Off. As for you, Sir,

"Tis the Queen's Pleasure, you be clofe confin'd
Youv'e us'd that fair Permission was allow'd you,
To walk at large within the Tower, unworthily.
You're noted for an over-bufy Medler,

A fecret Practicer against the State;

[To Gardiner

For which, henceforth, your Limits fhall be straiter.
Hence! to his Chamber.

Gar, Farewel, gentle Pembroke

I trust, that we shall meet on blither Terms;

Till then, amongst my Beads, I will remember you,

And give you to the Keeping of the Saints,

[Exeunt Part of the Guards with Gardiner.

Pem. Now! whither must I go?

Off This Way, my Lord.

[Enter Guilford.]

[Going off.

Guil. Hold, Captain! E're you go, I have a Word or two

For this your Noble Pris'ner.

Off. At your Pleasure :

I know my Duty, and attend your Lordfnip:

[The Officer and Guard retire to the farther Part of the Stage.

Guil. Is all the Gentlenefs that was betwixt us So loft, fo fwept away from thy Remembrance,

Thou canst not look upon me?~

Pem. Ha! not look!

What Terrors are there in the Dudley's Race,
That Pembroke dares not look upon and fcorn?
And yet, 'tis true, I wou'd not look upon thee:
Our Eyes avoid to look on what we hate,
As well as what we fear.

Guil. You hate me, then?

Pem. I do; and with Perdition may o'ertake
Thy Father, thy falfe Self, and thy whole Name.
Guil. And yet, as fure as Rage disturbs thy Reafon,
And masters all the noble Nature in thee,
As fure as thou haft wrong'd me, I am come
In Tenderness of Friendship to preserve thee;
To plant ev'n all the Pow'r I have before thee,
And fence thee from Deftruction, with my Life.

Pem. Friendship from thee! But my juft Soul difdains thee. Hence! take the prostituted Bawble back,

Hang it to grace fome flavering Ideot's Neck,

For none but Fools will prize the Tinfel Toy,

But thou art come, perhaps, to vaunt thy Greatnefs,
And fet thy Purple Pomp to view before me,
To let me know that Guilford is a King,

That he can fpeak the Word, and give me Freedom.
Oh! Short-liv'd Pageant! Had'ft thou all the Pow'r
Which thy vain Soul would grafp at, I would die,
Rot in a Dungeon, e're receive a Grace,
The leaft, the meaneft Courtefy from Thee.
Guil. Oh, Pembroke! But I have not time to talk,
For Danger pretles; Danger unforeseen,
And fecret as the Shaft that flies by Night,
Is aiming at thy Life. Captain, a Word!

[To the Officer. I take

I take your Pris'ner to my proper Charge;

Draw off your Guard, and leave his Sword with me.

[The Officer delivers the Sword to Lord Guilford, and goes out with the Guard.

[L. Guil. offering the Sward to Pembroke.

Receive this Gift, ev'n from a Rival's Hand;
And if thy Rage will fuffer thee to hear
The Counsel of a Man once call'd thy Friend,
Fly from this fatal Place, and feek thy Safety.

Pem. How now! What Shew? What Mockery is this?

Is it in Sport you use me thus? What means

This fwift fantastick changing of the Scene?

Guil. Oh! take thy Sword; and let thy valiant Hand

Be ready arm'd to guard thy Noble Life:

The Time, the Danger, and thy wild Impatience,
Forbid me all to enter into Speech with thee,

Or I cou'd tell thee

Pem. No, it needs not, Traytor!

For all thy poor, thy little Arts are known.
Thou fear'ft my Vengeance, and art come to fawn,
To make a Merit of that proffer'd Freedom,
Which, in despite of thee, a Day shall give me.
Nor can my Fate depend on thee, falfe Guilford
For know, to thy Confufion, c're the Sun
Twice gild the Eaft, our Royal Mary comes
To end thy Pageant Reign, and fet me free.

Guil. Ungrateful and Unjuft! Haft thou then known me So little, to accufe my Heart of Fear?

Haft

Haft thou forgotten Muffelborough's Field?

Did I then fear, when by thy Side I fought,

And dy'd my Maiden Sword in Scottish Blood?

But this is Madness all.

Pem. Give me my Sword.

[Taking his Sword:

Perhaps indeed, I wrong thee. Thou haft thought;

And, confcious of the Injury thou haft done me,
Art come to proffer me a Soldier's Justice,
And meet my Arm in fingle Opposition.

Lead then, and let me follow to the Field.

Guil. Yes, Pembroke, thou fhalt fatisfy thy Vengeance
And write thy bloody Purpose on my Bofom.

But let Death wait to Day. By our past Friendship,
In Honour's Name, by ev'ry facred Tie,

I beg thee ask no more, but hafte from hence.

Pem. What mystick Meaning lurks beneath thy Words? What Fear is this, which thou would't awe my Soul with? Is there a Danger Pembroke dares not meet?

Guil. Oh! fpare my Tongue a Tale of Guilt and Horror Trust me this once: Believe me, when I tell thee, Thy Safety and thy Life is all I feek.

Away!

Pem. By Heav'n! I wo'not stir a Step:

Curfe on this fhuffling, dark ambiguous Phrase:
If thou woud'st have me think thou mean'ft me fairly,
Speak with that Plainnefs Honefty delights in,
And let thy Double-Tongue for once be true.

Guil. Forgive me, Filial Piety and Nature,

If, thus compell'd, I break your facred Laws,
Reveal my Father's Crime, and blot with Infamy

The

The Hoary Head of him who gave me Being,

To fave the Man whom my Soul loves, from Death.

Read there the fatal Purpofe of thy Foe,

[Giving a Paper.

A Thought which wounds my Soul with Shame and Horror, Somewhat that Darkness shou'd have hid for ever,

But that thy Life

Say, haft thou feen that Character?

Pem. I know it well; the Hand of Proud Northumberland, Directed to his Minions Gates and Palmer.

What's this?

Reads.

Remember with your clofeft Care, to observe those whom I

nam'd to you at parting; especially keep your Eye upon the Earl of Pembroke, as his Power and Interest are moft confiderable, fo his Oppofition will be most fatal to us. Remember the Refolution was taken, if you should find bim inclin'd to our Enemies. The Forms of Justice are tedious, and Delays are dangerous. If he falters, lose not the fight of him till your Daggers have reach'd bis Heart.

My Heart! Oh! Murd'rous Villain !

Guil. Since he parted,

Thy Ways have all been watch'd, thy Steps been mark'd

Thy fecret Treaties with the Malecontents

That harbour in the City; thy conferring

With Gardner here in the Tower; all is known:
And, in purfuance of that bloody Mandate,
A Set of chofen Ruffians wait to End thee.
There was but one way left me to preferve thee :