South. And I, while I have life, will hoard thy mem'ry: When I am dead, we then shall meet again.

Essex. Till then, Farewell.
South. Till then, Farewell.

EARL OF ESSEX

CHAP. VIII.

JAFFIER AND PIERRE.

Jaff. By Heav'n, you stir not!
I must be heard, I must have leave to speak !
Thou hast disgrac'd me, Pierre, by a vile blow !
- Had not a dagger done thee nobler justice ?
But use me as thou wilt, thou canst not wrong me,
For I am fall’n beneath the basest injuries :
Yet look upon me with an eye of mercy;
With pity and with charity behold me;
Shut not thy heart against a friend's repentance;
But, as there dwells a godlike nature in thee,
Listen with mildness to my supplications.

Pier. What whining monk art thou? what holy cheat,
That wouldst encroach upon my cred'lous ears,
And cant'st thus vilely? hence! I know thee not.

Jaff. Not know me, Pierre ! Pier. No, know thee not; what art thou? Jaff. Jaffier, thy friend, thy once lov'd, valu'd friend ! Though now deserv'dly scorn'd, and us’d most hardly.

Pier. Thou Jaffier! thou my once lov'd, valu'd friend! By Heav'ns thou liest ; the man so call'd, my friend, Was gen'rous, honest, faithful, just, and valiant, Noble in mind, and in his person lovely, Dear to my eyes, and tender to my heart: But thou a wretched, base, false, worthless coward, Poor even in soul, and loathsome in thy aspect : All eyes must shun thee, and all hearts detest thee. Prithee avoid, nor longer cling thus round me, 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 too, valiant ;

My mind still full of thee, therefore still noble.
Let not thy eyes then shun me, nor thy heart
Detest me utterly: Oh! look upon me,
Look back and see my sad, sincere submission!
How my heart swells, as e'en 'twould burst my bosom,
Fond of it's goal, and lab'ring 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. All'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
May yet live long, and to be better treated.

Pier. Life! ask my life! confess! record myself
A villain for the privilege to breathe,

and down this cursed city
A discontented and repining spirit,
Burdensome to itself, a few years longer,
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 pow'rs,
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;
Use me reproachfully, and like a slave;
Tread on me, buffet me, heap wrongs on wrongs
On my poor head; I'll bear it all with patience;

And carry up

I'll weary out thy most unfriendly cruelty;
Lie at thy feet and kiss 'em, though they spurn me,
Till wounded by my suffrings thou relent,
And raise 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 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:
The safety of thy life was all I aim'd at,
In recompense for faith and trust so broken.

Pier. I scorn it more, because preserv'd by thee:
And as, when first my foolish heart took pity
On thy misfortunes, sought thee in thy mis'ries,
Reliev'd thy wants, and rais'd thee from thy state
Of wretchedness, in which thy fate had plung'd thee,
To rank thee in my list of noble friends;
All I receiv'd in surety for thy truth
Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger,
Giv'n with a worthless pledge thou since hast stol'n: .
So I restore it back to thee again;
Swearing by all those pow'rs which thou hast violated,
Never from this curs'd hour to hold communion, -
Friendship, or intrest with thee, though our years
Were to exceed those limited the world.
Take it.—Farewell, for now I owe thee nothing.

Jaff. Say thou wilt live then.

Pier. For my life, dispose oft Just as thou wilt, because 'tis what I'm tir'd with. ... "

Jaff. O Pierre :

Pier. No more.

Jaff. My eyes won't lose the sight of thee, But 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.

CHAP. IX.

ORLANDO AND ADAM.

Orlan. Who's there?

Adam. What, my young master! Oh, my gentle master! Oh, my sweet master! oh you memory Of old sir Rowland! Why, what makes you here? Why are you virtuous ? Why do people love you ? And wherefore are you gentle, strong, and valiant? Why would you be so fond to overcome The bony prizer of the hum'rous Duke? Your praise is come too swiftly home before you. Know you not, master, to some kind of men Their graces serve them but as enemies ? No more do yours: your virtues, gentle master, Are sanctified and holy traitors to you. :ři Oh, what a world is this, when what is comely Envenoms him that bears it!

Orlan. Why, what's the matter ?

Adam. Oh, unhappy youth,
Come not within these doors ; within this roof
The

enemy of all your graces lives :
Your brother-(no; no brother; yet the son,
Yet not the son; I will not call him son
Of him. I was about to call his father)
Hath heard your praises, and this night he means,
To burn the lodging where you us’d to lie,
And
you

within it: if he fail of that,
He will have other means to cut you off.
I overbeard him, and his practices :
This is no place; this house is but a butchery;
Abhor it, fear it, do not enter it.

Orlan. Why, whither, Adam, wouldst thou have me go? Adam. No matter whither, so you come not here. Orlan. What, wouldst thou have me go and beg my food? Or with a base and boist'rous sword enforce A thievish living on the common road This must I do, or know not what to do : Yet this I will not do, do how I can; I rather will subject me to the malice Of a diverted blood, and bloody brother. Adam. But do not so; I have five hundred crowns, The thrifty hire I sav'd under your father, Which I did store to be my foster nurse, When service should in my old limbs lie lame, And unregarded age in corners thrown: Take that; and he that doth the ravens feed, Yea, providently caters for the sparrow, Be comfort to my age here is the gold; All this I give you, let me be your servant: Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty; For in my youth I never did apply Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood; Nor did I with unbashful forehead woo The means of weakness and debility; Therefore my age is as a lusty winter, Frosty, but kindly; let me go with you; I'll do the service of a younger man In all your business and necessities. Orlan. O ! good old man, how well in thee appears The constant service of the antique world, When service sweat for duty, not for meed I Thou art not for the fashion of these times, Where none will sweat but for promotion; And, having that, do choke their service up Ev’n with the having; 'tis not so with thee; But, poor old man, thou prun'st a rotten tree, That cannot so much as a blossom yield In lieu of all thy pains and husbandry. But come thy ways, we'll go along together, And ere we have thy youthful wages spent, We'll light upon some settled low content. Adam. Master, go on, and I will follow thee To the last gasp with truth and loyalty;