Jaff. Would the chains of death

Had bound me fast, ere I had known this minute! Duke. Captain, withdraw your prisoner.

Jaff. Sir, if possible,

Lead me where my own thoughts themselves may

lose me;

Where I may doze out, what I've left of life;-
Forget myself, and this day's guilt and falsehood.
Cruel remembrance! how shall I appease thee?
[Exit guarded.

Officer. [Without.] More traitors! room, room,
make room there!

Duke. How's this?

The treason's

Already at the doors!

Enter OFFICER and CAPTAIN.

Officer. My lords, more traitors! Seiz'd in the very act of consultation :

Furnish'd with arms and instruments of mischief.Bring in the prisoners!

Enter SPINOSA, ELLIOT, THEODORE, DURAnd, MEZZANA, RENAULT, and PIERRE, in Chains. Pierre. You, my lords, and fathers,

(As you are pleas'd to call yourselves) of Venice;

If you sit here to guide the course of justice,
Why these disgraceful chains upon the limbs
That have so often labour'd in your service?
Are these the wreaths of triumph you bestow
On those that bring you conquest home, and honours?
Duke. Go on! you shall be heard, sir.

Pierre. Are these the trophies I've deserv'd for
fighting

Your battles with confederated powers?

When winds and seas conspir'd to overthrow you, And brought the fleets of Spain to your own har

bours;

When you, great duke, shrunk trembling in your

palace,

And saw your wife, the Adriatic, ploughed,

Like a lewd whore, by bolder prows than yours;
Stepp'd not I forth, and taught your loose Venetians
The task of honour, and the way to greatness?
Rais'd you from your capitulating fears
To stipulate the terms of sued-for peace?
And this my recompense! If I'm a traitor,
Produce my charge; or show the wretch that's base
And brave enough to tell me, I'm a traitor!
Duke. Know you one Jaffier?

Pierre. Yes, and know his virtue.

His justice, truth, his general worth, and sufferings From a hard father, taught me first to love him. Duke. See him brought forth.

Enter CAPTAIN and JAFFIER in Chains.

Pierre. My friend too bound! nay, then Our fate has conquer'd us, and we must fall. Why droops the man, whose welfare's so much mine,

They're but one thing? These reverend tyrants,

Jaffier,

Call us traitors. Art thou one, my brother?

Jaff. To thee I am the falsest, veriest slave, That e'er betray'd a generous, trusting friend, And gave up honour to be sure of ruin.

All our fair hopes, which morning was t'have crown'd Has this curs'd tongue o'erthrown.

Pierre. So, then all's over:

Venice has lost her freedom, I my life.

No more!

Duke. Say; will you make confession

Of your vile deeds, and trust the senate's mercy? Pierre. Curs'd be your senate, curs'd your constitution!

The curse of growing factions, and divisions,

Still vex your councils, shake your public safety,
And make the robes of government you wear
Hateful to you, as these base chains to me.
Duke. Pardon, or death?

Pierre. Death! honourable death!

Ren. Death's the best thing we ask, or you can give. No shameful bonds, but honourable death!

Duke. Break up the council. Captain, guard your prisoners.

Jaffier, you're free, but these must wait for judgment. [Exeunt DUKE, SENATORS, CONSPIKATORS, and OFFICER.

Pierre. Come, where's my dungeon? Lead me to my straw:

It will not be the first time I've lodged hard,
To do your senate service.

Jaff. Hold one moment.

Pierre. Who's he disputes the judgment of the senate?

Presumptuous rebel !-on

Jaff. By Heaven, you stir not!

[Strikes JAFFIer.

[Exeunt CAPTAIN and GUARDS.
I must be heard; I must have leave to speak.
Thou hast disgrac'd me, Pierre, by a vile blow:
Had not a dagger done thee nobler justice?
But use me as thou wilt, thou can'st not wrong me,
For I am fallen beneath the basest injuries;
Yet look upon me with an eye of mercy,

And, as there dwells a godlike nature in thee,
Listen with mildness to my supplications.

Pierre. What whining monk art thou? what holy cheat,

That wouldst encroach upon my credulous ears, And cant'st thus vilely! Hence! I know thee not! Jaff. Not know me, Pierre!

Pierre. No, know thee not. What art thou? Jaff. Jaffier, thy friend, thy once lov'd, valu'd friend! Tho' now deservedly scorn'd, and us'd most hardly.

Pierre. Thou, Jaffier! thou my once-lov'd valu'd friend!

By Heav'ns, thou ly'st; the man so call'd my friend, Was generous, honest, faithful, just, and valiant; Noble in mind, and in his person lovely;

Dear to my eyes, and tender to my heart :

But thou, a wretched, base, false, worthless, coward,
Poor, even in soul, and loathsome in thy aspect :
All eyes must shun thee, and all hearts detest thee.
Pr'ythee avoid, nor longer cling thus round me,
Like something baneful, that my nature's chill'd at.
Jaff. I have not wrong'd thee; by these tears I have

not.

Pierre. Hast thou not wrong'd me? Dar'st thou call thyself

That once-lov'd, honest, valu'd friend of mine, And swear thou hast not wrong'd me? Whence these chains?

Whence the vile death which I may meet this moment? Whence this dishonour, but from thee, thou false one? Jaff. All's true; yet grant one thing, and I've done asking.

Pierre. What's that?

Jaff. To take thy life, on such conditions The council have propos'd: thou, and thy friends, May yet live long, and to be better treated.

Pierre. Life! ask my life! confess! record myself A villain, for the privilege to breathe,

And carry up and down this cursed city,
A discontented and repining spirit,
Burdensome to itself, a few years longer!

To lose it, may be, at last, in a lewd quarrel

For some new friend, treacherous and false as thou art!
No, this vile world and I have long been jangling,
And cannot part on better terms than now,
When only men like thee are fit to live in't.

Jaff. By all that's just

Pierre. Swear by some other power,

F

For thou hast broke that sacred oath too lately.

Jaff. Then by that hell I merit, I'll not leave thee Till, to thyself at least, thou'rt reconciled,

However thy resentments deal with me.
Pierre. Not leave me !

Jaff. No; thou shalt not force me from thee.
Use me reproachfully, and like a slave;
Tread on me, buffet me, heap wrongs on wrongs
On my poor head; I'll bear it all with patience,
Shall weary out thy most unfriendly cruelty;
Lie at thy feet, and kiss them, tho' they spurn me;
Till, wounded by my sufferings, thou relent,
And raise me to thy arms with dear forgiveness.
Pierre. Art thou not

Jaff. What?

Pierre. A traitor ?
Jaff. Yes.

Pierre. A villain?

Jaff. Granted.

Pierre. A coward, a most scandalous coward; Spiritless, void of honour; one who has sold Thy everlasting fame for shameless life!

Jaff. All, all, and more, much more; my faults are numberless.

Pierre. And wouldst thou have me live on terms like thine?

Base, as thou'rt false

Jaff. No; 'tis to me that's granted;
The safety of thy life was all I aim'd at,
In recompense for faith and trust so broken.

Pierre. I scorn it more, because preserv'd by thee;
And, as when first my foolish heart took pity
On thy misfortunes, sought thee in thy miseries,
Reliev'd thy wants, and rais'd thee from the state
Of wretchedness, in which thy fate had plung'd thee,
To rank thee in my list of noble friends;

All I receiv'd, in surety for thy truth,

Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger,