At morn and even you will offer prayer;
You'll preach a sermon to his bodyguard;
You'll bless the food wherewith his table's served,
And the hippocras his Highness drinks at night.
Rochester [bowing, aside.
Good! 'tis the end we seek.
Thurloe. Such are your duties.
Rochester [aside.]Ah! Wilmot pray for Cromwell! 'tis past price!
A hoary devil blest by a young imp!
Thurloe [to Lord Carlisle, handing him a document.
To-morrow a conspiracy breaks out
At Westminster, my lord.
Rochester [aside.] They know not all!
Thurloe [still addressing Carlisle.
Arrest Lord Rochester.
Rochester [aside.] But find him first!
Thurloe.And Ormond—
Rochester [aside.] Seasonably warned by me,
Ormond ere this has changed abode and name.
Thurloe.As for the rest, they must be closely watched,
Unsought, they'll throw themselves into our nets.
[Exeunt Thurloe and Lord Carlisle.
Scene 23.—Lord Rochester, alone.
Rochester.Their schemes will be defeated by our ruse.
Cromwell will be surprised by us to-night.
Tho' half betrayed, I'll follow out our plan,
And for the Stuarts and my native land,
Defy, in this absurd yet parlous rôle,
Pistols and swords and wordy arguments
