Defence He soon retreated to the nearest Staires And so came back by Water at the Time When your most Valiant Souldiers with their Leader Enter'd his House and took Southampton and the Rest. Th' affrighted Earl Defenceless both in mind And body without the Power to help himself And being full of Horrour in his Thoughts Was forc'd to run for shelter in the Room Of a small Summer House upon the Thames Which when the Souldiers came to search and found him Who then had Eyes and did not melt for Pitty To see the High the Gallant Essex there Trembling and Panting like the frighted Quarry Whom the fierce Hawk had in his eager Eye Queen Ha! By my Stars I think the mournful Tale Has almost made thee weep Can Essex miseries Then force Compassion from thy Flinty Breast 'A weeps the Crocodile weeps o're his Prey How wretched and how low then art thou faln That ev'n thy Barbarous Hunters can neglect Their Rage and turn their cruel sport to pitty What then must be my Lot how many sighs How many Griefs Repentances and Horrours Must I Eternally indure for this Where is the Earl Burl. Under sufficient Guard In order to his sending to the Tower Queen Ha In the Tower How durst they send him there Without my Order Burl. Th'Earles are yet without In the Lieutenants Custody who waites But to receive your Majesties Command To carry 'em thither Queen What shall I do now Wake me thou watchful Genius of thy Queen Rouze me and Arme now against my Foe Aside Pitty 's my Enemy and Love's my Foe And both have equally Conspir'd with Essex Ha! Shall I then refuse to punish him Condemn the Slave that disobey'd my Orders That brav'd me to my Face and did attempt To murder me then went about to gain My Subjects Hearts and seize my Crown Now by my thousand wrongs 'a dyes dyes quickly And I cou'd Stab this Heart if I but thought Aside The Traytor in it to corrupt it Away And send him to the Tower with speed Yet hold C. Nott. The Queen 's distracted how to save the Earl Her Study puts my Hatred on the Wrack Aside Queen Who is it thou wou'dst kill with so much hast Is it not Essex Him thou didst Create And Crown'd his Morning with full Rayes of Honours Whilst he return'd 'em with whole Springs of Lawrels Faught for thy Fame a Hundred Times in Blood And ventur'd twice as many Lives for thee And shall I then for one rash act of his Of which I was the cruel Cause Condemn him Aside C. Not. Her Rage Ebbs out and Pity flows apace Aside Queen Do what you will my Stars do as you please Just Heav'n and Sensure England's Queen for it Yet Essex I must see and then who e're thou art That when I 'm dead shall call this tender Fault This only Action of my Life in Question Thou canst at worst but say that it was Love Love that does never cease to be Obey'd Love that has all my Power and strength betray'd Love that swayes wholly like the Cause of things Kings may Rule Subjects but Love Reigns o're Kings Sets bounds to Heav'ns high Wrath when 't is severe And is the greatest Bliss and Virtue there Aside Carry Southampton to the Tower straight But Essex I will see before he goes Now help me Art check ev'ry Pulse within me And let me feign a Courage tho' I 've none Enter Essex with Guards Behold 'a comes with such a Pomp of misery Greatness in all he shews and nothing makes Him less but turns to be Majestick in him Aside All that are present for a while withdraw And leave the Prisoner here with me Unguarded Exeunt Manent Queen Essex Ess. Thus tho I am Condemn'd and hated by you A Traytor by your Royal will Proclaim'd Essex kneels Thus do I bless my Queen and all those Powers That have inspir'd her with such tender mercy As once to hear her dying Essex speak And now receive his Sentence from your Lips Which let it be my Life or Death they 'r both Alike to me from you my Royal Mistress And thus I will receive my Doom and wish My Knees might ever till my dying minute Cleave to the Earth as now they do in token of The choicest humblest begging of the Blessing Queen Pray rise my Lord. You see that I dare venture To leave my self without a Guard between us Ess. Fairest that e're was England's Queen you need not The time has been that Essex has been thought A Guard and being near you has been more Than Crouds of Mercinary Slaves And