Sustained my spirit, loses all its charms;
I wished for freedom but to purchase thine:
For life, but to enjoy it with my love,
And she disclaims me.

Eliz. Heaven forbid ! ✪ Warwick,
Let not the tide of passion thus o'erwhelm
Thy reason.

Warw. Canst thou pardon me? thou know'st The unguarded warmth, the weakness of my na

ture.

I would not wrong thee, but I've been so oft,
So cruelly deceived!

Eliz. I know thou hast;

But never by Elizabeth.
Warw. O no!

It is impossible, that perfidy

Should wear a form like thine. [Looking at her.
I wonder not,

That Edward loved; no; when I look on thee,
All beauteous, all enchanting as thou art,
By Heaven! I think I could almost forgive him.
Eliz. Then, wherefore not be reconciled?
Warw. To whom?

The author of my wrongs? It cannot be:
Know, I have promised Margaret to destroy him.
Eliz. Destroy thy friend! ungenerous, cruel
Warwick!

Is't not enough, that thou hast triumphed here?
Already we have pierced his noble heart
With the keen pangs of disappointed love:
And would'st thou wound his breast with added

Eliz. Than thy love;

Dearer, much dearer, than Elizabeth!

But I have done: farewell, my lord; I see Thy deep resentment is not to be moved By my weak influence o'er thee.

Warw. Stay, I charge thee.

[Going.

Eliz. What is this phantom, Honour, this proud
idol,

That tramples thus on every humble virtué ?
This cruel, bloody Moloch, that delights
In human sacrifice! O! would to Heaven
I were its only victim! but, with me,
You offer up your country and your king.
Warw. Think on my vow, think on my promise
given.

Eliz. Thy league with Margaret must be fatal:
grant

We should succeed, and Lancaster once more Assume the throne; how dear the victory, That's purchased with our fellow-subjects' blood! Alas! such triumphs make the conqueror weep.

But if we fail!—
Wara. Impossible.
Eliz. O! think
Betimes! what dreadful punishments await
The vanquished rebel: thou, perhaps, my love,
Shalt then be doomed on the ignominious block
To fall inglorious; and, when thou art gone,
Who shall defend thy poor Elizabeth?
Warw. Alarming thought! It staggers my firm
purpose,

And makes me half a villain.

Enter an Officer.

Offi. Madam, the king demands your pre-
sence: Í

Have orders to convey you to the palace.
Warw. And wilt thou leave me?

Eliz. This, my Warwick, this

Is the decisive moment; now determine,
Accept of mercy, ere it be too late;
Ere hasty Edward-Shall I say thou wilt
Return to thy obedience, and receive
Thy pardon? Shall I? Speak, my love.
Warw. Perhaps

I may accept it, if 'tis brought by thee.
Eliz. Then we shall meet in happiness-
Warw. Farewell!
(Exit ELIZ.
Warw. Now to those worst companions in af-

fliction,

Soon as the rumour of thy foul disgrace
Had reached the public ear, the impatient people,
Uncertain of thy fate, tumultuous thronged
Around the palace, and demanded thee;
'Give us our Warwick! give us back,' they cried,
Our hero, our deliverer!'-I stepped forth,
And bade them, instant, if they wished to save
The best of men from infamy and death,
To follow me: transported they obeyed:
I led them hither: forced the prison gates,
And brought thee this-direct it as thou wilt.
[Gives the sword.

Warw. Welcome, once more, thou dearest gift

of Heaven,

Immortal liberty! my friend, I thank thee.
O Pembroke, would thou hadst been here! y
love,

My dear Elizabeth is true.
Pemb. At least
You think so.

Warw. She has told me such sweet truths!
Edward repents him sorely, he is grieved
At his ingratitude.

Pemb. And well he may;

I fear thou art betrayed: alas, my Warwick,
Thy open, generous, unsuspecting virtue,
Thinks every heart as honest as thy own.
Thou know'st not Edward-nor Elizabeth.
The kingdom is in arms, and every hour,
It is expected France will join the queen:
England will want its great protector's aid.
Edward and Rivers have conspired to cheat
Thy credulous ear, and who so fit to spread
The flimsy web as thy Elizabeth,

Their fair ambassadress? I see thou'rt caught. Warw. By Heaven, it may be so! I am the sport

Of fortune and of fraud,

Pemb. Away, my friend:

SCENE 1.

