golden Characters And there are mine recorded then 't is no snare Nor incest can it be thou art my wife An. Before I yielded up my virgins name You sware no less Oh heavens doe not you think The aire is troubled for our privat sin This thunder tells me we have angred heaven Edm. Sweet-heart It is the years due order and the aire Through heat and sulphur sends the thunder cracks Thou wilt be mist at home I prithee haste unto thy father's house An. Opprest with shame Edm. In troth I shall be angry with thee sweet If thou continue in these fond delirements Can there be shame in matrimoniall rites Thou art my wife and here I fealt with these Kisses her An. Had you sealed no otherwise with me I could have born the impression willingly And call'd again for more security Edm Thou shalt ere long imbrace me lawfully The Priest shall joyn our hands with our true hearts My business calls me hence I must be gone But leave my heart for ever sweet with thee An. As good as nought how ere both sin and shame I bear for thy sweet sake my lost good name My fathers anger all is for thy sake If thou proof false and that for grief I die 'T is for thy sake and shall doe 't willingly Exit Edm. Farwell thou soul of vertue Ent. Thorney and VVoodford Now Master Thorney Thor. Health to you Sir I have according to your good appointment Caused all the Commons that are opprest with wrong For to repair to the Earle of Coventry's Castle Whereat your Princely Brother keeps his Court To shew their grievances and gainst whom they complain Edm. You have bin carefull Master Thorney And in it shews the duty of a Subject For 't is a perilous time Thor. I I my Lord a mostrous stormy time For since my birth I never heard the like This many a day we have not seen the Sun But still continuall thunder frights the earth What this portends he that 's the cause Best knows Ent. A Post. Edm. True Mr Thorney and 't is not fit for us to question his intents Thy news why doest thou look so pale Post. Oh my Liege I come to sing to you a schritch ou'ls note That will afright your hearing your Brother Sir Edm. What of him Post. He is Edm. Dead Post. How apt you are To pluck the mishap't embrion of mischance Ere it be fully moulded from the womb He 's dead my Leige and murdered Edm. Murthered how Post. In his bed my Liege by whom is yet unknown Edm. Then this the cause is that the heavens so scould And rend the clouds with fearfull thunder cracks I 'le find the murtherer though I search the center And from the earth pluck the abhorrid caitiffes Let all the passages be strongly garded For till the mutherous villains be brought to light We still shall live in this perpetuall night Exit Ent Sibert and Emma Sib Oh conscience thou art a mortall wound to murtherers No balme can give thee ease oh this dred thunder Will never cease his loud amasing terrour Till this most fearfull murther be reveald Em. Art thou a man and keepst such cowardly apprehension A sound of thunder why me thinks this houre I see ten thousand like thy self that stand Applying all unto their proper sins The bribed Lawyer having ta'ne his fee With ambodexter feeling cunningly Hearing this voice sayes from his conscience sting The heavens are angry at his dubble dealing The griping Usurer that hath ta'ne the forfeit Of some great Estate this voice of conscience Now a little wakens him the Theef The Tyrant and the Adulterer all tremble Now and what is it but Palsy-conscience That appropriates unto it self Things that we never knew Sib. But this is all my own Did not the instant deed call up the thunder Did not I vow to heaven I ne're would see Nor Sun nor Moon untill the King were dead To which I fear the heavens have added further That those clear lights the world shall never see Till this black deed of hell revealed be Em. This is your conscience still awake for shame From this same drousie Lethargie of minde Seek for thy safety Sibert and assure it The Lords are gone to London follow them And dive into the owse of all their actions The generall voice cries Edmund King of England And being inthron'd the Royall Policy Will mount him with a strict and nearer quest To finde the author of his Brothers murder Sib. That starts my heart hence coward conscience If any conscience shall but wrinkled sit And bend a doubtfull censure upon Sibert I will again dip these my hands in blood Of the most daring opposite I see 't is fear That man accuses resolves acquite all guilt All must to earth where then can blood be spilt Em. Why now thou speakest Sib. I 'le put it all in action stay thou here Gather our friends and Tenents to a head Then with them fortifie our strongest Castles 't is fit For him that injures others to secure him self Exit Ent. Thorny VVoodford and Anne VVood. Good Sir have patience Thorn Away she 's big big with child Out of my doors thou strumpet VVood. Dear uncle Thor. Cover my shame with some deformity turn me to a beast That is not capable of what joys are past Or griefs to come blast all my faculties Hide my white head in everlasting darkness Let me forget that ere I had a child And ne're remember that she turn'd a strumpet O heaven