bin better able to rule If my neere kindred be committed to prison what remains for me a crowne A but how so beset with sorrows that the care grief wil kil me ere I shal enioy my kingdome Well since I cannot command I wil intreat Good vnkle of Gloster for all I can say little but for my vnkle Lord Gray what need he be a theef or conuey money out of the Tower when he hath sufficient of his own But good vnkle let me baile them all If not I will baile my vnckle Lord Gray if I may Rich. Your grace vndertakes you know not what the matters are perillous especially against the Lord Gray King What perilous matters considering he is a friend to vs Rich. He may be a friend to win fauour so climbe to promotion in respect of his equals His equals nay his betters King I know my vnckle will conceale no treason or dangerous heeresie from vs Ric. Yes secrets that are too subtil for babes Alasse my Lord you are a child and they vse you as a child but they consult and conclude of such matters as were we not carefull would proue preiudiciall to your Maiesties person Therefore let not your grace feare any thing by our determination for as my authoritie is onely vnder your grace so shall my loyaltie deserue hereafter the iust recompence of a true subiect therefore I hauing charge frō my brother your father our late deceased king during the minoritie of your grace I wil vse my authoritie as I see good King Ay me vnhappie king Gray Nay let not your grace be dismaid for our imprisonmēt but I would we could warrant your grace from harme so we humbly take our leaues of your grace hoping that ere long we shall answer by law to the shame disgrace of you all Exit Rich. Go you shall answere it by law Kin. But come vnkle shal we to Lon. to our vntimely cronatiō Rich. What else and please your maiestie where by the way I will appoint trustie Officers about you Buc. Sound Trumpet in this parley God saue the King Rich. Richard Enter the mother Queene and her yoong sonne the Duke of Yorke and Elizabeth Yorke May it please your grace to shew to your children the cause of your heauines that we knowing it may be copartners of your sorrowes Q. Ay me poore husbandles queene you poore fatherlesse princes Eliz. Good mother expect the liuing and forget the dead What tho our father be dead yet behold his children the image of himselfe Queene Ay poore Princes my mourning is for you and for your brother who is gone vp to an vntimely crownation Eliz. Why mother he is a Prince and in handes of our two vnckles Earle Riuers Lord Gray who wil no doubt be carefull of his estate Queen I know they will but kings haue mortall enemies as well as friends that esteeme and regard them A sweet children when I am at rest my nightly dreames are dreadful Me thinks as I lie in my bed I see the league broken which was sworne at the death of your kingly father t is this my children and many other causes of like importance that makes your aged mother to lament as she doth Yorke May it please your grace Queene A my son no more grace for I am so sore disgraced that without Gods grace I fall into dispaire with my selfe but who is this Enter a Messenger York What art thou that with thy gastly lookes preaseth into sanctuary to affright our mother Queene Messen A sweet Princes doth my countenance bewray me My newes is doubtfull and heauie Eliz. Then vtter it to vs that our mother may not heare it Queene A yes my friend speake what ere it be Mess. Then thus may it please your grace The yong prince comming vp to his coronation attended on by his two vnckles Earle Riuers and Lord Gray and the rest of your kindred was by the Duke of Buckingham and the Protector met at stonie Stratford where on a suddaine grew malice betweene the Duke of Buckingham and the Lord Gray but in the end the Duke of Buckinghams malice grew so great that he arested and attached all those of your kindred of high treason whereupon the Protector being too rash in iudgement hath committed them all to Pomphret Castle Queene Where I feare he will butcher them all but where is the Prince my sonne Messen. He remaines at London in the Bishops palace in the hands of the Protector Queene A traitors will they laie hands on their Prince and imprison his Peeres which no doubt meanes well towards him But tell me art not thou seruant to the Arch-Bishop of Yorke Messen. Yes and it please your grace for himselfe is here at hand with Letters from the Councell and here he comes Enter Cardinall Queene But here my friend griefe had almost made me forget thy reward A come my Lord thou bringest the heauie newes come shoote thine arrow and hit this heart that is almost dead with griefe alreadie Car. What ere my newes be haue patience the Duke of Gloster greets your grace Queene Draw home my Lord for now you hit the marke Car. The Prince your sonne doth greete your grace Queene A happie