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Was generous, honest, faithful, just, and valliant, Noble in mind, and in his person lovely,

Dear to my eyes, and tender to my heart: But thou a wretched, base, false, worthless coward,

Poor even in soul, and loathsome in thy aspect : All eyes must shun thee, and all hearts detest thee. Pr'ythee avoid, no longer cling thus round me, Like something baneful, that my nature's chill'd

at.

Jaff. I have not wrong'd thee; by these tears I

have not

But still am honest, true, and hope too, valiant: My mind still full of thee, therefore still noble. Let not thy eyes then shun me, nor thy heart Detest me utterly: Oh! look upon me,

Look back and see my sad, sincere submission! How my heart swells, as e'en 'twould burst my

bosom :

Fond of its goal, and labouring to be at thee; What shall I do! what say to make thee hear me? Pier. Hast thou not wrong'd me? dar'st thou call thyself

That once lov'd valu'd friend of mine,

And swear thou hast not wrong'd me? Whence these chains?

Whence the vile death which I may meet this moment?

Whence this dishonour, but from thee, thou false one ?

Jaff. All's true; yet grant one thing, And I've done asking.

Pier. What's that?

Jaff. To take thy life on such condition's The council have propos'd: thou and thy friend May yet live long, and to be better treated. Pier. Life! ask my life! confess! record myself A villain for the privilege to breathe And carry up and down this cursed city A discontented and repining spirit, Burdensome to itself, a few years longer

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Book viij. To lose it, may be at last, in a lewd quarrel For some new friend, treacherous and false as thou

art?

No, this vile world and I have long been jangling,
And cannot part on better terms than now
When only men like thee are fit to live in't.
Jaff. By all that's just―

Pier. Swear by some other powers,

For thou hast broken that sacred oath too lately. Jaff. Then by that hell I merit, I'll not leave thee,

Till to thyself at least thou'rt reconcil'd,
However thy resentment deal with me.
Pier. Not leave me!

Jaff. No: thou shalt not force me from thee;
Use me reproachfully and like a slave ;
Tread on me, buffet me, heap wrong on wrongs
On my poor head; I'll bear it all with patience:
I'll weary out thy most unfriendly cruelty:
Lie at thy feet and kiss 'em, though they spurn

me,

Till wounded by my sufferings thou relent,

And raise me to thy arms with dear forgiveness. Pier. Art thou not

Jaff. What?

Pier. A traitor?
Jaff. Yes.

Pier. A villain?

Jaff. Granted.

Pier. A coward, a most scandalous coward, Spiritless, void of honour, one who has sold Thy everlasting fame for shameless life?

Thy ever all, and more, much more: my faults

Jaff: All, all,

are numberless.

Pier. And would'st thou have me live on terms like thine:

Base as thou'rt false

Jaff. No; 'tis to me that's granted:

The safety of thy life was all I aim'd at,
In recompence for faith and trust so broken.

Pier. I scorn it more, because preserv'd by thee:

And as when first my foolish heart took pity
On thy misfortunes, sought thee in thy miseries,
Reliev'd thy wants, and rais'd thee from thy state
Of wretchedness, in which thy fate had plung'd
thee,

To rank thee in my list of noble friends:
All I receiv'd, in surety for thy truth,
Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger,
Given with a worthiess pledge thou since hast
stol'n :

So I restore it back to thee again;

Swearing by all those powers which thou hast

violated.

Never from this curs'd hour to hold communion Friendship, or interest with thee, tho' our years Were to exceed those limited the world.

Take it Farewel, for now I owe thee nothing. Jaff. Say thou wilt live then.

Pier. For my life dispose of it

Just as thou wilt, because 'tis what I'm tir'd with, Jaff. Oh, Pierre!

Pier. No more.

Jaff. My eyes won't lose the sight of thee, But languish after thine, and ache with gazing. Pier. Leave me.-Nay, then thus, thus I throw thee from me;

And curses, great as is thy falsehood, catch thee. VENICE PRESERV'D,

С НА Р. X I.

Edward and Warwick.

LET me have no intruders! above all,

Keep Warwick from my sight

Enter WARWICK.

War. Behold him here;

No welcome guest, it seems, unless I ask
My lord of Suffolk's leave-there was a time
When Warwick wanted not his aid to gain

Admission here.

Edw. There was a time, perhaps,

When Warwick more desir'd and more— -deserv'd it.

War. Never; I've been a foolish, faithful slave; All my best years, the morning of my life, Hath been devoted to your service: what Are now the fruits? Disgrace and infamy! My spotless name, which never yet the breath Of calumny had tainted, made the mock For foreign fools to carp at: but 'tis fit Who trust in princes, should be thus rewarded. Edw. I thought, my lord, I had full well repay'd

Your services with honours, wealth, and pow'r Unlimited: thy all-directing hand

Guided in secret ev'ry latent wheel

Of government, and mov'd the whole machine: Warwick was all in all, and pow'rless Edward Stood like a cypher in the great account.

War. Who gave that cypher worth, and seated

thee

On England's throne? Thy undistinguish'd name
Had rotted in the dust from whence it sprang
And moulder'd in oblivion, had not Warwick
Dug from its sordid mine the useless ore
And stamp'd it with a diadem. Thou know'st
This wretched country, doom'd, perhaps, like

Rome,

and steer'd

To fall by its own self-destroying hand,
Tost for so many years in the rough sea
Of civil discord, but for me had perish'd.
In that distressful hour I seiz'd the helm,
Bade the rough waves subside in peace,
Your shatter'd vessel safe into the harbour.
You may despise, perhaps, that useless aid
Which you no longer want; but know,
youth!

proud

He who forgets a friend, deserves a foe,
Edw. Know too, reproach for benefits receiv'd
Pays ev'ry debt, an cancels obligation.

War. Why, that indeed is frugal honesty, A thrifty saving knowledge: when the debt, Grows burthensome and cannot be discharg'd, A sponge will wipe out all, and cost you nothing. Edw. When you have counted o'er the num❜rous

train

Of mighty gifts your bounty lavish'd on me,
You may remember next the injuries

Which I have done you : let me know them all,
And I will make you ample satisfaction.

War. Thou canst not; thou hast rob'd me of a jewel

It is not in thy power to restore :

I was the first, shall future annals say,
That broke the sacred bond of public trust
And mutual confidence ; ambassadors,
In after-times, mere instruments, perhaps,
Of venal statesmen shall recal my name
To witness, that they want not an example,
And plead my guilt, to sanctify their own.
Amidst the herd of mercenary slaves

That haunt your court, could none be found but
Warwick,

To be the shameless herald of a lie?

Edw. And would'st thou turn the vile reproach
on me?

If I have broke my faith, and stain'd the name
Of England, thank thy own pernicious counsels
That urged me to it, and extorted from me
A cold consent to what my heart abhor'd.
War. I have been abus'd, insulted, and be
tray'd;

My injur'd honour cries aloud for vengeance
Her wounds will never close!

Edw. These gusts of passion

Will but inflame them: if I have been right Inform'd my lord, besides these dangerous scars Of bleeding honour, you have other wounds As deep, tho' not so fatal: such perhaps

As none but fair Elizabeth can cure.

War. Elizabeth!

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