defend me Let me curse the whore VVood. Good Sir forbear my charity is such That I must hinder you Thor. You doe me wrong to hinder my devotion An. Oh! dear Sir forbear to invocate you will offend And make your vertue sin to call for curses Have charity with your self if not with me Impose me to the Laws severity Hurt not your self with this impatience I 'le stoop to all with mildest sufferance Tho. So so 't is done and 't is recorded now And I have done ill with a mentall vow Better then windy words my soul 's a witness Never to let a â—â—nediction fall Upon the strumpets head never to know Or own thee for my child never to give A penny of my substance to thy succour Never to look on thee this I affirme Ever to follow thee with extremest hate Still to persue thee with extremest rigour The Law provided has for such offenders Nay thou shalt stand example to all children How they invoke a Fathers aged wrath VVood. Good Sir qualifie this rage tell us who the offender was Thor. Who should offend with an adulterous whore But some loose varlet or luxurious knave That would have company along to hell And she must needs goe with him but I 'le begin Your everlasting torments and fetch such whips Shall make your sweet sin smart no waight of fate Can be so ponderous as love turn'd to hate Exit VVood. Cosen you see how your Father is inrag'd
ever murder done and hid so rarely The body buried in the rivers bottom What policy of men can ever finde it Ha! who is 't that speaks so loud crack the clouds This crying seene is not yet heard in heaven I hope Is it for that this dreadfull voyce of thunder Roules through the black inraged Elements And wraps this bright diapome in fire Or are these sounds the knelling obsequies You use to keep at a King's Funerall if so King treason out but onely this I barr Wake not the dead nor name the Murderer Exit Ent. Bishop and VViltshire Sibert meeting them B. Lu. Angels defend us what a night is here Sib. How now my Lords you have had ill rest to night VVilt Who but the dead can sleep in such loud summons The blessed powers defend us 't is most fearfull B. Lu. We come to see the King in this sick hour Sib. And for that only cause my Reverend Lords We draw our care so nigh his Highness chamber That had he call'd we had attendant bin To furnish his desire but sure he wakes not VVilt And sure he sleepes not let 's to his chamber Sib. With all my heart See here comes my Lady Ent. Emma B. Lut. Alas good Lady wak'd from your bed with thunder Em. Oh! who can rest in such a dreadfull hearing When every crack of thunder that breaks forth Seems as if heaven would fall upon our heads VVilt Noble Lady accompany us to the King's bed-chamber Em. With all my heart I 'me sorry he 's thus disturbed VVilt Softly least being not yet awak'd We fright his Highness with our suddain coming Ha! the bed empty his Highness sure is up My Lord my Leige ha no answer B. Lut. Strengthen me heaven lights here a little Is not this blood Sib. Ha blood more lights VVilt I fear my royal blood my Lord my Leige my King Sib. Cry treason louder then this voice o' th thunder 'T is that that he hath all this while proclaimed And we dull animals could not perceive it Treason murder treason All. Treason murder treason Sib. Call for the Pages raise up all the Court. And hollow treason through out every room Oh! who is he hath staind my Loyalty And made my house the author of this treason Ent. Pages VVilt Be patient Sibert here come the Pages Let 's examine them Page Where 's the King Sib. Who 's that that speaks so drowsily base villains When blood of Kings besmears the Royall bed Page Ha the King 's murdred my Royal Master Thy loss is our decay Sib. Die Loyall traitors you have murdred him Kills them O're take him Slaves or hide your guilt in hell VVilt Alas my Lord you doe you know not what Sib. Doe you uphold them take heed tempt not your spotles Loyalties with any scrupulous thought I would fain beleeve That you were as my self right loyall Amb. 1. That shall be seen Sir in our diligence Sib. You talke but nothing doe search for the body If we find that we soon shall find the traitors Search every room the body is not far The murderer will be found black deeds of hell Who was the author Exit Sibert and Emma Em. Those that will not tell VVilt This is a horrid night Bish. To kill the Pages unexamined these are not just proceedings VVilt I doe not blame his loyalty but his rage That in their deaths we should have questioned Prevents the means of our discovery Bish. This night is fatall for 't is hatch't in blood VVilt Heaven cease this thunder 't is a time of sorrow But come my Lord think of the Kingdoms safety First let us resolve with swiftest speed To greet the Earl of London Royal Prince Edmund with thiâ— heavy news Bish. As 't is most fit See here 's Sibert Ent. Sibert Sib. No marvail tho the heavens speak in thunder To see anointed blood spilt on the earth And in my house oh heavens VVilt Nay good my Lord forbear Sib. Did not I tell you that those drousie Pages Whom this hand slew I thank heaven for it Were the tour traitors perhaps hired to doe it Lut. That we would