Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	earl_n	king_n	march_n	3,976	5	9.4156	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30788	King Edward the Third, with the fall of Mortimer, Earl of March an historicall play, as it is acted at the Theatre-Royall by Their Majesties servants.	Bancroft, John, d. 1696.; Mountfort, William, 1664?-1692.	1691 (1691)	Wing B635; ESTC R8063	40,264	66

KING Edward the Third WITH THE FALL OF MORTIMER EARL OF MARCH An Historicall Play As it is Acted at the THEATRE ROYALL By their Majesties Servants London Printed for I. Hindmarsh at the Golden-Ball against the Royal-Exchange R. Bently in Russell-street in Covent-Garden A. Reper in Fleet-street near Temple-Barr and Randall Taylor near Stationers-Hall in Ludgate-street 1691. To the Right Honourable HENRY Lord Viscount SYDNEY of Sheppey one of the Lords of their Majesties most Honourable Trivy-Council Principal Secretary of State in this Kingdom one of the Lords Iustices of Ireland and Lord Lieutenant of the County of Kent My Lord WEre not your goodness Equall with your Greatness I durst not presume to lay this humble offering before you But as in distress the Poorer the object the Nobler the Charity so in my Circumstances the meaner the Dedicator the more worthy and esteem'd will be the Condescending Patronage of your Lordship Nor ought I to doubt your Generous favours since your Predecessors were always great Encouragers of Poetry I must not omit the Renowned Sr. Philip Sidney whose Father was thrice Lord Deputy of Ireland which was not only an Admirable Writer besides his vast Accomplishments in other things But so Indulgent a Patron to the Sons of the Muses that the famous Spencer Dedicated his Works to him as the only Person Capable of Espousing ' em But this Illustrious Worthy was at last taken from us tho' to the Eternall honour of the English in that Glorious and never to be forgotten Action in the Low-Countries the battle of Zutphen in Gelderland But I go too far from my purpose My Lord I could not help my presumption in begging your Protection of this Play it being a Present to me and an English Story so fam'd for the Reign of its Monarch and the management of those few good Men about him who with great difficulty preserv'd this Prince from the evill Machinations of Mortimer and his Faction from the Potent Enemies of an Interested State and the unnatural Connivance of a Mother who design'd as much to usurp his Right as she really did destroy his Fathers and the delivering their Country from the Tyranny and Oppression it had been long afflicted with and which in all probability threatned the totall overthrow of the Establish'd Liberties of the Subject I say these weighty Motives induc'd me to Consecrate this Piece to your Lordship as a true bred Son of the Country and a Person who has always valued the freedom of his Native Brethren above the Temptations of a prejudic'd and designing Court If Preferment could have drawn you from your esteem to the Publick never bait was better manag'd then that which was offer'd to decoy your Lordship But you stood it out with the Resolution of Sr. Robert Holland went on with the sincerity and Prudence of Sr. Tho. Delamore and maintain'd it with the spirit of Lord Mountacute The World cannot be insensible of the unalterable esteem the Family of the Sydneys have constantly shewn both in their Endeavours and Sufferings for the benefit of the Common-Weal And sure if we are honest to our selves we must thrive since those who always oppos'd the Enemies of our Country have with much Patience and Diligence overcome their Industrious Mischiefs and have now the care of what they 've so hard tugg'd for We have a King who thinks his Life no longer usefull then when employed for the service of his People We have a Parliament stedfast and generous the Publick Employments in the hands of Men of Worth Fortunes and Honour not lyable to be brib'd from abroad The necessary part of the Nation satisfy'd and United with a Providence that has prov'd by its care of our Monarch both abroad and at home how our choice is esteem'd above That these blessings may not be withdrawn is surely the hearty Prayer of all the Well-Affected and that the Country may never want a Friend like your Lordship is the zealous wish of him who shall always begg the Honour of subscribing himself Your Lordships most Obedient Oblig'd and Dutifull Servant Will. Mountfort PROLOGUE Spoken by Mr. Powell I Can but think how many here are come Prepar'd to give the Insuing i lay i'ts Doom But like the Gordian-●● not this Play was made