Is my reward.-O, give me but the use
Of this once powerful arm, and thou shalt see
How it shall punish falsehood.-Are thy forces
Prepar❜d?

Pemb. They are, and wait but for my orders:
Clarence will join us soon; our first great end
Is to secure thy liberty; that done,

We haste to seize the palace, and redeem
The fair Elizabeth.

Warw. Redeem her! ha!

Is she a captive too?

Pemb. A willing slave;

A gay state prisoner, left to roam at large
O'er the young monarch's palace.

Warw. Ay, my Pembroke !

That's more inviting than a prison. O,
She's false, she's false !-

Pemb. She came,

-Who sent her there?

It seems, to thank him for his royal bounties
To her good father, the new Earl of Rivers,
Who will, no doubt, persuade her to accept-
Warw. Of Edward's hand--Distraction! fly, my
friend,

Haste thee to Marg'ret; tell her, if she hopes
For Warwick's aid, she must release him now,
Ere Edward's ill-tim'd mercy shall prevent her.
Pemb. I go, my friend; adieu! when next we meet,
I hope to bring thee liberty.
[Exit.

Warw. Farewell!

She's lost! she's gone! that base seducer, Edward, Hath wrought on her weak mind; it must be so.

Enter a MESSENGER.

Mess. My lord,

The Lady Elizabeth.

Warw. Amazement! sure

It cannot be ! admit her, sir.

Why, what

[Exit MESSENGEer.

Could bring her here? Edward has sent her hither, To see if I will crouch to him for pardon.

Be still, my jealous heart-

Enter LADY ELIZABETH GREY.

Lady E. G. My Warwick!

Warw. 'Tis a grace I look'd not for,
That a fair fav'rite, who so late had tasted
The pleasures of a court, should condescend
To visit thus a poor abandon'd captive.

Lady E. G. I come to take my portion of misfor

tune,

To pour the balm of comfort in, and heal,

If possible, the wounds which I had made,
Too well I know I was the fatal cause

Of all thy sorrows-but the noble Edward,
For so, indeed, he is-

Warw. And art thou come,

To plead the cause of him who sent me hither?
Lady E. G. I come to be the messenger of peace,
To calm thy troubled soul, and give thee rest;
To teach my Warwick to forget his wrongs.

Warw. Forget my wrongs! was that thy errand here,

To teach me low submission to a tyrant;
To ask forgiveness, kneel, and deprecate
The wrath of blust'ring Edward? If thou com'st
On terms like these to bring me freedom, know
It will not be accepted: now I see

Through all your arts; by Heav'n, I'd rather lose
A thousand lives, than owe one to his bounty.

Lady E. G. Either my Warwick is much chang'd, and so

I fear he is, or he would never talk

Thus coldly to me, never would despise
A life so precious, if he knew how much
Elizabeth had suffer'd to preserve it.

The gallant Edward, won by my entreaties.

Warw. Entreaties! didst thou then descend so low, As to entreat him for me?

Lady E. G. Hadst thou seen,

When I implor'd him to forgive my Warwick,
How kind he look'd, how his repenting heart
Heav'd with the pangs of agonizing friendship,
Thou wouldst have pity'd him.

Warw. Deceitful woman!

I see thy falsehood now; I am betray'd,
And thou art leagu'd with Edward to destroy me.
Go to your royal lover, and unite

Those only fit companions for each other,
A broken friendship, and a perjur'd love.

Lady E. G. Unkind suggestions! how have I de
serv'd it?

Have I for this refus'd a youthful monarch,
And spurn'd his offer'd sceptre at my feet?
But since I am suspected, witness Heav'n,
And witness, Warwick, to my vows! henceforth,
Dear as thou art, I cast thee from my love;
Elizabeth will never wed-a traitor!

Warw. Am I awake, and did Elizabeth
Say she would never wed her faithful Warwick?
I wish'd for freedom, but to purchase thine :
For life, but to enjoy it with my love,
And she disclaims me.

Lady E. G. Heav'n forbid! O, Warwick,
Let not the tide of passion thus o'erwhelm
Thy_reason.

Warw. Canst thou pardon me? thou know'st Th' unguarded warmth, the weakness of my nature. I would not wrong thee, but I've been so oft, So cruelly deceiv'd.

Lady E. G. 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 lov'd: no, when I look on thee,
All beauteous, all enchanting as thou art,
By Heav'n! I think I could almost forgive him.
Lady E. G. Then wherefore not be reconcil'd?
Warw. To whom?

The author of my wrongs? It cannot be:
Know, I have promis'd Marg'ret to destroy him.
Lady E. G. Destroy thy friend! ungen'rous, cruel
Warwick!

Is't not enough that thou hast triumph'd here ?
Already we have pierc'd his noble heart

With the keen pangs of disappointed love:

And wouldst thou wound his breast with added sorrows?

Wouldst thou involve a nation in his ruin?

Warw. Elizabeth, no more: alas! too well Thou know'st, there is a pow'rful advocate

In Warwick's breast, that pleads for perjur'd Edward.

Lady E. G. Cherish the soft emotion: O, my Warwick!

Warw. That angel form can never plead in vain:
But then, my friends-where is my solemn vow
To Margret, and to Pembroke? There's the tie.
Lady E. G. Thy league with Margret must be fa-
tal: grant

We should succeed, and Lancaster once more
Assume the throne; how dear the victory,
That's purchas'd with our fellow subjects' blood
But if we fall-

Warw. Impossible!

Lady E. G. Oh, think

Betimes, what dreadful punishments await
The vanquish'd rebel! thou, perhaps, my love,
Shalt then be doom'd to th' 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 presence; I Have orders to convey you to the palace. Warw. And wilt thou leave me? Lady E. G. This, my Warwick, this Is the decisive moment; now determine, Accept of mercy, erc it be too late;

Ere hasty Edward—

-Shall I say thou wilt

Return to thy obedience, and receive
Thy pardon? Shall I

Warw. Perhaps

Speak, my love.

I may accept it, if 'tis brought by thee.

Lady E. G. Then we shall meet in happiness-
Warw. Farewell!

[Exit LADY ELIZABETH.

Now to those worst companions in affliction,
My own sad thoughts, again; they're gloomy all,
And, like my habitation, full of horror.
I like not Edward's message; if he hears
My league with Margret, he still has pow'r
To make me feel his rage: I have deserv'd it-

[A Trampling heard without, Methought I heard a noise-this way they come. Perhaps it is the messenger of death

Enter PEMBROKE.

Pemb. The messenger of vengeance--see her sword;

Accept it, and be free.

Warw. First let me know

To whom I am indebted for't.

Pemb. To me.

[Offers the Sword.

Soon as the rumour of thy foul disgrace

Had reach'd the public ear, th' impatient people,
Uncertain of thy fate, tumultuous throng'd

Around the palace, and demanded thee: