Tale be blest And have no other Tongue but thine to tell it Dian. Then with the meekness of a Saint she stood With such amazing Oratory dazled And like the Sun darted quite through her Judges And sham'd their Guilt that none durst look upon her But oh what 's destin'd in the blackest Pit Of Hell what Innocence can n'ere withstand What e're she said that Angels cou'd not siner And shew'd a Soul no Crystal nigh so clear Tho' all appear'd to be the Plot of Devils Yet was she guilty found and oh sad Piercy May all Eyes weep at it like thine and mine Condemn'd to lose her Head Pier. Hell dare not think it Dian. The Cruel Duke of Norfolk her Relation As Steward for the Day pronounc'd the Sentence Pier. And my hard hearted Father too was there Dia. My Lord What said you your hard hearted Father Oh blotted let it be from all Records And never be in Englands Annals read What I 'm about to tell you Her own Father The Earl of Wiltshire sate amongst her Judges Pier. O Monster damn'd than Cruel Titan worse That eat up his own Issue as he got e'm Dia. Behold the King All Knees are bent all Hands All good mens Eyes lift up to Heav'n and him To beg the Life of Her that glads the World Pier. Make use of all thy Womans art to win him Let all Petition him that share her Blood Matrons Wives Virgins all the charming Sex Dia. Do you withdraw You but incense the King Iv'e yet a soft Experiment to try Shall pierce his stubborn Nature to the Quick Pier. That Angel th' art inspir'd with prosper thee Exeunt Enter King and Attendants King Piercy did I not charge he should be seiz'd To the Guards who go out to seize Piercy Now by the sacred Crown of Englands Monarchs Let none entreat me upon pain of Death To Petitioners What 's here a List of base Petitioners â—or Norris Life Hell and Confusion seize 'em 〈◊〉 I not like a Rock against the Seas 〈◊〉 Mountain 'gainst the Winds stood thus unshaken Deny'd all Englands Prayers and Tears of Angels Nay more this heart that pleads with mortal pangs For my dear Anna Bullen's life And shall I Pardon a Slave before I would my Queen Enter Northumberland who kneels King Why dost kneel North. I met my Son this most unlucky moment Just as the Guards were ready to obey And Execute your fatal orders on him Who in despair or rather in obedience Making a faint resemblance to resist As they were striving to put by his Sword He on a sudden open'd wide his Arms And on his Breast received a wilful wound I kneel with humble Prayer's that his Disaster would mitigate your present and just Fury And grant my Son his freedom till his hurt Is cur'd which is not mortal King Be it so Enter Diana leading in the Toung Princess Elizabeth with Women Dian. Pardon this bold Intrusion in your Presence Your Daughter Sir this little Princess here Possest with Womans Rage and far above The little sparkling Reason of a Child Scream'd for her Father Where 's my Father said she And as we brought her to you still she cry'd Unless she saw her Father she wou'd die King What wouldst thou have my little Betty say Child But will you promise me that you 'l not frown And cry aloud Hough and then indeed I 'le tell you King I do Come Let me take thee in my Arms Child No but I 'le kneel for I must be a Beggar And I have learn't that all who beg of you Must do it kneeling North. Prettiest Innocence King well then what is' t my little Pratler say Child I 'm told that streight my Mother is to die Yet I have heard you say you lov'd her dearly And will you let her die and me die too King She must die Child There is no harm in death Besides the Law has said it and She must Child Must is the Law a greater King than you King O yes But do not cry my pretty Betty For she 'l be happier when she 's dead and go To Heaven Child Nay I 'm sure shee 'l go to Heav'n King How art thou sure Child Some body told me so Last night when I was in my sleep King Who was it Child A fine Old man like my Godfather Cranmer Card. Ay! there 's the Egg that hatcht this Cockatrice Child Pray Father what 's that huge tall Bloody man I n'ere saw him but once in all my life And then he frighted me He looks for all The World just like the Picture of the Pope King Why don't you love the Pope Child No indeed don 't I Nor never will King Ay but you must my Dear He is a fine old man too if you saw him Card. Go y' are a little Heretick Child A Heretick Pray Father what does that bold Fellow call me What 's that King Why that 's One that forsakes the right And turns to a new wrong Religion Child Then I 'm no Heretick For I ne're turn'd In all my life But you forget your Child Dear Father will you save my Mother's life King You must not call me Father For they say Y' are not my Daughter Child Who 's am I then Who told you so That ugly old bald Priest He tells untruth I 'm sure you are my Father King How art Child Cause I love none so well