is he not so now O think me rather Think me a Traytor if I can be so Without a thought against your Pretious Life But wrong me not with that For by your self By your bright self that rules o're all my Wishes I Swear I would not touch that Life to be As Great as you the Greatest Prince on Earth Lightning shou'd blast me first E're I wou'd touch the Person of my Queen Less gentle than the Breeze Queen Oh y' are become a wondrous Penitent My Lord the time has been you were not so Then you were haughty and because you urg'd me Urg'd me beyond the suffering of a Saint To strike you which a King wou'd have obey'd Then straight your Malice led you to the City Tempting my Loyal Subjects to Rebel Laying a Plot how to surprize the Court Then seize my Person with my chiefest Council To Murder them and I to beg your Mercy This this the wond'rous Faithful Essex did Thou whom I rais'd from the vile Dust of man And plac'd thee as a jewel in my Crown And bought thee dearly for my Favour at the rate Of all my Peoples Grievances and Curses Yet thou didst this ingrateful Monster this And all for which as surely thou shalt dye Dye like the foulest and the worst Ingrate But Fetters now have humbled you I see Ess. O hear me speak most injur'd Majesty Brightest of Queens Goddess of Mercy too Oh think not that the Fear of Death or Prisons Can e're disturb a Heart like mine or make it More Guilty or more sensible of Guilt All that y' are pleas'd to say I now confess Confess my Misery my Crime my shame Yet neither Death nor Hell shou'd make me own it But true Remorce and duty to your self And Love I dare stand Candidate with Heav'n Who loves you most and purest Queen Now he awakes me And all my Faculties begin to listen Steal to my Eyes and tread soft paces to My Ears as loth to be discover'd yet As loth to loose the Syrens Charming song Help me a little now my cautious Angel Aside I must confess I formerly believ'd so And I acknowledg'd it by my Rewards Ess. You have but oh what has my Rashness done And what has not my Guilt Condemn'd me to Seated I was in Heav'n where once that Angel That haughty Spirit Reign'd that Tempted me But now thrown
Life who am no longer Rutland But Essex Faithful Wife He is my Husband Queen Thy Husband C. Ess. Yes too true it is I fear By th' awful darting Fury in your Eyes The threatning Prologue of our utter Ruines Marry'd we were in secret e're my Lord Was sent by you t' his fatal Government in Ireland Queen Then thou art Wedded to thy Grave Dost think by this in multiplying Treasons And boldly braveing me with them before My Face to save thy wicked Husband's Life What will my restless Fate do with me now Aside Why dost thou hold me so take off thy hands C. Ess. Alas I ask not mine if that will please you I 'll glut you with my torments act what e're Your Fury caninvent but 't is for him My Lord my Love the Soul of my Desires My Love 's not like the common Rate of Womens It is a Phoenix there 's not one such more How gladly would I burn like that rare Bird So that the Ashes of my Heart cou'd purchase Poor Essex Life and Favour of my Princess Queen Woud I were loose 'mong Wilds or any where In any Hell but this Why say I Hell Can there be melting Lead or Sulpher yet To add more Pain to what my Breast indures Aside Why dost thou hang on me and tempt me still C. Ess. O throw me not away Wou'd you but please To feel my throbbing Breast you might perceive At ev'ry name and very thought of Essex How my Blood starts and Pulses beat for fear And shake and tear my Body like an Earth-quake And ah which cannot choose but stir your heart The more to pitty me th' unhappy frighted Infant The tender Off-spring of our guilty Joyes Pleads for its Father in the very Womb As now its wretched Mother does Queen Quickly Unloose her Hands and take her from my sight C. Ess. O you will not you 'l hear me first and grant me Grant me poor Essex Life Shall Essex live Say but you 'l Pardon him before I go Queen Help me Will no one ease me of this Burthen C. Ess. Oh I 'm too weak for these inhumane Creatures The Women take off her hold My strength 's decay'd my Joynts and Fingers num'd And can no longer hold but fall I must Thus like a miserable Wretch that thinks H 'as scap'd from drowning