_The Tower._
_Enter ESSEX and SOUTHAMPTON._
_Essex._ Oh, name it not! my friend shall live--he shall!
I know her royal mercy, and her goodness,
Will give you back to life, to length of days,
And me to honour, loyalty, and truth.
Death is still distant far.
_South._ In life's first spring,
Our green affections grew apace and prosper'd;
The genial summer swell'd our joyful hearts,
To meet and mix each growing fruitful wish.
We're now embark'd upon that stormy flood,
Where all the wise and brave are gone before us,
E'er since the birth of time, to meet eternity.
And what is death, did we consider right?
Shall we, who sought him in the paths of terror,
And faced him in the dreadful walks of war,
Shall we astonish'd shrink, like frighted infants,
And start at scaffolds, and their gloomy trappings?
_Essex._ Yet, still I trust long years remain of friendship.
Let smiling hope drive doubt and fear away,
And death be banish'd far; where creeping age,
Disease, and care, invite him to their dwelling.
I feel assurance rise within my breast,
That all will yet be well.
_South._ Count not on hope--
We never can take leave, my friend, of life,
On nobler terms. Life! what is life? A shadow!
Its date is but the immediate breath we draw;
Nor have we surety for a second gale;
Ten thousand accidents in ambush lie
For the embody'd dream.
A frail and fickle tenement it is,
Which, like the brittle glass that measures time,
Is often broke, ere half its sands are run.
_Essex._ Such cold philosophy the heart disdains,
And friendship shudders at the moral tale.
My friend, the fearful precipice is past,
And danger dare not meet us more. Fly swift,
Ye better angels, waft the welcome tidings
Of pardon to my friend--of life and joy!
_Enter LIEUTENANT._
_Lieut._ I grieve to be the messenger of woe,
But must, my lords, entreat you to prepare
For instant death. Here is the royal mandate,
That orders your immediate execution.
_Essex._ Immediate execution! what, so sudden?--
No message from the queen, or Nottingham!
_Lieut._ None, sir.
_Essex._ Deluded hopes! Oh, worse than death!
Perfidious queen! to make a mock of life!
My friend--my friend destroy'd! Why could not mine--
My life atone for both--my blood appease?
Can you, my friend, forgive me?
_South._ Yes, oh yes,
My bosom's better half, I can.--With thee,
I'll gladly seek the coast unknown, and leave
The lessening mark of irksome life behind.
With thee, my friend, 'tis joy to die!--'tis glory!
For who would wait the tardy stroke of time?
Or cling like reptiles to the verge of being,
When we can bravely leap from life at once,
And spring, triumphant, in a friend's embrace?
_Enter RALEIGH._
_Ral._ To you, my Lord Southampton, from the queen,
A pardon comes; your life her mercy spares.
_Essex._ For ever blest be that indulgent power
Which saves my friend! This weight ta'en off, my soul
Shall upward spring, and mingle with the bless'd.
_South._ All-ruling Heavens! can this--can this be just?
Support me! hold, ye straining heart-strings, hold,
And keep my sinking frame from dissolution!
Oh, 'tis too much for mortal strength to bear,
Or thought to suffer!--No, I'll die with thee!
They shall not part us, Essex!
_Essex._ Live, oh, live!
Thou noblest, bravest, best of men and friends!
Whilst life is worth thy wish--till time and thou
Agree to part, and nature send thee to me!
Thou generous soul, farewell!----Live, and be happy!
And, oh! may life make largely up to thee
Whatever blessing fate has thus cut off,
From thy departing friend!
_Lieut._ My lord, my warrant
Strictly forbids to grant a moment's time.
_South._ Oh, must we part for ever? Cruel fortune!
Wilt thou then tear him hence?--Severe divorce!
Let me cling round thy sacred person still,--
Still clasp thee to my bosom close, and keep
Stern Fate at distance.
_Essex._ Oh, my friend! we'll meet
Again, where virtue finds a just reward!
Where factious malice never more can reach us!
