thus to keepe vs vp prisoners and know no sufficient cause for it Yorke Why brother comfort your selfe for tho he detaine vs a while he will not keepe vs long but at last he will send vs to our louing mother againe whither if it please God to send vs I doubt not but our mother would keepe vs so safe that all the Prelates in the worlde should not depriue her of vs againe so much I assure my selfe of But here comes Myles Forest I prethy Myles tell my kingly brother some mery storie to passe away the time for thou seest he is melancholy King No Myles tell me no mery storie but answere me to one question vvhat vvas he that vvalked vvith thee in the Gardeine me thought he had the keyes For. My Lord it vvas one that vvas appointed by the King to be an ayde to sir Thomas Brokenbury King Did the King vvhy Myles Forest am not I King For. I would haue said my Lord your vnckle the Protector King Nay my kingly vnckle I know he is now but let him enioy both Crowne and kingdome so my brother and I may but enioy our liues and libertie But tell me is sir Robert Brokenbery cleane discharged For. No my Lord he hath but charge for a night or two King Nay then new officers new lawes would we had kept the old still But who are they whose gastly lookes doth present a dying feare to my liuing bodie I prethee tell me Myles what are they For. One my Lord is called Iack Denten the other is called Will Slawter But why starts your grace King Slawter I pray God he come not to slaughter my brother and me for from murther and slaughter good Lord deliuer vs But tell me Myles is our lodging prepared For. I my Lord if it please your brother you to walke vp King Then come brother we will go to bed For. I will attend vpon your grace Yorke Come Myles Forest beare vs company For. Sirs staie you two here and when they are a sleep I le call you vp Exit Dent. I promise thee Will it greeues mee to see what mone these yoong Princes make I had rather then fortie pounds I had nere tane it in hand t is a dangerous matter to kill innocent princes I like it not Will Why you base slaue are you faint hearted a little thing would make me strike thee I promise thee Dent. Nay go forward for now I am resolute but come le ts too it VVill I prethee staie hee le call vs vp anon But sirrha Iacke didst thou mark how the King started when he heard my name What will he do when he feeles me For. But ho sirs come softly for now they are at rest VVill Come we are readie by the masse they are a sleepe indeed For. I heare they sleep and sleepe sweet Princes neuer wake no more for you haue seene the last light in this world Iack Come presse them downe it bootes not to cry againe Iack vpon them so lustily But maister Forest now they are dead what shall we do with them For. Why goe and bury them at the heape of stones at the staire foote while I goe and tell maister Terrell that the deed is done VVill Well we will farewell maister Forest Enter Terrell Ter. How now Myles Forest is this deed dispatcht For. I sir a bloodie deed we haue performed Ter. But tell me what hast thou done with them For. I haue conueyd them to the staires foote among a heape of stones and anon I le carry them where they shall be no more found againe nor all the cronicles shall nere make mentiō what shall become of them yet good maister Terrell tell the King my name that he may but reward me with a kingly thanks Ter. I wil go certifie the King with speed that Myles Forest Will Slawter and Iack Denten they three haue done the deed And so farewell Exeunt omnes Enter the Duke of Buckingham with his dagger drawne Ban. Ah good my Lord saue my life Buc. Ah villaine how canst thou aske for mercie when thou hast so vniustly betraied me Ban. I desire your grace but giue me leaue to speake Buc. I speake thy last villain that those that heare it may see how vniustly thou hast betraied me Ban. Then thus my Lord First the proclamation was death to him that harboured your grace Buc. Ah villaine and a thousand crownes to him that could betraie me Ban. Ah my Lord my obeysance to my Prince is more Buc. Ah villain thou betraiedst me for lucre and not for dutie to thy Prince why Banister a good seruant thinkes his life well spent that spends it in the quarrel of his maister But villain make thy selfe readie and here receiue thy death Enter a Herald Herald Henry Duke of Buckingham I arest thee in King Richards name as a traytor Buc. Well Herald I will obey thy rest But am I arrested in King Richardes name vsurping Richard that insatiate blood succour that traitor to God man Ah Richard did I in Guild-Hall pleade the Orator for thee and held thee in all thy slie and wicked practises and for my reward doest thou alot me death Ah Buckingham thou plaidst thy part and made him King and put the lawfull heires besides why then is Buckingham guiltie now of his death yet had