holding on a Rock With fear and Paine and his own weight opprest And dasht by ev'ry Wave that shrinks his hold She falls down with faintness At length le ts go and drops into the Sea And cryes for help but all in vain like me Queen Begon and be deliver'd of thy shame Let the vile Insect live and grow to be A Monster baser hotter worser far Than the ingrateful Parents that begot it C. Ess. Ah cruel most remorceless Princess hold What has It done to draw such Curses from you Queen Go let her be close Prisoner in her Chamber C. Ess. Since I must go and from my Essex part Despair and Death at once come seize my Heart Shut me from Light from Day ne're to be seen By humane kind nor my more cruel Queen Yet bless her Heav'n and hear my Loyal Prayer May you ne're Love like me nor ne'r despair Ne're see the Man at his departing Breath Whom you so Love and fain wou'd save from Death Least Heav'n be Deaf as you are to my Cry And you run mad and be as curst as I. Exit C. Essez carried away by Women Queen She 's gone but at her parting shot a truth Into my Breast has pierc't my Soul Why was I Queen And why was I not Rutland Then had my Princess as my self did now Giv'n Essex such a Ring and the Reward Had then been mine as now the Torment is O wretched State of Monarchs theirs is still The Business of the World and all the Pains Whilst happy Subjects sleep beneath their Gains The meanest Hind rules in his humble House And nothing but the Day fees what he does But Princes like the Queen of Night so high Their spots are seen by ev'ry Vulgar Eye And as the Sun the Plannets glorious King Gives life and growth to ev'ry Mortal thing And by his Motion all the World is blest Whilst he himself can never be at Rest So if there are such Blessings in a Throne Kings Raign 'em down while they themselves have none Exeunt Omnes Finis Act us Quarti Actus Quintus Scoena prima Sir Walter Rawleigh with the Queens Guards The Lieutenant of the Tower Raw. MR. Lieutenant here expires my Charge I receiv'd Orders from Her Majesty And the Lord Steward to return the Prisoners Safe in your Custody and with you I leave 'em With charge to have 'em in a readiness For Execution will be very speedy Lieut. I shall Sir Enter the Countess of Nottingham Raw. Ha! the Lady Nottingham What makes her here Nott. Where is my Lord of Essex I am commanded straight to speak with him And bring a Message from Her Majesty Raw. Madam What News can this strange visit bring How faires the Queen Are her Resolves yet stedfast Nott. No when she heard that Essex was Condemn'd She started and look'd pale then blushing red And said that Execution shou'd be straight Then stopt and said she 'd hear first from the Earl So she retir'd and past an hour in Thought None daring t' interrupt her till in hast She sent for me Commanding me to go And tell my Lord from her she cou'd resist No longer her Subjects loud demands for Justice And therefore wisht if he had any Reasons That were of weight to stay his Execution That he wou'd send 'em straight by me then blush'd Again and sigh'd and press'd my hand And pray'd me to be secret and deliver What Essex shou'd return in answer to her Raw. I know not what she means but doubt th' Event You can tell best the cause of her disturbance I will to Burleigh and then both of us Will make Attempts to recollect the Queen Exit Rawleigh and Guards Nott. Pray bring me to my Lord. Lieut. Madam I will acquaint him that y' are here Exit Lieut. Nott. Now Dragons Blood distill through all my veins And Gaul instead of Milk swell up my Breasts That nothing of the Woman may appear But horrid Cruelty and fierce Revenge Enter Essex He comes with such a Gallantry and Port As if his Miseries were Harbingers And Death the State to set his Person out Wrongs less than mine though in a Tyger's Breast Might now be reconcil'd to such an Object But slighted Love my Sex can ne're forget Ess. Madam this is a Miracle of Favour A double goodness in my Royal Mistress T imploy the fair the Injur'd Nottingham And 't is no less in you to condescend To see a wretch like me that has deserv'd No favour at your hands Nott. No more my Lord the Queen The Gratious Queen commends her Pitty to you Pitty by me that owe a great deal more You know
