Fond of its goal, and labouring to be at thee; What shall I do? what fay to make thee hear me? PIER. Haft thou not wrong'd me? dar'ft 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 afking. PIER, What's that? JAFF. To take thy life on fuch conditions PIER. Life! afk my life! confefs! record myself To lofe it, may be at laft, in a lewd quarrel For fome new friend, treacherous and falfe as thou art Í 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 juft PIER. Swear by fome other powers, For thou haft broken that facred oath too lately. JAFF. Then by that hell I merit, I'll not leave thee, 'Till to thyfelf at least thou'rt reconcil'd, However thy refentment deal with me. PIER. Not leave me! JAFF. No; thou shalt not force me from thee; Ufe me reproachfully, and like a slave ; Tread Tread on me, buffet me, heap wrongs on wrongs 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 numberless. PIER. And would'ft 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 recompence for faith and truft fo broken. PIER. I fcorn it more, because preserv'd by thee; And as when first my foolish heart took pity All I receiv'd, in furety for thy truth, ; Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger, Given with a worthlefs pledge thou fince haft ftol'n: Swearing Swearing by all those powers which thou haft violated, Take it Farewel, 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. PIER. No more. JAFF. My eyes won't loofe 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. WAR. Behold him here; No welcome guest, it feems, unless I afk My lord of Suffolk's leave-there was a time EDW. There was a time, perhaps, When Warwick more defir'd, and more-deferv'd it. WAR. Never; I've been a foolish faithful flave; All my best years, the morning of my life, 1 Hath Hath been devoted to your fervice: what For foreign fools to carp at: but 'tis fit EDW. I thought, my lord, I had full well repay'd ́ Guided in fecret ev'ry latent wheel Of government, and mov'd the whole machine: WAR. Who gave that cypher worth, and feated thee Toft for fo many years in the rough fea In that diftrefsful hour I feiz'd the helm, You may defpife, perhaps, that useless aid Which you no longer want; but know, proud youth, EDW. Know too, reproach for benefits receiv'd A thrifty A thrifty faving knowledge: when the debt A fpunge will wipe out all, and cost you nothing.. 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 reftore: I was the firft, fhall future annals fay, That broke the facred bond of public truft Amidst the herd of mercenary flaves That haunt your court, cou'd none be found but Warwick, To be the fhameless herald of a lie? EDW. And would'st 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 urg'd me to it, and extorted from me A cold confent to what my heart abhorr'd. WAR. I've been abus'd, infulted, and betray'd; My injur'd honour cries aloud for vengeance, Her wounds will never clofe! EDW. These gufts of paffion, Will but inflame them; if I have been right As |