?
Pym, who is there with his pursuing smile!

[_Louder cries of "STRAFFORD!"_

The King! I troubled him, stood in the way
Of his negotiations, was the one
Great obstacle to peace, the Enemy
Of Scotland: and he sent for me, from York,
My safety guaranteed--having prepared
A Parliament--I see! And at Whitehall
The Queen was whispering with Vane--I see
The trap!

[_Tearing off the George._

I tread a gewgaw underfoot,
And cast a memory from me. One stroke, now!

[_His own +Adherents+ disarm him. Renewed cries of "STRAFFORD!"_

England! I see thy arm in this and yield.
Pray you now--Pym awaits me--pray you now!

[_STRAFFORD reaches the doors: they open wide. HAMPDEN and a crowd
discovered, and, at the bar, PYM standing apart. As STRAFFORD kneels,
the scene shuts._

[Illustration: Westminster Hall]

The history of the fourth act deals with further episodes of Strafford's
trial, especially with the change in the procedure from Impeachment to a
Bill of Attainder against Strafford. The details of this great trial are
complicated and cannot be followed in all their ramifications here.
There was danger that the Impeachment would not go through. Strafford,
himself, felt confident that in law his actions could not be found
treasonable.

After Strafford's brilliant defense of himself, it was decided to bring
in a Bill of Attainder. New evidence against Strafford contained in
some notes which the younger Vane had found among his father's papers
were used to strengthen the charge of treason. In these notes Strafford
had advised the King to act "loose and absolved from all rules of
government," and had reminded him that there was an army in Ireland,
ready to reduce the Kingdom. These notes were found by the merest
accident. The younger Vane who had just been knighted and was about to
be married, borrowed his father's keys in order to look up some law
papers. In his search he fell upon these notes taken at a committee that
met immediately after the dissolution of the short Parliament. He made a
copy and carried it to Pym who also made a copy.

According to Baillie, the "secret" of the change from the Impeachment to
the Bill was "to prevent the hearing of the Earl's lawyers, who give out
that there is no law yet in force whereby he can be condemned to die for
aught yet objected against him, and therefore their intent by this Bill
to supply the defect of the laws therein." To this may