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How did the bear it?

Bell. With the gentleft Patience.
Submiffive, fad, and lowly was her Look;
A burning Taper in her Hand fhe bore,
And on her Shoulders carelefly confus'd
With loofe Neglect her lovely Treffes hung,
Upon her Cheek a faintih Flush was spread,
Feeble fhe feem'd, and forely fmit with Pain,
While bare-foot as fhe trod the flinty Pavement,
Her Footsteeps all along were mark'd with Blood.
Yet filent ftill fhe pafs'd and unrepining;
Her freaming Eyes bent ever on the Earth,
Except when in fome bitter. Pang of Sorrow,
To Heav'n fhe feem'd in fervent Zeal to raise,
And beg that Mercy Man deny'd her here.
Sh. When was this piteous Sight?
Bell. Thefe laft two Days..

You know my Care was wholly bent on you,
To find the happy Means of your Deliverance,
Which but for Haftings' Death I had not gain'd.
During that Time, altho' I have not feen her,
Yet divers trufty Meffengers I've fent,
To wait about, and watch a fit Convenience
To give her fome Relief; but all in vain.

A churlish Guard attends upon her Steps,

Who menace thofe with Death that bring her Comfort,
And drive all Succour from her.

Sh. Let 'em threaten.

Let proud Oppreffion prove its fierceft Malice;

So Heav'n befriend my Soul, as here I vow
To give her Help, and fhare one Fortune wither.

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Bell. Mean you to fee her, thus, in your own Form?
Sh. I do.

Bell. And have you thought upon the Confequence?
Sb. What is there I fhall fear?

Bell, Have you examin'd

Into your inmoft Heart, and try'd at leisure

The feveral fecret Springs that move the Paffions?
Has Mercy fix'd her Empire there so sure,

That Wrath and Vengeance never may return?
Can you refume a Husband's Name, and bid
"That wakeful Dragon fierce Refentment sleep?

Sh. Why doft thou fearch fo deep, and urge my Memory
To conjure up my Wrongs to life again?

I have long labour'd to forget my felf,

To think on all Time, backward, like a Space,
Idle and void, where Nothing e'er had Being;
'But thou haft Peopled it again; Revenge
And Jealoufie renew their horrid Forms,

Shoot all their Fires, and drive me to Distraction.

Bell, Far be the Thought from me! my Care was only
To arm you for the Meeting: Better were it

Never to fee her, than to let that Name
Recal forgotten Rage, and make the Husband
Destroy the generous Pity of Dumont.

Sh. Oh! thou haft fet my bufy Brain at work,
'And now she musters up a Train of Images,
Which to preferve my Peace I had cast aside,
And funk in deep Oblivion---Oh! that Form!
That Angel face on which my Dotage hung!
How have I gaz'd upon her till my Soul
With very Eagernef's went forth towards her,

And

And iffu'd at my Eyes--Was there a Jems
Which the Sun ripens in the Indian Mine,

Or the rich Bofom of the Ocean yields,

What was there Art cou'd make, or Wealth cou'd buy
Which I have left unfought to deck her Beauty?

What cou'd her King do more?

Bet Away with that fad Fancy.-

Sh. Oh! that Day!

-Aud fhe fled.

yet

The Thought of it must live for ever with me..
I met her, Bellmour, when the Royal Spoiler
Bore her in triumph from my widow's Home!
Within his Chariot by his Side the fate,
And liften'd to his Talk with downward Looks
Till fudden as fhe chanc'd afide to glance,
Her Eyes encounter'd mine--Oh! then my
Friend!
Qh! who can point my Grief and her Amazement !
As at the Stroke of Death, twice turn'd fhe pale,
And twice a burning Crimson blush'd all o'er her;
Then, with a Shriek Heart wounding loud the cry'd,
While down her Cheeks two guhing Torrents ran,
Faft falling on her Hands, which thus fhe wrung---
Mov'd at her Grief the Tyrant Ravisher,
With Courteous Action woo'd her oft to turn
Earneft he feem'd to plead ; but all in vain
Ev'n to the laft fhe bent her Sight towards me,
And follow'd me----- till I had loft my felf.

Bell. Alas! for pity! Oh! those speaking Tears!
Could they be falfe? Did fhe not fuffer with you?
And, tho' the King by Force poffefs her Perfon,
Her unconfenting Heart dwelt fill with you:
If all her former Woes were not enough,

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Look on her now, behold her where she wanders,.
Hunted to Death, diftrefs'd on every fide,
With no one Hand to help; and tell me then,
If every Mifery were known like hers?

Sb. And can fhe bear it? Can that delicate Frame
Endure the beating of a Storm fo rude?
Can fhe, for whom the various Seafons chang'd,
To court her Appetite, and crown her Board,
For whom the foreign Vintages were prefs'd,
For whom the Merchant fpread his filken Stores,
Can fhe

Intreat for Bread and want the needful Rayment,
To wrap her fhivering Bofom from the Weather?
When she was mine, no Care came ever nigh her..
I thought the gentlest Breeze that wakes the Spring
Too rough to breathe upon her; Cheerfullness
Danc'd all the Day before her; and at Night'
Soft Slumbers waited on her downy Pillow---
Now fad and shelterlefs, perhaps, fhe lyes,
Where piercing Winds blow sharp, and the chill Rain
Drops from fome Pent-house on her wretched Head,
Drenches her Locks, and kills her with the Cold,
It is too much----Hence with her past Offences,
They are atton'd at full--Why stay we then?
Oh! let us hafte, my Friend, and find her out.
Bell. Somewhere about this Quarter of the Town,

I hear the poor abandon'd Creature lingers:
Her Guard, tho' fet with ftrictest Watch to keep
All Food and Friendship from her, yet permit her
To wander in the Streets, there chufe her Bed,
And reft her Head on what cold Stone The pleases.

S

Sb. Here let us then divide, each in his Round To fearch her Sorrows out, whofe hap it is

First to behold her, this way let him lead

Her fainting Steps, and meet we here together..

[Exeunt.

Enter Jane Shore, her Hair hanging loose on her Shoulders,

and bare-footed.

J. Sh. Yet, yet endure, nor murmur, Oh! my Soul!
For are not thy Tranfgreffions great and numberless?
Do they not cover thee, like rifing Floods,
And prefs thee like a Weight of Waters down?
Does not the Hand of Righteoufnef's afflict thee; →
And who fhall plead against it? Who fhall fay
To Pow'r Almighty, Thou hait done enough:
Or bid his dreadful Rod of Vengeance, ftay?
Wait then with Patience, till the circling Hours
Shall bring the Time of thy appointed Reft,
And lay thee down in Death. The Hireling thus
With Labour.drudges out the painful Day,
And often looks with long expecting Eyes -
To fee the Shadows rife and be difmifs'd.

And hark! methinks the Roar that late Purfu'd me,
Sinks, like the Murmurs of a falling Wind,
And foftens into Silence. Does Revenge

And Malice then grow weary, and forfake me?
My Guard too, that obferv'd me ftill fo close,
Tire in the 'Task of their inhuman Office,
And loiter far behind. Alas! I faint,
My Spirits fail at once-This is the Door
Of my Alicia-Bleffed Opportunity !!!
I'll fteal a little Succour from her Goodness'
Now, while no Eye obferves me...

D5

[She knacks at the Door.

Enter

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