I need not bid thee guard my fame from wrongs:
And, oh! a dearer treasure to thy care
I trust, than either life or fame--my wife!
Oh, she will want a friend!
Then take her to thy care--do thou pour balm
On her deep-wounded spirit, and let her find
My tender helps in thee!--I must be gone,
My ever faithful, and my gallant friend!
I pr'ythee, leave this woman's work.--Farewell!
Take this last, dear embrace--Farewell for ever!
_South._ My bursting breast! I fain would speak, but words
Are poor--Farewell!--
But we shall meet again--embrace in one
Eternal band, which never shall be loosed. [_Exit._
_Essex._ To death's concluding stroke, lead on, Lieutenant.--
My wife!--Now reason, fortitude, support me!
For now, indeed, comes on my sorest trial.
_Enter COUNTESS of RUTLAND._
Oh, thou last, dear reserve of fortune's malice!
For fate can add no more,--
Oh, com'st thou now to arrest my parting soul,
And force it back to life?
_Rut._ Thou sole delight--
Thou only joy which life could ever give,
Or death deprive me of--my wedded lord!
I come, with thee, determined to endure
The utmost rigour of our angry stars!
To join thee, fearless, in the grasp of death,
And seek some dwelling in a world beyond it!
_Essex._ Too much, thou partner of this dismal hour,
Thy gen'rous soul would prompt thee to endure!
Nor can thy tender, trembling, heart sustain it.
Long years of bliss remain in store for thee;
And smiling time his treasures shall unfold
To bribe thy stay!
_Rut._ Thou cruel comforter!
Alas! what's life--what's hated life to me?
Alas, this universe, this goodly frame,
Shall all as one continued curse appear,
And every object blast, when thou art gone.
_Essex._ Oh, strain not thus the little strength I've left,
The weak support that holds up life! to bear
A few short moments more, its weight of woe,
Its loss of thee! Oh, turn away those eyes!
Nor with that look melt down my fix'd resolve!
And yet a little longer let me gaze
On that loved form! Alas! I feel my sight
Grows dim, and reason from her throne retires:
For pity's sake, let go my breaking heart,
And leave me to my fate!
_Rut._ Why wilt thou still
Of parting talk?
Oh, that the friendly hand of Heaven would snatch
Us both at once, above the distant stars,
Where fortune's venom'd shafts can never pierce,
Nor cruel queens destroy!
_Essex._ The awful Searcher, whose impartial eye
Explores the secrets of each human heart,
And every thought surveys, can witness for me,
How close thy image clings around my soul!
Retards each rising wish, and draws me back
To life, entangled by that loved idea!
_Lieut._ My lord,
It now grows late.
_Essex._ Lead on.
_Rut._ Stay, stay, my love! my dearest, dying lord!
Ah! whither wouldst thou go? Ah, do not leave me! [_Faints._
_Essex._ Thou sinking excellence! thou matchless woman!
Shall fortune rob me of thy dear embrace,
Or earth's whole power, or death divide us now?
Stay, stay, thou spotless, injured saint!
_Lieut._ My lord, already you have been indulged
Beyond what I can warrant by my orders.
_Essex._ One moment more
Afford me to my sorrows--Oh, look there!
Could bitter anguish pierce your heart, like mine,
You'd pity now the mortal pangs I feel,
The throbs that tear my vital strings away,
And rend my agonizing soul.
_Lieut._ My lord----
_Essex._ But one short moment, and I will attend.
Ye sacred ministers, that virtue guard,
And shield the righteous in the paths of peril,
Restore her back to life, and lengthen'd years
Of joy! dry up her bleeding sorrows all!
Oh, cancel from her thoughts this dismal hour,
And blot my image from her sad remembrance!
'Tis done.--
And now, ye trembling cords of life, give way!
Nature and time, let go your hold!--Eternity
Demands me. [_Exeunt ESSEX and LIEUTENANT._
_Rut._ Where has my lost, benighted soul been wand'ring?--
What means this mist, that hangs about my mind,
Through which reflection's painful eye discerns
Imperfect forms and horrid shapes of woe?--
The cloud dispels, the shades withdraw, and all
My dreadful fate appears.--Oh! where's my lord?--
My life! my Essex! Oh! whither have they ta'en him?
