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: ACT III. A glade in the park of Wilton, country-seat of the Earl of Pembroke. Carpenters are working upon the nearly completed stage, on the right of the audience. To the left, at the top of a gentle slope under the trees, are several rustic seats for the Earl and his special guests. A tree stands near the stage, and partly overhangs it. An old man sits leaning on his stick, sourly watching the workmen. Gregory, the leading spirit, is a burly illtempered fellow; Diccon is halfwitted. He sits holding a wedge upon which Gregory and Andrew are striking. Gregory: I strike not again upon this block, not for all the mintage in the Tower! Andrew: An thou strike not, I strike not; but I would fain know why. Gregory: Nay, reasons come not so readily as blows. I know only that I will not. I have labored on ships, and labored on scaffolds, and they be man’s work, with the taste of death in them; but I like not these toy-pieces. Old Man: Death! ay, prate of death, with thy bull-neck full of blood and thy bull-belly of bowels ! when he looks at thee over the grave in front of thy feet, thou wilt uncap and hold thy tongue, as wise men do. Talk of life, masters! it is ill jogging Death’s elbow to tell him thou art waiting! Diccon: M-m-my grandsire had a w-w-word, and ‘twas a true w-w-word; it ran thus? The g-g-greatest k-k-king that ever w-w-was made D-d-doth bed at last w-w-with shovel and s-s-spade. Simon: Ay?sirs! And queens also! Omnes: God rest her ! Andrew: God rest her! 'Tis maybe better for England that we have a man again; but a poor stick he is to her. Diccon: S-s-speak not t-t-treason ! thou speakest of King James ! Gregory: King James here, King James there! what vaunt we of him! We drive our wedges and swing our hammers, and he hath naught t…