The knight of the maypole Author:John Davidson 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: Charles. His brethren of the bauble will take care of that, as you provided. [To Gabriel.] You shall be welcome whenever you like, Monsieur Marotte. [charles,... more » Anthony, etc., go out. Gabriel. My friend—my love—my King ACT IV Scene.—The King's Apartments in Richmond Court: the Privy Chamber improvised as dining-room, with an ante-room as bedroom at the back. On one side an Elizabethan cupboard in carved oak; on the other a Flemish buffet of the sixteenth century. To the left of the centre an old-fashioned dining-table, forming three sides of a cube. French and Dutch pictures on the walls. Charles, with Agnes, Aldred and Hamilton upon his right, and Beaumont, a Lady and Anthony on his left, is seated at the table, on which are wine and dessert. Euseby and a Servant are in attendance, but after offering wine, which is declined, they go out by a door on the right, opening into the King's Gallery. It is towards evening and the company are about to withdraw. Hamilton. NO, Harry; I maintain it: women have neither heart nor intellect, and comprehend them so little that they imagine they possess both. Beaumont. Oh, but women have been known to fall in love, and witty sayings are on record. [charles rises; then the others. A general movement towards the right. Hamilton. Doubtless women have learnt to speak, like parrots, by living with men; and some of them can even imitate thought and passion; but they are not human. Lady. Oh, fie, Sir Gilbert! Charles. That is your way out. Hamilton. My way out ? Charles. Women are not human. You must say that gallantly, and so unsay it, and make your peace. Hamilton. Ah! When I said that women are not human, I meant—I could have no other meaning—that they are divine. Agnes. Sir Gilbert, you must pluck the ta...« less