not the Bishop of Ely fled I had escaped Enters sixe others to rescue the Duke All Come the Duke of Buckingham shall not die We will take him away by force Herald Why villaines will you bee Traytours to your Prince Buckingham Nay good my friends giue me leaue to speake and let me intreate you to laie your weapons by Then know this countrey men the cause I am thus this Is for bringing in your lawfull King which is Henry Earle of Richmond now in Brittaine and meanes ere long to land at Milford Hauen in Wales where I doo know hee shall haue ayde of the cheefest of the Welch hee is your lawfull King and this a wrongfull vsurper When you shall heare of him landed in that place then take vp weapons and amaine to him hee is the man must reaue you of this yoake and send the vsurper headlesse to his home and poore Buckingham praies vpon his knees to blesse good Richmond in his enterprise and when the conquest shall be giuen to him graunt he may match with Ladie Elizabeth as promise hath to fore by him bene past while then my friendes leaue mee alone to death and let me take this punishment in peace Ah Buckingham was not thy meaning good in displacing the vsurper to raise a lawfull king Ah Buckingham it was too late the lawfull heires were smothered in the Tower sweet Edward and thy brother I nere slept quiet thinking of your deaths But vaunt Buckingham thou wast altogither innocent of their deaths But thou vilain whom of a child I nurst thee vp and hast so vniustly betraied thy Lorde Let the curse of Buckingham nere depart from thee
And humbly craue your graces pardon on my knee For my foule offence And see my Lord my brest opened to mine aduersary That he may take reuenge then once it shall be said I will offend my gratious suffereigne King Now let me see you friendly giue one an other your hands Hast. With a good will an t like your grace Therefore Lord Marcus take here my hand Which was once vowde and sworne to be thy death But now through intretie of my Prince I knit a league of amitie for euer Mar. Well Lord Hastings not in show but in deed Take thou here my hand which was once vowed To a shiuered thy bodie in peecemeales That the foules of the ayre should haue fed Their yoong withall But now vpon aleageance to my Prince I vow perfect loue And liue friendship for euer King Now for confirming of it here take your oathes Hast. If I Lord Hastings falcifie my league of friendship Vowde to Lord Marcus I craue confusion Marcus Like oath take I and craue confusion Lod. Euen when the greatest of his torments had left him Shore But are the nobles agreed to the contentment of the Prince Lod. The Nobles and Peeres are agreed as the King would wish them Shorse. Lodwicke thou reuiuest me Lod. I but few thought that the agreement and his life would haue ended togither Shore Why Lodwicke is he dead Lod. In briefe mistresse Shore he hath changed his life Shorse. His life ah me vnhappie woman Now is misery at hand Now will my foes tryumph at this my fall Those whom I haue done most good will now forsake me Ah Hursly when I enterteined thee first I was farre from change so was I Lodwicke When I restored thee thy lands Ah sweete Edward farwell my gracious Lord and souereigne For now shall Shores wife be a mirrour and looking glasse To all her enemies Thus shall I finde Lodwicke and haue cause to say That all men are vnconstant Lod. Why mistresse Shore for the losse of one friend Will you abandon the rest that wish you well Shore Ah Lodwicke I must for when the tree decaies Whose fruitfull branch haue flourished many a yeare Then farewell those ioyfull dayes and offspring of my heart But say Lodwicke who hath the King made Protector During the innormitie of the yoong Prince Lod. He hath made his brother Duke of Gloster Protector Shore Ah me then comes my ruine and decaie For he could neuer abide me to the death No he alwaies hated me whom his brother loued so well Thus must I lament and say all the world is vnconstant Lod. But mistresse Shore comfort your selfe And thinke well of my Lord Who hath alway bene a helper vnto you Shorse. Indeed Lodwicke to condemne his honour I cannot For he hath alway bene my good Lord For as the world is fickle so changeth the minds of men Lod. Why mistresse Shore rather then want should oppresse You that litle land which you beg'd for me of the King Shall be at your dispose Shorse. Thanks good Lodwicke Enters a Citizen and Morton a seruing man Citi. O maister Morton you are very welcome met I hope you thinke on me for my mony Mor. I pray sir beare with me and you shall haue it With thankes too Citi. Nay I pray sir let me haue my mony For I haue had thankes and too much more then I lookt for Mor. In faith sir you shall haue it But you must beare with me a litle But sir I maruell how you can be so greedie for your mony When you see sir we