University of Virginia Library

SCENE, The King discover'd on a Couch.
Kind Sleep, farewel!
Thou hast been loyal in the nightly Care,
And always smooth'd my Pillow; at our Parting,
As to a faithful Friend, I say Farewel,
And thank thee for thy Service: Here's another,
Enter Bp. JUXON.
Whose better Care brings Quiet to the Mind:
Who gives the rich Opiate of Content,
That makes us sleep in Hope, and wake to Mercy;
Him too, the Bankrupt Charles can only pay,
As he has done the former, no Return,
But the poor Gratitude of Thanks, warm from the Heart.
Say, my good Lord, have you so soften'd Rigour,
That I may see my Children ere I die?

JUXON.
It is permitted, Sir, they wait without:
I would not let them enter, 'till I knew
You were prepar'd, and ready for the Interview.

[Exit Juxon.
KING.
Good Juxon, lead them hither. Now the Father,
Spite of my Firmness, steals into my Eye,
And melts my Manhood; Heart! thou hast no Temper
Proof against Nature, speaking in a Child.

Enter Bp. JUXON, JAMES, GLO'STER, and ELIZABETH.
JAMES.
My Royal Father!

KING.
Good Juxon, make them rise,
For if I look that Way I shall kneel too,
And join with them in Tears; A Chair, good Juxon.
[Juxon brings a Chair forward, and raises the Children.
Come hither, James; nay, do not weep, my Boy,
Keep thy Eyes bright to look on better Times.

JAMES.
I will command my Nature if I can,
And stop these Tears of Sorrow, for indeed
They drown my Sight; and I would view thee well;
Copy my Royal Father in his Death,
And be the Son of his heroic Virtues

KING.
Thou art the Child of Duty; hear me, James,
And lay up this last Lesson in thy Heart;
When I am dead, look on thy Brother Charles,
Not as thy Brother only, but thy King;
Pay him Fraternal Love and Subject Duty;
Nor let Ambition, or the Thirst to reign,
Poison thy firm Allegiance: When thou seest him,
Bear him my Blessing, and this last Advice:
If Heav'n restores him to his lawful Crown,
Let him wreak no Revenge upon his Foes,
But think it his best Conquest to forgive;
With Kindness let him treat Success, so shall she be
A constant Guest; his Promise, when once given,
Let no Advantage break; nor any View
Make him give up his Honesty to reach it;
Let him maintain his Pow'r, but not increase it;
The String Prerogative, when strain'd too high,
Cracks, like the tortur'd Chord of Harmony,
And spoils the Consort between King and Subject;
‘Let him regard his People more than Minister,
‘Whose Interest or Ambition may mislead him;
These Rules observ'd, may make him a good Prince,
And happier than his Father—Wilt thou, James,
Remember this?

JAMES.
O doubt not, Royal Sir,
Can what my Father says escape my Memory,
And at a time when he shall speak no more.

KING.
Come to my Arms, my Boy.

JAMES.
Would I cou'd weep the Blood that warms my Heart,
For Water wrongs my Sorrow.

KING.
My dear Elizabeth,
Draw near, and take thy dying Father's Blessing;
Say to thy Mother (if thou e'er shalt see her)
That my Thoughts never wander'd from her, that my Heart
Holds her as dear, e'en in this Hour of Death,
As when my Eyes first languish'd on her Beauties:
Tell her, that Charles is only gone before
To merit an immortal Crown, and share it with her!
Farewel, Elizabeth, and let thy Love,
And thy Obedience wait thy Brother Charles.

ELIZABETH.
Alas, my Father, I but now have found
A Passage for my Words, and yet you say
Farewel already.

KING.
Come, my little Glo'ster.
Come to my Arms, and let me kiss thy Cheek.

GLO'STER.
Alas, my Lord! 'tis cold and wet with Tears,
I'll wipe it dry, and warm it with my Hand,
That it may meet your Kindness as it ought.

