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Don Luis de Cardenas, who has hitherto exhausted himself in fruitless efforts to attract his attention.

Aha! my lord Ambassador of Spain,
Good even! We had not seen you before.
Don Luis [concealing his anger beneath a profound reverence.
May God go with your Highness! We have come
For matters of high moment, to demand
The favour of a secret audience.
We have been sundered by the Flemish war,
But none the less the Catholic King perchance
May come to terms with you; and to show forth
The high esteem in which he holds you still,
My master doth unto your Highness send
The Golden Fleece.
[The pages bearing the Golden Fleece come forward.
Cromwell [rising indignantly.]What think you that I am?
What! I, the rigid and unbending chief
Of ancient England's old Republicans,
Give my support to odious vanities,
And soil this contrite heart with pagan symbol!
Greek idols hanging from the rosary
Upon the breast of Sodom's conqueror!
Away with these temptations, these vain pomps,
This collar! Cromwell doth refuse to make
Alliance with Belshazzar!
Don Luis [aside.] …with Belshazzar! Heretic!
[Aloud.] The Catholic King did first acknowledge you
As the republic's head.
Cromwell [breaking in upon him.] Thinks he to change.
By treating Cromwell as enfranchised slave,