Enter ELIZABETH.

Eliz. The royal pardon came too late,

Pembroke

Already has released him; he is goneElizabeth may never see him more.

A thousand terrors haunt me; a fond father,
A guiltless sovereign, a distracted lover,
Fame, fortune, friends, and country, all depend
On one eventful moment-hark! the sound
Of distant groans; perhaps the king-perhaps
My Warwick bleeds. O! agonizing thought!
Great God of armies, whose all-guiding hand
Directs the fate of nations, O! look down
On thy own image! let not cruel discord
Divide their kindred souls! in pity hear,
Pour thy benignant spirit o'er their hearts,
And once more knit them in the bonds of peace!

Enter SUFFOLK.

Suff. The prayer of innocence is always heard. Eliz. Ha! Suffolk, whither hast'st thou ? art thou come

Suff. I come to heal thy sorrows, lovely fair

one,

To tell thee, Edward, and thy much-loved Warwick,

Once more are friends.

Eliz. Indeed! O welcome news! My joy's too great for utterance: tell me, Suffolk, How was it? Speak, is Warwick safe? O Heaven !

Suff. A moment's patience, and I'll tell thee all. Margaret, thou know'st, had raised a powerful force,

That doubled Edward's troops; elate with pride,
And almost sure of victory, she urged
The tardy spearmen; on they rushed, as if
Secure of conquest: the unhappy king

O'er either host. He raised his voice on high, And Stop,' he cried,' your sacrilegious hands, 'Nor touch my friend: who pierces Edward's

breast,

'Must pass through mine: I raised him to the throne,

And will support him there: to you I gave, 'From you, my fellow soldiers, I expect him: Howe'er the cruel wrongs have wounded me, 'He never injured you, and I forgive him.' He spake, and instant through the gazing crowd A murmur ran; down dropped their nerveless

arms,

As if enchanted by some magic power, And with one voice they cried, long live king Edward!

Eliz. How powerful is the tongue of eloquence, When in the cause of virtue !-well, what followed?

Suff. Encouraged by the shouting soldiers, Edward

On like a modest virgin wishing came,
Yet fearful. Warwick, with a bridegroom's speed,
To meet him flew; into each other's arms
They ran with speechless joy; the tender scene
Affected every heart, and the rough soldier,
Unused to melting sympathy, forgot
His ruthless nature, and dissolved in tears.

Eliz. Sweet reconcilement! then, Elizabeth, Thou didst not plead in vain; but, say, how brooked

The haughty queen this unexpected change ? Suff. Abashed, confounded, for a while she

strove

To stem the torrent, but in vain; then fled Precipitate.

Enter King EDWARD.

Edw. Health and peace,

And happiness to fair Elizabeth!

Thou art no stranger to the joyful news;
The lustre of those speaking eyes declares it.
Eliz. Suffolk, even now, hath blessed me with
the tidings.

Edw. Oh! 'tis amazement all: Elizabeth,
When last we met, thou wert the suppliant ; now
'Tis I must ask forgiveness; I, who injured
The dearest, best of men. Oh! thou hast saved
Edward from shame, and England from destruc-

tion.

Eliz. Did I not say my Warwick would be just?

Edw. Thou didst, and on those beauteous lips fair truth

And soft persuasion dwell; long time he stood
Inflexible, and, deaf to friendship's voice,
Listened to nought but all-subduing love.
In after-times, thy name shall be enrolled
Amongst the great deliverers of their country.

Eliz. I have no title to the lavish praise
Thy generous heart bestows; I only said
What duty prompted, and what love inspired;
Indulgent Heaven has crowned it with success.
Edw. Thou hast done all: I am indebted to

thee

For more, much more, than I can e'er repay. Long time, with shame I own, hath Warwick

soared

Above me, but I will not be outdone
For ever by this proud aspiring rival :
Poor as I am, there yet is one way left
To pay the debt of gratitude I owe him,
One great reward for such exalted virtues;
Thyself, Elizabeth.

Eliz. What means my lord,

Enter MARGARET, Prisoner.

Marg. Once more I am your prisoner. Edw. 'Twill be prudent Henceforth to keep you so.

Marg. You dare not!

