find one heynous Article Containing the deposing of a King And cracking the strong warrant of an Oath Markt with a blot damn'd in the book of Heav'n Nay all of you that stand and look upon me Waiting to see my Misery bait it self Like Pilates have betray'd me to my Cross And water cannot wash away your sin North. My Lord dispatch read ore the Articles King My Eyes are full of Tears I cannot see North. My Lord King No Lord of thine thou false insulting Man Nor no Man's Lord I have no Name no Title Let me Command a Mirrour hither streight That it may shew me what a Face I have Since stript and Bankrupt of it's Majesty Bul. Fetch him a Glass North. In the mean time read o're this Paper King Hell for a Charm to lay This foul Tormenting Fiend Bul. Urge it no more Nortbumberland Nor. The Commons Sir will not be satisfi'd Unless he Read Confess and Sign it too King They shall be satisfi'd I 'le Read enuff When I shall see the very Book indeed Where all my faults are writ and that 's my Self Give me that Mirrour Views himself in the Glass No deeper wrinkles yet has Sorrow struck So many many blows upon these Cheeks and made No deeper wounds O' flattring Instrument Like to my followers in prosperity So shall just Fate dash them as I dash thee Breaks it So Pomp and Fals-hood ends I 'll beg one Boon Then take my leave and trouble you no more Shall I obtain it Bul. Name it fair Cousin King Fair Cousin I am greater than a King For when I was a King my Flatterers Were then but Subjects being now a Subject I have a King here for my Flaterer 'T is onely leave to go Bul. Whether King Why from your sight and then no matter where Bul. Convey him to the Tower King Ha! ha my fortune's Malice now Is grown so strange that 't is become my sport Convey Convey Conveighers are you all That rise thus nimbly on your Monarchs fall Bul. Lords I shall study to requite your Favours On Wednesday next we Solemnly set down Our Coronation so prepare your selves All Long live King Bullingbrook Henry the Fourth York Well my Allegiance follows still the Crown True to the King I shall be and thereon I kiss his Hand 't is equally as true That I shall always Love and Guard the King As that I always shall hate Bullingbrook The King 's Sacred be Herford what he will Yet 't is no Treason sure to pity Richard Bul. Break up the Assembly so wee 'll pass in state To greet the Loves of our expecting Subjects Lead there and bid our Trumpets speak Ex. Bullingbrook attended shouts without York Peace Hell-hounds or your own breath Poyson ye King Good Uncle give 'em way all Monsters Act To their own kind so do the Multitude Shout again Carl. Why impious hardned wretches Brands for Hell Forbear this barb'rous Out-rage Tears of Blood Can never wash this Monstrous Guilt away King What must I then preach Patience to my Priest Let no Man's wrongs complain whilst mine are silent How think ye my good Friends will not Succeeding Ages call this Day to witness What Changes sway the World your King must pass A Spectacle of scorn through crouded streets That at the same time view th' usurpers Triumph Heav'n shut thy Eye till this dire Scene be past The light that sees it sure will be the last Ex. Guarded ACT V. Enter Dutchess and Aumarle Dutch AT that sad passage Tears broke off your Story Where rude misgovern'd Hands from Windows threw Rank weeds and rubbish on King Richard's Head Aum. Then as I said the haughty Bullingbrook Mounted upon an hot and fiery Steed Which his aspiring Rider seem'd to know With slow but stately pace kept on his Course Whilst all Tongues cry'd God save King Bullingbrook You wou'd have thought the very Windows spoke So many greedy looks of young and old Through Casements darted their desiring Eyes You wou'd have thought the very Walls themselves With all their painted Imag'ry had cry'd Hail to the King all Hail to Bullingbrook Whilst bending lower than his Coursers neck The Rabble he saluted on each side Thus praising and thus prais'd he past along Dutch Alas poor Richard where rides he the while Aum. As in the Theatre the Eyes of Men After a well-grac't Actor leaves the Stage Are idly bent on him that enters next With such contempt they turn'd their Eyes from Richard No joyful Tongue gave him his welcome home But Dust was thrown upon his sacred Head Which with such gentle sorrow he shook off His Face still combating with Smiles and Fears The Badges of his Grief and Patience That had not Heav'n for some strange purpose steel'd The Hearts of Men they must of force relented And Cruelty it self have pity'd him Enter York York What in Tears still Well Heav'ns will must be mark me Boy I cannot blame thy grieving for Richard because I do it my self neither can I blame thee for not loving Bullingbrook because I cannot do it my self But to be true to him or rather to our Oath being now his sworn Subjects I conjure thee This I speak because the King suspects thee and made me even now pledge for thy truth and