Mary Stuart: A Tragedy Part 1

Mary Stuart.

by Frederich Schiller.

NOTE:

The translation of MARY STUART is that by the late Joseph Mellish, who appears to have been on terms of intimate friendship with Schiller.

His version was made from the prompter's copy, before the play was published, and, like Coleridge's Wallenstein, contains many pa.s.sages not found in the printed edition. These are distinguished by brackets. On the other hand, Mr. Mellish omitted many pa.s.sages which now form part of the printed drama, all of which are now added. The translation, as a whole, stands out from similar works of the time (1800) in almost as marked a degree as Coleridge's Wallenstein, and some pa.s.sages exhibit powers of a high order; a few, however, especially in the earlier scenes, seemed capable of improvement, and these have been revised, but, in deference to the translator, with a sparing hand.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

ELIZABETH, Queen of England.

MARY STUART, Queen of Scots, a Prisoner in England.

ROBERT DUDLEY, Earl of Leicester.

GEORGE TALBOT, Earl of Shrewsbury.

WILLIAM CECIL, Lord Burleigh, Lord High Treasurer.

EARL OF KENT.

SIR WILLIAM DAVISON, Secretary of State.

SIR AMIAS PAULET, Keeper of MARY.

SIR EDWARD MORTIMER, his Nephew.

COUNT L'AUBESPINE, the French Amba.s.sador.

O'KELLY, Mortimer's Friend.

COUNT BELLIEVRE, Envoy Extraordinary from France.

SIR DRUE DRURY, another Keeper of MARY.

SIR ANDREW MELVIL, her House Steward.

BURGOYNE, her Physician.

HANNAH KENNEDY, her Nurse.

MARGARET CURL, her Attendant.

Sheriff of the County.

Officer of the Guard.

French and English Lords.

Soldiers.

Servants of State belonging to ELIZABETH.

Servants and Female Attendants of the Queen of Scots.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

A common apartment in the Castle of Fotheringay.

HANNAH KENNEDY, contending violently with PAULET, who is about to break open a closet; DRURY with an iron crown.

KENNEDY.

How now, sir? what fresh outrage have we here?

Back from that cabinet!

PAULET.

Whence came the jewel?

I know 'twas from an upper chamber thrown; And you would bribe the gardener with your trinkets.

A curse on woman's wiles! In spite of all My strict precaution and my active search, Still treasures here, still costly gems concealed!

And doubtless there are more where this lay hid.

[Advancing towards the cabinet.

KENNEDY.

Intruder, back! here lie my lady's secrets.

PAULET.

Exactly what I seek.

[Drawing forth papers.

KENNEDY.

Mere trifling papers; The amus.e.m.e.nts only of an idle pen, To cheat the dreary tedium of a dungeon.

PAULET.

In idle hours the evil mind is busy.

KENNEDY.

Those writings are in French.

PAULET.

So much the worse!

That tongue betokens England's enemy.

KENNEDY.

Sketches of letters to the Queen of England.

PAULET.

I'll be their bearer. Ha! what glitters here?

[He touches a secret spring, and draws out jewels from a private drawer.

A royal diadem enriched with stones, And studded with the fleur-de-lis of France.

[He hands it to his a.s.sistant.

Here, take it, Drury; lay it with the rest.

[Exit DRURY.

[And ye have found the means to hide from us Such costly things, and screen them, until now, From our inquiring eyes?]