as you But oh you 'l never hear me what I have to say As long as He that Devil there stands by Your Elbow King Ha! what Devil Child That Red Thing there King Oh Child He is no Devil he 's a Cardinal Child Why does he wear that huge long Coat then Unless it be to hide his Cloven Feet Card. Sir all 's design'd by Cranmer for the Queen Of whom Sh 'as learnt this Lesson like a Parot King Take her away I were a Fool indeed Iâ— Womens Tears and Childrens idle Prattle Should change my fixt Resolves and cheat my Justice Away with her Child Oh but they dare not Father will you not let your Betty kiss you Why do you let 'em pull me from you so I ne're did anger you Pray save my Mother Dear King-Father do And if you hate her we will promise both That she and I will go a great huge way And never see you more King Unloose her hough Hence with her straight I will not hear her prate Another word Go y' are a naughty Girl Child Well I 'm resolv'd when I am grown a Woman I 'le be reveng'd and cry Hough too Ex. Diana Princess Women King Ha! Spirit Mount all the Draw-Bridges and guard the Gates Then bring the Prisoners sorth to Execution Norris and Rochford first and then the Queen My Lord Northumberland be it your Task Dispatch my Orders straight and fetch the Traytors What 's this that gives my Soul a sudden Twitch And bids me not proceed Ha! is' t Compassion Shall Pity ever fond the Breast of Harry
Vertue Betray'd OR ANNA BULLEN A TRAGEDY ACTED at His Royal Highness THE DUKE's Theatre Written by IOHN BANKS Crescit sub Pondere Virtus LONDON Printed for R. Bentley and M. Magnes in Russel-Street in Covent-Garden MDCLXXXII TO THE ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCESS ELIZABETH DUTCHESS of SOMERSET Madam HAving met with Success in a Poem of this Nature I was incourag'd to proceed and lay the Scene again in a Country that perhaps hath not been nor is now inferior for Heroick Personages to any part of the World and if It is not so esteem'd it has been through the dulness of our Historians or the Ingratitude or Designs of our Poets who may think it an easier Course to write of the Improbable and Romantick Actions of Princes remote both by distance of Time and Place than to be confin'd at home where ev'ry School-Boy has a right to be a Crittick and ev'ry Gentleman an Interest to stand the Champion of his Family against a rash and inconsiderate Author I say not this to derogate from those Excellency of Your real Perfections and though her Merits rais'd her to a Crown and she was Queen her Fortunes were less Miraculous than Yours For Heaven without a Diadem never showr'd down so many admirable Blessings of Virtue Beauty Birth Wit and Fortune upon any One of Your Sex before I dare no further attempt their Description with my Ignorance lest I speak too Meanly or Irreverently of 'em therefore I 'le leave the mighty Subject to some more Glorious Pen For none but a Cowley or the best of Laureats ought to write of you My mean Stile has no other Ornament than Truth and with that and in all Humility I return Thanks for Your most Gracious Acceptance of so poor a Trifle which has scarce given a more happy Life to the Play than it has to the Author who is Madam Your Grace's most Humble most Obedient and most Devoted Servant J. Banks PROLOGUE Spoken to Anna Bullen written by a Person of Quality TO all Impartial Iudges in the Pit And ev'ry beauteous Patroness of Wit I 'm sent to plead the Poets Cause and say There 's not one Slander in his modest Play He brings before your Eyes a modern Story Yet meddles not with either Whig or Tory. Was 't not enough vain Men of either side Two Roses once the Nation did divide But must it be in danger now agen Betwixt our Scarlet and Green-Ribbon Men Who made this diff'rence were not Englands Friends Be not their Tools to serve their Plotting Ends. Damn the State-Fop who here his Zeal discovers And o're the Stage like our ill Genius hovers Give us a Pit of Drunkards and of Lovers Good Sanguine Men who mind no State Affair But bid a base World of it self take Care We hope there lives not so abhorr'd a Thing But loves his Country and wou'd serve his King But in your Parties why should we engage Or meddle with the Plots of a mad Age We lose enough by those upon the Stage Welcome Mask-Teazer Peevish Gamster Huffer All Fools but Politicians we can suffer A Gods name let each keep to his Vocation Our Trade is to mend You and not the Nation Besides our Author has this further End 'T is not enough if but One Side 's his Friend He needs you All his weakness to defend And to oblige you to 't hopes he has shown No Country has Men braver than your own His Hero's all to England are confin'd To your own Fathers sure you will be kind He brings no Forreigners to move your Pity But sends them to a Iury of the City PERSONS Represented KING Harry Mr. Smith Cardinal