fealty Bear you well therefore in this new Spring of Government lest you be cropt before your time Well what News from Oxford Boy Hold th' intended Triumphs there 'T is said our new King will grace them with his Presence Aum. They hold my Lord for certain and as certain This upstart King shall die if he comes there York Ha! come nearer what Seal is that which hangs out from thy Bosom Ha! lookst thou pale Let me see the writing Aum. I do beseech your Grace to pardon me It is a matter of small consequence Which for some reasons I wou'd not have seen York Which for some reasons Sir I mean to see Just as I fear'd Treason foul Treason Villain Traytor Snatches it Dutch What 's the matter my Lord good York inform me York Away fond Woman give me my Boots saddle my Horse Dutch The matter Son Aum. Good Madam be content It is no more than my poor Life must Answer Dutch Thy Life Servant enters Hence Villain strike him Aumarle York My Boots I say I will away to th' King Dutch Why York what wilt thou do Wilt thou not hide the Trespass of thine own York Peace Woman or I will impeach thee too Wou'dst thou conceal this dark Conspiracy A dozen of 'em here have tane the Sacrament And interchangeably set down their Hands To kill the King at Oxford Dutch He shall be none We 'll keep him here then what 's that to him York Tho' I love not Bullingbrook yet I hate Treason and will impeach the Villain Dutch Our Son our only Son our Ages comfort Is he not thine own York Wise I believe it therefore I impeach him were he none of mine let his own Father
THE Sicilian Usurper A TRAGEDY As it was Acted at the Theatre-Royal With a Prefatory Epistle in Vindication of the Author occasioned by the Prohibition of this Play on the Stage Written by N. Tate Inultus ut flebo Puer Hor. LONDON Printed for James Knapton at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard 1691. Books newly Printed for James Knapton at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard PLAYS SQuire of Alsatia Bury-Fair True Widow Amorous Bigott or Teague O Devilly the Irish Priest All Comedies and Written by Tho. Shadwell Fortune-Hunters a Comedy written by Captain Carlile Widow Ranter or the History of Bacon in Virginia a Tragi-Comedy Forc'd Marriage or the Jealous Bridegroom a Tragi-Comedy Sir Patient Fancy a Comedy The feign'd Curtizan or a Nights Intreague a Comedy All four written by Mrs. A. Behn the Author of the Rover and Emperour of the Moon English Frier or the Town-Sparks a Comedy written by Mr Crown Author of Sir Courtly Nice Female Prelate being a History of the Life and Death of Pope Joan a Tragedy written by Elk. Settle Mr. Anthony a Comedy written by the Right Honourable the Earl of Orrery Author of Henry V. and Mustapha The Devil of a Wife or a Comical Transformation written by Mr. Jevon Deluge or the Destruction of the World an Opera Don Carlos a Tragedy Friendship in Fashion a Comedy Titus and Berenice a Tragedy with a Farce called The Cheats of Scapin all three written by Mr. Tho. Otway The Spanish Frier or the Double Discovery written by Mr. Dryden Circe a Tragedy written by Charles D'Avanant LLD. Anthony and Cleopatra a Tragedy written by Sir Charles Sedley Bar. Lucius Igunius Brutus a Tragedy written by Mr. Lee. The Siege of Babylon written by Samuel Pordage Esq The Sicilian Usurper a Tragedy written by Mr. Nath. Tate with a Prefatory Epistle in Vindication of the Author occasioned by the prohibition of this Play on the Stage Citherea or the Enamouring Girdle by Mr. John Smith The English Monarch an Heroick Tragedy by Tho. Rymer Esq A Congratulatory Poem to His Highness the P. os O. on his coming into England A Congratulatory Poem to Q. M. on her coming into England An Ode on the Anniversary of the Kings Birth An Ode on the Kings Return from Ireland all written by Tho. Shadwell Poet Laureat and Hiostoriographer-Royal Governour of Cyprus or the Loves of Virotto and Dorothea a Novel in Twelves The Wanton Frier or the Irish Amour 1st 2d part a Novel in Twel The History of the Inquisition as it is Exercised at Goa written in French by the Ingenious Monsieur Dellon who laboured 5 years under those Severities with an account of his Deliverance Translated into English Quarto price 1 s. Some Observations concerning Regulating of Elections for Parliament humbly Recommended to the Consideration of this present Parliament Quadriennium Jacobi or the History of the Reign of King James II. from his coming to the Crown to his Desertion Price bound 1 s. 6 d. Their Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Orange's Opinion about a General Liberty of Conscience being a Collection of four Select Papers viz. 1. Mijn Heer Fagel's first Letter to Mr. Stewart 2. Reflections on Monsieur Fagell's second Letter 3. Fagell's second Letter to Mr. Stewart 4. Some Extracts out of Mr. Stewarts Letter which were communicated to Mijn Heer Fagell together with some References to Mr. Stewarts Letters Quarto stitch'd 