Gloft. He bears me great Good Will.
Cat. 'Tis true, to you, as to the Lord Protector
And Glofter's Duke, he bows with lowly Service:
But were he bid to cry, God fave King Richard,
Then tell me in what Terms he wou'd reply.
Believe me, I have prov'd the Man, and found him:
I know he bears a moft religious Reverence
To his dead Master Edward's Royal Memory,
And whither that may lead him is most plain;
Yet more
One of that ftubborn fort he is,
Who, if they once grow fond of an Opinion,
They call it Honour, Honefty, and Faith,
And fooner pårt with Life than let it go.
Gloft. And yet, this tough impracticable Heart
Is govern'd by a dainty finger'd Girl;
Such Flaws are found in the moft worthy Natures;
A laughing, toying, wheadling, whimpering She,
Shall make him amble on a Goffip's Meffage,
And take the Diftaff with a Hand as patient
As e'er did Hercules.
Of noble Birth and exquifite of Feature,
Has held him long a Vaffal to her Beauty. M
Cat. I fear, he fails in his Allegiance there';
Or my Intelligence is falfe, or elfen.
The Dame has been too lavish of her Feaft, or
And fed him 'till he loaths.
Gloft. No more, he comes.
L. Haft. Health, and the Happinefs of many Days, Attend upon your Grace.
Gloft. My good Lord Chamberlain !
Ware much beholden to your gentle Friendship.
L. Haft. My Lord, I come an humble Suitor to you.
Gloft. In right good time. Speak out your Pleafure freely."
L. Haft. I am to move your Highnefs in behalf
Of Shore's unhappy Wife.
Glost. Say you, of 'Shore ?
L. Haft. Once a bright Star that held her Place on high : The first and faireft of our English Dames,
While Royal Edward held the Sovereign Rule."
Now funk in Grief, and pining with Defpair,
Her waining Form no longer fhall incite
Envy in Woman, or Defire in Man.
She never fees the Sun, but thro' her Tears,
And wakes to figh the live-long Night away.
Gloft. Marry the Times are badly chang'd with her
From Edward's Days to thefe. Then all was Jollity,
Feafting and Mirth, light Wantonnefs and Laughter,
Piping and Playing, Minftrelfie and Mafquing he
Till Life fled from ms like an idle Dream,
A Shew of Mommery without a Meaning.
My Brother, Reft and Pardon to his Soul,
Is gone to his Account, for this his Minion,
The Revel-rout is done --- But you were speaking 11
Concerning her I have been told that you'-
Are frequent in your Visitation to her.
L. Haft. No farther, my good Lord, than friendly Pity, And tender-hearted Charity allow.
Gloft. Go to. I did not mean to chide you for it.
For, footh to fay, I hold it noble in you
L, Haft. Thus is it, gracious Sir, that certain Officers
Ufing the Warrant of your mighty Name.
With Infolence unjuft, and lawless Power,
Have feiz'd upon the Lands, which late she held
By Grant from her great Mafter Edward's Bounty.
Gloft. Somewhat of this, but flightly, have I heard ; ·
And tho' fome Counfellors of forward Zeal,
Some of moft Ceremonious Sanctity
And bearded Wifdom, often have provok'd
The Hand of Juftice to fall heavy on her;
Yet ftill, in kind Compaffion of her Weaknefs,
And tender Memory of Edward's Love,
I have with-held the merciless ftern Law.
From doing Outrage on her helplefs Beauty.
L. Haft. Good Heav'n, who renders Mercy back for
With open-handed Bounty fhall repay you:
This gentle Deed fhall fairly be fet foremost,
To fcreen the wild'Efcapes of lawless Paffion,
And the long Train of Frailties Flesh is Heir to.
Gloft. Thus far, the Voice of Pity pleaded only;
Our farther and more full Extent of Grace
Is given to your Requeft. Let her attend,
And to our felf deliver up her Griefs.
She fhall be heard with Patience, and each Wrong
At full redreft. But I have other News
Which much import us both, for fill my Fortunes
Go hand in hand with yours; our common Fues,
The Queen's Relations, our new-fangled Gentry,
An Apartment in Jane Shore's House.
Enter Bellmour and Dumont. :
Bell. How he has liv'd, you've heard my Tale already
The reft your own Attendance in her Family,
Where I have found the Means this Day to place you,
And nearer Obfervation best will tell you.
See! with what fad and fober Cheer fhe comes.
Sure, or I read her Vifage much amifs,
Or Grief befets her hard. Save you, fair Lady C
The Bleffings of the chearful Morn be on you,
And greet your Beauty with its opening Sweets.
J. Sb. My gentle Neighbour ! your good Wishes ftill
Purfue my hapless Fortunes: Ah! good Bellmour!
How few, like thee, enquire the wretched out,
And court the Offices of foft Humanity:
Like thee, referve their Raiment for the Naked,
Reach out their Bread to feed the crying Orphan,
Or mix their pitying Tears with those that weep:
Thy Praise deferves a better Tongue than mine
To speak and blefs thy Name. Is this the Gentleman,
Whofe friendly Service you commended to me?
Bell, Madam it is.
7.Sh. A venerable Afpect!
Age fits with decent Grace upon his Visage,
And worthily becomes his filver Locks;
He wears the Marks of many Years well spent,
Of Virtue, Truth well try'd, and wife Experience;
A Friend like this, would fuit my Sorrows well.
Fortune, I fear me, Sir, has meant you ill, [To Dumont
Who pays your Merit with that fcanty Pittance.
Which my poor Hand and humble Roof can give.
But to fupply thofe golden Vantages,
Which elfewhere you might find, expect to meet
A juft Regard and Value for your Worth,
The Welcome of a Friend, and the free Partnerhip
Of all that little Good the World allows me.
Dum. You over-rate nie much; and all my Anfwer
Must be my future Truth; let that fpeak for me,
And make up my deserving.
J. Sb. Are you of England
Dum. No, gracious Lady, Flanders claims my Birth; At Antwerp has my conftant biding been,
Where fometimes I have known more plenteous Days
Than thofe which now my failing Age affords.
They fall for my Offences
Long, Long e're they shall wah
You knew perhaps → oh Grief! oh Shame! my Husband.
Dum. I knew him well but ftay this Flood of Anguih,
The fenfelefs Grave feels not your pious Sorrows:
Three Years and more are paft, fince I was bid,
With many of our common Friends, to wait him,
To his laft peaceful Manfion. Lattended,
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