gale that blew that arrow by A let me see the Letter that he sent perhaps it may prolong my life a while Yorke How doth my brother is he in health my Lord Card. In health sweete Prince but longes to haue thy companie Yorke I am content if my mother will let me go Card. Content or not sweete Prince it must be so Queene Hold and haue they persuaded thee my sonne to haue thy brother too away from me nay first I will know what shall become of thee before I send my other sonne to them Card. Looke on this Letter and aduise your selfe for thus the Councell hath determined Queene And haue they chosen thee among the rest for to persuade me to this enterprise No my Lord and thus persuade your selfe I will not send him to be butchered Card. Your grace misdoubts the worst they send for him only to haue him bedfellow to the King and there to staie keep him company And if your sonne miscary then let his blood be laid vnto my charge I know their drifts and what they do pretend for they shall both this night sleepe in the Tower and to morrow they shall come forth to his happie coronation Vpon my honour this is the full effect for see the ambusht nobles are at hand to take the Prince away from you by force if you will not by faire meanes let him go Queene Why my Lord wil you breake Sanctuary and bring in rebels to affright vs thus No you shall rather take away my life before you get my boy away from me Card. Why Madame haue you taken Sanctuary Queene I my Lord and high time too I trow Card. A heauie case when Princes flie for aide where cut-throates rebels and bankerouts should
Let vengeance mischiefes tortures light on thee and thine And after death thou maist more torture feele then when Excon turnes the restlesse wheele And banne thy soule where ere thou seeme to rest But come my my friends let me away Herald My Lord we are sorie But come laie hands on Banister Exeunt Enter King Richard sir William Catesbie and others King The goale is got and golden Crowne is wonne And well deseruest thou to weare the same That ventured hast thy bodie and thy soule But what bootes Richard now the Diademe Or kingdome got by murther of his friends My fearefull shadow that still followes me Hath sommond me before the seuere iudge My conscience witnesse of the blood I spilt Accuseth me as guiltie of the fact The fact a damned iudgement craues Whereas impartiall iustice hath condemned Meethinkes the Crowne which I before did weare Inchast with Pearle and costly Diamonds Is turned now into a fatall wreathe Of fiery flames and euer burning starres And raging fiends hath past ther vgly shapes In Stygian lakes adrest to tend on me If it be thus what wilt thou do in this extremitie Nay what canst thou do to purge thee of thy guilt Euen repent craue mercie for thy damned fact Appeale for mercy to thy righteous God Ha repent not I craue mercy they that list My God is none of mine Then Richard be thus resolu'd To pace thy soule in vallence with their blood Soule for soule and bodie for bodie yea mary Richard That 's good Catesbie Cat. You cald my Lord I thinke King It may be so But what thinkst thou Catesbie Cat. Of what my Lord King Why of all these troubles Cat. Why my Lord I hope to see them happily ouercom'd King How villain doest thou hope to see me happily ouercom'd Cat. Who you my Lord King Ay villaine thou points at me thou hopest to see me ouercom'd Cat. No my good Lord your enemies or else not King Ha ha good Catesbie but what hearest thou of the Duke of Buckingham Cat. Why he is dead my Lord he was executed at Salisbury yesterday King Why t is impossible his friends hopes that he shall outline me to be my head Cat. Out-liue you Lord that 's straunge King No Catesbie if a do it must be in fames And since they hope he shall out liue me to be my head He hops without his head rests among his fellow rebels Cat. Mary no force my Lord King But Catesbie what hearest thou of Henry Earle of Richmond Cat. Not a word my Lord King No hearest thou not he liues in Brittaine In fauour with the Duke Nay more Lady Margaret his mother conspires against vs And perswades him that hee is lineally descended from Henry The fourth and that he hath right to the Crowne Therefore tell me what thinkst thou of the Earle Cat. My Lord I thinke of the Earle as he doth deserue A most famous gentleman King Villaine doest thou praise my foe and commend him to my face Cat. Nay my Lord I wish he were as good a friend as he is a foe else the due deserts of a traytor King What 's that Cat. Why my Lord to loose his head King Yea mary I would t were off quickly then But more to the strengthening of his title She goes about to marry him to the Queenes eldest daughter Ladie Elizabeth Cat. Indeed my Lord that I heard was concluded By all the nobilitie of Brittaine King Why then there it goes The great diuell of hell go with all A marriage