have found my Lord. Sib. I would my heat of rage had given you leave I doe repent it now but 't is most certain For that the Postern gate whose keys they had in keeping Was now found open tax me to any pains To find this treason set me down half the world For my own travail I 'le bring the Traitor forth Or ne're return Lut. Use your care whilest we send post away This night 's the worst that ever covered day Exit VVilt and Bishop Lut. Sib. Ha ha ha ha the best to me So so Speak louder thunder make a more horrid night Conscience is not at home thou canst not fright Crie Traitor stil though I thy meaning know Here 's none that understands thou call'st me so Exit Ent. Edmund and Anne Edm. Nay doe not grieve An. Can you allow me less then teares my Lord Oh what a noble Traitor have you prov'd In that deceiving ring that brought me to you Edm. When I beheld this glorious frame of Nature This ever prais'd yet never prais'd enough Proportion O what a suddain passion I was in The Queen of love drew forth a fieâ—y shaft And shot my brest which rancle did so sore The more I let it rest it rag'd the more Till from the store-house of my hatching brain This balsome of remedie I distill'd And cured the wound this rich Embassador Discover'd to me more then the Indies wealth An. Oh! what a jewell then beyond esteem Have I then lost which gold can ne're redeem Edm. That is not lost that is repayd with love Such is our fair exchange had some rude slave Polluted thy white soul with ugly lust Thou then hadst cause to grieve but my desire Was free from the least baseness what I have borrowed Of thy maidenstore I will repay and with a husbands love Give satisfaction nay weep not good sweet-heart An. A pretty Epitaph for wantons to congratulate withall You did salute me with a sweeter name Then I imagine this sweet-heart to be But you have robd me of it Edm. Nay lovely maid An. Were it heavens will would I had kept that name Edm. Would you have then ingrost perfection And like a usurer have hoarded up The Princely jewell of your maidenhead And let pale death have bin your husband You were created that from you should spring The worlds increase then would you most unkind Alter what you were made for 't is A husband you must have and if 't be so Why not as good me as another man An. If you want no vail to shadow Sir How many have you caught within this snare Am I the first Edm. Yes by this blessed aire Nor art thou caught in any lustfull net But in a sacred matrimoniall band Which we have registred in heavens white book Where all the sacred Hymeneall oaths Are writ in
knows whose hands were bathed in the blood Wilt. You see the cruell terrors of these times Oh! gratious Prince and that which doth exceed The strength of all amazement since the death Of our late murdered Lord and Soveraign The Sun and Moon was never seen to shine Edm. The eye of heaven is banish't from the earth And gone to wander in eternall night And ransake some Cemerian seated cave To finde the Murderers that with horror sitts Starting at every apparition And never will illuminate the world Till it hath brought him to transparent view And to him speaks this thunder Sib. No 't is to me but I 'le not answer Though the boults should flie and strike me to the center Edm. How horridly it cracks A generall desolation sure is come And heavens glorious eye I think is banish't hence eternally Sib. Take courage Sir a Royall thought Stoops not to Fortunes blindness great thoughts are ever Fixt to the publik good and not kept down by passions Oh! the blood Wilt. Let 's invocate the powers above For to reveal the horrid Murderers Sib. Hot vengeance light on him that so perswades him Edm. Swear as you hope for heaven your carefull studies Shall be to siâ—t this execrable deed And bring to light this damned Murtherer Sib. Zoundes I must kill him too and prevent his purpose VVilt We vow the same with force and diligence Edm. As for my self I will outwatch the night Wast these life-seeing tapers of mine eyes Till they drop forth the sockets of my skull But I will finde the execrable Slave Why standst thou silent Sibert Sib. Alas my Lord I am hid in sorrow That in my house this mischief happened And yet dear Prince I have already spent The utmost minutes in this fatall business No place no person no suspected breast That might unto the act be aidable But I have torne it open and examin'd So that deceit it self could not deceive me But all in vain the damn'd Murderer lies unrevealed And heaven or none must find him hee 's so subtill Edm. I feare thy Loyalty come let 's to Coventry And there we will fift out murthers darkest ways Sibert let 's have your Company along Were millions given this purpose to prevent All Europe shall not hinder our intent Be ready Sibert Sib. With all my heart my Lord. Mischief confound it Edm. Set forward Lords Thou that still guards the right Bring this dark obscure murther to the light Exeunt Manet Sibert So the King 's for Coventry and I as mark't With some brand of suspicion must be the man To attend above the rest Sfoot what note Or character of guilt lies on my brow More then the rest my