are so vncertaine of our owne Citi. How so vncertaine of mine owne Why doest thou know any bodie wil come to rob me Mor. Why no Citi. Wilt thou come in the night and cut my throate Mor. No Citi. Wilt thou and the rest of thy companions Come and set my house on fire Mor. Why no I tell thee Citi. Why how should I then be vncertaine of mine owne Mor. Why sir by reason the King is dead Citi. O sir is the King dead I hope he hath giuen you no quittance for my debt Mor. No sir but I pray staie a while and you shall haue it Assoone as I can Citi. Well I must be content where nothing is to be had The King looseth his right they say But who is this Mor. Marry sir it is mistresse Shore To whom I am more beholding too for my seruice Then the deerest friend that euer I had Citi. And I for my sonnes pardon Mor. Now mistresse Shore how fare you Shore Well Morton but not so wel as thou hast knowne me For I thinke I shal be driuen to try my friends one day Mor. God forfend mistresse Shore And happie be that Sunne shall shine vpon thee For preseruing the life of my sonne Shore Gramercies good father But how doth thy sonne is he well Citi. The better that thou liues doth he Shore Thankes father I am glad of it But come maister Lodwicke shall we go And you Morton you le beare vs company Lod. I mistresse Shore For my Lord thinkes long for our comming Exit omnes Citi. There there huffer but by your leaue The Kings death is a maime to her credit But they say there is my Lord Hastings in the Court He is as good as the Ase of hearts at maw Well euen as they brew so let them bake for me But I must about the streetes to see and I can meete With such cold customers as they I met withall euen now Masse if I meete with no better I am like to keepe a bad hoshold of it Exit Enters Richard sir William Casbe Page of his chamber and his traine Rich. My friends depart The houre commands your absence Leaue me and euery man looke to his charge Exit traine Casbie. Renowned and right worthie Protector Whose excelency far deserues the name of king then protector Sir William Casbie wisheth my Lord That your grace may so gouerne the yoong Prince That the Crowne of England may flourish in all happinesse Rich. Ah yoong Prince and why not I Exit Casbie Or who shall inherit Plantagines but his sonne And who the King deceased but the brother Shall law bridle nature or authoritie hinder inheritance No I say no Principalitie brookes no equalitie Much lesse superioritie And the title of a King is next vnder the degree of a God For if he be worthie to be called valiant That in his life winnes honour and by his sword winnes riches Why now I with renowne of a souldier which is neuer sold but By waight nor changed but by losse of life I reapt not the gaine but the glorie and since it becommeth A sonne to maintaine the honor of his deceased father Why should not I hazard his dignitie by my brothers sonnes To be baser then a King I disdaine And to be more then Protector the law deny Why my father got the Crowne my brother won the Crowne And I will weare the Crowne Or I le
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
Richard now maist thou see thy end at hand why sirs why fear you thus why we are ten to one if you seeke promotion I am a King alreadie in possession better able to performe then he Louell Catesby le ts ioyne louingly and deuoutly togither and I will diuide my whole kingdome amongst you Both We will my Lord King We will my Lord a Catesbie thou lookest like a dog and thou Louell too but you will runne away with them that be gone and the diuel go with you all God I hope God what talke I of God that haue serued the diuell all this while No fortune and courage for mee and ioyne England against mee with England Ioyne Europe with Europe come Christendome and with Christendome the whole world and yet I will neuer yeeld but by death onely By death no die part not childishly from thy Crowne but come the diuell to claime it strike him down tho that Fortune hath decreed to set reuenge with triumphs on my wretched head yet death sweete death my latest friend hath sworne to make a bargaine for my lasting fame and this I this verie day I hope with this lame hand of mine to rake out that hatefull heart of Richmond and when I haue it to eate it panting hote with salt and drinke his blood luke warme tho I be sure t wil poyson me Sirs you that be resolute follow me the rest go hang your selues Exit The battell enters Richard wounded with his Page King A horse a horse a fresh horse Page A flie my Lord and saue your life King Flie villaine looke I as tho I would flie no first shall this dull and sencelesse ball of earth receiue my bodie cold and void of sence you watry heauens rowle on my gloomy day and darksome cloudes close vp my cheerfull sownde downe is thy sunne Richard neuer to shine againe the