Mr. Gillow Northumberland Mr. Wiltshire Piercy Mr. Betterton Rochford Mr. Jos. Williams Anna Bullen Mrs. Barry Lady Diana Talbot Mrs. Petty Lady Eliz. Blunt Young Princess Elizabeth Ladies Gentlemen Attendants and Guards SCENE LONDON VERTUE BETRAY'D OR Anna Bullen ACT I. SCENE I. Enter Northumberland and Rochford North. THis is the Day shall Crown your Parents wishes And long expecting hopes The King intends To publish streight his Marriage with your Sister And make her known by th' Title of his Queen The Reason why it was so long kept secret Was our great Cardinal's Delays and Tricks Of Rome which Harry has with Frowns discover'd But since in spite of Woolsey and the Conclave By Reverend Cranmer has the Cause been try'd And Katherine is this day proclaim'd divorc'd Roch. Heav'n be my Witness brave Northumberland It joyes not me but that it is his pleasure Whose Happiness we all are bound to pray for And may my Sister's Crown sit lighter on Her Brow than does the Honour upon mine Something of boding whispers to my Soul And tells me Oh! this Marriage will be fatal Methinks I see a Sword ty'd to a Thread Small as a Hair hang o're our Pageant Greatness Believe me Friend Thrones are severest Touch-stones And like the Emblem of their Guard the Lyon All but of Royal-Blood they will destroy North. My Lord this is severe to all that love you And you reflect unkindly on your Fortunes Roch. Fortune why did she lay her load on her A load I say to quiet Minds she should Have cast it upon one that was ambitious My Lord it had been kindly done of Fortune T' have seen my Sister wedded to her Vows Your Peircy's Wife and not at one time made her Both Cruel to the Queen and False to him North. You know my Lord we all are Witnesses With what remorse she took the Regal Burthen That fate upon her like a heavy Armour On a Child's back she stagger'd with the Weight Roch. Oh! may it not be fatal to us Heav'n For at the very time she gave her Hand To th' eager King to fasten't with a Pledge The Ring fell off and could no more be found North. Meer Chance my Lord. Roch. And then immediately When the glad Ceremonies were perform'd The amorous King bending to kiss her Hand A shower of Pearls broke passage from her Eyes And all-bedew'd his Head with ominous Tears North. The common use of every bashful Bride Roch. What will she do when she shall â—â—â—â—â—stand Our foul Designs and Peircy's Innocence His Letters to her that you intercepted And counterfeited others to deceive her To make her once believe that he was marry'd But what a mortal Grief will seize your Son When he shall find his Mistress was betray'd And forc'd to marry one she cannot love North. To prevent that Soon as he 's come to Court Just but to see she 's marry'd and no more Not giving him the time for second thoughts I 'll make a Match between him and the Heiress Of Shrewsbury Roch. A very gallant Lady As Virtuous Beautiful and Richer far Than all our Generation of that Sex North. You wrong your self to slatter me Her Father Brings her this day on purpose from the Country But the Queen thinks already they are marry'd Roch. And are you sure to gain your Sons consent
To what he has been still so obstinate North. Rage and Despair when he shall find her false Will make him rashly change to any state And thinking to be miserable will plunge Into the dreadful Sea of Matrimony And make himself though much against his Will The happiest man that ever was on Earth Enter Cardinal Woolsey musing Behold the proud imperious Cardinal With such a furious Tempest on his Brow As if the World 's four Winds were pent within His blustering Carkass He has heard the News And comes to argue with his Friend the Devil The Reason of his No-Intelligence Roch. The Popedom now and all the Wealth in Rome Can scarcely recompence him for the fright This News has put him in See how he staggers Giddy with th' height his Pride has rais'd him to 'T is then most fatal to unhappy England When such Church Blazing Stars appear in it Ex. North. and Roch. Card. Marry'd in private and declar'd his Queen Katherine divorc'd and Anna Bullen marry'd Now by our Holy Father's Triple Crown It must not cannot nay it shall not be Where was your aid that time you slothful Saints You whom false Zeal created in more numbers Than e're the Heathen made and worshipp'd Gods A Lutheran Queen upon the Throne of England She to lye in the Bosom of our Prince A Buxom King that for a wanton Smile Will pawn his Faith and turn an Heretick Enter the Lady Elizabeth Blunt Blunt Awake thou wretched dreaming Priest look up Can you behold your proud Saint Peter shake The mighty Pillar of that spreading Church That holds the great Religion of the World To stagger and bestow no help no aid From mighty Woolsey's Shoulders to support it Is this the great King Cardinal who late From smallest Root