gain'd the day Roman Then let the Guard that brings the Traytors in Let him escape a Monument of Sin But how behav'd my Souldiers Manl. Such Men as they no Age could parallel How can those equall'd be who all excel Yet not the Red alone Exploits can do This long Black Gown hath done good service too I fir'd the Ordinance so that downright Some were cut off the rest soon put to flight Roman I shall not be forgetful to requite Those Loyalists that serv'd me in the fight Enter Infortunatus Guarded his hands bound Roman Was 't you who lately made the World admire All your Atchievements then huff'd with desire Of Greatness ' gainst my Person did conspire To Infortunatus Was 't you who from Mankind such Friendship got Great Credit Fame and Honour and what not Invincible for you was termed so Tho' now like some mean Beast to th' Ax you go Just as the Lark that flew so high before That she fell down and never rose up more Infort I am the Man that lately was admir'd And ' against your Popish Person have conspir'd Loose but my hands and you shall quickly see The last Exploit of Magnanimity Roman I 'll see your last breath first your Person dead I 'll deal with you when shorter by the head Take him away let him in Prison lye Till I appoint the day when he shall dye Infort Thou Popish Prince think'st thou that ever I Was daunted Or that I 'm affraid to dye I 'd rather fall by any Hangmans hand Than live a Subject under thy command I 'll dye with courage tho' my Death 's unjust Thus the admired Phoenix one day must Drop to her Nest and there turn into Dust The Guards carry him to Prison Roman I 'm griev'd to see such Spirits in their prime Cut down and drop before the Harvest time I rather he in Battel had been slain Than be exposed now to such disdain I gladly could prolong his wretched Life Were it not for my importuning Wife Calam. Keep him in Prison and some pity take Upon his person for great Caesar's sake Cancell A King that pardons such a one as he Opens the door to all Conspiracy Your Sacred person never will be safe If you to him a Pardon do vouchsafe Manl. With expedition order off his Head Grant him a Pardon after he is dead Enter two Ladies who fall on their knees Lad. Great Sir we 're come laden with grief and tears To beg admittance to your sacred ears And supplicate your Goodness that you will Forbear Infortunatus Blood to spill The pearl of Mercy is a precious thing And much to be desired in a King If you grant this it will renown you more Than all the Acts of Grace e're done before Of all your Subjects you will gain such love That never one will hence a Traytor prove Roman What can be done Enter Papissa in passion with a stern countenance Papis What beg these whining Whores Manl. They beg the King A suit of wonders and a monstrous thing To spare the Traytor but himself is dead If he forgive him till he lose his Head Papis Be gone you Whores You both deserve to be Lash'd at the Cart and pay a Bridewell-fee Exeunt Ladies To morrow e're it be quite Twelve a Clock The Traytor 's Head shall be laid on the Block Where he shall pay for all his former guilt A Rebels blood is never too soon spilt He shall not have a day more to repent And that 's the way his pardon to prevent I 'll neither eat nor drink nor sleep nor lye Until the Traytor for his Treason dye Exeunt omnes The SCENE a Place of Execution Enter Infortunatus Guarded the Executioner following with the Axe Infort Is this my Funeral Day wherein I must Submit to crawling Worms and turn to Dust I am more happy in my fatal Doom Than those who live in slavery unto Rome King Romanus cannot shun a fall When God writes MENE TEKEL on the Wall Enter Manlius Man Talk no more Treason but Iay by your hate Confess your Crimes and then submit to Fate Infort What Crimes Vain-glorious Man dost thou With vain pretences come to plague me now Be gone base Slave and from my Scaffold fly I 'll not be taught by you the way to die If you prate more I by my Axe of Steel Will make your Face my dying Passion feel Man I do perswade you only if I can To die a Penitent good Christian Infort He that doth Preach Death from a Cannons mouth Doth never cure and seldom speaks the Truth He that design'd to kill me with a Ball Will never raise me up but make me fall If I have left my Peace to make till now It were a work too hard for me to do The Scene openeth and all the Instruments of Death with a black Coffin appear Manl. By King Romanus I was hither sent Your long delays and uproars to prevent And see that long'd-for Blow that will divide Your Head and Body and all feuds decide Infort Since you to suck my Blood have such desire I 'll quickly grant you what you do require Make ready Executioner for I Shall soon be in a readiness to dye Execut. Forgive me that which