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Like Burfts of Thunder, fhook the fpacious Hall!
At laft, when fore conftrain'd, th' unwilling Lords
Pronounc'd the fatal Sentence on her Life;

A Peal of Groans ran thro' the crowded Court,
As every Heart were broken, and the Doom,
Like that which waits the World, were univerfal.

Pem. And can that facred Form, that Angel's Voice,
Which mov'd the Hearts of a rude ruthlefs Crowd,
Nay, mov'd ev'n thine, now fue in vain for Pity?

Gar. Alas! you look on her with Lover's Eyes: 1 hear and fee thro' reasonable Organs,

Where Paffion has no Part. Come, come, my Lord,
You have too little of the Statefinan in you.

Pem. And you, my Lord, too little of the Churchman...

Is not the facred Purpose of our Faith,

Peace and Good-will to Man! The hallow'd Hand,
Ordain'd to blefs, fhou'd know no Stain of Blood.
'Tis true, I am not practis'd in your Politicks..
'Twas your pernicious Counfel led the Queen
To break her Promife with the Men of Suffolk,
To violate, what in a Prince should be
Sacred above the reft, her Royal Word..

Gar. Yes, and I dare avow it; I advis'd her

To break thro' all Engagements made with Hereticks,
And keep no Faith with fuch a Mifcreant Crew.

Pem. Where fhall we feek for Truth, when ev'n Religion,

The Prieftly Robe, and Miter'd Head difclaim it?
But thus bad Men Dishonour the beft Cause.

I tell thee, Winchefter, Doctrines like thine

Have ftain'd our Holy Church with greater Infamy
Than all your Eloquence can wipe away.

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Hence 'tis, that thofe who differ from our Faith
Brand us with Breach of Oaths, with Perfecution,
With Tyranny o'er Confcience, and proclaim
Our fcarlet Prelates Men that thirst for Blood,

And Christian Rome more cruel than the Pagan.
Gar. Nay, if you rail, farewel. The Queen must be
Better advis'd, than thus to cherish Vipers,
Whofe mortal Stings are arm'd against her Life.
But while I hold the Seal, no Pardon paffes
For Hereticks and Traitors.

Pem. 'Twas unlucky

[Afide

[Exit Gardiner.

To meet and cross upon this froward Priest:
But let me lofe the Thought on't, let me hafte,
Pour my glad Tidings forth in Guilford's Bofom,
And pay him back the Life his Friendship fav'd.

[Exit.

[The Scene draws, and discovers the I.ady Jane kneeling, as at ber Devotion; a Light, and a Bock plac'd on a Table before ber.]

[Enter Lieutenant of the Tower, Lord Guillford, and one of Lady Jare's Women]

Lieut. Let me not prefs upon your Lordship farther,

But wait your Leifure in the Antichamber.

Guil, I will not hold you long.

Wam, Softly, my Lord!

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[Exit Lieutenant,

For yet, behold, fhe kneels. Before the Night
Had reach'd her middle Space, fhe left her Bed,
And with a pleasing, fober Cheerfulness,

As for her Funeral, array'd her felf

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In thofe fad folemn Weeds. Since then, her Knee
Has known that Pofture only, and her Eye,
Or fix'd upon the facred Page before her,

Or lifted with her rifing Hopes to Heaven.

Guil. See! with what Zeal those Holy Hands are rear'd
Mark her Vermilion Lip, with Fervour, trembling!
Her fpotlefs Bofom fwells with facred Ardor,
And burns with Ecftafy ahd ftrong Devotion;
Her Supplication fweet, her faithful Vows
Fragrant and pure, and grateful to high Heaven,
Like Incenfe from the golden Cenfor rife:
Or bleffed Angels minifter unfeen,

Catch the foft Sounds, and with alternate Office

Spread their Ambrofial Wings, then mount with Joy
And waft 'em upwards to the Throne of Grace.

But she has ended, and comes forward,

[Lady Jane rifes, and comes towards the Front of the Stage.I

L. J. Gray. Ha!

Art thou my Guilford! Wherefore doft thou come

To break the fettled Quiet of my Soul?

I meant to part without another Pang,

And lay my weary Head down full of Peace.

Guil. Forgive the Fondnefs of my longing Soul,

That melts with Tendernefs, and leans towards thee
Tho' the imperious dreadful Voice of Fate
Summon her hence, and warn her from the World

But if to fee thy Guilford, give thee Pain,
Wou'd I had dy'd, and never more beheld thee;
Tho' my lamenting difcontented Ghost

Had

Had wander'd forth unbleft by thofe dear Eyes,

And wail'd'thy Lofs in Death's Eternal Shades.

I.. J. Gray. My Heart had ended ev'ry earthly Care,
Had offer'd up its Prayers for Thee and England,
And fix'd its Hopes upon a Rock unfailing;
While all the little Bus'nefs that remain'd,

Was but to pass the Forms of Death with Conftancy,
And leave a Life become indifferent to me.
But thou haft waken'd other Thoughts within me :
Thy Sight, my deareft Husband and my Lord,
Strikes on the tender Strings of Love and Nature;
My vanquish'd Paffions rife again, and tell me
'Tis more, far more than Death, to part from Thee.

[Enter Pembroke.]

Pem. Oh, let me fly! Bear me, thou fwift Impatience, And lodge me in my faithful Guilford's Arms;

That I may fnatch him from the greedy Grave,
That I may warm his gentle Heart with Joy,
And talk to him of Life, of Life and Pardon.
Guil, What means my deareft Pembroke?
Pem. Oh! my Speech

[Embracing.

Is choak'd with Words that crowd to tell my Tidings:

But I have fav'd Thee, and

Oh, Joy unutterable!

The Queen, my gracious, my forgiving Mistress,

Has given not only thee to my Requeft,

But fle, the too, in whom alone thou liv'ft,'

The Partner of thy Heart, thy Love is fafe.

Guil. Millions of Bleffings wait her! --- Has fhe ---- tell me ! O has the fper'd my Wife?

Pew.

Pem Both, both are pardon'd.

But hafte, and do thou lead me to thy Saint,

That I may cast my felf beneath her Feet,

And beg her to accept this poor Amends

For all done against her. Thou fair Excellence,

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[Kneeling

Canft thou forgive the hoftile Hand that arni'd
Against thy Caufe, and robb'd thee of a Crown?

Posture!

L. J. Gray. Oh, rife, my Lord, and let me take your
Life and the World were hardly worth my Care
But you have reconcil'd me to 'em both.
Then let me pay my Gratitude, and for
This free, this noble, unexpected Mercy,

Thus low I bow to Heaven, the Queen, and You
Pem. To me! Forbid it, Goodness! If I live,
Somewhat I will do fhall deferve your Thanks,
All Difcord and Remembrance of Offence

Shall be clean blotted out; and for your Freedom,
My felf have underta'en to be your Caution.
Hear me, you Saints, and aid my pious Purpose;
Thefe that deferve fo much, this wondrous Pair,

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Let there be happy, ev'ry Joy attend 'em

A fruitful Bed, a Chain of Love unbroken,

A good old Age, to fee their Childrens Children,
A Holy Death, and everlasting Memory:

While I refer to them my Share of Happiness;

1

Conterul to want what they enjoy,
And Lingly to be wretched.

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