By one who Brought it us in Masquerade Plays were at first design'd to Lash the age By shewing all its Vices on the Stage As in a Glass there each might see his own And being Conscious bl●sht at what he 'd done The Fool the Knave the Villain they expos'd And the Blood-thirsty Polititian nooz'd But Virtue tho' she suffer'd long at last Was Crown'd with a reward for what was past The honest-thinking Heathen shew'd the way And handed Down the Moral call'd a Play Old Ben. and Shakespear copied what they writ Then Downright Satyr was accounted wit The Fox and Alchymist expos'd the Times The Persons then was loaded with their Crimes But for the space of Twenty years and more You 've hiss'd this way of Writing out of door And kick and winch when we but touch the sore But as some Fashions long since useless grown Are now Reviv'd and all the Mode o' th' Town Why mayn't the Antient way of Writing please And in its turn meet with the same Success The Story 's true if you 'l believe Record Edward the Third has stampt it on his word Here English-Men with pleasure may behold How much their Liberties were priz d of old How hard this Prince for 's Countrys freedom strove And how both Prosper'd in each others Love EPILOGUE Spoken by Mrs. Bracegirdle IT is the Custom of all City-Feasts By Printed Tickets to Invite the Guests The Price is known and who the Stewards are And nothing's Private but the Bill of Fare Which we expose the fall of Mortimer For Plays are Feasts and every Scene should be A Different Course still fresh variety But few obtain that Master-piece of Wit He 's a rare Cook that can all Pallats hit For Ways of Eating alter with the Age And such a Peuking stomach haunts the Stage Altho' the best of Artists strive to please 'T is very seldom that they meet succe'ss You set aside the most substantiall Food Beef's Gross and breeds the Scurvy in the Blood Nought but Ragoo's and Kickshaws now are good Broken Remains tosst by the Mounseirs hand Are grown the Darling Viand of the Land Therefore our friend lest you should think it strange To Iump from an Extream into a change With Satyr raises up his M●sses high And Interlards his Tale with Comedy But should he fail we doubt not but to find You to the Waiters always will be Kinde And since The Author who did this Prepare Only expects your Liking for his share Do not Withdraw the Profit from the Player Dramatis Personae KIng Edward the Third Mr. Powell Mortimer Earl of March Mr. Williams Lord Mountacute Mr. Mountfort Sir Tho. Delamore Mr. Kynaston Sir Robert Holland Mr.

Hodgson Tarleton Bishop of Hereford and Chanecllour of England Mr. Lee. Serjeant Eitherside Mr. Nokes Turrington Mr. Bridges Nevill Mr. Freeman Sly Mr. Bright Secret Mr. Trafuse Earl of Leicester Mr. Bowman Earl of Exeter Mr. Sandford WOMEN Isabella Queen-Mother Mrs. Barry Maria Neice to Serjeant Mrs. Bracegirdle Eitherside in Love with Mrs. Bracegirdle Mountacute Mrs. Bracegirdle Lords Attendants Guards Lawyers SCENE Nottingham ACT I. SCENE I. Nottingham The Court of King Edward Enter Lord Mountacute Sir Tho. Delamore and Sir Robert Holland Lord Mount IT much disturbs me Delamore that thou Of all Mankind should'st think my temper frail What hast thou ever seen in Montacute Or read i' th' Annals of his Ancestors To fear him or suspect his Resolution Proclaim me Bastard if my bloud proves base I tell thee good old Friend I 'le banish sleep and Pleasure till I 've found A means to set my bleeding Country free And in the fury of this Noble heat Plunge through a Sea of blood for her deliverance Sr. T. Dela I Question not your Spirit But L Mont. What Sr. T. Dela Pray give me leave Nay I must chide you for you give the Reins To such a Passion may undo us all Are there not sharp observers plac't about us Who if'twere possible would search our Souls This eager Fire will quite forestall our purpose L. Mount Well! I am husht But pray propose some means may please my thoughts Since you 'l confine my tongue Sr. T. Dela Nay I 'me for urging of our wrongs but calmly There is a time When Heav'n will do us Right for all our Woes And if the Orphans crys or Widdows tears The Bloud of Innocents which stains the Land Can hasten Vengeance sure 't is drawing nigh L. Mount 'T is full three years since Mortimer began To Lord it o're us by the Queens vile favour He stalks as on a Mountain by himself Whilst we creep humbly in the Vale below And Eye and Curse what we 're afraid to reach at Sr. Rob. Holl. In this short space he and his Brother-Devil Have made undone new fram'd shuffled and tost The Antient Customes of our Native Soyl