KING.
Glo'ster, when I am dead, your Brother Charles
Is then your King and Master—Love and obey him.
These Men who shall cut off thy Father's Head,
When I am dead, perhaps, may make thee King;
But do not thou, I charge thee on my Blessing,
Accept the Crown while thy two Brothers live;
Consider, Glo'ster, they were born before thee,
And have an elder Title; wilt thou, Glo'ster?

GLO'STER.
A King! no, they shall tear me first in Pieces.

KING.
O Nature, Nature, do not strike so deeply;
This Scene is worse than Death—I am ready, Sir.

[Tomlinson at the Door.
JAMES.
O, Sir.

ELIZABETH.
My Lord!

GLO'STER.
My Father.

KING.
Oh!

GLO'STER.
I cannot part from you, my dearest Father!
Would not those bloody Men that cut your Head off,
If I should beg it, cut off mine?

KING.
Heart, thou art Marble, not to break at this—
Yet I must go, for dire Necessity
Has struggled long with my paternal Fondness,
And has at length prevail'd: Farewel at once,
[Going, returns.
I thought I had taken my last Leave of them,
But find that Nature calls me back again,
And asks another Look, another parting Kiss;
[Embrace.
Be virtuous, and be happy.

GLO'STER.
O my poor Father—

[They are led off.
KING.
So, now 'tis over—Let thy friendly Aid,
Good Juxon, bear me Company to Death—
Now, Sir, lead on; ere long I hope to see
A World more glorious; where no Discord lives,
Nor Error rises, and no Faction thrives:
There the unfetter'd Mind Perfection knows,
And looks with Pity upon humane Woes.

[Exeunt.
Enter Duke of RICHMOND, and Marquiss of LINDSEY.
RICHMOND.
O fatal Day! now Horror is on foot
In her worst Garb, and stern Calamity
Can do no more to England: Charles's Sun
Sets in his Blood, and blushes for his People.

LINDSEY.
What awful Majesty his Visage bears,
Nor deigns the Tribute of one sorrowing Look,
To grace Misfortune.

RICHMOND.
Look where Fairfax comes;
His Motion wild, and his distemper'd Eye
Shoots Fire around, and speaks some strange Emotion.

Enter FAIRFAX.
FAIRFAX.
Curs'd be the Villain's Arts, and every Wile
That wrought me to believe him: O Credulity,
Thou hast as many Ears as Fame has Tongues,
Open to every Sound of Truth and Falshood!
'Tis now too late, impossible to save him:
Fool that I was, I knew him for a Villain,
Yet trusted to him, to the Monster Cromwell.

RICHMOND.
Fairfax, the World acquits thee of the Deed;
Thy Pow'r has labour'd strongly for his Safety:—
Behold where Juxon the good Bishop comes,
Return'd from his last Service to his Master.

FAIRFAX.
I will not stay to hear the sad Relation,
But think on my Revenge on Cromwell;
May the Mercy which he deny'd to Charles's mortal Part,
Ne'er light upon his Soul, tho' at his last Intreaty.

Enter JUXON.
RICHMOND.
Charles is at Peace.

JUXON.
He is, my gentle Lord;
And may we all meet Death with equal Firmness!
Patience sat by him in an Angel's Garb,
And held out a full Bowl of rich Content,
Of which he largely quaff'd: Then came Charity,
And in behalf of Charles, with hasty Hand,
Dealt round Forgiveness to the World; his Pray'r
Was for his Foes more earnest than himself,
Because their Wants were greater—Thus fell Charles!
A Monument of Shame to the present Age—
A Warning to the future: His Example
May prove this Maxim's Truth to all Mankind;
The Subject's Reverence, and the Prince's Love,
Grasping, and grasp'd, walk Hand in Hand together,
Strengthned by Union; then, the King's Command
Is lost in the Obedience of the Subject;
The King, unask'd, confirm'd the Peoples Rights,
And by the willing Gift prevents the Claim:
These are the Virtues that endear a King,
Adorn a People, and true Greatness bring.