On my poor head; I'll bear it all with patience;

I'll weary out thy most unfriendly cruelty;

Lie at thy feet and kifs 'em, though they fpurn me,
Till wounded by my fuff'rings thou relent,

And raife me to thy arms with dear forgiveness.

PIER. A coward, a most scandalous coward,
Spiritlefs, void of honour, one who has fold
Thy everlafting fame for fhameless life?

JAFF. All, all, and more, much more: my faults are numberless.

PIER. And would't thou have me live on terms like thine?

Bafe as thou'rt falfe

JAFF. No: 'tis to me that's granted:
The fafety of thy life was all I aim'd at,
In recompenfe for faith and truft so broken.

PIER. I fcorn it more, because preserv'd by thee:
And as when first my foolish heart took pity
On thy misfortunes, fought thee in thy miferies,
Reliev'd thy wants, and rais'd thee from thy ftate
Of wretchedness, in which thy fate had plung'd thee,
To rank thee in my list of noble friends:
All I receiv'd in furety, for thy truth,

Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger,

Giv'n with a worthless pledge thou fince haft stol❜n :
So I restore it back to thee again:

Swearing by all thofe powers which thou haft violated,
Never from this curs'd hour to hold communion,
Friendship, or int'reft with thee, though our years

Were

Were to exceed thofe limited the world.

Take it. Farewell, for now I owe thee nothing,
JAFF. Say thou wilt live then.

PIER. For my life, difpofe of it

Juft as thou wilt, becaufe 'tis what I'm tir'd with.
JAFF. O Pierre !

PIER. No more.

JAFF. My eyes won't lofe the fight of thee, But languish after thine, and ache with gazing,

PIER. Leave me-Nay, then thus, thus, I throw thee

from me:

And curfes, great as is thy falfehood, catch thee.

VENICE PRESERVED.

CHAP. XI.

EDWARD AND WARWICK.

Edw. LET me have no intruders; above all, .

Keep Warwick from my fight.

Enter WARWICK.

WAR. Behold him here;

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

EDW. There was a time, perhaps,

When Warwick more defir'd, and more-deferv'd it.

WAR. Never; I have been a foolish, faithful flave,

All my beft years; the morning of my life
Hath been devoted to your fervice: what
Are now the fruits? Diigrace and infamy!
My fpotless name, which never yet the breath
Of calumny had tainted, made the mock
For foreign fools to carp at: but 'tis fit
Who truft in princes should be thus rewarded.

EDW.

EDW. I thought, my lord, I had full well repay'd Your fervices with honours, wealth, and pow'r Unlimited: thy all-directing hand

Guided in fecret ev'ry latent wheel

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

WAR. Who gave that cipher worth, and feated thee
On England's throne? Thy undiftinguish'd name
Had rotted in the dust from whence it sprang,
And moulder'd in oblivion, had not Warwick
Dug from its fordid mine the useless ore,
And ftamp'd it with a diadem. Thou know'ft
This wretched country doom'd, perhaps, like Rome,
To fall by its own felf-deftroying hand,

Tofs'd for fo many years in the rough fea
Of civil difcord, but for me had perifh'd.
In that distressful hour I feiz'd the helm,
Bade the rough waves fubfide in peace, and fteer'd
Your fhatter'd veffel fafe into the harbour.

You may defpife, perhaps, that useless aid
Which you no longer want; but know, proud youth,
He who forgets a friend, deferves a foe.

EDW. Know too, reproach for benefits receiv'd
Pays.ev'ry debt, and cancels obligation.

WAR. Why, that indeed is frugal honesty;
A thrifty faving knowledge: when the debt
Grows burdenfome, and cannot be discharg'd,

A fponge will wipe out all, and coft 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 fatisfaction.

WAR: Thou canft not: thou haft robb'd me of a jewel,

It

It is not in thy power to restore;

I was the first, shall future annals fay,

That broke the facred bond of public trust
And mutual confidence; ambassadors
In after times, mere inftruments, perhaps,
Of venal statesmen, shall recal my name
To witness that they want not an example,
And plead my guilt to fanctify their own.
Amidft the herd of mercenary flaves

That haunt your court, could none be found but Warwick To be the fhameless herald of a lie?

EDW. And would'ft thou turn the vile reproach on me?
If I have broke my faith, and stain❜d the name
Of England, thank thy own pernicious counfels,
That urg'd me to it, and extorted from me
A cold confent to what my heart abhorr❜d.

WAR. I have been abus'd, infulted, and betray'd;
My injur'd honour cries aloud for vengeance!
Her wounds will never close.

Enw. Thefe gufts of paffion

Will but inflame them. If I have been right
Inform'd, my lord, befides thefe dang'rous fcare
Of bleeding honour, you have other wounds
As deep, though not so fatal; such, perhaps,
As none but fair Elizabeth can cure.

EDW. Nay, ftart not; I have cause
To wonder moft: I little thought indeed,
When Warwick told me I might learn to love,
He was himself fo able to inftruct me:
But I've difcover'd all.

WAR. And fo have I;

Too well I know thy breach of friendship there,
Thy fruitless bafe endeavours to fupplant me.
EDw. Ifcorn it, Sir-Elizabeth hath charms,

And I have equal right with you t' admire them;
Nor fee I aught fo godlike in the form,
So all commanding in the name of Warwick,
That he alone fhould revel in the charms
Of beauty, and monopolize perfection.
I knew not of your love.

WAR. By Heav'n 'tis falfe!

You knew it all, and meanly took occafion,
Whilft I was bufted in the noble office
Your grace thought fit to honour me withal,
To tamper with a weak unguarded woman,
To bribe her paffions high, and basely steal
A treasure which your kingdom could not purchase.
EDW. How know you that? But be it as it may,
I had a right; nor will I tamely yield

My claim to happiness, the privilege

To choose the partner of my throne and bed;

It is a branch of my prerogative.

WAR. Prerogative! what's that? the boaft of tyrants! A borrow'd jewel, glitt'ring in the crown

With fpecious luftre, lent but to betray:

You had it, Sir, and hold it-from the people.

EDW. And therefore do I prize it: I would guard
Their liberties, and they fhall ftrengthen mine;
But when proud Faction, and her rebel crew,
Infult their fov'reign, trample on his laws,
And bid defiance to his pow'r, the people,
In justice to themselves, will then defend
His caufe, and vindicate the rights they gave.

Go to your darling people, then; for foon,

If I mistake not, 'twill be needful; try
'Their boafted zeal, and fee if one of them
Will dare to lift his arm up in your cause,
If I forbid them.

EDW. Is it fo, my lord?

Then