_Enter QUEEN ELIZABETH and ATTENDANTS._
_Qu. Eliz._ To execution!--Fly with lightning's wing,
And save him!
Be calm, he shall not die! Rise up--I came
To save his life.
_Rut._ 'Tis mercy's voice that speaks!--
My Essex shall again be mine! My queen,
My bounteous, gracious queen, has said the word!
May troops of angels guard thy sacred life!
And, in thy latest moments, waft thy soul,
To meet that mercy in the realms of joy,
Which, now, thy royal goodness grants to me!
_Enter BURLEIGH._
_Bur._ Madam, your orders came, alas! too late.
Ere they arrived, the axe had fallen on Essex.
_Rut._ Ha! dead! What hell is this, that opens round me?
What fiend art thou, that draws the horrid scene?
Ah! Burleigh! bloody murd'rer! where's my husband?
Oh! where's my lord, my Essex?
Destruction seize, and madness rend my brain!
See,--see they bend him to the fatal block!
Now--now the horrid axe is lifted high--
It falls--it falls!--he bleeds--he bleeds! he dies!
_Qu. Eliz._ Alas! her sorrows pierce my suffering heart!
_Rut._ Eternal discord tear the social world,
And nature's laws dissolve! expunge--erase
The hated marks of Time's engraving hand,
And every trace destroy! Arise, Despair!
Assert thy rightful claim--possess me all!
Bear, bear me to my murder'd lord--to clasp
His bleeding body in my dying arms!
And, in the tomb, embrace his dear remains,
And mingle with his dust--for ever! [_Exit._
_Qu. Eliz._ Hapless woman!
She shall henceforth be partner of my sorrows,
And we'll contend who most shall weep for Essex.
Oh, quick to kill, and ready to destroy! [_To BURLEIGH._
Could no pretext be found--no cause appear,
To lengthen mercy out a moment more,
And stretch the span of grace?--Oh, cruel Burleigh!
This, this was thy dark work, unpitying man!
_Bur._ My gracious mistress, blame not thus my duty,
My firm obedience to your high command.
The laws condemn'd him first to die; nor think
I stood between your mercy and his life.
It was the Lady Nottingham, not I.
Herself confess'd it all, in wild despair,
That, from your majesty to Essex sent
With terms of proffer'd grace, she then received,
From his own hand, a fatal ring, a pledge,
It seems, of much importance, which the earl,
With earnest suit, and warm entreaty, begg'd her,
As she would prize his life, to give your majesty;
In this she fail'd--In this she murder'd Essex.
_Qu. Eliz._ Oh, barbarous woman!
Surrounded still by treachery and fraud!
What bloody deed is this!--Thou injured Essex!
My fame is soil'd to all succeeding times;
But Heaven alone can view my breaking heart--
Then let its will be done.
From hence, let proud, resisting mortals know
The arm parental, and the indulgent blow.
To Heaven's corrective rod submissive bend;
Adore its wisdom, on its power depend;
Whilst ruling justice guides eternal sway,
Let nature tremble, and let man obey. [_Exeunt._
THE END.
Transcriber's Note: The following typographical errors present in the
original edition have been corrected.
In Act II, Scene I, missing periods were added after "Her majesty to
milder thoughts" and "The force of love".
In Act III, Scene II, "pure affectio ;" was changed to "pure
affection;", and "' Tis clear" was changed to "'Tis clear".
In Act IV, Scene I, "Vouchfafe your Essex" was changed to "Vouchsafe
your Essex", and a missing comma was added after "avenge the wrong".
In Act V, Scene I, "Each pasing hour" was changed to "Each passing
hour".
In Act V, Scene III, the dialogue tag "Qd. Eliz." was changed to "Qu.
Eliz." in the line beginning "To execution!--Fly with lightning's wing",
and "'Tis mercys voice" was changed to "'Tis mercy's voice".