began to shade the Land And stood the tallest Cedar of the Church Shame to thy Priest-hood and thy Scarlet Robe Ev'n thou to whom the liberal See of Rome Has given all next giving of her self Unworthy Servant of so kind a Mistress Card. What does the Fairest mean Blunt Ha! must I teach thee Art thou the Thing that from the Chaff of Mankind From the base scurrilous Rubbish of the World First found thy self a way to thrive by Wit Then edging it with sharpest Villanies Mow'd thee a passage to thy Princes Breast And cut down all the Virtuous from his sight Who chose thee for the Champion of his Vices Whilst thou with labour let loose all their Sluces And pour'd them like a Torrent in his Bosom This you did once confess to me and more When you declar'd how hot you were in love Bullen is Queen the Crown you promis'd me Now wreaths her Head Are these the hopes you gave me When once you said my Son should be a King The News not stirs your Wonder Hell and Furies Card. What wou'd you I should do to serve you Blunt Forgive me tender Woolsey pious Cardinal Shall I then teach your Scarlet Priesthood Blood I would have done as Alexander did The Sixth and the most merciful so nam'd Are there no Consecrated Weapons left Or have you lost the Power to make 'em so Give me Saint Dagger or Saint Poison straight And I will do that Meritorious Act Dispatch her streight to Hell from whence she fetch'd Those Looks that robb'd me of the King and Crown Card. Have patience Madam Blunt Preach it to the Damn'd To those that feel the Rack or Inquisition Curse on your Gown Apologies but more Be curst the time of Bullen's fatal Birth Wrinkles like Age anticipate her Youth Mildews and Blasts devour her wanton Beauties Small-Pox and Leprosies rough-cast her o're Dig up her Charms and Features by the Roots And bury 'em in Pits as deep as Graves Card. Study some Act that may revenge this Fury This hurts no more than Barks of Coward Curs She lives and is as beautiful as ever Be rul'd by me who like a dreadful Piece Am sure to kill where-e're I take my aim Before they hear the Noise or see the Flame Blunt Oh tell me how to quench this Fire within That burns me up with thoughtful Injury Card. An easie way I 'le chalk to your Revenge A Road not steep nor dangerous but smooth So unsuspected and so fatal too That the Queens Fancy and deluded Genius Shall tempt her in the same dissembled Path Taking her by the other hand with us And lead her in the Pit prepar'd for her Blunt Go on my Woolsey charming as the young And more melodious than a Quire of Angels Card. This then it is The King you know's inconstant As jealous and as teasty as old Age So covetous of the pleasure he possesses That he who does but look upon 't must dye With her whose innocent Charms did force him to 't Blunt But how shall we be backt with a pretence Card. 'T is easie to give fire to that fond Breast That is already charg'd with jealous Sulphur The Queen loves Piercy that may be a means And Spies may be laid every where to watch Their Private Meetings and their very looks And then acquaint the Hot-brain'd King with it So streight their joyful Destinies are seal'd Blunt Most admirable Card. If we fail in this Some cry'd-up Beauty ne're yet seen at Court Must be found out to put her in his way And take the Amorous King 'T will certain do For then no greedy Falcon when he sees the Lure Will flye down swifter to be catch'd and hooded Than he into the Fetters of her Charms Blunt O come to my Embrace thou Godlike Priest Balm to my wounded and my tortur'd Bosom Card. Go streight and haste about the Intelligence Bluâ—t I will Good Fortune has been so propitious To make young Rochford Anna Bullen's Brother Enamour'd of my Beauty him I 'le mould Sound ev'ry thought of his unguarded Soul Linking him close in amorous Intrigues 'Till I have discover'd from him our Design Of Peircy's Love and of his Sisters Conduct Card. An Accident the luckiest that could happen Behold the Queen in her first State and Greatness But yet she bears it with no welcome meen Peircy hangs heavy on her heart and in her Eyes It works it manages as we would have it And in her heedless Innocence she sails Shunning no Rocks no Quick-sands nor no Danger But runs into her Ruine faster than We wish Blunt Her Crown is hideous to my sight Its Jewels fatal as the Eyes of Basilisks O Cardinal This Rival-Queen and I Should never meet but in the Scales of Death That weigh all Mortals even and alike Queen Anne appears seated upon a Throne Northumberland Rochford Lords Ladies Attendants and Guards about her Omnes Long live King Henry and Queen Anne of England North. Immortal live Great Queen of England France And Ireland and for ever rule the Heart Of Conquering Henry as he Reigns o're us And all his faithful Subjects I speak it as the Wishes and the Voice Of your most Loyal Kingdoms to