought in question, but to unfold

  Your
aim against her person, and therewith

  All matters to it belonging; which perforce

  Are so with other matters interlaced

  As none may sever them. Hence was there need

  Set all these forth, not parcels here and there,

  Whose circumstances do the assurance give

  Upon what points you dealt with Babington.

  MARY STUART.

  The circumstances haply may find proof,

  But the fact never. Mine integrity

  Nor on the memory nor the credit hangs

  Of these my secretaries, albeit I know

  They are men of honest hearts: yet if they have

  Confessed in fear of torture anything

  Or hope of guerdon and impunity,

  It may not be admitted, for just cause,

  Which I will otherwhere allege. Men’s minds

  Are with affections diversly distraught

  And borne about of passion: nor would these

  Have ever avowed such things against me, save

  For their own hope and profit. Letters may

  Toward other hands be outwardly addressed

  Than they were writ for: yea, and many times

  Have many things been privily slipped in mine

  Which from my tongue came never. Were I not

  Reft of my papers, and my secretary

  Kept from me, better might I then confute

  These things cast up against me.

  BURGHLEY.

  But there shall

  Be nothing brought against you save what last

  Stands charged, even since the nineteenth day of June;

  Nor would your papers here avail you, seeing

  Your secretaries, and Babington himself,

  Being of the rack unquestioned, have affirmed

  You sent those letters to him; which though yourself

  Deny, yet whether more belief should here

  On affirmation or negation hang

  Let the commissioners judge. But, to come back,

  This next I tell you as a counsellor,

  Time after time you have put forth many things

  Propounded for your freedom; that all these

  Have fallen all profitless, ’tis long of you,

  And of the Scots; in no wise of the queen.

  For first the lords of Scotland, being required,

  Flatly refused, to render up the king

  In hostage: and when treaty last was held

  Upon your freedom, then was Parry sent

  By your dependant Morgan privily

  To make the queen away by murder.

  MARY STUART.

  Ah!

  You are my adversary.

  BURGHLEY.

  Yea, surely I am

  To the queen’s adversaries an adversary.