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
Therefore his anger for to qualifie Is in my judgment to him to reveal The man that made him loose your Virgins name An. O my dear Cuz it is a waigthy secret that 's inclosed Within my answer nor can it be reveald But to a bosom sworn to secrecy And yet your love should not be question'd VVood. Were all the engines of tormenting terrour Put to my flesh if I doe vow a secret None near shall force it from me An. I beleeve it Know then kind Sir the authour of this folly Sin or shame or how you please to call it Was youthfull Edmund now th'elected King VVood. Prince Edmund An. He may deny it now but here 's a witness Oh! doe but think with what unequall strength This Citadell of honour was besieg'd And you will hardly blame my yielding weakness When oportunity the bawd of time Had call'd me forth and brought me to his presence Think what amazing terrour Royalty could doe With a commanding love what sugred breath Words able to infuse an appetite In a coole votarist yet manger all My vanquishment was but conditionall You doe not hear me Cuz VVood. Yes and so you yielded on conditions An. True Sir when flattring oaths sweet vows Coind love were out of breath still I remaind A maiden votaris but then came forth this Murthering piece of grief we chang'd the Jugall words of matrimony between our Souls and the large ceremony was but Defer'd unto the King's consent which by his Brothers death is now his own VVood. But lust once sated they forget all oaths That helpt them to 't and though a Prince he 's Subject to affections I but think you Hee 'l not forget An. I cannot tell VVood. And violate his vow An. Alas I dare not claim it but how ere This token of his love I 'me sure to bear And for his sake thus have my vows decreed No man shall ever second this his deed Ent. Lobster and Ioane Lobst O Mris Mris I have run so fast and taken such Pains That my wind 's gone backward and foreward And have stirred so much that I doe Saving of your presence you may smell the rest Ioane has bin down but but I took her up again yonder comes your Father With such a company of Beagles Ioa. And such a company of whips Lobst And such a company of sumners Ioa. And such a company of knaves Lobst Slaves that look as if they had eat No meat this seven years and they Bring the ingines that must give your Shoulders the bloody lash An. Oh heavens forgive me am I the first offender Thor. Let all the Officers beset the door And look Mr Constable here 's your pray Go strike your tallent in Ent. Thorney Constable and others Thor. Here 's banquets for you I 'le make her pass Through all the puâ—gato yes of pennance You are the Phisician that let wantons blood To cure the itch of lust you may doe good but yet beyond your help There will remain an everlasting scar a spot a stain That never will be out oh look on me You that distribute justice partially Scourge your own flesh and blood when it rebells VVood. Good Sir be patient I pray depart And consider what he hath done is not in hate rashness An. Upon my knees dear Sir Thor. I will not hear thee strumpet Heaven earth and men give ear and hear my words Here take my vow his force beyond this hour We never more will meet I 'le hate the place that keeps thee And as a lasting trophie of thy guilt I will dispose my self that did beget thee Never shall razor prune thy careless looks I 'le never hence forth feed but on the ground I 'le never pare my nails but let them grow Into unseemly clawes with which I 'le dig My Monumentall bed An. Oh kill me Sir and end my miseries VVood. Good Sir calme this passion All this distemperature for a grief so slight Thor. Oh! shut me up in everlasting night Let me but see her under Justice grip't And then I 'le turn away my eyes for ever For now I go to contemplation Thy soul I pitty yet though not thy flesh That wealth should have indow'd thy nuptialls Shall build a sanctuary for holy men To make thy peace in heaven lewd world farewell I never will discover more of thee Then from the humble prospect of my grave My charge can be but small my care much less I have not left me now a child to bless Exit Lob. If every wench should be so used that had eaten white puddings We should not have so many Children left upon stalls as we have Unnaturall Father that would whip his own child for drinking a little white bastard Ye ill looking rascall Canst find in thy heart to whip a great Bellyed woman Mris now I am in a good mind Here 's good hanging me I beseech you Mris Let me be flead from the chin to the navell Rather then you shall be whipt Io. Or I beseech you let me indure the ponnance Lob. I good Mris if you will not let me be whipt In any â—ase let Ioane be whipt VVood Pray will you