Enter Burleigh, Raleigh, and Gentlemen.
Bur. The Earl of Essex waits your royal will.
Qu. Eliz. Let him approach—And now once more support
Thy dignity, my soul; nor yield thy greatness
To strong usurping passion—But he comes.
Enter Essex and Southampton.
Essex. Permitted thus to bend, with prostrate heart,
[Kneels.
Before your sacred majesty; I come,
With every grateful sense of royal favour
Deeply engraved within my conscious soul.
Qu. Eliz. I sent my orders for your staff of office.
Essex. Madam, my envy'd dignities and honours,
I first from your own royal hand received,
And therefore justly held it far beneath me
To yield my trophies, and exalted power,
So dearly purchased in the field of glory,
To hands unworthy. No, my gracious queen,
I meant to lay them at your royal feet;
Where life itself a willing victim falls,
If you command.
Qu. Eliz. High swelling words, my lord, but ill supply
The place of deeds, and duty's just demand.
In danger's onset, and the day of trial,
Conviction still on acting worth attends;
Whilst mere professions are by doubts encumber'd.
Essex. My deeds have oft declared in danger's front
How far my duty and my valour lead me.
Allegiance still my thirst of glory fired,
And all my bravely gather'd, envy'd laurels
Were purchased only to adorn my queen:
Qu. Eliz. Your guilty scorn of my entrusted power,
When with my mortal foes you tamely dally'd,
By hardy rebels braved, you poorly sought
A servile pause, and begg'd a shameful truce.
Should Essex thus, so meanly compromise,
And lose the harvest of a plenteous glory,
In idle treaties, and suspicious parley?