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Tread on me,

buffet me, heap wrongs

on wrongs

On my poor head; I'll bear it all with patience:
I'll weary out thy most friendly cruelty:

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

And raife 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 moft fcandalous 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 numberlefs.

PIER. And would'fthou 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 recompence for faith and truft fo broken.

PIER. Ifcorn it more, becaufe preferv'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 lift of noble friends:

All I receiv'd, in furety for thy truth,

Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger,

Given with a worthless pledge thou fince hast stol'n:
So I reftore it back to thee again;

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Swearing by all thofe powers which thou haft violated,
Never from this curs'd hour to hold communion,
Friendship, or intereft with thee, tho' our years
Were to exceed thofe limited the world.
Take it- -Farewel, for now I owe thee nothing.
JAFF. Say, wilt thou live then.

PIER. For my life, difpofe of it

Juft as wilt thou, because 'tis what I'm tir'd with.
JAFF. Oh, 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 PRESERV'D.

EDW.

CHAP. XI.

EDWARD AND WARWICK,

LET me have no intruders; above all,

Keep Warwick from my fight

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

Admiffion here.

EDW. There was a time, perhaps,

When Warwick more defir'd and more

-deferv'd it.

WAR. Never; I've been a foolish, faithful slave;

All my best years, the morning of my life,

Hath

Hath been devoted to your service: what
Are now the fruits? Difgrace 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 truft in princes, fhould be thus rewarded.

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'rless Edward
Stood like a cypher in the great account.

WAR. Who gave that cypher worth, and feated thee On England's throne? Thy undiftinguish'd name Had rotted in the duft 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'st

This wretched country, doom'd, perhaps, like Rome,
To fall by its own felf-deftroying hand,

Toft for fo many years in the rough fea
'Of civil difcord, but for me had perish'd.

In that diftrefsful hour I feiz'd the helm,

Bade the rough waves fubfide in peace, and steer'd

Your. fhatter'd veffel fafe into the harbour.

You may defpife, perhaps, that ufelefs 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.

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WAR. Why, that indeed is frugal honesty,

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A thrifty faving knowledge: when the debt,
Grows burthenfome and cannot be discharg'd,
A fponge 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 fatisfaction.

WAR. Thou canst not; thou haft robb'd me of a jewel

It is not in thy power to reftcre:

I was the firft, fhall future annals fay,
That broke the facred bond of public truft
And mutual confidence; ambaffadors,
In after-times, mere inftruments, perhaps,
Of venal statesmen, fhall recal my name
To witness, that they want not an example,
And plead my guilt, to fanctify their own.
Amidst the herd of mercenary flaves

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

EDw. And wouldst thou turn the vile reproach on me
If I have broke my faith, and ftain'd the name
Of England, thank thy own pernicious counfels
That urged 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!

EDW. Thefe gufts of paffion

Will but inflame them; if I have been right
Inform'd, my lord, befides thefe dangerous fcars
Of bleeding honour, you have other wounds

As

As deep, tho' not fo fatal: fuch perhaps

As none but fair Elizabeth can cure.

WAR. Elizabeth !

EDw. Nay, ftart not, I have caufe
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 have difcover'd all.

WAR. And fo have I;

Too well I know thy breach of friendship there,'
Thy fruitless, base endeavours to fupplant me.

EDW. I fcorn it, Sir,- -Elizabeth hath charms,
And I have equal right with you to admire them:
Nor fee I ought fo godlike in the form,
So all commanding in the name of Warwick,
That he alone should revel in the charms
Of beauty, and monopolize perfection.
I knew not of your love.

WAR. By Heav'n 'tis false!

You knew it all, and meanly took occafion,
Whilft I was bufied 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 bafely steal
A treafure which your kingdom could not purchafe.
EDW. How know you that? But be it as it

I had a right, nor will I tamely yield
My claim to happinefs, the privilege

To choose the partner of my throne and bed ;
It is a branch of my prerogative.

may,

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

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