I say , if he be here — You say so , Hollis ? Well , I must be still . It is indeed too bitter that one man , Any one man 's mere presence , should suspend England 's combined endeavor : little need To name him ! Now , by Heaven , They may be cool who can , silent who will — Some have a gift that way ! Wentworth is here , Here , and the King 's safe closeted with him Ere this . And when I think on all that 's past Since that man left us , how his single arm Rolled the advancing good of England back And set the woeful past up in its place , Exalting Dagon where the Ark should be ,— How that man has made firm the fickle King — in aught he feared To venture on before ; taught tyranny Her dismal trade , the use of all her tools , To ply the scourge yet screw the gag so close That strangled agony bleeds mute to death ; How he turns Ireland to a private stage For training infant villanies , new ways Of wringing treasure out of tears and blood , Unheard oppressions nourished in the dark To try how much man 's nature can endure — If he dies under it , what harm ? if not , Why , one more trick is added to the rest Worth a king 's knowing , and what Ireland bears England may learn to bear :— how all this while That man has set himself to one dear task , The bringing Charles to relish more and more Power , power without law , power and blood too — Can I be still ? Oh Hampden , then and now ! The year he left us , The People in full Parliament could wrest The Bill of Rights from the reluctant King ; And now , he 'll find in an obscure small room A stealthy gathering of great-hearted men That take up England 's cause : England is here ! And , Rudyard , I 'll say this — Which all true men say after me , not loud But solemnly and as you 'd say a prayer ! This King , who treads our England underfoot , Has just so much ... it may be fear or craft , As bids him pause at each fresh outrage ; friends , He needs some sterner hand to grasp his own , Some voice to ask , “ Why shrink ? Am I not by ? ” Now , one whom England loved for serving her , Found in his heart to say , “ I know where best The iron heel shall bruise her , for she leans Upon me when you trample . ” Witness , you ! So Wentworth heartened Charles , so England fell . But inasmuch as life is hard to take From England .... — Who has not so forgotten Runnymead !— — There are some little signs of late she knows The ground no place for her . She glances round , Wentworth has dropped the hand , is gone his way On other service : what if she arise ? No ! the King beckons , and beside him stands The same bad man once more , with the same smile And the same gesture . Now shall England crouch , Or catch at us and rise ? Hampden ! Mind how you counsel patience , Loudon ! you Have still a Parliament , and this your League To back it ; you are free in Scotland still : While we are brothers , hope 's for England yet . But know you wherefore Wentworth comes ? to quench This last of hopes ? that he brings war with him ? Know you the man 's self ? what he dares ? And what 's new , then , In calling for his life ? Why , Pym himself — You must have heard — ere Wentworth dropped our cause He would see Pym first ; there were many more Strong on the people 's side and friends of his , Eliot that 's dead , Rudyard and Hampden here , But for these Wentworth cared not ; only , Pym He would see — Pym and he were sworn , ‘ tis said , To live and die together ; so , they met At Greenwich . Wentworth , you are sure , was long , Specious enough , the devil 's argument Lost nothing on his lips ; he 'd have Pym own A patriot could not play a purer part Than follow in his track ; they two combined Might put down England . Well , Pym heard him out ; One glance — you know Pym 's eye — one word was all : “ You leave us , Wentworth ! while your head is on , I 'll not leave you . ” No , no ! Silent I can be : not indifferent ! No villanous striking-down ! To frame , we know it well , the choicest clause In the Petition of Right : he framed such clause One month before he took at the King 's hand His Northern Presidency , which that Bill Denounced . There ! he comes , And they shout for him ! Wentworth 's at Whitehall , The King embracing him , now , as we speak , And he , to be his match in courtesies , Taking the whole war 's risk upon himself , Now , while you tell us here how changed he is ! Hear you ? I , in England 's name , Declare her work , this way , at end ! Till now , Up to this moment , peaceful strife was best . We English had free leave to think ; till now , We had a shadow of a Parliament In Scotland . But all 's changed : they change the first , They try brute-force for law , they , first of all .... Till we crush Wentworth for her , there 's no act Serves England ! His friends Will entertain your army ! The Commons , madam , Are sitting with closed doors . A huge debate , No lack of noise ; but nothing , I should guess , Concerning Strafford : Pym has certainly Not spoken yet . Queen You hear ? Savile will be able To tell you more . HOLLAND enters . Oh doubtless ! And bring destruction with him : that 's his way . What but his coming spoilt all Conway 's plan ? The King must take his counsel , choose his friends , Be wholly ruled by him ! What 's the result ? The North that was to rise , Ireland to help ,— What came of it ? In my poor mind , a fright Is no prodigious punishment . Notice , too , There can n't be fairer ground for taking full Revenge — — than he 'll have Against his old friend Pym . And Strafford , who is he To ‘ scape unscathed amid the accidents That harass all beside ? I , for my part , Should look for something of discomfiture Had the King trusted me so thoroughly And been so paid for it . O Hampden , save the great misguided man ! Plead Strafford 's cause with Pym ! I have remarked He moved no muscle when we all declaimed Against him : you had but to breathe — he turned Those kind calm eyes upon you . Consider , Pym ! Confront your Bill , your own Bill : what is it ? You cannot catch the Earl on any charge ,— No man will say the law has hold of him On any charge ; and therefore you resolve To take the general sense on his desert , As though no law existed , and we met To found one . You refer to Parliament To speak its thought upon the abortive mass Of half-borne-out assertions , dubious hints Hereafter to be cleared , distortions — ay , And wild inventions . Every man is saved The task of fixing any single charge On Strafford : he has but to see in him The enemy of England . Pity me ! Indeed you made me think I was your friend ! I who have murdered Strafford , how remove That memory from me ? John Hampden , not this Bill ! Reject this Bill ! He staggers through the ordeal : let him go , Strew no fresh fire before him ! Plead for us ! When Strafford spoke , your eyes were thick with tears ! He was your friend . I only see Strafford , nor pass his corpse for all beyond ! Rudyard and others . Forgive him ! He would join us , now he finds What the King counts reward ! The pardon , too , Should be your own . Yourself should bear to Strafford The pardon of the Commons . Not before to-morrow — So , time enough ! I knew you would relent !