I must undertake Your Death doth make my panting heart to quake Infort And why so much a Coward 'T is your place Execut. I 'd rather dye than butcher up your Grace Infort I do forgive you freely therefore do That which the Laws of Catholicks allow Come shed my Blood and take this for your trouble All Men are Dust their Life 's but a Bubble giveth him some reward Here he stoppeth a little I had the Love of all of none the Hate Dandled upon the knees of Church and State Now must submit my self to Divine Fate Layeth down his Head to the Block Stoppeth again Forbear your Blow till my mind fixed be To the Executioner On Heaven above and long Eternity After a short meditation he giveth the Executioner a sign who immediately instead of his Neck striketh him in the Shoulder Execut. O cruel stroke O thrice unhappy Day My trembling hand mistakes the bloody way At the next blow the Executioner divideth his Head from his Body and the Corps being put in a Coffin are carried away all present mourning and bewailing his Fate and Tragick end ACT. IV. The SCENE Alba Aula Regalis Enter King Romanus Papissa Cancellarius and Calamus Roman THis blow has struck Rebellion dead and I Shall Reign Great Albion's Monarch till I dye My Foes are all evanish'd like a Cloud Dissolv'd in Air and perish'd in their Blood Now lest my Kingdoms kick and grudge to be Subjected to my Yoke of Popery I 'll keep a standing Army that will bring Them to obey me tho' a Popish King Yet here I 'll stop the Current of my rage And bring no Rebels more upon the Stage Calam. By force of Arms a King may soon subdue A weak unarm'd
and are dissolv'd in dust Come welcome him into the world and see If e're you knew a finer Child than he Presenteth her Basket Rom. It is a pretty Child take him away Midw There never was a finer made of clay Canc. It is a Girl I vow pray Midwife look Midw I from the number have the wrong Child took But will bring in another Rom. Pray thee do Midw I can another and another too Exit Midwife Cal. These foolish women are for nothing fit They will betray the projects of our wit Pet. I 'd rather give ten thousand pound in Gold Than it were known the Child were bought and sold Alb. Your words are dark I know not what you mean Be bought and sold and children of the Queen Canc. He only talks of things he knows not what Of Monks and Friars and Nuns and this and that Rom. Alberlo prithee for an hour be gone We have a private project to be done Alb. How e're so private you may tell it me But scorn that I a burden now should be Exit Alber. Enter Midwife bearing two Baskets Midw Here are two Children take your choice and see Which Child is fit a royal Prince to be They take the two Children out of the Basket and hand them from one to another Canc. This is the fattest Rom. And the fairest too Pet. We 'll seek no other for the same will do Exit Midwife Let every Roman Catholick now sing In Expectation of a Popish King Who will the Church of Rome again renew And all the stiff-neck'd Hereticks subdue Rom. Call in the Bishops now that they may see My Lawful Heir and Royal Progeny Exit Calam. Pet. Great Sir Will you admit them to behold Young Innocent and dare they be so bold With eyes and breath Heretick to prophane The Prince that will restore our Church again We of their company stand not in need Much less to see or touch the Royal Seed Rom. Impostor should I counsell'd be by you aside I should my self and all that 's mine undo I might look great a while but must confess I quickly should be Crown and Kingdomless You hatch'd the Prince within your fiery Brain And I 'm afraid the plot will prove in vain Canc. There is no danger and you need not fear If you 'll conceal all from the Subjects ear Pet. The Child is yours tho Protestants should prate From Clown to Prince he 's Transubstantiate Rom. I wish it prove so and that no man may My Hocus Tricks and juggling Acts betray Enter two Bishops Manlius and Oxonius with Calamus Tremeb Manl. May 't please your Majesty I hear the Queen Hath these two Weeks in cruel Labour been And now brought forth a Son as we did pray When we at Christmas last kept Holy day Rom. I have a Son that is both plump and fair And hope will prove Great Albion's Lawful Heir Enter Papissa Povioena and the Midwife bearing the young Prince Rom. My wife you 're welcome to the world again You have not spent your Labour now in vain Pap. I was so deadly sick I tell no story That I was near the Gates of Purgatory The King saluteth his Queen Papissa and every one kisseth her Hand round Here is your Royal Heir which I did bring Taketh the Child from the Midwife and giveth it to the King From Death's dark door to be Great Albion's King Come hug and hand him all from one another I shall not run the hazard of another Man