speech was firm I was less frighted with this loud tongu'd thundeâ— Then was the King or any of his Peeres And but my conscience nothing troubles me And that is no mans burthen but my own Which I 'le conceal though with the Kingdoms ruine Let Hell spit fire I 'le not accuse my self Although the Sun and Heaven be hid in clouds And with an everlasting darkness cover us Thunder loud Oh! I presume too much that crack has mazed me Horrour of Hell what shall I doe think Sibert and conceive What if the King should call my wife in question Or that the Murderers we hir'd to doe 't Should be surpris'd and brought unto the King Examined put to death where 's Sibert then Thrown in Hell fire never to rise again Which to prevent I 'le presently make flight And leave with them my feare and jealousie I 'le ship my self for Ireland and there Shrowd my self safe and there close up my eares From this loud peals of thunder which are sent And on my head with winged vengeance bent Exit Ent. Mr Woodford and Anne Thorny Wood. Now you are a happy mother the good Heavens Has brought your burthen to a happy issue you may Now curse the cause you shall have my instructions To direct you An. Now Heaven forbid VVood. By his delay you may see how he stands affected An. 'T is a delay without proportion VVood. Your Father threatens and persues your lives best shipwrack Vowing if you should starve not to give A penny for to comfort you An. Yet I will pray for him eternally And for my Sovereign which hath forsaken me But of his love I will expect no more Think wise or dream then of that thing Unknown unsought or never thought upon Wood. Oh! be not to your self so cruel An. Since in his loss I have lost my self and honour I now resolve in this unblemisht habit to weare out The remnant of my days in penetance Amongst the holy Nunnes of Holy well Into whose Sister-hood I am admitted And there for ever will I plant my being VVood. Oh! gentle Cuz An. I am deaf to all persuasions My best of blood I have no friend but you And in your virtue I impose my trust That with all secret care you chuse a time To give this ring to my dear Soveraign The once dear pledge of his forgotten love With it this letter in whose sad contents Is nothing but a vertuous milde intreaty That he would gratiously behold this child His hapless Son and called by his name Edmund that mongst the longer of my sighes I may have comfort to keep down my griefs VVood. And as my own I mean to tender it An. Your vertue makes my care lie easy on me Good Cosen speak what temper holds my Father VVood. Has given o're his house and all his wealth He means for to distribute to holy uses An. And yet I live and breath that am the sinfull author Of these sorrows but flows this deluge for his own Offences Or the remembrance of my hatefull shame VVood. From your disgrace An. Then to this World Adieu why doe you urge To hold me longer here a Prisoner I have out lived myne honour buried alive My old and vertuous Father for which I am below All reach of humane pitty that I know They wish to Serpents more prosperity My soul 's as black as darkness and can take no light Of other beauty till my teares have washt it I doe beseech you Cuz commend my duty To my Father and intreat his vertue To lâ—y no more affliction on his age for my offences past And last to thee my first of cares Whose innocence is spotted with my sin Oh! be thou made so blest that in thy vertues I and my faults may loose their memories Take my last kiss and with it these my teares Which to thy Royall Father thou shalt beare Now take it â—r and with it all my comforts all my prayers Love it dear Cuz though from grief it spring Yet 't is the onely Son unto a King farwell I feare we never more shall meet on earth Here my joys end you have my sorrows birth Exit VVood. Success attend you would all that stept awry Would be but subject to thy penalty Come on thou
Open thy mouth and let in these Morsels of mortality to gorge thy hunger Well I 'le in to a corner and feed like a mandiâ— Soldier Exit Ent. Edmund and Bishop Edm. Seek not to disallow my good intent For I must visit her Bish. To give your grace some satisfaction I 'le pass a little with Religious Orders For ne're no man unless a â—rier in confession Might meet in private with a sacred Nunne Edm. High seated Iove far meaner shapes diâ— take When he did visit his fair Parramour And shall I that am a mortall then disdaine The holy habit of a frolick Fryer No Reverent man stand it with thy good liking That shape above all other I would take Bish. You shall in hope your deeds Shall no way tend to acts of sacriledge Edm. To sacriledge no our thoughts are purâ— and free From the least thought of such a horrid crime The habit I will take onely because I would be admitted to her unknown Bish. Your thoughts are noble Sir and we'lâ— assist you Puts on a Fryer's shape Put on this habit and affect your wishes Let me alone to get admittance for you Edm. How doe you like me in this habit my Lord Bish. Now by my holy Order Royall Lord You in this shape may be admitted Unto all our Nunnes and be a helper To increase their stoie Edm. There will be one the less by her I fear Ent. Abesse and Nunnes Ab. Your humble hand-maids High and Reverent Lord Thus bow themselves before your Fatherhood Bish. We come grave Lady to have conference With one of your Religious Votarists That has we hear without Confession Lived many years in this your Nunnery Whose Father being a worthy Cittizen All careless of his life hath left his calling And by the River Thames a mile from London He late haâ—h builded up a famous Abbey Call'd by his own name Thorny and for this Fearing some sin of hers hath thus inforc't him I have here brought a holy Confessor That finding the true cause we may appear To reconcile her to her Fathers love Ab. 