They have been wolves and dogs, and sail'd in

egg-shells

Over the sea, and rid on fiery dragons;

Pass'd in the air more than a thousand miles,
All in a night :—the enemy of mankind

Is powerful, but false; and falsehood 's confident.
Orf. Remember, lady, who you are; come

from

That impudent impostor!

Kath. You abuse us :

For when the holy churchman join'd our hands, Our vows were real then; the ceremony

Was not in apparition, but in act.

Be what these people term thee, I am certain
Thou art my husband, no divorce in heaven
Has been sued out between us; 'tis injustice
For any earthly power to divide us.
Or we will live, or let us die together.
There is a cruel mercy.

War. Spite of tyranny

We reign in our affections, blessed woman!
Read in my destiny the wreck of honour;

Point out, in my contempt of death, to memory,
Some miserable happiness; since, herein,

Even when I fell, I stood enthroned a monarch
Of one chaste wife's troth, pure, and uncorrupted.
Fair angel of perfection, immortality

Shall raise thy name up to an adoration;
Court every rich opinion of true merit,
And saint it in the Calendar of virtue,

When I am turn'd into the self-same dust
Of which I was first form'd.

Orf. The lord ambassador,

Huntley, your father, madam, should he look on Your strange subjection, in a gaze so public, Would blush on your behalf, and wish his country Unleft, for entertainment to such sorrow.

Kath. Why art thou angry, Oxford? I must be More peremptory in my duty.—Sir,

Impute it not unto immodesty,

That I presume to press you to a legacy,

Before we part for ever!

War. Let it be then

My heart, the rich remains of all

my

fortunes.

Kath. Confirm it with a kiss, pray!

War. Oh! with that

I wish to breathe my last; upon thy lips,
Those equal twins of comeliness, I seal

The testament of honourable vows: [Kisses her.
Whoever be that man that shall unkiss

This sacred print next, may he prove more thrifty In this world's just applause, not more desertful! Kath. By this sweet pledge of both our souls, I

swear

To die a faithful widow to thy bed;

Not to be forced or won: oh, never, never!"

5 The better genius of Ford, which had so admirably served him hitherto, appears to have left his side, at this moment; he would not else have permitted Katherine to injure herself by a speech for which there was not the slightest occasion. She should have had nothing in common with the Player Queen, no, not even an oath.

Enter SURREY, DAWBENEY, HUNTLEY, and

CRAWFORD.

Daw. Free the condemned person; quickly free

him!

What has he yet confess'd?

[WARBECK is taken out of the stocks.

Urs. Nothing to purpose;

But still he will be king.

Sur. Prepare your journey

To a new kingdom then,-unhappy madman,"
Wilfully foolish!-See, my lord ambassador,
Your lady daughter will not leave the counterfeit
In this disgrace of fate.

Hunt. I never pointed

Thy marriage, girl; but yet, being married,
Enjoy thy duty to a husband freely:

The griefs are mine. I glory in thy constancy;
And must not say, I wish that I had miss'd
Some partage in these trials of a patience.
Kath. You will forgive me, noble sir.
Hunt. Yes, yes;

In every duty of a wife and daughter,
I dare not disavow thee.-To your husband,
(For such you are, sir,) I impart a farewell
Of manly pity; what your life has past through,
The dangers of your end will make apparent;
And I can add, for comfort to your sufferance,

unhappy madman,

Wilfully foolish!] The 4to, by an unlucky transposition, reads-" madam."

No cordial, but the wonder of your frailty,
Which keeps so firm a station. We are parted.
War. We are. A crown of peace renew thy age,
Most honourable Huntley! Worthy Crawford!
We may embrace; I never thought thee injury.
Craw. Nor was I ever guilty of neglect
Which might procure such thought; I take my
leave, sir.

War. To you, lord Dalyell,-what? accept a sigh,

'Tis hearty and in earnest.

Dal. I want utterance;

My silence is my farewell.

Kath. Oh!-oh!

Jane. Sweet madam,

What do you mean?-my lord, your hand.

Dal. Dear lady,

Be pleased that I

[To DAL.

may wait you to your lodgings. [Exeunt DALYELL and JANE, supporting KATHERINE.

Enter Sheriff and Officers with SKETON, ASTLEY, HERON, and JOHN A-WATER, with Halters about their necks.

Oxf. Look

ye, behold

your followers, appointed

To wait on you in death!

War. Why, peers of England,

We'll lead them on courageously; I read

A triumph over tyranny upon

Their several foreheads. Faint not in the moment

Of victory! our ends, and Warwick's head,
Innocent Warwick's head, (for we are prologue
But to his tragedy) conclude the wonder
Of Henry's fears; and then the glorious race
Of fourteen kings, Plantagenets, determines
In this last issue male; Heaven be obey'd!
Impoverish time of its amazement, friends,
And we will prove as trusty in our payments,
As prodigal to nature in our debts.

Death? pish! 'tis but a sound; a name of air;
A minute's storm, or not so much; to tumble
From bed to bed, be massacred alive
By some physicians, for a month or two,
In hope of freedom from a fever's torments,
Might stagger manhood; here the pain is past
Ere sensibly 'tis felt. Be men of spirit!
Spurn coward passion! so illustrious mention
Shall blaze our names, and stile us Kings o'er
death.

[Exeunt Sheriff and Officers with the Prisoners. Daw. Away-impostor beyond precedent! No chronicle records his fellow.

Hunt. I have

Not thoughts left: 'tis sufficient in such cases
Just laws ought to proceed.

7 Our ends, and Warwick's head-conclude the wonder

Of Henry's fears.] This poor prince, as Lord Bacon calls him, was undoubtedly sacrificed to the barbarous policy of the king. He was brought to trial almost immediately after Warbeck's death, condemned, and executed for conspiring with the former to raise sedition! He made no defence, and probably quitted, without much regret, a life that had never known one happy day.