6 d. Miracles of the Blessed Virgin or an Historical Account of the Original and Stupendious performances of the Image called our Blessed Lady of Halle viz. Restoring the Dead to Life Healing the Sick Delivering of Captives c. Price 6 d. A Justification of K. W. and Q. M. of their Royal Highnesses Prince George and Princess Anne of the Convention Army Ministers of State and others in this great Revolution FINIS TO My Esteemed FRIEND George Raynsford Esq SIR I Wou'd not have you surpriz'd with this Address though I gave you no warning of it The Buisiness of this Epistle is more Vindication than Complement and when we are to tell our Grievances 't is most natural to betake our selves to a Friend 'T was thought perhaps that this unfortunate Off-spring having been stifled on the Stage shou'd have been buried in Oblivion and so it might have happened had it drawn its Being from me Alone but it still retains the immortal Spirit of its first-Father and will survive in Print though forbid to tread the Stage They that have not seen it Acted by its being silenc't must suspect me to have Compil'd a Disloyal or Reflecting Play But how far distant this was from my Design and Conduct in the Story will appear to him that reads with half an Eye To form any Resemblance between the Times here written of and the Present had been unpardonable Presumption in Me. If the Prohibiters conceive any such Notion I am not accountable for That I fell upon the new-modelling of this Tragedy as I had just before done on the History of King Lear charm'd with the many Beauties I discover'd in it which I knew wou'd become the Stage with as little design of Satyr on present Transactions as Shakespear himself that wrote this Story before this Age began I am not ignorant of the posture of Affairs in King Richard the Second's Reign how dissolute then the Age and how corrupt the Court a Season that beheld Ignorance and Infamy preferr'd to Office and Pow'r exercis'd in Oppressing Learning and Merit but why a History of those Times shou'd be supprest as a Libel upon Ours is past my Understanding 'T is sure the worst Complement that ever was made to a Prince O Rem ridiculam Cato jocasam Dignámque Auribus tuo Cachinno Ride quicquid amas Cato Catullum Res est Ridicula c. Our Shakespear in this Tragedy bated none of his Characters an Ace of the Chronicle he took care to shew 'em no worse Men than They were but represents them never a jot better His Duke of York after all his buisy pretended Loyalty is found false to his Kinsman and Sovereign and joyn'd with the Conspirators His King Richard Himself is painted in the worst Colours of History Dissolute Unadviseable devoted to Ease and Luxury You find old Gaunt speaking of him in this Language Then there are found Lascivious Meeters to whose Venom sound The open Ear of Youth do's always Listen Where doth the World thrust forth a Vanity So it be New there 's no respect how Vile That is not quickly buzz'd into his Ear That all too late comes Counsel to be heard without the least palliating of his Miscarriages which I have done in the new Draft with such words as These Your Sycophants bred from your Child-hood with you Have such Advantage had to work upon you That scarce your Failings can be call'd your Faults His Reply in Shakespear to the blunt honest Adviser runs thus And Thou a Lunatick Lean-witted-fool c. Now by my Seat's
my Fortune grew to this distress Then tell me what cou'd Alexander do Against a Fate so obstinate as mine Qu. Oh Heav'n Is awful Majesty no more King First had I not bin absent when th' Invader Set footing here or if being then in Ireland The cross Winds not forbad the News to reach me Or when the shocking Tidings were arriv'd Had not the veering Winds agen obstructed My passage back 'till rumour of my Death Disperst the Forces rais'd by Salisbury Or when these hopes were perisht had not Baggot Bushie and Green by Bullingbrook been murder'd Old York himself our last reserve surpriz'd There were some scope for Resolution left But what curst Accident i' th' power of Chance That did not then befall to cross my Wishes And what strange hit could Bullingbrook desire That fell not out to push his Forttnes on Whatever outmost Fate cou'd do to blast My hopes was done what outmost Fate cou'd do T' advance proud Bullingbrooks as sure befell Now which of these Misfortunes was my fault Or what cou'd I against resisting Heav'n Qu. Oh my dear Lord think not I meant t' upbraid Weeps over him Your Misery Death seize my Youth when any other passion For injur'd Richard in my Brests finds room But tendrest Love and Pity of his Woes King That I resign the Crown with seeming will Is now the best my Friends can counsel me Th' usurping House decrees it must be done And therefore best that it seem Voluntary Qu. Has Loyalty so quite renounc't the World That none will yet strike for an injur'd King King Alas my sinking Barque shall wreck no more My gen'rous Friends