[Enter Lieutenant of the Tower.]

Lieut. The Lord Chancellor

Is come with Orders from the Queen.

[Enter Gardiner, and Attendants.]

Pem. Ha! Winchefter!

Gar. The Queen, whofe Days be many,
By me confirms her first accorded Grace:
But as the pious Princefs means her Mercy
Shou'd reach e'en to the Soul as well as Body,
By me fhe fignifies her Royal Pleasure,
That thou, Lord Guilford, and the Lady Jane,
Do inftantly renounce, abjure your Herefy,
And yield Obedience to the See of Rome.
L. J. Gray. What! turn Apostate !
Guil. Ha! Forego my Faith!

Gar. This one Condition only feals your Pardon.
But, if thro' Pride of Heart, and stubborn Obstinacy,
With wilful Hands you push the Bleffing from you,
And fhut your Eyes against fuch manifeft Light;
Know ye, your former Sentence ftands confirm'd,
And you must die to Day.

Pem, "Tis falfe as Hell:

The Mercy of the Queen was free and full.

Think'ft thou that Princes merchandize their Graces,
As Roman Priefts their Pardons? Do they barter,
Screw up, like you, the Buyer to a Price,

And doubly fell what was defign'd a Gift ?

Gar

Gar. My Lord, this Language ill befeems your Nobleness,
Nor come I here to bandy Words with Madmen:
Behold the Royal Signet of the Queen,

Which amply fpeaks her Meaning. You, the Pris'ners,
Have heard at large its Purport, and must instantly

Refolve upon

the Choice of Life, or Death.

Pem. Curfe on

But wherefore do I loiter here?

I'll to the Queen this Moment, and there know

What 'tis the Mischief-making Prieft intends.

Gar. Your Wifdom points you out a proper Course.

A Word with you, Lieutenant.

Guil. Muft we part then?

[Exit:

[Talks with Lient, afide.

Where are thofe Hopes that flatter'd us but now ?
Thofe Joys, that like the Spring with all its Flow'rs,

Pour'd out their Pleafures every where around us?
In one poor Minute gone, at once they wither'd,
And left their Place all defolate behind 'em.

L. J. Gray. Such is this foolish World, and fuch the Certainty Of all the boafted Bleffings it beftows:

Then, Guilford, let us have no more to do with it;

Think only how to leave it as we ought,

But trust no more, and be deceiv'd no more.
Guil. Yes, I will copy thy Divine Example,
And tread the Paths are pointed out by thee:
By thee inftructed, to the fatal Block

I bend my Head with Joy, and think it Happiness
To give my Life a Ranfom for my Faith.

From thee, thou Angel of my Heart, I learn
That greateft, hardeft Task, to part with thee.

L. J. Gray. Oh, gloriously refolv'd Heaven is my Witnefs, My Heart rejoices in thee more ev'n now,

Thus

Thus conftant as thou art in Death, thus faithful, i

Than when the holy Prieft first join'd our Hands,

And knit the facred Knot of Bridal Love.

Gar. The Day wears faft; Lord Guilford, have you thought? Will you lay hold on Life?

Guil, What are the Terms?

Gar. Death, or the Mafs, attend you.

Guil, 'Tis determin'd;

Lead to the Scaffold.

Gar. Bear him to his Fate.

Guil, Oh let me fold thee once more in my Arms,
Thou dearest Treafure of my Heart, and print
A dying Husband's Kifs upon thy Lip!
Shall we not live again, ev'n in thefe Forms?

Shall I not gaze upon thee with thefe Eyes?

(Softnefs?

I. J. Gray. Oh, wherefore doft thou footh me with thy
Why doft thou wind thy felf about my Heart,
And make this Separation painful to us?
Here break we off at once; and let us now,
Forgetting Ceremony, like two Friends
That have a little Bus'nefs to be done,

Take a short Leave, and hafte to meet again.
Guil. Reft on that Hope, my Soul-

L. J. Gray. No more.

-

my Wife

Guil. My Sight hangs on thee Oh, fupport me, Heav'n'

In this laft Pang--and let us meet in Blifs.

[Guilford is led off by the Guards.

L. J. Gray. Can Nature bear this Stroke?

Wom. Alas fhe faints

ISupporting.

The killing Stroke is

(paft,

Gar

Gar. Here let the dreadful Hand of Vengence ftay:
Have Pity on your Youth and blooming Beauty 3
Caft not away the Good which Heav'n bestows

Time may have many Years in store for you,
All crown'd with fair Profperity: Your Husband
Has perish'd in Perverseness.

L. 7. Gray. Ceafe, thou Raven ;

Nor violate, with thy profaner Malice,

My bleeding Gilford's Ghoft-Tis gone, 'tis flown;
But lingers on the Wing, and waits for me!

[The Scence draws, and discovers a Scaffold hung with
Black, Executioner and Guards:

And fee my Journey's End!

1 Wom. My dearest Lady.

2 Wom, Oh, Mifery!

L. Jane. Forbear, my gentle Maids,

Nor wound my Peace with fruitlefs Lamentations,
The good and gracious Hand of Providence

Shall raise you better Friends than I have been

I Wom. Oh, never! never!
L. J. Gray. Help to difarray,

And fit me for the Black: Do this last Service,
And do it chearfully. Now you will fee
Your Poor unhappy Mistress fleep in Peace,
And ceafe from all her Sorrows. Thefe few Trifles,
The Pledges of a dying Mistress's Love,
Receive and share among you. Thou, Maria,
Haft been my old, my very faithful Servant;"
In dear Remembrance of thy Love, I leave thee
This Book, the Law of Everlasting Truth:
Make it thy Treafure ftill, 'twas my Support

[Weeping

[To : Wom.

When

When all Help else forfook me,

Gar. Will you yet

Repent, be wife, and fave your precious Life?

L. J. Gray. Oh, Winchefter! has Learning taught thee that, To barter Truth for Life?:

Gar. Miftaken Folly!

You toil and travail for your own Perditlon,

And die for damned Errors.

L. J. Gray: Who judge rightly,

And who perfift in Error, will be known,

Then, when we meet again. Once more, Farewel;

Goodnefs be ever with you. When I'm dead,
Intreat they do no rude dishonest Wrong
To my cold headlef's Corfe? but fee it shrouded,
And decent laid in Earth.

Gar. Wou't thou then die?

Thy Blood be on thy Head,

[To ber Wome

L. J. Gray, My Blood be where it falls, let the Earth hide it, And may it never rise, or call for Vengeance:

Oh, that it were the last shall fall a Victim

To Zeal's inhumane Wrath! Thou gracious Heaven,

Hear and defend at length thy fuffering People;
Raife up a Monarch of the Royal Blood,
Brave, Pious, Equitable, Wife, and Good:
In thy due Seafon let the Hero come,
To fave thy Altars from the Rage of Rome:
Long let him reign, to bless the refcu'd Land,
And deal out Justice with a righteous Hand.
And when he fails, oh, may he leave a Son,
With equal Virtues to adorn his Throne;

To