begun in mischiefe shall end in blood I thinke that accursed sorrceresse the mother Queene Doth nothing but be with me and hatcheth conspiracies And brings out perillous birds to wound Their Countries weale The Earle is vp in Armes And with him many of the Nobilitie He hath ayde in France He is rescued in Brittaine And meaneth shortly to arriue in England But all this spites me not so much As his escape from Landoyse the Dukes Treasuror Who if he had bene prickt foorth for reuenge He had ended all by apprehending of our foe But now he is in disgrace with the Duke And we farther off our purpose then to fore But the Earle hath not so many byting dogs abroad As we haue sleeping curres at home here Readie for rescue Cat. But my Lord I maruell how he should get aide there Considering he is no friend to Brittaine King Ay so thou maist maruell how the Duke of Brittaine Durst wake such a foe as England against him But euill fare makes open warre But who comes there Catsbie Ha one of our spurres to reuenge The Lord Standley father in law to Ladie Margaret His comming is to vs Catsbie Wert not that his life might serue For apprehension against our foe He should haue neither Iudge nor Iury But guiltie death without any more ado Now Lord Standley what newes Haue you receiued any letters of your late embassage into Brittaine What answere haue you receiued of your letters Enter Lord Standley and his sonne George Stand. Why my Lord for that I sent I haue receiued King And how doth your sonne then is he in health Standley For his health my Lord I do not mistrust King Faith tell vs when meanes he to arriue in England And how many of our Nobilitie is with him And what power is with him Standley And please your grace His power is vnknowne to me Nor willingly would not I be priuy to such causes King Oh good wordes Lord Standley but giue me leaue to gleane out of your golden field of eloquence how braue you pleade ignorance as though you knew not of your sonnes departure into Brittaine out of England Stand. Not I my Lord King Why is not his mother thy wife dares he passe ouer without the blessing of his mother whose husband thou art Stand. I desire your maiestie but giue me leaue to speake King Yea speak Standley no doubt some fine coloured tale Stand. And like your grace wheras you mistrust that I knew of my sonnes departure out of England into Brittaine God I take to record it was vnknowne to me nor know not yet what his pretence is for at his departure was I one of the priuy councell to your brother King Edward the fourth and that she was able to relieue him without my helpe I hope her sufficiencie is knowne to your grace Therefore I humbly craue pardon King Well Standley I feare it will be proued to the contrarie that thou didst furnish him both with mony and munition which if it be then looke for no fauour at my hands but the due deserts of a traitor but let this passe What 's your repaire to our presence Stan. Only this my Lord that I may repaire from the court to my house in the country King Ay sir that you might be in Cheshire and Lancashire then should your Postes passe inuisible into Brittaine and you to depart the realme at your pleasure or else I to suffer an
intollerable foe vnder me which I will not But Standley to be brief thou shalt not go But soft Richard but that it were better to be alone then to haue noysome company he shall goe leauing for his loyaltie a sufficient pledge Come hither Standley thou shalt goe leauing me here thy sonne and heire George Standley for a pledge that hee may perish for thy fault if neede should be if thou likest this goe If not answere me briefly and say quickly no Stand. I am to aduise my selfe vppon a secret cause and of a matter that concernes me neare say that I leaue my sonne vnto the King and that I should but aide Earle Richmond my sonne George Standley dies but if my faith be kept vnto my Prince George Standley liues Well I will except the Kings proffer And please your grace I am content and will leaue my sonne to pledge King Here come hither and with thee take this lesson Thou art set free for our defence Thou shalt vpon thy pledge make this promise Not only to staie the hinderance of the Earle But to preuent his purpose with thy power Thou shalt not seeke by any meanes to aide or rescue him This done of my life thy sonne doth liue But otherwise thy sonne dies and thou too if I catch thee And it shall go hard but I will catch thee Stand. And you shall go apace and yet go without me But I humbly take my leaue of your grace Farewell George King How now what do you giue him letters Stand. No my Lord I haue done The second sight is sweet of such a sonne Exit King Carry George Standley to prison George Alasse my Lord shall I go to prison King Shall you go to prison what a question 's that So pricke the lambe and wound the damme How