This Birth strikes Rebels blind turns to despair Manlius taketh him in his Arms. Their hopes of Contest for a Royal Heir Sedition sinks down dead and every Traytor Metamorphos'd is to another creature Rebellion puts on black and sadly crys And Turn-coat Treason desperately dies Oxon. Then may he live and wear his Father's Crown Oxonius taketh the Prince in his Arms. And gain his Kingdom 's Honour and Renown Like Solomon for wisdom let him be And good Josiah for true piety Not furious fierce but merciful and kind Like Jonathan in constancy of mind Like Moses meek Majestick in his word To sway the Scepter and unsheath the Sword To cherish Subjects and promote the good To cut off Rebels and cast down the proud That all his Subjects may like Flowers in May With peace and plenty flourish in his day Pap. These are two honest Hereticks and I Will still be mindful of their Loyalty Enter Messenger in haste Mess Great Sir I 'm come in haste to let you know Of a more fierce and powerful Western Foe The Golden Prince from Belgium is come o're With fifty Sail of Ships and on our shore Hath landed Twenty thousand men in Arms Which do surprize us with their fresh alarms Your Peers and Subjects joyn with him apace And every opposition gives him place He doth affirm and solemnly declare The Royal Prince to be no Lawful Heir But a dark Pillow-Prince hatch'd in the night By Popish pranks to cheat him of his right The groaning Nation and the Subjects crys The Widows Tears and Orphans weeping eyes Your banish'd Subjects Liberties and Laws And his own right make up a Lawful Cause Of bloody War Therefore he vows to fight Against your Popish Crew for his own right Your Souldiers Subjects Peers and all accost His coming in and joyn unto his Host Which call themselves the Safe-guard of the Nation And to confirm all here 's his Declaration He giveth Romanus a paper which he looketh a little on Rom. I will make haste to muster all my Host I 'll fight in person e're my Crown be lost Go Messenger in haste and view the Force Of all the Prince's Army Foot and Horse And when you have done so return to me And for your pains you shall rewarded be Exit Mess This is the Fruit of your confounded pranks Speaketh to Q. Pap. For which I owe the old Impostor thanks And must confess not without provocation That now the Prince invaded hath the Nation Cal. I oft times told thee what would be the end Of all the projects which thou didst intend And hadst thou taken but advice of me Thou of this Scene of Sorrow hadst been free Which now is like to work thy fatal fall And in a moment to undo us all Canc. Promotion is the Curse of men and I Am so astonish'd that I fear to dye Pet. I 'm so cast down and terrify'd in mind That I 'm affraid a Remedy to find Pap. Shall I who have in so great splender been Preferr'd to be Great Albion's Royal Queen Be forc'd to live in shame and great disdain And steer my course to Italy again I can but wring my hands and stamp and stare And half distracted tear my curled hair Rom. And why so much affraid I question not To serve him as I did the R I 'll go with speed an army to provide Which will all quarrels with the Sword decide Calam. I will in spite of every former Crime Turn to a State
to the Door where he leaveth her and returneth Enter three Constables with several Prisoners chain'd Sir Roger in a torn Red Coat walking foremost with two women and the Hang-man following after with his Ropes Canc. Rebels advance receive your final doom For kicking at the Pope and Church of Rome And striving to depose your lawful King And these three Nations to confusion bring Come hang them up we have no need to stay To waste our time in judging such as they Unto the Kings good Health hang up a score And to the Queens promote a hundred more Maid Did you not take three hundred pounds to save My Sweet-hearts life and keep him from his Grave Caneell I mind no promises come hang them all We 'll save Expence make but one Funeral But since sair Maid you would preserve his life In hopes to be the young mans wedded Wife When dead you shall receive at my command Of his that which you love best in your hand You Executioner be sure so do Since I have laid my strict commands on you Maid Is this the Judge by King Romanus sent To do the Nation justice and prevent All Insurrections and again restore And mend the breach as it hath been before May Justice seize such Judges for he lyes That calls him just or good or grave or wise Kisseth her Sweet-heart in Chains and Exit weeping Cancell Talk what you will till you your self confound I 'll bear a little for three hundred pound Sir Roger. I am a Knight of Honour and deny With this mad Rabble in a Rope to dye Come try me first and after pass my doom And do not hang me for the Cause of Rome