On my smiles. Go, get thee from me, Cromwell To be thy lord and master: Seek the king: I have told him What and how true thou art; he will advance thee: Some little memory of me will stir him (I know his noble nature) not to let Thy hopeful service perish too :-go, Cromwell! Crom. O my lord, Must I then leave you? Must I needs forego Bear witness, all that have not hearts of iron, Wol. Cromwell, I did not think to shed a tear And sleep in dull cold marble, where no mention Love thyself last; cherish those hearts that hate thee; To silence envious tongues. Be just and fear not: Lead me in; There take an inventory of all I have; To the last penny-'tis the king's :--my robe, And my integrity to Heaven, are all I dare now call mine own.-O Cromwell, Cromwell! Had I but served my God, with half the zeal I served my king, he would not, in mine age, Have left me naked to mine enemies! Crom. Good sir, have patience. Wol. So I have.-Farewell The hopes of Court! My hopes in Heaven do dwell! VII.-SCENE FROM VENICE PRESERVED.-Otroay. [DUKE, seated, with Senators on each side. PIERRE, in chains; other Conspirators in chains, near him.] Pier. You, my lords, and fathers (As you are pleased to call yourselves) of Venice; Pier. Are these the trophies I have deserved for fighting When winds and seas conspired to overthrow you, And brought the fleets of Spain to your own harbours; To stipulate the terms of sued-for peace? Produce my charge; or show the wretch that's base Duke. Know you one Jaffier? Pier. Yes, and know his virtue. His justice, truth, his general worth, and sufferings Enter JAFFIER (in chains). Pier. My friend too bound! Nay, then, Our fate has conquered us, and we must fall. Why droops the man, whose welfare's so much mine They're but one thing? These reverend tyrants, Jaffier, That e'er betrayed a generous, trusting friend, And gave up honour to be sure of ruin. All our fair hopes, which morning was to have crowned, Pier. So then, all's over: Venice has lost her freedom, I my life. No more! Duke. Say; will you make confession Of your vile deeds, and trust the senate's mercy? Pier. Curs'd be your senate, curs'd your constitution! The curse of growing factions and divisions Still vex your councils, shake your public safety, Pier. Death! honourable death! Death's the best thing we ask, or you can give. Duke. Break up the council. Captain, guard your prisoners. Jaffier, you're free, the rest must wait for judgment. [DUKE, Senators, Conspirators, and Officers, go out.] Pier. Come, where's my dungeon? Lead me to my straw: It will not be the first time I've lodged hard To do your Senate service. Jaff. Hold one moment. [Meeting PIERRE.] Pier. Who's he disputes the judgment of the Senate? Presumptuous rebel! [Strikes JAFFIER.] On! Jaff. Nay, nay, you stir not! I must be heard! I must have leave to speak. But use me as thou wilt, thou canst not wrong me, And, as there dwells a god-like nature in thee, Pier. What whining fool art thou? What holy cheat, Pier. No, know thee not. What art thou? Jaff. Jaffier, thy friend-thy once loved, valued friend! Was generous, honest, faithful, just, and valiant, Dear to my eyes, and tender to my heart: But thou, a wretched, base, false, worthless coward,- Jaff. I have not wronged thee; by these tears I have not. That once-loved, honest, valued friend of mine, And swear thou hast not wronged me? Whence these chains? Jaff. All's true; yet grant one thing, and I've done asking. Jaff. To take thy life, on such conditions The council have proposed: thou and thy friends May yet live long, and to be better treated. Pier. Life! ask my life! confess! record myself A villain, for the privilege to breathe! And carry up and down this hated city A discontented and repining spirit, Burdensome to itself, a few years longer!- For some new friend, treacherous and false as thou art! And cannot part on better terms than now, Pier. Swear by some other power, For thou hast broke that sacred oath too lately. However thy resentments deal with me. Pier. Not leave me! Jaff. No; thou shalt not force me from thee. Jaff. What? Pier. A traitor ! Peir. A villain ! Jaff. Granted. Pier. A coward!--a most scandalous coward; Spiritless, void of honour; one who has sold Thy everlasting fame, for shameless life! Jaff. All, all, and more, much more; my faults are numberless. Pier. And wouldst thou have me live on terms like thine? Base as thou'rt false Jaff. No; 'tis to me that's granted; The safety of thy life was all I aimed at, In recompense for faith and trust so broken. Pier. I scorn it more, because preserved by thee; On thy misfortunes, sought thee in thy miseries, All I received in surety for thy truth, Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger,— Given with a worthless pledge, thou since hast stolen: Swearing, by all those powers which thou hast violated, Were to exceed those limited the world. -Take it-farewell!-for now I owe thee nothing. Jaff. Say thou wilt live, then? Pier. For my life, dispose it Just as thou wilt, because 'tis what I'm tired of. Jaff. O Pierre ! Pier. No more! Jaff. My eyes won't lose the sight of thee, [Going.] [Holding him.] But languish after thine, and ache with gazing. Pier. Leave me!-Nay, then, thus, thus I throw thee from me: And curses, great as is thy falsehood, catch thee! [Throws him off.] VIII.-RIENZI AND ANGELO.-Miss Mitford. Rie. Son. Methinks this high solemnity might well Have claimed thy presence. A great ruler's heir Live on their tongues; take root within their hearts; And force man's tardier praise by bold desert: If with thy bride. But thou-where wast thou? Ang. I have not seen her.-Tribune- ! Thou wav'st away the word with such a scorn As I poured poison in thine ear.-Already Dost weary of the title? Rie. Wherefore should I? Ang. And wouldst be A king. Rie. There thou mistak'st.-A king!-Fair son, The laurel of the Cæsars: but I chose To master kings, not be one; to direct The royal puppets at my sovereign will, And Rome-my Rome, decree !-Tribune! the Gracchi Ang. Rienzi!— Tribune ! Hast thou forgotten, on this very spot How thou didst shake the slumbering soul of Rome Rie. Well? Ang. Alas! When now thou fall'st, as fall thou must, 'twill be O'erthrown to form a wider tyranny; Princes cast down, that thy obscurer house May rise on nobler ruins. Rie. Hast thou ended? I fain would have mistaken thee-Hast done? Ang. No; for, despite thy smothered wrath, the voice Of warning truth shall reach thee. Thou to-day Hast, by thy frantic sacrilege, drawn on thee Hate thee, and the people shun thee. See'st thou not, |