President Cromwell Author:George Alfred Townsend Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PRESIDENT CROMWELL. PEOPLE OF THE PLAY. Oliver Cromwell Aged 58 Charles II. . "27 Lieut.-General Charles Fleetwood . . " 37 John Milton "49 ... more » Robert Rich "20 Miles Sindercome ...... "3 Bridget Cromwell) ( " 33 Oliver's daughters -j Frances Cromwell) ( . " 19 Katy Peg "25 George Fox, Roger Williams, Bradshaw, Henry Vane, General Harrison, Sir Christopher Pack, and Puritan Generals, Sectarians, Exhorters, etc. The Lady Protector appears but does not speak. Time 1657. Scenes :—Whitehall, the Tower and Westminster. ACT I. A large room in Whitehall Palace, like a banqueting hall, guard room, armory and library thrown together. Deep windows at the rear afford a view, when the sash is opened, of the towered gateway of Holbein and the court-yard. At a table Milton (blind) dictating to Bridget Ireton : Milton. " It has seemed advisable to us to assure your Majesty " Bridget. Of France ? Milton. " That in dismissing your minister " Bridget I. For harboring assassins against my father ? Milton. " We have no thought or wish to interrupt the alliance now pending, desiring on the contrary, in all candor and simplicity of soul, that evil suspicions may be cast aside." (He stops and presses his hands to his eyes.) Bridget. Why do you stop ? Milton. My newly-blinded eyes begin to ache. Bridget I. Dear soul, you gave both eyes unto my father, writing his " Defence for the People of England." Milton. I miss them not except to look on thee. Bridget. John, had I found favor in your sight ? Milton. Dear clerk, I love thee near me. With thine eyes my brains can see melodiously. Thou art so brave a woman ! Canst thou love again ? Bridget. Not as I loved Ireton. Milton. No, I do not ask it. That great Republican,...« less