University of Virginia Library

SCENE The Queens Apartment.

Enter Isabella and Mortimer.
Mort.
Thus soft and secure we taste the Joys of Love,
Whilst buisy Polititians plot for Interest,
Whose akeing Brains Dances the Rounds of State,
And all to get the Title of a Knave:
The Soldier now lies hard for Gaudy honour,
Endures the raw rough blast of Winters Season,
With all the harsh necessities of Camps;
And for the name of Gallantry and Great,
After a long escape Provokes his Fate:
But Love.

Queen.
Ay, that my Mortimer's above 'em all,
Who envys honour that is rich in Love,
Mercy which is the Attribute of Heav'n,
The first Creator of it sure was Love,
And pitty is the Instinct of its passion.
Love makes the Vulgar proud, the Noble Gods,
The Gods themselves if Strangers to Love's Joys,
Their much admir'd Elizium is Imperfect.

Mort.
Some Musick for my Charmer, let us indulge
And gratify our Souls Luxuriously:
Raptures unknown the harmony shall raise,
Our hearts shall beat the measures of the time,
And tender sighs eccho each artfull note,
Till our soft murmurs fall by soft degrees,
And dye like o're-charg'd Flutes with too much playing.

Queen.
I cannot answer as I ought but thus.

[Embraces.
A Song. After the Song Mountacute, Delamore, and Attendants come from under the Stage.
Mort.
Now let's to our Repose my softest Love,
This Night ends all our fears, and I have those
Whose hands before the Moon has gone her Race,
Will have our Enemies all in Possession;
Young snarling Mountacute, that hot-bred boy
With his old Councellor, close Delamore shall
Smart, my Isabella.
[A Clashing of Swords.
Ha! what means this noise my Guards: what ho—
Death, it grows lowder, are they all engag'd?
Treason, Treason.
Enter Turrington bloudy.
Why that dismall object?

Tur.
Shift for your self, Sir, all's betray'd and lost,
The King and Leicester have cut off your Guards,
The City's at the Gates and shout him King.
Burn Mortimer, fire the Queen—I can no more,
But that I ever lov'd you, let this witness.

[dies.
Queen.
Oh Heav'ns! what shall we do?
Here, my best life, there is a Vault
That will convey thee.

Mount.
We will convey him, Madam, to a place
As safe as he design'd us!

Mort.
Horror and Hell!

Queen.
Oh spare my Mortimer, my gentle Son.

Mount.
Madam, you are deceiv'd, he is not come yet.

Del.
Well, haughty E. of March, what think you now?

Mort.
That I shall dye, thou'rt answer'd to thy mind.

Queen.
O, ye malitious Powers!

Moun.
Sir Tho. let's withdraw:
No doubt these Lovers have a leave to take,
We will not separate 'em too abruptly;
Call when you're teady, Sir, I shan't be out o'th way:
You, Sirs, secure the Vault.

Mort.
I scorn thy Insolence,
And Mountacute, I'le fall so nobly
[Ex. Moun. Dela.
That thou shalt loose thy ends in my calm sufferance.

Queen.
Oh Mortimer!

Mort.
Oh Isabella!

Queen.
I know not how to look or speak,
For I have brought this on thee,
My Love has tempted thee to taste Ambition,
And thou hast follow'd me in all thy actions.

Mort.
Thus the first pair their miseries surveigh'd,
When from their blessed Eden they were driven;
Their eyes seem'd to accuse 'em of the fact:
But Love in each pittied the Crime in both:
She tempted him to make him bless'd like her.
And when he found her Ruine, urg'd his own:
But oh much happyer was their Punishment,
Then both were curst, but they were curst together,
And suffering both alike, neither were wretched.

Queen.
I will not long out-live thee, for I cannot,
Thou wert the prop on which my hopes did hang,
Like curious Buildings wrought by wond'rous Art,
Where the vast frame's supported by one Pinn,
But that struck out I shatter all to ruine.

