CHAPTER IX. SOUTHAMPTON AND ESSEX. OFFICER. My Lord, We bring an order for your execution, And hope you are prepar'd; for you must die This very hour. SOUTH. Indeed! the time is sudden! Ess. Is death th' event of all my flatter'd hoper My soul shall vanish silent as the dew And leaves of weeping flowers. Come, my dear friend, These faithful arms, and now let me tell thee, And you, my Lords, and Heaven my witness too, I have no weight, no heaviness on my soul, But that I've lost my dearest friend his life. SOUTH. And I protest, by the same Powers divine, And to the world, 'tis all my happiness, The greatest bliss my mind yet e'er enjoy'd, Since we must die, my Lord, to die together. OFF. The Queen, my Lord Southampton, has been pleas'd To grant particular mercy to your person; And has by us sent you a reprieve from death, You to depart immediately from hence. SOUTH. O my unguarded soul! Sure never was A man with mercy wounded so before. Ess. Then I am loose to steer my wand'ring voyage; Like a bad vessel that has long been cross'd, And bound by adverse winds, at last gets liberty, And joyfully makes all the sail she can, To reach her wish'd-for port -Angels protect Think so of me too late when I am dead- SOUTH. O be less kind, my friend, or move less pity, Or I shall sink beneath the weight of sadness! I weep that I am doom'd to live without you, And should have smil'd to share the death of Essex. 0 my wife! SOUTH. Ostay, my Lord; let me have one word more; One last farewell, before the greedy axe Shall part my friend, my only friend, from me, And Essex from himself-I know not what Are call'd the pangs of death, but sure I am, I feel an agony that's worse than death Farewell. Ess. Why, that's well said---Farewell to thee-on SOUTH. And I, while I have life, will hoard thy mem❜ry: When I am dead, we then shall meet again. Ess. Till then, farewell. EARL OF ESSEX. CHAPTER X. JAFFIER AND PIERRE. JAFF. By Heav'n, you stir not! I must be heard, I must have leave to speak! PIER. What whining monk art thou? what holy cheat, JAFF. PIER. No, know thee not; what art thou? JAFF. Jaffier, thy friend, thy once lov'd, valu'd friend! But thou a wretched, base, false, worthless coward, 1 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 teo, valiant; 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 beloved, 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. Áll's true; yet grant one thing; and I've done asking. PIER. What's that? JAFF. To take thy life on such conditions The council have propos'd: thou and thy friend PIER. Life! ask my life! confess! record myself And carry up and down this cursed city To lose it, may be, at last, in a lewd quarrel For some new friend, treach'rous 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 broke 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; Tread on me, buffet me, heap wrongs on wrongs my poor head; I'll hear it all with patience; And raise me to thy arms with dear forgiveness. PIER, A coward, a most scand’lous coward, Spiritless, void of honour, one who has sold Thy everlasting fame for shameless life? JAFF. All, all, and more, much more: my faults are numberless. PIER. And wouldst thou have me live on terms like thine? Base as thou'rt false JAFF. No: 'tis to me that's granted : PIER. I scorn it more, because preserv'd by thee: All I receiv'd, in surety for thy truth, Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger, Given with a worthless pledge thou since hast stol❜n: Swearing by all those powers which thou hast violated, Take it- -farewell, for now I owe thee nothing. PIER. For my life, dispose of it Just as thou wilt, because 'tis what I'm tir'd with. PIER. No more. JAFF. My eyes won't lose the sight of thee, Bot 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 PRESERVED. |