'T is a pious work Bish. Is she not here amongst these holy Sisters Ab. No my good Lord go on and call her forth Edm. I 'le be her Confessor Bish. And will not trouble your devotion Come holy Sister leave them to themselves Ab. Beleeve me gratious Lord I know no cause In her that should inforce her Father In such sort to estrange his love Her life is modest chaste and vertuous Ent. Anne with a deaths-head See here she comes sadly alone Ever in grief and contemplation It is the Reverent Bishop holy Daughter That here has brought a holy Confessour To have some conference about your Father Exâ—â— Edm. Oh! who can see a beauty mufflled up Thus like the sun in a malignant cloud And not shed tears Beauteous Nun I came from your Father An. My Father oh holy powers forgive him That has forgotten me but I 'le pray for him He never more will see me but in death As this sad token sent me witnesseth And 't is more wellcome comming from hiâ— hands Then all earths pleasure here I 'le learn to dye And never grieve him with my memory This object tells me that this life is vain All come from earth and must to earth again Edm. A good resolve a vertuous persuasion But tell me fairest what was the cause That made your Father to forsake you thus An. Heaven pardon him I pray that sundred us Edm. Him who why were â—here more Originalls Then your self An. Oh holy Frier let that point alone I may hurt one by that confession Which once I dearly loved but woe is me His love has brought me to this misery Edm. Whaâ— was he speak for you are sworâ— To open every â—cruple of your conscience To your Confessor that hiâ— saâ—ient judgment May minister a balsome to your wounds The oyâ— of vertuoâ—s counsell â—hat's distilde From he unfâ—ined coâ—â—sell of a tongue Tâ—aâ— stâ—ll speaks truth Play tâ—e good Chirurgeon Draw forth the filthy ulcers of your ill That your immaculate good may still rest sound Else the corrupted fistula of Sin Will putrifie the purest of your goodness Nor need you fear I will disclose For I am sworn ever to keep it close An O! holy Father pray for me and him I once did love Edm. It is my duty for to pray for him To entreat the powers above to quit his sin And yours what e're it were but one You once did love in that there is no sin An. Not if the hearts be true But ours met not and there my sorrow grew His place waâ— high and eminent in State Mine low of birth and most unfortunate Oh! let me name his Name with Reverence He is a Royal great and gracious Prince Nay more he 's now a King Edm. But tell me pray Was not your love equally paid from him An. Oh no! his very thought yet comforts me Yet 't is for him I live in misery Lord Edmund Brother to the King deceast Made me believe he lov'd me and I thought His oaths and protestations like himself Should all be Noble true and virtuous So rendred up my Virgin state to him Oh! then my grief began he soon forgot His former vows and left me big with child Which being by my Father once espide And I not daring to make known my love Lest I should wrong the Prince in rage and grief He thrust me forth his doors exclaim'd on me Taking such grief unto his aged heart That never since he would acknowledge me And in a grave he leads a life so poor That to my heart it is a grievous sore The angry Fates have all conspird to show The most that their enraged power can do My father's heart hath quite renounc't his child And my affections from my self exil'd I onely wish my hasty hour-glass run And with my cares my daily tears were done Edm. The King is just how can there be then Such unexpected Constancy in men Anne My noble King is just to whose royal breast 'T is too great boldnesse for me to make request I am too mean for him to think upon Long may he live and long t' enjoy his own That everlasting dayes may Crown his-head Shall be my pray'rs while here I 'me Cloistered Edm. What a soul of Virtue hath this woman Anne My father's Legacy this Sceleton Shall be my mate and sole Companion This face will not deceive me 't is my dear And counstant tutour I will it hear And in my armes for ever shall it lye 'Till death and dust have hid my misery Edm. Oh my heart how heavy art thou grown My lord Bishop I can no longer own This Fâ—yars Coul for I must now disclose My self sh' has suffer'd for my woes But yet I 'le stay and see the event of all Enter Wiltshire young Edmund and Abbesse Woodf Here comes your fair Son To see you Nun. Ann. Oh my dear Child Young Edm. Am