And make thee partner of the joy dwells there?
For thou art comfortless, full of affliction,
Heavy of heart as the forsaken widow,
And desolate as orphans. Oh! my fair one!
Thy Edward shines amongst the brightest stars,
And yet thy sorrows seek him in the grave.
Lady J.G. Alas! my dearest lord! a thousand griefs Beset my anxious heart and yet, as if
The burden were too little, I have added
The weight of all thy cares; and, like the miser,
Increase of wealth has made me but more wretched.
The morning light seems not to rise as usual,
It draws not to me, like my virgin days,
But brings new thoughts and other fears upon me;
I tremble, and my anxious heart is pain'd,
Lest aught but good should happen to my Guilford. Guil. Nothing but good can happen to thy Guilford,
While thou art by his side, his better angel,
His blessing and his guard.
Lady J. G. Why came we hither?
Why was I drawn to this unlucky place,
This Tower, so often stain'd with royal blood?
Here the fourth Edward's helpless sons were mur-
der'd,
And pious Henry fell by ruthless Gloster:
Is this the place allotted for rejoicing?
The bower adorn'd to keep our nuptial feast in ?
Methinks suspicion and distrust dwell here,
Staring with meagre forms thro' grated windows;
Death lurks within, and unrelenting punishment:
Without grim danger, fear, and fiercest power
Sit on the rude old towers, and Gothic battlements;
While horror overlooks the dreadful wall,
And frowns on all around.
Guil. In safety here,
The lords o' th' council have this morn decreed
To meet, and with united care support
The feeble tottering state. To thee, my princess,
Whose royal veins are rich in Henry's blood,
With one consent the noblest heads are bow'd:
From thee they ask a sanction to their counsels,
And from thy healing hand expect a cure,
For England's loss in Edward.
Lady J. G. How! from me!
Alas! my lord-But sure thou mean'st to mock me?
Guil. No; by the love my faithful heart is full of!
But see, thy mother, gracious Suffolk, comes
To intercept my story: she shall tell thee;
For in her look I read the lab'ring thought,
What vast event thy fate is now disclosing.
Enter the DUCHESS of SUFFOLK.
Duchess S. No more complain, indulge thy tears
Thy pious grief has giv'n the grave its due :
Let thy heart kindle with the highest hopes;
Expand thy bosom, let thy soul enlarged,
Make room to entertain the coming glory!
For majesty and purple greatness court thee;
Homage and low subjection wait: a crown,
That makes the princes of the earth like gods;
A crown, my daughter, England's crown attends,
To bind thy brows with its imperial wreath.
Lady J.G. Amazement chills my veins! What
my mother?
Duchess S. "Tis Heaven's decree; for our expiring
When now, just struggling to his native skies,
Ev'n on the verge of heav'n, in sight of angels,
That hover'd round to waft him to the stars,
Even then declar'd my Jane for his successor.
Lady J. G. Could Edward do this? could the dying
Bequeath his crown to me? Oh! fatal bounty !
To me! but 'tis impossible ! We dream.
A thousand and a thousand bars oppose me,
Rise in my way, and intercept my passage.
Ev'n you, my gracious mother, what must you be,
Ere I can be a queen?
Duchess S. That, and that only,
Thy mother; fonder of that tender name,
Than all the proud additions pow'r can give.
Yes, I will give up all my share of greatness,
And live in low obscurity for ever,
To see thee rais'd, thou darling of my heart,
And fix'd upon a throne. But see thy father,
Northumberland, with all the council, come
To pay their vow'd allegiance at thy feet,
To kneel, and call thee queen.
Lady J. G. Support me, Guilford;
Give me thy aid; stay thou my fainting soul,
And help me to repress this growing danger.
Enter SUFFOLK, NORTHUMBERLAND, LORDS, and others of the PRIVY COUNCIL.
North. Hail, sacred princess, sprung from ancient kings,
Our England's dearest hope, undoubted offspring
Of York and Lancaster's united line;
By whose bright zeal, by whose victorious faith,
Guarded and fenc'd around our pure religion,
That lamp of truth which shines upon our altars,
Shall lift its golden head, and flourish long;
Beneath whose awful rule, and righteous sceptre,
The plenteous years shall roll in long succession;
Law shall prevail, and ancient right take place,
Fair liberty shall lift her cheerful head,
Fearless of tyranny and proud oppression;
No sad complaining in our streets shall cry,
But justice shall be exercised in mercy.
Hail, royal Jane! behold, we bend our knees,
[They kneel.
The pledge of homage, and thy land's obedience;
With humblest duty thus we kneel, and own thee
Our liege, our sovereign lady, and our queen.
Lady J. G. Oh, rise,
My father, rise!
And you, my father, too!
Rise, all, nor cover me with this confusion. [They rise. What means this mock, this masquing show of great
Why do you hang these pageant glories on me,
And dress me up in honours not my own?
North. The daughters of our late great master Henry,
Stand both by law excluded from succession.
And fix a power unquestion'd in your hand,
Edward, by will, bequeath'd his crown to you:
And the concurring lords in council met,
Have ratify'd the gift.
Lady J. G. Are crowns and empire,
The government and safety of mankind,
Trifles of such light moment, to be left
Like some rich toy, a ring, or fancy'd gem,
The pledge of parting friends? Can kings do thus,
And give away a people for a legacy?
North. Forgive me, princely lady, if my wonder Seizes each sense, each faculty of mind,
To see the utmost wish the great can form,
A crown, thus coldly met: A crown, which slighted,
And left in scorn by you, shall soon be sought,
And find a joyful wearer; one, perhaps,
Of blood unkindred to your royal house,
And fix its glories in another line.
Lady J. G. Where art thou now, thou partner of [Turning to GUILFORD. Come to my aid, and help to bear this burden: Oh! save me from this sorrow, this misfortune, Which in the shape of gorgeous greatness comes To crown, and make a wretch of me for ever.
Guil. Thou weep'st, my queen, and hang'st thy
Like nodding poppies, heavy with the rain,
That bow their weary necks, and bend to earth.
See, by thy side, thy faithful Guilford stands,
Prepar'd to keep distress and danger from thee,
To wear thy sacred cause upon his sword,
And war against the world in thy defence.
North. Oh! stay this inauspicious stream of tears,
And cheer your people with one gracious smile.
Nor comes your fate in such a dreadful form
To bid you shun it. Turn those sacred eyes
On the bright prospect empire spreads before you.
Methinks I see you seated on the throne;
Beneath your feet, the kingdom's great degrees
In bright confusion shine, mitres and coronets,
The various ermine, and the glowing purple ;
Assembled senates wait with awful dread,
To 'firm your high commands, and make them fate. Lady J. G. You turn to view the painted side of royalty,
And cover all the cares that lurk beneath.
Is it, to be a queen, to sit aloft,
In solemn, dull, uncomfortable state,
The flatter'd idol of a servile court?
Is it to draw a pompous train along,
A pageant, for the wond'ring crowd to gaze at?
Is it, in wantonness of power to reign,
And make the world subservient to my pleasure.
Is it not rather, to be greatly wretched,
To watch, to toil, to take a sacred charge,
To bend each day before high Heav'n, and own,
This people hast thou trusted to my hand,
And at my hand, I know, thou shalt require them?
Alas, Northumberland!-My father!-Is it not
To live a life of care, and when I die,
Have more to answer for before my Judge,
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