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A fhort delufion! for the raging pain

Returns, and their poor hearts must bleed again,

Mean time the queen new cruelty decreed ;
But ill content that they should only bleed.
A prieft is fent, who, with infidious art,
Inftills his poison into Suffolk's heart;
And Guilford drank it:-hanging on the breaft,
He from his childhood was with Rome poffefs'd.
When now the minifters of Death draw nigh,
And in her dearest lord she first must die,-
The subtle priest, who long had watch'd to find
The most unguarded paffes of her mind,
Bespoke her thus: Grieve not; 'tis in your pow'r
Your lord to rescue from this fatal hour.'

Her bofom pants; fhe draws her breath with pain;
A fudden horror thrills thro' ev'ry vein:
Life feems fufpended, on his words intent,
And her foul trembles for the great event.

The priest proceeds: Embrace the faith of Rome,
And ward your own, your lord's, and father's doom.”
Ye bleffed fpirits! now your charge sustain ;
The past was eafe; now first she suffers pain.
Muft she pronounce her father's death? must she
Bid Guilford bleed ?-It must not, cannot be !
It cannot be! but 'tis the Christian's praise,
Above impoffibilities to raife

The weakness of our nature, and deride
Of vain philofophy the boafted pride.
What tho' our feeble finews scarce impart
A moment's fwiftness to the feather'd dart;
Tho' tainted air our vig'rous youth can break,
And a chill blast the hardy warrior shake;
Yet are we ftrong. Hear the loud tempeft roar.
From east to west, and call us weak no more;
The lightning's unrefifted force proclaims

Our might, and thunders raise our humble names:

'Tis our Jehovah fills the heav'ns; as long
As he fhall reign Almighty we are strong.
We, by devotion, borrow from his throne,
And almost make Omnipotence our own :
We force the gates of heav'n by fervent pray'r,
And call forth triumph out of man's defpair.

Our lovely mourner, kneeling, lifts her eyes,
And bleeding heart, in filence, to the skies;
Devoutly fad-then, bright'ning, like the day,
When fudden winds fweep fcatter'd clouds away,
Shining in majefty, till now unknown,
And breathing life and spirit fcarce her own,
She, rifing, speaks: If these the terms-'

Here Guilford, cruel Guilford! (barb'rous man!
Is this thy love!) as fwift as lightning ran,
O'erwhelm'd her, with tempeftuous forrow fraught,
And stifled in it's birth, the mighty thought.
Then, bursting fresh into a flood of tears,
Fierce, refolute, delirious with his fears,
His fears for her alone, he beat his breaft,
And thus the fervour of his foul exprefs'd:
Oh! let thy thought o'er our past converse rove,
And fhew one moment uninflam'd with love!
Oh! if thy kindness can no longer last,

In pity to thyself forget the past!

Elfe wilt thou never, void of fhame and fear, • Pronounce his doom whom thou haft held fo dear. Thou, who haft took me to thy arms, and fwore Empires were vile, and Fate could give no more; • That to continue was it's utmoft pow'r, And makehe future like the present hour: Now call a ruffian, bid his cruel fword

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Lay wide the bofom of thy worthlefs lord;

• Transfix his heart (fince you it's love disclaim) And ftain his honour with a traitor's name.

• This

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This might perhaps be borne without remorfe,
< But fure a father's pangs will have their force!
• Shall his good age, so near it's journey's end,
< Thro' cruel torment to the grave descend?
• His fhallow blood all iffue at a wound,

Wash a slave's feet, and smoke upon the ground?
But he to you has ever been severe ;
Then take your vengeance—'

Suffolk now drew near,

Bending beneath the burden of his care,

His robes neglected, and his head was bare.
Decrepit Winter, in the yearly ring,

Thus flowly creeps to meet the blooming Spring:
Downward he caft a melancholy look,

Thrice turn'd to hide his grief, then faintly fpoke.
Now deep in years, and forward in decay,
That axe can only rob me of a day:

• For thee, my foul's defire! I can't refrain ;

And fhall my tears, my last tears, flow in vain ?
• When you fhall know a mother's tender name,
My heart's diftress no longer will you blame!'
At this, afar his bursting groans were heard;
The tears ran trickling down his filver beard :
He fnatch'd her hand, which to his lips he prefs'd,
And bid her plant a dagger in his breaft;
Then, finking, call'd her piety unjust,
And foil'd his hoary temples in the duft.

Hard-hearted men! will you no mercy know?
Has the queen brib'd you to distress her foe?
O, weak deferters to Misfortune's part,
By false affection thus to pierce her heart!
When she had foar'd, to let your arrows fly,
And fetch her bleeding from the middle sky.
And can her virtue, fpringing from the ground,
Her flight recover, and difdain the wound;
When cleaving love, and human int'reft, bind
The broken force of her afpiring mind?

As round the gen'rous eagle, which in vain.
Exerts her strength, the ferpent wreaths his train,
Her ftruggling wings entangles, curling plies
His pois'nous tail, and ftings her as fhe flies.

While yet the blow's first dreadful weight the feels,
And with it's force her refolution reels;

Large doors, unfolding with a mournful found,
To view discover, welt'ring on the ground,

Three headless trunks of those whofe arms maintain’d,
And in her wars immortal glory gain'd:

The lifted axe affur'd her ready doom,
And filent mourners fadden'd all the room.
Shall I proceed, or here break off my tale,
Nor truths, to ftagger human faith, reveal?

She met this utmoft malice of her fate
With Chriftian dignity and pious state;
The beating ftorm's propitious rage fhe blefs'd,
And all the martyr triumph'd in her breast.
Her lord and father, for a moment's space,
She ftrictly folded in her soft embrace!

Then thus the fpoke, while angels heard on high,

And fudden gladnefs fmil'd along the fky.

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Your over-fondness has not mov'd my hate;

• I am well pleas'd you make death fo great:

my

• I joy I cannot fave you; and have giv'n

• Two lives, much dearer than my own, to Heav'n,

If fo the queen decrees *.-But I have cause

To hope my blood will fatisfy the laws;
And there is mercy ftill, for you in ftore.
With me, the bitterness of death is o'er ;
He fhot his fting in that farewel embrace,
And all that is to come is joy and peace.

Then let mistaken forrow be fupprefs'd,

Nor feem to envy my approaching reft!'

*Here fhe embraces them,

Then,

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