Heads Since the first Saxon King that Reign'd in England And lately in my Royal Fathers time Was not brave Buckingham for less Condemn'd And lost not Wolsey all his Church Revenues Nay and his Life too but that he was a Coward And durst not live to feel the stroak of Justice Thou know'st it too and this most vile of men That brave Northumberland and Westmerland For lesser Crimes than his were both Beheaded Nott. Most true Can Essex then be thought so guilty And not deserve to dy Quee. To dy to Wrack And as his Treasons are the worst of all Mens So I will have him plagu'd above the rest His Limbs cut off and plac'd to th' highest View Not on low Bridges Gates and Walls of Towns But on vast Pynacles that touch the Ske Where all that pass may in Derision say Lo there is Essex proud ingrateful Essex Essex that brav'd the Justice of his Queen Is not that well Why dost not speak And help thy Queen to rail against this Man Nott. Since you will give me leave I will be plain And tell your Majesty what all the World Says of that proud ingrateful Man Qu. Do so Prythee what says the World of him and me Nott. Of you they speak no worse than of dead Saints And Worship you no less than as their God Than Peace than Wealth or their Eternal hopes Yet do they often wish with kindest Tears Sprung from the purest Love that you 'd be pleas'd To heal their Grievances on Essex charg'd And not protect the Traytor by your Power But give him up to Justice and to Shame For a Revenge of all your wrongs and theirs Quee. What would they then prescribe me Rules to Govern Nott. No more but with submission as to Heavn But upon Essex they unload Reproaches And give him this bad Character They say he is a Person bateing his Treasons That in his Noblest best Array of parts He scarcely has enough to make him pass For a brave Man nor yet a Hypocrite And that he wears his Greatness and his Honours Foolish and Proud as Lacquies wear gay Liveries Valliant they will admit he is but then Like Beasts precipitately Rash and Bruitish Which is no more Commendable in him Than in a Bear a Leopard or a Wolfe He never yet had Courage over Fortune And which too shews his natural Pride the more He Roars and staggers under small Affronts And can no more endure the pain than Hell Then he 's as Covetous and more Ambitious Than that first Fiend that sow'd the Vice in Heav'n And therefore was Dethron'd and Tumbl'd thence And so they wish that Essex too may fall Quee. Enough th' ast rail'd thy self quite out of Breath I 'le hear no more Blisters upon her Tongue Asideâ— 'T is baseness tho in thee but to repeat What the rude World malitiously has said Nor dare the vilest of the Rabble think Much less prophanely speak such horrid Treasons Yet 't is not what they say but what you 'd have e'm Nott. Did not your Majesty Command me speak Quee. I did but then I saw thee on a suddain Settle thy Senses all in eager Postures Thy Lips thy Speech and Hands were all prepar'd A joyful Red painted thy envious Cheeks Malitious Flames flasht in a moment from Thy Eyes like Lightning from thy O'recharg'd Soul And fir'd thy Breast which like a hard ramm'd Piece Discharg'd unmannerly upon my face Nott. Pardon bright Queen most Royal and belov'd The manner of expressing of my Duty But you your self began and taught me first Queen I am his Queen and therefore may have leave May not my self have priviledge to mould The Thing I made and use it as I please Besides he has committed monstrous Crimes Against my Person and has urg'd me far Beyond the power of Mortal suffering Me he has wrong'd but thee he never wrong'd What has poor Essex done to thee Thou hast No Crown that he cou'd hope to gain No Laws to break no Subjects to molest Nor Throne that he cou'd be ambitious of What pleasure cou'dst thou take to see A drowning man knock'd on the head and yet Not wish to save the miserable Wretch Nott. I was too blame Qu. No more Thou seest thy Queen the World and Destiny It self against this one bad Man and him Thou canst not pity nor excuse Nott. Madam Queen Begone I do forgive thee and bid Rutland Exit Nottingham Come to me straight ha what have I disclos'd Why have I chid my Woman for a fault Which I wrung from her and committed first Why stands my jealous and tormented