Could I come at him I th' old Rogue would kill And should I longer live oppose him still Cancell You are a ragged Knight of Rogues the worst We 'll honour you by hanging you up first You 're obstinate mischievous in your mind And have some wicked enterprize design'd We must dispatch you soon with all the Crew Who suddenly shall bid the World adieu Sir Rog. Shall we not have some time before we dye To fit our selves for long Eternity Canc. No not one Minute more for dye you shall Now instantly and none prevent your fall Come hang them up Const What shall be done to these two Women here They say they 're guiltless and from Treason clear Canc. I say they 're guilty whores already dead This shall be burnt and that shall lose her Head Wom. I gave a Man whom I took for a Saint Money to buy those things which he did want Who prov'd on Tryal to be one of those Whom you repute to be your Mortal Foes And this is all my Crime for which I must Be burnt to ashes and dissolv'd in dust Yet rather suffer Death for Charity Than to a Saint a Widows mite deny 2 Wom. I lodg'd two Strangers in my House all night And am convinc'd that it was just and right You term them Rogues and Rebels of the West Who did the Kingdom Church and State molest What 's that to me I question'd not at all Their Business my Kindness was so small Now innocent to please you I must dye Whilst all my crime is Hospitality Canc. I have no patience nor can I delay Justice to hear what tattling Traytors say Hang up Sir Roger first that I may see Three Kingdoms from his Treachery set free And after him the common crew shall dye Within the twinkling of the Hangmans eye As for these women after all the Males Are put to Death then they must low their Sails Make haste I 'll to Romanus drink a Cup Whilst these base Rebels are a hanging up The Constables carry the Prisoners under the Hangings whence a Gibbet turneth out like a crane or yards Arm with a great many men Hanging on 't Enter Widows mourning and Orphans crying Canc. This prospect doth rejoyce my Soul and I Am overjoy'd to see those Rebels dye I hope that henceforth we shall live at ease Only our Lusts and Appetites to please Widows Sad sight to see our Husbands and our Sons Hang'd up to please a crew of Friers and of Nuns Hell take them all and you among the rest Pointeth at Canc. You 're all so bad that none can know the best May King Romanus from his Kingdom fly The Gibbet turneth in again and Exeunt omnes And end his Life within a Monastry ACT V. The SCENE Alba Aula Regalis Enter Papissa big Belly'd convey'd by Povicena and Petrus Impostor Papissa THE Tempest of my Fury is o'repast And now my Rage is quenched by this last Blast of Revenge which hath dispers'd the Cloud Of my Confusion which fell out in Blood Wherein I swim yet do not fear to sink More pleas'd with such a Sea than Meat and Drink Povi Came think no more of Rebels but of things Concerning Princes Emperours and Kings The time draws nigh wherein you must prepare To furnish Albion with a Lawful Heir Pap. I 've bore this Pillow six months on my Womb And must do so for three Months yet to come And since my Time of Labour doth draw nigh I must augment and set the Pillow high Rip up the Prince and put some Cotton in He will not cry altho you prick his Skin Pulleth the Pillow from her Womb and giveth it to the Lady who stuffeth it with a pound of Cotton Pointing at Petrus Call in the Midwife and Petrona too I 'll take advice of them how I shall do Pov. This greasy Pillow is a nasty thing It ne're will be a good Prince nor a King Pap. Leave off to jest 't is not a fitting time Of that which known would prove a deadly crime Enter Midwife Petrona big with Child and Petrus Impostor Pap. You know Petrona that I do design To add an Heir unto the Royal line Which must be done by Hocus means when I Shall counterfeit a Labour and Out-cry You must be there and privately convey Your child to me if that it be a Boy When you are brought to Bed and till you be I 'll grunt and groan that none may question me You are of my Religion you know how That this will all the Hereticks o'rethrow That live in Albun For their Prince shall be Prought up at Rome and train'd in Popery Now what shall I give for your Child if it Should prove a Boy and all my projects hit Pet. Five thousand pound the matter will decide My Child 's a Boy it lyes in the right side Pap. Five thousand pound to make your Son a King This is a more than ordinary thing But will not stand what you have said to do If to a constant secrecy you 'll vow Petron. I by our Lady's Girdle and her Garter Rather than speak one word will dye a Martyr Petrus That will not do but whispering to prevent On what you say you's take the Sacrament Papissa Let it be so for then we 'll have some ground