DRAMATIS PERSONE KING STEPHEN. QUEEN MAUD. THE EARL OF GLOCESTER. EARL BALDWIN DE REDVERS. Knights, Captains, Soldiers. 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 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. 5 10 STEPHEN. Over head and ears, 15 No matter! 'Tis a gallant enemy; How like a comet he goes streaming on. But we must plague him in the flank, hey, friends? Enter Earl BALDWIN and Soldiers, as defeated. STEPHEN. De Redvers! What is the monstrous bugbear that can fright Baldwin? BALDWIN. No scare-crow, but the fortunate star Of boisterous Chester, whose fell truncheon now This way he comes, and if you would maintain Take horse, my Lord. STEPHEN. And which way spur for life? 20 25 30 35 [Exeunt. Alarum. SCENE II.-Another part of the Field. Trumpets sounding a Victory. Enter GLOCESTER, GLOCESTER. Now may we lift our bruised vizors up, A And take the flattering freshness of the air, Into times past, yet to be echoed sure FIRST KNIGHT. Will Stephen's death be mark'd there, my good Lord, Or that we gave him lodging in yon towers? GLOCESTER. Fain would I know the great usurper's fate. Enter two Captains severally. FIRST CAPTAIN. He sole and lone maintains A hopeless bustle 'mid our swarming arms, He must by this have fallen. Baldwin is taken; GLOCESTER. Now our dreaded Queen : What message from her Highness? 5 SECOND CAPTAIN. Royal Maud From the throng'd towers of Lincoln hath look'd down, And seen her enemies havock'd at her feet. Enter Second Knight. GLOCESTER. Whence come you? SECOND KNIGHT. From Stephen, my good Prince,-Stephen! Stephen! GLOCESTER. Why do you make such echoing of his name? SECOND KNIGHT. Because I think, my lord, he is no man, But a fierce demon, 'nointed safe from wounds, GLOCESTER. A mighty soldier !-Does he still hold out? He shames our victory. His valour still 20 25 30 35 40 It paunch'd the Earl of Chester's horse, who then |