be gone Lob. Yes I goe but I cannot chuse but cry To think that a woman for once doing Should be undone for ever Come Ioane here 's A faire example for you let 's then to the buttery And candole for sorrow's drie you know Wee 'l weep whole paâ—l fulls and in briny teares My self and Ioane will ducke ore head and eares VVood. Mr Constable I beseech you Sir to shew to us what Favour you can you see her case therefore I pray Leave unto me your Prisoner I 'le pass my word For her apperance at her delivery Const. Sir I am but the Laws dependancy And for her Fathers sake though against his will I 'le leave her to your care and take your bayl Till course of Law shall further summon her VVood. I pray Sir depart as privatly as you can To avoyd further punishment Const. Well Sir I 'le follow your directions My charge is yours Exit VVood. There now remains onely this That I intreat you to accept my house For entertainement till you be delivered There you shall want for nothing but have Kinde respect An. Heaven make me able to requite your love VVood. Come home with me and bid all grief Adieu An. The health of my sick soul relies on you There is another home I dare not name I 'le be disgrac't ere I his worth defame Exeunt Ent. Edmund Earle of VViltshire Sibert Bishop Edm. How like a tedious day is Majesty Which gives his light unto succession The day expir'd night with his pale dark cheek Wraps up his brightness and gives day repose To give another a reflection So by death's hand my brothers dayes destroy'd My Sunshine day refulgently appeares Which how he died the heavenly eye of love Whose searching Majesty lightens all thoughts And opens all her dark obscurity Best
I a King's Son Mother An. I dare not say thou art yet heaven weâ— knowes it Wilt. Our good King 's fair soul hath confest it An. My duty on my knees I render him Beseeching you to assure his Majesty That if the holy vows of faithfull hearts Witnest by heaven may make a marriage lawfull Without this earthly ceremonious state This câ—ild is onely hiâ— legâ—t mate Edm. I can forbear no longer I believe thee Come to my soul thou best of women Within this small circumference of my armes I hold a jâ—wel That which â— prise more then my diadem Come my dear love An. Oh my dear Lord Abb. The King turn'd Friar Edm. Come I must take away your Votariâ— Abb. Your Highness may command so she be pleas'd I could my self change states to be so rais'd Edm. Dry up these tears all grief is overthrown An. Content be yours I am no more my own But Oh! my Father Edm. Has lost himself in grief but when he hears Our sacred union he 'll find new joys Come my fair Queen set forward to our Court Where we 'l espouse thee On Reverend Bishop Thy hand shall joyn us let all people sing Anne Thorny's wife unto Great Englands King Exit Ent. Old Thorny led by an Angel Th. Oh! stay thou Minister yet speak to me Why hast thou led me all this silent night 'Bout this large building as if y 'ould survey Their workmanship and statelinesse I did not for my self erect this pile I have a Pallace for my proper use Ang. From the white path of blest Eternitie I 'me sent to comfort thy mortality Persevere Thorny as thou hast begun Thou shalt be made a bright-Celestiall Sun And with a quire of Angels thou shalt sing Thy pilgrimage and toyl is almost ended And now arriv'd whither thy steps have tended Leaving the world and her abortive race And sit as King in an immaculate place Exit Thor. Into what Sphear is my transcending soul Climb'd from the earth me thinks even now I see How death comes in to part this world and me I 'le hast me to my tombe and meet thee there What ho my man wake Sirrah rise and leave My silent tomb I 'le now go sleep my self Lob. I can never rest sleeping nor waking· This 't is to serve a Master that 's troubled with Chollimolly Some talk of taking pleasure in their bed I 'm sure I take none there for I am almost asleep before I go to bed and I am call'd up before I wake And this my masters bed that he sayes shall be his grave is none of the softest and surely none of the easiest neither for if it were he would not talk so much of it He thinks says and speaks of nothing else but of that and his dying two things I can't abide to hear of If he would mention good provision as plum-PUDDING good pouder'd beef mutton or veal turkies or capons pasties or tarts there were some comfort towards the keeping up of this poor frail flesh But he 's alwayes peeping on a bare deadman's head talking of grim death of an hourglasse run out and of tapers that are burnt and such like heavy stuffe that my weak stomack can't digest Well I 'le walk easily home and see what â—oan hath provided for us for unlesse I do look after all we shall have nothing Exit Thorney