QUEEN ELIZABETH _Mrs Pope._ LADY RUTLAND _Mrs Esten._ LADY NOTTINGHAM _Mrs Litchfield._ _SCENE,--London._ THE EARL OF ESSEX. ACT THE FIRST. SCENE I. _An Antichamber in the Palace._ _Enter BURLEIGH and RALEIGH._ _Bur._ The bill, at length, has pass'd opposing numbers, Whilst crowds, seditious, clamour'd round the senate, And headlong faction urged its force within. _Ral._ It has, my lord!--The wish'd-for day is come, When this proud idol of the people's hearts Shall now no more be worshipp'd.--Essex falls. My lord, the minute's near, that shall unravel The mystic schemes of this aspiring man. Now fortune, with officious hand, invites us To her, and opens wide the gates of greatness, The way to power. My heart exults; I see, I see, my lord, our utmost wish accomplish'd! I see great Cecil shine without a rival, And England bless him, as her guardian saint. Such potent instruments I have prepared, As shall, with speed, o'erturn this hated man, And dash him down, by proof invincible. _Bur._ His day of glory now is set in night; And all my anxious hopes, at last, are crown'd. Those proofs against him, Raleigh-- _Ral._ All arrived. _Bur._ Arrived! how? when? _Ral._ This very hour, my lord: Nay more, a person comes, of high distinction, To prove some secret treaties made by Essex, With Scotland's monarch, and the proud Tyrone. _Bur._ How say'st? to prove them? _Ral._ Ay, my lord, and back'd With circumstances of a stronger nature. It now appears, his secretary, Cuff, With Blunt and Lee, were deep concern'd in this Destructive scheme contrived to raise this lord, And ruin Cecil. Oh, it is a subtile, A deep-laid mischief, by the earl contrived In hour malignant, to o'erturn the state, And, horror to conceive! dethrone the queen! _Bur._ These gladsome tidings fly beyond my hopes! The queen will listen now, will now believe, And trust the counsel of her faithful Burleigh. Dispose them well, till kind occasion calls Their office forth; lest prying craft meanwhile May tamper with their thoughts and change their minds: Let them, like batteries conceal'd, appear At once, both to surprise and to destroy. _Ral._ His headstrong friend, the bold Southampton, too, Now finds his rash endeavours all defeated, And storms at thee, and the impeaching commons. _Bur._ Let him rave on, and rage. The lion, in The toils entangled, wastes his strength, and roars In vain; his efforts but amuse me now.-- _Enter GENTLEMAN._ _Gent._ My lord, the Lady Nottingham desires, With much impatience, to attend your lordship.