Mort.
No, live my Queen, thou may'st be happy long,
'Tis only I must bleed, my bloud's the cure,
And 'tis Impossible it can be spar'd;
But Isabella when thou shalt retire,
For oh I fear too much they will confine thee,
Think on thy March, and pardon his Ambition,
For nothing but my fondness has betray'd thee,
A vast excess of Love to make thee great,
To set thee out o'th' reach of thy Sons Power,
Lest he might slight thee as his Father did.

Queen.
Oh angry heav'ns you've punish'd us severely,
The prospect of our greatness has undone us;
The Glitt'ring shew has drawn us out too far,
And we're surpriz'd just as we thought to grasp it,
Like Voyagers seduc'd by a fair Sea,
A temperate Air, the Sky Serene and clear,
Just as they have their wish'd for shore in view,
By sudden Storms the tatter'd Bark is toss'd,
And all within the sight of Land are lost.

Mort.
He comes, thy Son approaches;
Farewell to all that's dear,
I leave a certain Heav'n to go I know not where.

Enter King, Mountacute, Delamore, Holland, Chancellour, and Serjeant.
King.
Seize the vile Traytor, hurry him down the dungeon
There let him groan till day, and then he dies.

Queen.
Oh spare him, spare him, banish us together,
But do not take his life, thy Mother pleads.

King.
Thou Scandal of my blood—remove the Queen.

Queen.
The Queen, am I not thy Mother?
Oh hear me.

King.
I'm deaf, away.

Queen.
May heav'n forget thy Prayers when thou shalt plead,
And may thy Mothers Curse hang on thy head.

[Exit.
King.
Now Chancellor for thee.
Thou shame of Church and Justice,
What can'st thou say?

Chan.

Nothing but begg for Mercy; for if your Majesty considers I
have been but a Tool, and am not the first Statesman that has been Compell'd
to be a Knave by Court-Minions.

King.
No Hereford, my Fathers blood requires thine;
Away with him, unfurnish him of all those Robes,
And give him such as fit his wickedness:
The Nation must be satisfy'd, and thou must dye.
Prepare for't, Prelate.

Chan.
This 'tis to be too Eminent in State mischiefs,
Others that wish'd as well to the Cause as I,
Will scape for not acting so publickly

[Exit.
Serj.

Ay! that Chancellor I'm afraid will not dye alone; I am Damnably
afraid his Grace to make up his Equipage must have a Chief-Justice
that we may Swing in Figure.

Mountacute brings in Maria.
Mount.
Now Sir, I claim your promise,
This Virgin is what we owe our Lives to,
Her birth you've been acquainted with,
And by what means she was compell'd to live with the Chancellor;
And sure 'twas Providence which plac'd her here for all our Benefits:
I beg her for my Wife.

King.
She's Yours, and to make her wellcome,
I invest her with all the Chancellor's Estate,
And Viscount Mountacute be Earl of Salsbury.

Mount.
Thus let us thank your Majesty

[Kneels
King.
Rise both;

Mari.
No Royall Sir, I have one boon to beg,
That old mans Life my Uncle, tho' an ill one,
Nor has he Acted ought what e're was purpos'd,
And since my being has made me the Instrument,
Of what's discover'd: I humbly would Entreat—

King.

Thou shalt not plead in vain, he's safe, and if he can be honest
we may in time take Care of him.

Serj.

I humbly thank your Majesty, and will study to deserve this
Mercy; I am not the first Knave that has turn'd honest man when he
found his Roguery would do him no good.

King.
My Lord of Leicester, Delamore, Exeter and
Holland, and all shall share our favours:
May you continue as you have begun,
The Parliament's at hand: If they Encourage me
As I Expect; they shall be satisfy'd how much I love 'em.

Del.
Doubt not their Duty Sir.

King.
To Scotland first I will an Army Lead,
And Check the Growing Mischeifs which are spread;
That done to France I will in Person go,
The Flower D'Luce shall to the Lyon bow,
If my kind Commoners are Just and Free
I'le loose my own or fix their Liberty
Long have they suffer'd by their Forreign Foes;
And Evill Kings I fear has been the Cause,
Heav'n Guide my Steps that our Records may tell,
How Edward did the Insulting French Repell,
How English-men with Glory did Return,
Whilst Gallick Ruines did our Conquests Mourn.