awakes and enters Thus thus my joyes are quite extinguisht never To be reviv'd thus gon thus gon for ever Oh world what art thou naught but discontent A Chaos of confusion making man repent All his delight and pleasure he hath past That bringeth naught but misery at last Oh heaven how much unto thee am I bound That I an end of this my grief have found And through this pilgrimage of life at last Wiâ—h patience through it I have gone and past But oh the sad remembrance of my child Has drawn back my grief that now was quite exil'd Still gripes my heart but being now to die All dying men should end in charity I doe forgive her now doe thou so heaven And then the debt of her defame is even Enter Young Edmund Wiltshire and Woodford Young Edm Good Sir where where 's my grandfather Pray shew him me That I may ask his blessing on my knee Thorn Ha! what apparition's this I was awake even now Why doe you kneel or thus stand bare about me You doe not worship me I 'me sure I am no Idol You hear me speak I hope VVood. We think no less but that you are a man And living This Mr. Thorney is the Royal Prince Thorn Pray pardon me I doe not come at Court You see good Sir what doting age can doe It is my duty then to kneel to you VVood. Stand up good Sir alas why doe you kneel Why doe you turn aside Thorn Stand up my Daughters Son And tempt no more my resolution I 'le ne're more see thee nor thy worthy Mother Queen Though trap't with all the ornaments of state And for her memory even Thee I hate Yet though I see thee not thus on thy head I 'le backward lay my hand and bend my knee With sighs and tears to pull a blessing down Shall be more pretious then thy fathers Crown Let heaven and holy Angels ever spread Their blest beatitudes upon thy head Peace crown thy days all graces thee attend And to thy race let thy race never end Live long in virtue let thy good o'regrow thee Or die before thy bad shall overthrow thee Nay rise my Child thy face ne're more I 'le see But pray to send thee blest eternitie Commend me to thy Mother say that I Freely forgive her and to heavens doe pray To wipe her deep insculped sins away And though on earth she now is placed high Oh! let her ne're transcend Humility My starrs burn dim my times sand-glass is run Record what for a daughter I have done And to the King my Royal Son say thus That his baâ—e Father dy'd ambitious For when his fainting body thus sunk down His soul flew up to heav'n to gain a Crown Young Edm. O my Grandsire Dyes VVood. I want tears to lament his misery VVilt Where 's the Reverend man VVood. He 's dead he 's dead My good Lord of Wiltshire Before the gasp of his last breath was gon His speech being usher'd with a deep fetcht groan Through the sad confluence and mistie throng Of his distracted thoughts his feeble tongue Dropt forth these words Thus fleet thus transitory Is mans delight and all that painted glory Poor earth can give Nor wealth nor bloud nor beauty Can quit the debt that necessary duty They owe to change and time but like a flow'r They flourish now and fade within an hour Wilt. The world is like a Play his glass is run Death acts the Epilogue and thus his dayes are done The King and Queen are come to comfort him VVood. They come too late Whirlewinds of grief has overwhelm'd lifes state VVilt He is then dead Alas this suddain death Will strike the Court with grief and heaviness But hark they come Ent. King Queen and Attendants King Where 's aged Thorny Quee. Where 's my displeased Father VVoodf Here 's his Effigies drawn unto the life By the grave workman of mortality All dreading death this doth prefigurate Man's pilgrimage on earth whose steps do tend To bring his life unto his journyes end Queâ—n O me unhappie eyes rain down bring drops And with them here embalme my Father's Corps Had I but got his blessing e'â—e he died I had bin happy Young Edm. You want not that Mother For in his blessing me he did name you And sent to you a blest Beatitude Queen Heaven quit him for 't let all the Court In black lament his death And let 's in sighes chaunt forth his requiem And to express my love unto the Hearse From whence I came the Nuns I 'le freely give Five hundred pounds a year whiles that I live King And I 'le make sure thy gift And now His old lamented Corps let be convai'd Upon a Chariot lin'd and oâ—erlaid With Sables then to receive the Crown Prepar'd for Virtue and deserv'd Renown Where now we leave him to be full pâ—sâ—est Of endlesse peace and everlasting Rest. Set on to Court 'till a fit time doth call To solemnize this mournfull Funeral And while the world shall last old Thorny's name Shall live recorded in the book of Fame FINIS ⸫ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ⸫ Here the Candles are putting out