birdes whose feathers should adorne my head houers aloft dares not come in sight yet faint not man for this day if Fortune will shall make thee King possest with quiet Crown if Fates deny this ground must be my graue yet golden thoughts that reached for a Crowne danted before by Fortunes cruell spight are come as comforts to my drooping heart and bids me keepe my Crowne and die a King These are my last what more I haue to say I le make report among the damned soules Exit Enters Richmond to battell againe and kils Richard Enters Report and the Page Report How may I know the certain true report of this victorious battell fought to day my friend what ere thou beest tel vnto mee the true report which part hath wonne the victorie whether the King or no Page A no the King is slaine and he hath lost the day and Richmond he hath wonne the field and tryumphs like a valiant conquerer Report But who is slaine besides our Lord and soueraigne Page Slaine is the worthie Duke of Northfolke he with him sir Robart Brokenby Lieftenant of the Tower besides Louell he made also a partner in this Tragedie Report But where 's sir William Catsby Page Hee is this day beheaded on a stage at Lester because he tooke part with my Lord the King But stay Report thou shalt heare me tell the briefe discourse And how the battell fell then knowe Report that Richard came to fielde mounted on horsback with as high resolue as fierce Achillis mongst the sturdie Greekes whom to encounter worthie Richmond came accompanied with many followers and then my Lord displayde his colours straight and with the charge of Trumpet Drum and Fyfe these braue batalians straight encountred but in the skirmish which cōtinued long my Lord gan faint which Richmond straight perceiued and presently did sound afresh alarme but worthie Richard that did neuer flie but followed honour to the gates of death straight spurd his horse to encounter with the Earle in which encountry Richmond did preuaile taking Richard at aduantage then he threw his horse and him both to the ground and there was woorthie Richard wounded so that after that he nere recouered strength But to be briefe my maister would not yeeld but with his losse of life he lost the field Report farewell Enter Earle Richmond Earle Oxford L. Standley and their traine with the Crowne Rich. Now noble Peeres and woorthie country-men since God hath giuen vs fortune of the day let vs first giue thankes vnto his Deitie next with honors fitting your deserts I must be gratefull to my country men and woorthie Oxford for thy seruice showne in hote encountring of the enemy Earle Richmond bindes himselfe in lasting bondes of faithfull loue perfect vnitie Sory I am for those that I haue lost by our so dangerous encountring with the foe but sorow cannot bring the dead to life and therefore are my sorrows spent in vaine Onely to those that liue thus much I say I will maintain them with a manuall paie And louing father lastly to your self tho not the least in our expected aide we giue more thankes for your vnlooked for aide then we haue power on sodaine to declare but for your thanks I hope it shall suffise that I in nature loue honor you L. Stan. Well spoken sonne and like a man of worth whose resolutiō in this battell past hath made thee famous mongst thy enemies And thinke my son I glory more to heare what praise the common people gaue of thee then if the Peeres by general full consent had set me downe to weare the Diadem Then liue my sonne thus loued of thy friends and for thy foes prepare to combate them Oxf. And Oxford vowes perpetuall loue to thee wishing as many honours to Earle Richmond as Caesar had in conquering the world I doubt not but if faire fortune follow thee to see thee honoured mongst thy country men as Hector was among the Lords of Troy or Tulley mongst the Romane Senators Rich. How fares our louely mother Queene Enters mother Queene and Elizabeth Queene In health Earle Richmond glad to heare the newes that God hath giuen thee fortune of the day But tell me Lords where is my sonne Lord Marquesse Dorset that he is not here what was he murthered in this Tragedie Rich. No louely Queene your sonne doth liue in France for being distrest and driuen by force of tempest to that shore and many of our men being sicke and dead we were inforst to aske the King for aide as well for men as for munition which then the King did willingly supply prouided that as hostage for those men Lord Marquesse Dorset should be pledge with thē But Madame now our troubled warre is done Lord Marquesse Dorset shall come home againe Queene Richmond gramercies for thy kinde good newes which is no little comfort to thy friends to see how God hath beene thy happie guide in this late conquest of our enemies And Richmond as thou art returned with victorie so we will keepe our words effectually