Thou think'st, perhaps, that I shall sue to thee
For mercy: no; in Margaret of Anjou,
Thou seest the wife, and daughter of a king.
A spirit not to be subdued; though fallen,
Triumphant still; and, though a prisoner, free.
For know, I bear a mind above the reach
Of fortune or of Edward—I have lost
All I could wish to live for, in my child;
And gained, what most I wished to gain, revenge!
Or life or death are now indifferent to me.

Edw. For thy unbounded goodness, power su

The fate he merited.

Edw. What fate? even now, Crown'd with immortal wreaths, the hero comes To bless his friends, and punish guilt like thine. Marg. Proud and deluded wretches! I look down

With pity on you: captive as I am,

'Tis mine to judge and punish; be it yours To hear and tremble.

Edw. Ha!

Eliz. What can this mean?

Marg. If I mistake not, Warwick is your friend,

Your lover too, I think.

Eliz. My lord, my husband.

Marg. Know then, that friend, that lover, perjured Warwick,

Hath not an hour to live.

Edw. What murtherous hand

Marg. Mine, tyrant, mine: think not I mean
to hide

The noble deed: it is my happiness,
It is my glory: thou wilt call me base,
Blood-thirsty, cruel, savage, and revengeful.
But here I stand acquitted to myself,
And every feeling heart that knows my wrongs.
To late posterity, dethroned queens,

And weeping mothers, shall applaud my justice.
Edw. Justice! on whom?

Marg. Can Edward ask me? Who Imprisoned Henry, robbed me of a crown, And placed it on a proud usurper's head? Who gave his sacred promise to a queen, And broke it? Who-for which indignant Hea

ven

Chastised him-basely murthered my sweet boy?
Bereft of honour, fortune, husband, child,
Deprived of every comfort, what remained
For me but vengeance, what for him but death?
Edw. What hast thou done? When? Where!
Speak, murtheress, speak!

Marg. Pressed by surrounding multitudes, and
made

A slave, they dragged me to the conqueror's tent;

There the first horrid object I beheld,
Was the pale corpse of my poor bleeding child :
There, as the insulting Warwick stood, and
seemed

To triumph o'er him-from my breast I drew
A poniard forth, and plunged it in his heart.
The astonished soldiers thronged around him,
seized

Let them be sharp and cruel as thyself,
All that ingenious malice can suggest,
Or power inflict, 'twill be my comfort still,
They cannot be so great as those you feel.

Edw. Guards, take the monster hence! let her be chained

In some deep dungeon, dark as her own thoughts, There let her perish-hence, away with her! Marg. Despair and horror visit thee--farewell

He comes, my triumph is complete; look there! [Exit.

Enter WARWICK, leaning on two Soldiers. Warw. Where is he? Lead me, lead me to my king.

Edw. My Warwick! my preserver! she shall bleed

For this in every vein.

Warw. Think not of her,

She has no power to hurt thee! and with guilt
Like her's, 'tis punishment enough to live:
This is no time for vengeance; death comes on
With hasty strides-'tis but a little while-
A few short moments, and we part for ever.
My friend-

Edw. I am not worthy of the name,
For I disgraced, dishonoured, murdered thee;
Edward's unkindness was the cause of all:
Canst thou forgive me?

Warw. O may Warwick's crimes
Ne'er meet forgiveness from offended Heaven,
If from my soul I do not pardon, love,
And honour thee!

Edw. Away, let me support him! 'Tis the last office I shall e'er perform For thee, my Warwick-Wilt thou lean upon me, And seal my pardon with one kind embrace? Warw. We never hated.

Edw. But my love was blind.

Warw. And blinder my resentment,
Edw. I forgot

Thy services.

Warw. And I remembered not

Thou wert my king-My sweet Elizabeth, Where is she! Edward, do not keep her from me; We are no rivals now.

Edw. Shocked at the news

Of thy untimely fate, she sunk beneath it,
And fainted in these arms: I seized the occa

sion,

And bade her weeping maidens bear her hence:
This would have been a dreadful sight indeed.
Eliz. [Without.] I can, I will support it.
Warw. Ha? that voice-
Sure 'tis Elizabeth's!

Enter ELIZABETH.

Eliz. O! give me way,

For I must see him-O! my Warwick!
Warw. O!

This is too much! the bitterness of death
Is to be severed thus from those we love.

Edw. Why would you bring her here?
[To the Attendants