Bestir-bestir-Auranthe! Ha! ha! ha!
Youngster! Page! go bid them drag her to me!
Obey! This shall finish it!

Otho.

[Draws a dagger.

Oh, my son! my son!

Am I obey'd?

[Exit Page.

Sigifred. This must not be-stop there!
Ludolph.

A little talk with her-no harm-haste! haste!

Set her before me-never fear I can strike.
Several Voices. My Lord! My Lord!
Gersa.*

Good Prince!

Ludolph. Why do ye trouble me ? out-out-away! There she is! take that! and that! no no,

That's not well done.-Where is she?

[The doors open. Enter Page. Several women are seen grouped about Auranthe in the inner-room.

Page. Alas! My Lord, my Lord! they cannot move

her!

Her arms are stiff,-her fingers clench'd and cold!

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

THE CURTAIN FALLS.

[Dies.

KING STEPHEN.

A DRAMATIC FRAGMENT.

ACT I.

SCENE 1.-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 honor 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!

1st Knight.

The enemy

Bears his flaunt standard close upon their rear.

2nd Knight. Sure of a bloody prey, seeing the fens Will swamp them girth-deep.

Stephen.

Over head and ears,

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 breath'd,―follow!

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
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.

[Exeunt. Alarum.

SCENE II. Another part of the Field.

Trumpets sounding a Victory.
Victory. Enter GLOCESTER, Knights, and
Forces.

Glocester. Now may we lift our bruised visors up,

And take the flattering freshness of the air,

While the wide din of battle dies away

Into times past, yet to be echoed sure
In the silent pages of our chroniclers.

1st 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.

1st Captain. My Lord!

2nd Captain. Most noble Earl!

1st Captain. The King

2nd Captain.

The Empress greets-

Glocester. What of the King? 1st Captain.

He sole and lone maintains

A hopeless bustle 'mid our swarming arms,
And with a nimble savageness attacks,
Escapes, makes fiercer onset, then anew
Eludes death, giving death to most that dare
Trespass within the circuit of his sword!

He must by this have fallen. Baldwin is taken;
And for the Duke of Bretagne, like a stag

He flies, for the Welsh beagles to hunt down.

God save the Empress!

Glocester.

Now our dreaded Queen :

Royal Maud

What message from her Highness?

2nd Captain.

From the throng'd towers of Lincoln hath look'd down,

Like Pallas from the walls of Ilion,

And seen her enemies havock'd at her feet.

She greets most noble Glocester from her heart,
Entreating him, his captains, and brave knights,
To grace a banquet. The high city gates
Are envious which shall see your triumph pass;
The streets are full of music.

Glocester.

Enter 2nd Knight.

Whence come you?

2nd Knight. From Stephen, my good Prince,-Stephen!

Stephen!

Glocester. Why do you make such echoing of his name? 2nd Knight. Because I think, my lord, he is no man, But a fierce demon, 'nointed safe from wounds, And misbaptized with a Christian name.

Glocester. A mighty soldier ?-Does he still hold out? 2nd Knight. He shames our victory. His valor still Keeps elbow-room amid our eager swords,

And holds our bladed falchions all aloof—,
His gleaming battle-axe being slaughter-sick,
Smote on the morion of a Flemish knight,
Broke short in his hand; upon the which he flung
The heft away with such a vengeful force,

It paunch'd the Earl of Chester's horse, who then
Spleen-hearted came in full career at him.

Glocester. Did no one take him at a vantage then?
2nd Knight. Three then with tiger leap upon him flew,
Whom, with his sword swift-drawn and nimbly held,
He stung away again, and stood to breathe,
Smiling. Anon upon him rush'd once more
A throng of foes, and in this renew'd strife,
My sword met his and snapp'd off at the hilt.

Glocester. Come, lead me to this man-and let us move In silence, not insulting his sad doom

With clamorous trumpets. To the Empress bear

My salutation as befits the time.

[Exeunt GLOCESTER and Forces.

SCENE III.-The Field of Battle. Enter STEPHEN unarmed.

Stephen. Another sword! And what if I could seize One from Bellona's gleaming armory,

Or choose the fairest of her sheaved spears!

Where are my enemies?
Here come the testy brood.

Here, close at hand,

O, for a sword!
I'm faint—a biting sword! A noble sword!
A hedge-stake-or a ponderous stone to hurl
With brawny vengeance, like the laborer Cain.