likest thou this Catesbie Cat. Oh my Lord so excellent that you haue imprisoned his sonne King Nay now will we looke to the rest But I sent the Lord Louell to the mother Queene Concerning my sute to her daughter Elizabeth But see in good time here he is How now Louell what newes What saith the mother Queene to my sute Enters Louell Lou. My Lord very strange she was at the first But when I had told her the cause she gaue concent Desiring your maiestie to make the nobilitie priuie to it King God haue mercy Louell but what said Lady Elizabeth Lou. Why my Lord straunge as women will be at the first But through intreatie of her mother she quickly gaue consent And the Queene wild me to tel your grace that she meanes to leaue Sanctuary and to come to the court with al her daughters King I marry Louell let not that opportunitie slippe looke to it Catesbie be carefull for it Louell for thereby hangs such a chance that may inrich vs and our heires for euer But sirs hard ye nothing of the Scottish Nobles that met at Nottingham to conferre about the marriage of my Neece Cat. Not a word my Lord Enters Messenger King Gogs wounds who is that search the villaine has he any dags about him Mess. No my Lord I haue none King From whence comes thou Mess. From the Peeres at Nottingham and Scotland they greete your Maiestie Lou. Sirrha is the marriage concluded betweene the Scottish Earle and the faire Lady Rosa Cat. Prethie tell vs is it concluded Page How saies thou is it concluded King Nay will you giue me leaue to tell you that Why you villaines will you know the secrets of my letter by interrupting messengers that are sent to me Away I say begone it is time to looke about away I say what here yet villaines Mess. My Lord I haue somewhat to say besides King Then speake it what hast thou to say Mess. This my Lord when the Peeres of England and Scotland met at Nottingham togither to confer about the marriage of your Neese it was straight determined that she shuld be married with the Scottish Earle And further my Lord the Councel commanded me to deliuer vnto your grace the treasons of Captain Blunt who had the Earle of Oxford in charge in Hames castle now are they both fled and purposeth to ayde the Earle of Richmond against your grace Now my Lord I take my leaue King Messenger staie hath Blunt betraied doth Oxford rebell and aide the Earle Richmond may this be true what is our prison so weake our friends so fickle our Ports so ill lookt too that they may passe and repasse the seas at their pleasures then euerie one conspires spoyles our Conflex conqueres our Castles and Armes themselues with their owne weapons vnresisted O villaines rebels fugetiues theeues how are we betrayd when our owne swoordes shall beate vs and our owne subiects seekes the subuertion of the state the fall of their Prince and sack of their country of his nay neither must nor shall for I will Army with my friends and cut off my enemies beard them to their face that dares me and but one I one one beyond the seas that troubles me wel his power is weake we are strong therfore I wil meet him with such melodie that the singing of a bullet shal send him merily to his lōgest home Come folow me Enter Earle Rich. Earle Oxford P. Landoys captain Blunt Rich. Welcome deare friends and louing country-men Welcome I say to Englands blisfull Ile Whose forwardnesse I cannot but commend That thus do aide vs in our enterprise My right it is and sole inheritance And Richard but vsurps in my authoritie For in his tyrannie he slaughtered those That would not succour him in his attempts Whose guiltlesse blood craues daily at Gods hands Reuenge for outrage done to their harmelesse liues Then courage countrymen and neuer be dismayd Our quarels good and God will helpe the right For we may know by dangers we haue past That God no doubt will giue vs victorie Oxf. If loue of gold or feare of many foes Could once haue danted vs in our attempts Thy foote had neuer toucht the English shoare And here Earle Oxford plites his faith to thee Neuer to leaue in what we haue vndertane But follow still with resolution Till thou be crownd as conquerer in the field Or lose thy life in following of thy right Thy right braue Richmond which we wil maintaine Maugre the proudest bird of Richards brood Then cousin Richmond being resolued thus Let vs straight to Aarms God and S. George for vs Blunt As this braue Earle haue said so say we all We will not leaue thee till the field be wonne Which if with fortunate successe we can performe Thinke then Earle Richmond that I followed thee And that shall be honour inough for mee Lan. So saith Landoyse that honors Richmond so With loue vnfeined for his valure past That if your honour leade the way to death Peeter Landoys hath sworne to follow thee For if Queen mother do but keep her word And what the Peeres haue promised