So very often that the Kingdom staggers Under the heavy Burthen of her change L. Mount What are our Princes what the Nobles now Are they not Vassals to this upstart's State No more the same of our Nobility Be call'd in mind who when Usurping Powers Did but attempt to Innovate our Laws With their keen Swords like Guardian Angells stood And kept the Harpy's from the Sacred Fruit. Sr. Rob. Holl. Is it not fatall to resist his Will Nay none must smile if Mortimer be sullen Curse on his Pride why should we brook it longer Why don't we boldly tell the King our thoughts And make him Great in spight of evill Counsell Sr. Tho. Dela There will be Mortimer in every State Some Favourite Villain to oppress the Subject Who fell to Knaves what honest Men should have Which loose their Right only for being poor The largest bribe is still his dearest Friend And values not the Credit of his Prince Therefore 't is just The King should know how much he is Ecclips't Who 't is that grasps the Scepter in his stead And how his Mother lavishly doth waste The best of his Revenue on this March L. Mount It rests not there she Prostitutes her self Pardon me for I will not giv 't no better name Is she not grown the Common tale of all One Pallace holds 'em both one Table feeds 'em Nay I will speak it Sir one Bed contains 'em The Brawny Minion's dieted on purpose To do the Drudgery of Royal Lewdness Sr. Rob. Holl. How are we manag'd by a pair of Knaves March rides the Priviledge of all the Peers For who in Parliament speaks not his thoughts Must never have a good look from the Court Whilst Hereford the Reverend Chancellour Persuades the Queen she may dispence with Laws And renders 'em according to her purpose Sr. Tho. Del. If as sometimes he meets a knotty point Which will not stretch to what his need requires He Summons the most Learned of the Robe Begging their kind Interpretation of it Telling how necessary nay how Loyal 't is When the Prerogative o' th' Crown is pinch'd Within the Clutches of the Griping Law To ease the Royal Power and give it freedom If they Comply not then his Greatness Culls From out the Scum o' th' Inns of Chancery A Set of Poor necessitated Rogues Who 've Run through all the Judgments of each Court And these he makes his Learned Expositors These as they steadily perform their task He puts into their Places who refus'd him Some have the fortune to ascend the Bench But then they 're such Profficients in their Art They'd bafflle truth tho' never so well back'd And dare the Devill in his own Profession Sr. Rob. Ho. Justice and Honesty have left the Robe For since the Prelate Hereford is chosen Under pretence that Piety best suits To adorn the Person of a Chancellour Because on Conscience Equity depends The Antient Practicers refuse to Plead Balkt with his over-ruling Clamorous tongue They tell you with a heavy heart and look That after many years of constant Practice They must to School again and learn the Law L. Mount Come come it never was a prosperous World Since Priests were Judges made of Temporal matters Why should we wonder People grow Prophane When Mitred-Heads lead 'em the way to Hell The Customes of their Ancestors they slight Have chang'd their Shirts of hair for Robes of Gold Thus Luxury and Interest Rules the Church Whilst Piety and Conscience dwells in Caves Let 's stem the Current of this furious tide Our Country is the Parent of us all And shall we talk away the precious hours Whilst these vile hangmen stretch her on the Rack Let 's force young Edwards safety by our Swords And cut off all the holds which bar his Glory Sr. Tho. Del. Blessings upon thee for this generous heat From hence my fears and Jealousies be gone Thou art the Soul of Honour new reviv'd Which for some years as once the Romans did Withdrew thy self into a willing Exile Action there will be fuell for thy Fire Great as thy Spirit Courts and worthy of thee The matters ready and the Engines fixt Many prepar'd and eager for the work But Place and time forbid the telling more The Darling Comes Enter Guards Gentlemen Turrington and Nevill followed by the Earl of March Waiters Make way there Guards Room for his Lordship L. Mount See how the Toad swells with his own applause Sr. Tho. Del. My Lord you do forget L. Mount I 'me silent Mortim. Turrington Turring Your pleasure Petitioners kneeling with Papers Mort. What are those Men which bend their knees to us They seem as Supplyants Turring So they are indeed from several Towns Cities and Burroughs they are come Humbly Imploring you would Intercede For their lost Charters to the Incens'd Queen Mortim.