as this world
is, and worms as we are, you have but to invest all this vileness with
a magical garment of words to transfigure us and uplift our souls til
earth flowers into a million heavens.

THE LADY. You spoil your heaven with your million. You are
extravagant. Observe some measure in your speech.

THE MAN. You speak now as Ben does.

THE LADY. And who, pray, is Ben?

THE MAN. A learned bricklayer who thinks that the sky is at the top
of his ladder, and so takes it on him to rebuke me for flying. I tell
you there is no word yet coined and no melody yet sung that is
extravagant and majestical enough for the glory that lovely words can
reveal. It is heresy to deny it: have you not been taught that in
the beginning was the Word? that the Word was with God? nay, that the
Word was God?

THE LADY. Beware, fellow, how you presume to speak of holy things.
The Queen is the head of the Church.

THE MAN. You are the head of my Church when you speak as you did at
first. "All the perfumes of Arabia"! Can the Queen speak thus? They
say she playeth well upon the virginals. Let her play so to me; and
I'll kiss her hands. But until then, you are my Queen; and I'll kiss
those lips that have dropt music on my heart. _[He puts his arms
about her]._

THE LADY. Unmeasured impudence! On your life, take your hands from
me.

_The Dark Lady comes stooping along the terrace behind them like a
running thrush. When she sees how they are employed, she rises
angrily to her full height, and listens jealously._

THE MAN. _[unaware of the Dark Lady]_ Then cease to make my hands
tremble with the streams of life you pour through them. You hold me
as the lodestar holds the iron: I cannot but cling to you. We are
lost, you and I: nothing can separate us now.

THE DARK LADY. We shall see that, false lying hound, you and your
filthy trull. _[With two vigorous cuffs, she knocks the pair asunder,
sending the man, who is unlucky enough to receive a righthanded blow,
sprawling an the flags]._ Take that, both of you!

THE CLOAKED LADY. _[in towering wrath, throwing off her cloak and
turning in outraged majesty on her assailant]_ High treason!

THE DARK LADY. _[recognizing her and falling on her knees in abject
terror]_ Will: I am lost: I have struck the Queen.

THE MAN. _[sitting up as majestically as his ignominious posture
allows]_ Woman: you have struck WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR.

QUEEN ELIZABETH. _[stupent