Tannakin (Scene 6) Poem by John Fenton Mcleish

scene 6
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the library of alexandria
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Anne is being tutored by her mother in burghley's library.(Burghleys library is the biggest in europe besides the vatican library in rome) .They are sitting at the back of the hall practicing langusges.Anne is reading latin aloud when the library door opens.She stops in mid sentence.Edward walks in.He is followed by his tutor, lawrence nowell.They don't see anne and mildred sitting in the background.Nowell is remonstrating with edward about his studies.Exams are coming and edward needs to study more.Edward pays no heed.He completely ignores nowell.Edward walks across the room to a thirteenth century suit of armour.Nowell follows, all the while complaining.Nowell realizes he's talking to a brick wall.He shakes his head and walks out.Edward is admiring the armour.He touches the sword, it glints in the sunlight.He thinks he's alone.Anne coughs and edward turns.Anne and mildred courtsey.'me lord'.Edward puffs out his chest, 'ladies', he replies.He crosses the hall and out the door.The servants close the door behind him.
Anne turns to her mother and asks, 'do you think i'll ever be able to attend school mother? 'ladies are not permitted to attend school, you know that anne'.Anne sighs.She is disappointed but excepts her place.Anne, now only twelve years old, is fluent in greek, latin, french and the classics.By now she is one of the most intelligent women on the planet, she is well aware of discrimination in elizabethan england.They resume studying.
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