The Project Gutenberg EBook of Oliver Cromwell, by John Drinkwater

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Title: Oliver Cromwell

Author: John Drinkwater

Release Date: November 18, 2005 [EBook #17091]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLIVER CROMWELL ***

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OLIVER
CROMWELL

_A Play_

By
JOHN DRINKWATER

[Illustration: (Gout bien ou rien)
(The Riverside Press)]

Boston and New York
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

* * * * *

To

BERNARD SHAW

with Homage to the
Master Dramatist of his Age
and with the Gratitude that is his Due
from Every Younger Writer for
the English Theatre

* * * * *

The Characters Are

MRS. CROMWELL, Oliver's mother
ELIZABETH CROMWELL, his wife
BRIDGET CROMWELL, his daughter
JOHN HAMPDEN
HENRY IRETON
OLIVER CROMWELL
SETH TANNER
TWO AGENTS TO THE EARL OF BEDFORD
AMOS TANNER
A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
BASSETT, an officer of the House
THE MAYOR OF ELY
GENERAL FAIRFAX
COLONEL STAINES
COLONEL PEMBERTON
A SCOUT
A SURGEON
AN AIDE
NEAL, Secretary to Charles
CHARLES I
Farm labourers--Members of Parliament

SCENE I

_CROMWELL'S house at Ely, about the year 1639. An early summer evening.
The window of the room opens on to a smooth lawn, used for bowling, and
a garden full of flowers._

_OLIVER'S wife, ELIZABETH CROMWELL, is sitting at the table, sewing. In
a chair by the open window MRS. CROMWELL, his mother, is reading. She is
eighty years of age._

_Mrs. Cromwell:_
Oliver troubles me, persuading everywhere. Restless like this.

_Elizabeth:_
He says that the time is uneasy, and that we are part of it.

_Mrs. Cromwell:_
There's a man's house. It's enough surely.

_Elizabeth:_
I know. But Oliver must be doing. You kno