Soul A Spie to listen and divulge the Treasons Spoke against Essex O you mighty Powers Protectors of the Fame of Englands Queen Let me not know it for a thousand Worlds 'T is dangerous But yet it will discover And I feel something whispering to my Reason That says it is O blotted be the Name For ever from my Thoughts If it be so And I am stung with thy Almighty Dart I ll die but I will tear thee from my Heart Shake off this hidious Vapour from my Soul This haughty Earl the Prince of my Controul Banish this Traytor to his Queens repose And blast him with the malice of his Foes Were there no other way his guilt to prove 'T is Treason to insect the Throne with Love Enter Countess of Essex How now my Rutland I did send for you I have observ'd you have been sad of late Why wearest thou black so long and why that Cloud That mourning Cloud about thy lovely Eyes Come I will find a noble Husband for thee C. Ess. Ah mighty Princess most ador'd of Queens Your Royal Goodness ought to blush when it Descends to care for such a Wretch as I am Queen Why sayst thou so I love thee well indeed I do and thou shalt find by this 't is truth Injurious Nottingham and I had some Dispute and 't was about my Lord of Essex C. Ess. Ha! Aside Queen So much that she displeas'd me strangely And I did send her from my sight in anger C. Ess. O that dear Name o th' sudden how it starts me Makes ev'ry Vein within me leave its Channel To run and to protect my feeble Heart And now my Blood as soon retreats again To croud with blushes full my guilty Cheeks Alas I fear Aside Queen Thou blushest at my Story C. Ess. Not I my Gracious Mistress but my Eyes And Cheeks fir'd and amaz'd with joy turn'd red At such a Grace that you were pleas'd to shew me Queen I 'll tell thee then and ask thee thy Advice There is no doubt dear Rutland but thou hear'st The daily Clamours that my People vent Against the most unhappy Earl of Essex The Treasons that they wou'd impeach him of And which is worse this day he is arriv'd Against my strict Commands and left Affairs In Ireland desp'rate headless and undone C. Ess. Might I presume to tell my humble mind Such Clamours
Pitty Or I shall sink beneath the weight of sadness Witness the Joy I have in Life to part With you witness these Womans Throbs and Tears I weep that I am doom'd to live without you And shou'd have smil'd to share the Death of Essex Ess. O spare this tenderness for one that needs it For her that I 'll commit to all that I Can claim of my Southampton O my Wife Methinks that very name shou'd stop thy Pitty And make thee covetous of all as lost That is not meant to her Be a kind Friend To her as we have been to one another Name not the dying Essex to thy Queen Least it shou'd cost a Tear nor ne're offend her South O stay my Lord let me have one word more One last farewel before the greedy Axe Shall part my Friend my only Friend from me And Essex from himself I know not what Are call'd the Pangs of Death but sure I am I feel an Agony that 's worse than Death Farewell Ess. Why that 's well said Farewell to thee Then let us part just like two Travellors Take distant Paths only this difference is Thine is the longest mine the shortest way Now let me go If there 's a Throne in Heaven For the most brave of Men and best of Friends I will bespeak it for Southampton South And I while I have Life will hoard thy Memory When I am dead we then shall meet again Ess. Till then Farewell South Till then Farewell Ess. Now on my Lords and execute your Office Exit South Enter Countess of Essex and Women My Wife Nay then my Stars will ne're have done Malitious Planets reign I 'll bear it all To your last drop of Venom on my Head Why cruel lovely Creature dost thou come To add to sorrow if 't be possible A Figure more lamenting Why this kindness This killing kindness now at such a time To add more Woes to thine and my misfortunes C. Ess. The Queen my Lord has been so merciful Or cruel name it as you please to let Me see my Essex e're he dyes Ess. Has she Then let 's improve this very little Time Our niggard Fate allows us For w' are owing To this short space all the dear love we had In store for many happy promis'd years C. Ess. What hinders then but that we shou'd be happy Whilest others