The Death of the Queen - Act II, Scene III

ACT II

SCENE III

The Queen and the 2nd Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux, sit at a long desk within Sir Francis Bacon's study. Blanch enters and pours them tea and offers them little cakes. Baron Burghley and Sir Francis enter and each bow. Blanch exits, the Baron and Sir Francis sits across from the Queen.

B.B. (Aside) Essex, the knave, hast found the Queen's ear.

Your Majesty, touching on the matter of Marlowe....

Q.E. All in goode tyme, William. Marlow will keep. We have in mind rather the threat on the continent.…

B.B. But mum, we cannot leave the catholic revolt unmolest'd and uncheck'd.

Tut, William, video et taceo - I see and keep silent. Sir Francis Walsingham is informed and wilt put it to rights.

B.B. I believe in this goode labor your honor'd cousin and host can bring hope and resolution with his connections....

Q.E. Our cousin is goode, but his care and love of me in this werk are needed not. The plotters wait for Spanish resolve and gold which we by swift action shalt delay.

Methinks we press home the advantage of our great fleet against Philip's Spain after the wrack and ruin o' the Armada and we injure him as he tried to injure our royal person and our great people. Sir Francis Drake prov'd his courage against the Spanish fleet. We shall give him missive and faire leave to levy a deadly blow against our enemies.

B.B. I doubt not his mettle, but his cunning once our army debarks on Spanish shores. Upon the Spanish lands the enemy hast the advantage: knowledge of the grounds and ready resupply of their army's wittles. As Machiavel wrote, an effective commander relies on virtu and not fortune. Without knowledge of the grounds and the numbers of the defenders of Papal Spain, fortune wilt embolden our enemy and abandon our own.

Q.E. Thou darest quote the murderous Machiavel? We pray only for the stout hearts in our English soldier's breasts, the devil take cunning. Fortune favores the brave!

B.B. (aside) He hath wrote that too.

F.B. We are much beholden to Machiavel and others that write what men do and not what they ought to do.

Q.E. I smile not at these words which neither sooth nor bring about relief from the oppression of our goode peoples from our enemies abroad. Speak to me not of Machiavel againe.

B.B. But such adventures as these rarely lead to goode ends, Mum, remember thee the expedition to the Netherlands. You yourself commanded the Earl of Leicester to avoid at all costs a decisive engagement of the enemy. And yet even he failed in this to obey his Majesty the Queen.

The queen stands and strikes her teacup to the floor.

Q.E. How durst thou speak such calumny of my deare friend, Robert, when his body yet lies fresh and unmolested within English clay?

B.B. I do not wish to dishon'r the dead nor provoke her Majesty's choler. But thou must see that such an expedition is fraught....

Q.E. Must is not a word to use to princes. I know you say these things out of love for our person, but it makes you presumptuous.

E.E. The goode Baron slanders Robert Dudley, my beloved step-father, without knowledge or cause. Hath thee led soldiers through the hazard of bloody battle? I learnt the art of war in the Netherlands from he.

B.B. (Aside) Damn’d villain!

Q.E. The Earl speaks justly, William. Do not belittle what thou knowest not, for thou hast not borne arms against England's enemies. Sir Francis Drake, the heavens bless him, hath risked all in the stormy darkness of English night to frustrate the mighty Armada.

We trust each English soldier to do his duty when our fleet lands and our army cuts a passage through Spain. Drake wilt fight valiantly and deliver England from the heel of catholic Spain and strike a blow to all enemies within English lands yet desiring of Papal succor.

B.B. In all these grande maneuvers I shalt obey, my Queen. I have sworn it.

The Queen and the 2nd Earl of Essex exit and the Baron and Sir Francis bow.

F.B. What would ye have me do, my lord?

B.B. Does Robert Devereux trust thee? Wilt he take faire counsel?

F.B. He will lend his ear, but he is vain and headstrong. He possesses not the guile nor art to play at such stratagems as these with the Queen.

B.B. I pray that his mind's not so narrow that he hears you not. Robert was my ward after the 1st Earl of Essex died. He once shew'd ambition and promise, but God cursed him with a handsome face. Twil be his downfall in the end.

They exit.