let Crowns and Scepters go Before I swim to 'em in Subjects blood The King in pity to his Subjects quits His Right that have no pity for their King Let me be blest with cool Retreat and thee Thou World of Beauty and thou Heav'n of Love To Bullingbrook I yield the Toils of State And may the Crown sit lighter on his Head Than e're it did on Richard's Qu. Destiny Is Tyrant over King's Heav'n guard my Lord. King Weep not my Love each Tear thou shedst is Theft For know thou robb'st the great ones of their due Of Pomp divested we shou'd now put off It 's dull Companion Grief Farewel my Love Thy Richard shall return to thee again The King no more Qu. In spight of me my sorrow In sad Prophetic Language do's reply Nor Richard nor the King Exeunt severally SCENE the Parliament Bullingbrook Northumb. Piercie York Aumarle Carlile with other Nobles and Officers making a full House North. Great Duke of Lancaster I come to thee From Richard who with free and willing Soul Adopts thee Heir and his high Scepter yields To the possession of thy Royal Hand Ascend his Throne descending now from him And long live Henry of that Name the Fourth Bull. Richard Consents and Lords I have your Voices In Heav'ns Name therefore I ascend the Throne Carl. No hasty Bullingbrook in Heav'ns Name stay Tho' meanest of this Presence yet I 'll speak A Truth that do's beseem me best to speak And wou'd to God the noblest of this presence Were enuff noble to be Richard's Judge What subject can give sentence on his King And who sits here that is not Richard's Subject Theeves are not judg'd but they are by to hear Th' indictment read and Answer to their Charge And shall the Figure of Heav'ns Majesty His Captain Steward Deputy Elect Anointed Crown'd and planted many years Be judg'd by Subject and inferiour Breath And he not present o' forbid it God! That in a Christian Climate Souls refin'd Shou'd Plot so heinous black obscene a deed I speak to Subjects and a Subject speaks Stir'd up by Heaven thus boldly for his King York Now by my Life I thank thee honest Prelate My Lords what say ye to the Bishops Doctrine Is 't not Heavenly true you know it is Nor can ev'n graceless Herford's self gain say 't Carl. My Lord of Hereford here whom you call King Is a foul Traytor to proud Herford's King And if you Crown him let me prophesie The blood of English shall manure the Land And future Ages groan for this foul Deed And if you rear this House against its self It will the wofullest Division prove That ever yet befell this guilty Earth Prevent resist it stop this breach in Time Lest Childrens Children curse you for this Crime North. Well have you argu'd Sir and for your pains Of Capital Treason we Arrest you here My Lord of Westminster be it your care To keep him safely till his Day of Tryal Wil 't please you Lords to grant the Common's Suit York First let me move and yield some Knave a Seat Bull. Bring hither Richard that in open view He may surrender so shall we proceed Without suspition King Richard brought in King Alack why am I sent for to the King Before I have shook off the Regal thoughts With which I Reign'd as yet I have not learnt T' insinuate flatter bow and bend the Knee Give sorrow leave a while to tutor me To this submission Yet I well remember The favours these Men were they not mine To do what service am I sent for hither North. To do that Office of your own good will Which weary'd Majesty did prompt thee to The Resignation of thy Crown and State To Henry Bullingbrook King My own good Will Yes Heav'n and you know with what sort of Will You say it is my Will why be it so Give me the Crown come Cousin seize the Crown Upon this side my Hand on that side thine Now is this Crown a Well wherein two Vessels That in successive Motion rise and fall The emptier ever dancing in the Air Th' opprest one down unseen and sunk that Vessel Dejected prest and full of Tears am I Drinking my Griefs whilst Herford mounts on high Bull. I thought you had been willing to Resign King My Crown I am but still my Griefs are mine Bull. Are you contented to Resign or no King Yes No yet let it pass From off my Head I give this heavy weight And this unwieldy Scepter from my Hand So with my Tears I wash my Balm away With my own breath release all duteous Oaths My Pomp and Majesty for ever quit My mannors Rents Revenues I forego My Acts Decrees and Statutes I repeal Heav'n pardon all Oaths that are broke to me Heav'n keep unbroke all Vows are made to thee Make me that nothing have to covet nought And thee possest of all that all hast sought What more remains North. No more but that you read This Bill of Accusations charg'd upon your Crimes King Distraction made my own accuser too To read a bead-roll of my own defaults Read it my self by piece-meal to unrauel My weav'd-up follies why Northumberland If thy Offences were upon Record Wou'd it not shame thee in so full a Presence To read a Lecture of ' em if thou shou'dst There wou'dst thou