live long years and sip and tast Like Niggards of their Loves we 'll take whole Draughts Ess. Then let 's embrace in Extasies and Joyes Drink all our Honey up in one short moment That shou'd have serv'd us for our Winter store Be lavish and profuse like wanton Heirs That wast their whole Estates at once For the kind Queen takes care and has ordain'd That we shall never live to want Burl. My Lord Prepare the very utmost Time 's at hand And we must straight perform the Queens Command In leading you to Justice C. Ess. Hold good Lucifer Be kind a little and defer Damnation Thou canst not think how I will Worship thee No Indian shall adore thee as I will Thou shalt have Martyrs and whole Heccatombs Of slaughter'd Innocents to suck their Blood Widdows Estates and Orphans without number Mannors and Parks more than thy Lust requires Till thou shalt dye and leave a Kings Estate Behind thee Ess. Pr'y thee spare thy pretious Heart That fluttering so with Passion in thy Breast Has almost bruis'd its tenderness to Death C. Ess. Why ask I him and think of Pitty there From him on whom kind Heav'n has fet a Mark A heap of Rubbish at the door to shew No cleanly Virtue can inhabite there Malitious Toad and which is worse foul Cecil I tell thee Essex soon shall reign in Heav'n While thou shalt grovel in the Den of Hell Roar like the Damn'd and tremble to behold him Go share Dominions with the Powers of Hell For Lucifer himself will ne're dispute Thy great Desert in wickedness above him Nor who 's the uglyer Fiend thy self or he Raw. My Lord you think not of the Queens Commands And can you stand thus unconcern'd and hear Your self so much abus'd Burl. Be patient Rawleigh The Pain is all her own and hurts not Cecil She will be weary sooner than my self Poor ionocent and most unhappy Lady I pitty her C. Ess. Why dost thou pitty me Nay then I 'm faln into a low Estate Indeed if Hell compassionates my Miseries They must be greater than the Damn'd indure I Prithee Pardon me Ah my lov'd Lord My Heart begins to break let me go with thee And see the fatal Blow given to my Essex That will be sure to rid me soon of Torments And 't will be kindness in thee do my Lord Then we shall both be quit of pain together Ess. Ah why was I condemn'd to this What Man But Essex ever felt a weight like this C. Ess. O we must never part Support my Head My sinking Head and lay it to the Pulse The throbbing Pulse that beats about thy Heart 'T is Musick to my Sences O my Love I have no tears left in me that shou'd ease A wretch that longs for Pitty I am past All Pitty and my poor tormented Heart And Spirits within are quite consum'd and Tears Which is the Balm the Scorpions blood that cures The biting pain of sorrow quite have left me And I am now a wretched hopeless Creature Full of substantial Misery without One drop of Remedy Ess. Th' art pale thy Breath Grows chill and like the Morning Air on Roses Leaves a cold Dew upon thy redder Lips She strives and holds me like a drowning wretch O now my Lords if pitty ever blest you If you were never nurst by Tygers help me Now now you cruel Heav'ns I plainly see 'T is not your Swords your Axes nor Diseases Which make the Death of Man so fear'd and painful But 't is such horrid Accidents as these She opens her Eyes which with a waining look Like sickly Stars give a faint glimmering Light C. Ess. Where is my Love O think not to get loose for I 'm resolv'd To stick more close to thee than Life and when That 's going mine shall run the Race with thine And both together reach the happy Goal Ess. Now I am shock'd torn up and rooted all That 's Humane in me What you merciless Heavens What is 't that makes poor Man distracted mad Prophane to curse the Day himself the Heav'ns That made him but less miseries than mine Why why you Powers do you exact from Man More than your World and all that live beside The Sea is never calm when tempests blow Tall Woods and Cedars murmur at the Wind And when your horrid Earth-quakes cleave the Ground The Center Groans and Nature takes its part As if they did design to break your Laws And shake your Fetters off nay your own Heavens When Thunders roar Rebel the Sun ingages And all the Warring Elements resist Heav'n Seas and Land are suffer'd to contend