I bend my head with joy, and think it happiness Heav'n is my [witness, Gard. The day wears fast; Lord Guilford, have you Will you lay hold on life? Guil. What are the terms? Gard. Death, or the mass, attend you.. Guil. 'Tis determin'd,: Lead to the scaffold. Gard. Bear him to his fate. [thought? Guil. Oh! let me fold thee once more in my arms, Thou dearest treasure of my heart, and print A dying husband's kiss upon thy lip!' Shall we not live again, ev'n in those forms? L. J. Gray. Oh, wherefore dost thou soothe me with thy softness? Why dost thou wind. thyself about my heart, Guil. My sight hangs on thee Oh, support me, [Heav'n, In this last pang-and let us meet in bliss! [Guilford is led off by the Guard. Esupporting L. J. Gray. Can nature bear this stroke?' First Wom. Alas, she faints! L. J. Gray. Wo't thou fail now?—The killing stroke And all the bitterness of death is o'er.* [is past, * When Lord Russel (who was beheaded in the time of Charles Gard. Here let the dreadful hand of vengeance stay; Have pity on your youth, and blooming beauty; Cast not away the good which Heav'n bestows;' Time may have many years in store for you, All crown'd with fair prosperity. Has perish'd in perverseness. L. J. Gray. Cease, thou raven, Your husband Nor violate with thy profaner malice, My bleeding Guilford's ghost-'Tis gone, 'tis flown; [Folding-doors at the back of the stage are opened And see my journey's end. First Wom. My dearest lady. "Second Wom. Oh, misery!' L. J. Gray. Forbear, my gentle maids, [Weeping. Nor wound my peace with fruitless lamentations; Can raise you better friends than I have been. And fit me for the block: do this last service, Receive and share among you. Thou, Maria,* the Second) took leave of Lady Russel on the morning of his execution, as he turned away from her he said, "The bitterness of death "is now past." See Hume, Vol. VIII. ch. LXIX, p. 194. See also 1. Samuel xv. 32. and p. 236 of this Vol. line 21. *It appears from the History that the names of the two women attending on Lady Jane, were Mrs. Elizabeth Tilney, and Mrs. Helen, to whom she gave her gloves and her handkerchief; that the person to whom she gave her prayer-book was Sir John Bridges; and that she sent her Greek Testament to her sister the night before her execution. See p. 344, 341 and 336. This book, the law of everlasting truth: Make it thy treasure still; 'twas my support, Gard. Will you yet Repent, be wise, and save your precious life! L. J. Gray. Oh, Winchester! has learning taught To barter Truth for life? Gard. Mistaken folly! You toil and travel for your own perdition, L. J. Gray. Who judge rightly, And who persist in error, will be known, Then, when we meet again. [thee that: Once more, farewel, [To her women. Goodness be ever with you. "When I'm dead, 'Intreat they do no rude dishonest wrong To my cold, headless corpse; but see it shrouded, Gard. Wo't thou then die? Thy blood be on thy head. L. J. Gray. My blood be where it falls; let the earth And may it never rise, or call for vengeance:* [hide it; Oh, that it were the last shall fall a victim To zeal's inhuman wrath! Thou, gracious Heav'n, To save thy altars from the rage of Rome: 66 [Lady Jane goes up to the scaffold. The doors are closed. "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." Genesis IV. 10. Enter PEMBROKE.* Pemb. Horror on horror! Proud outrageous ven geance, [To Gard. That struck my Guilford! Oh! his bleeding trunk And everlasting punishment hereafter. Pemb. And can'st thou tell? Who gave thee to explore But know, thou proud, perversely-judging Winchester, THE END. In my Preface to Jane Shore, page 99, I have quoted part of a passage from Johnson's Life of Rowe, where he censures his want of attention to the unities. He then proceeds to say, "Rowe by "this licence, easily extricates himself from difficulties; as in Jane "Gray, when we have been terrified with all the dreadful pomp of "public execution, and are wondering how the heroine or the poet "will proceed, no sooner has Jane pronounced some prophetic rhymes than-pass and begone-the scene closes, and Pembroke "and Gardiner are turned out upon the stage." Upon the subject of the Unities I have offered a few remarks in the former place. I have here endeavoured to get over a part of the difficulty by making doors to be opened and closed in the back scene, instead of the scene itself being drawn and closed again, which is, while the characters are on the stage, as if the wall between the two apartments should be removed and brought on again, In this way I have no objection to the scene as it now stands. THE palms of virtue heroes oft have worn; On whom so many virtuous females smile! * For you, bless'd. Such was our great example shown to-day, And with such thanks our author's pains repay. If, from these scenes, to guard your faith you learn, If, for your laws you show a just concern, If you are taught to dread a Popish reign, Our beauteous patriot has not died in vain. * See The Author's Dedication, p. 351, and Note, END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. HODSON, PRINTER, CAMBRIDGE. |