THE MISERY OF CIVIL-WAR A TRAGEDY As it is Acted at the DUKE's Theatre By His Royal Highnesses Servants Written by Mr. CROWN LONDON Printed for R. Bentley and M. Magnes in Russel-Street in Covent-Garden 1680. PROLOGUE REligious Broyles to such a height are grown All the sweet sound of Poetry they drown Were Orpheus here his Lute might charm our Beasts Our Mastiffs not our Robble or our Priests Good Heaven Sirs are there no other ways To damn the Pope but damning all our Plays To our Religion 't is no Praise at all That if our Wit must stand our Faith must fall All parties in a Play-House may agree The Stage is priviledg'd from Piety 'T is pleasant Sirs to see you fight and brawl About Religion but have none at all Most fiercely for the Road to Heav'n contend But never care to reach the Journeys end Though you lose Heaven you will keep the Way The Pope sha'n't have you though the Devil may These things such business for the Criticks find They 're not at leasure Poetry to mind Well for the Poet 't is they 're so employ'd Else this poor Work of his wou'd be destroy'd For by his feeble Skill 't is built alone The Divine Shakespear did not lay one Stone Besides this Tragedy a Rod will prove To whip us for a Fault we too much Love And have for ages liv'd call'd Civil Strife The English Nation like a Russian Wife Is to a gentle Husband always curst And loves him best who uses her the worst This Poet though perhaps in Colours faint Those scurvy Joys does in all Postures Paint Fools take in pelting out each others Brains A joy for which this Nation oft takes pains If any like the Ills he shews to day Let them be damn'd and let them damn the Play The Persons Represented in the Tragedy KIng Henry the Sixth Prince Edward King Henry's Son By Mr. Joseph Williams Richard Plantagenet Duke of York By Mr. David Williams Edward eldest Son of Richard Plantagenet and after his Fathers death King of England By Mr. Smith George Duke of Clarence second Son of the Duke of York By Mr. Bowman Richard the third Son called Crook-back By Mr. Gillow Rutland a Child the youngest Son  The Great Earl of Warwick By Mr. Batterton Old Lord Clifford By Mr. Pearcival Young Clifford his Son By Mr. Wiltshire Queen Margaret Wife of King Henry Mrs. Leigh Lady Grey the Widow of Sir John Grey belov'd and at length married by King Edward the fourth By Mrs. Batterton Lady Elianor Butler a young Lady of great quality that was one of King Edward's Mistresses By Mrs. Currer SCENE ENGLAND THE MISERIES OF Civil-War ACT. I. SCENE I. A Noise of Fighting a Shout for Victory Enter Cade and his Rabble Cade FLing all my dead Subjects into the Thames Now say what place is this Butch 'T is London-Stone Cade Then am I Mortimer Lord of this City And here I sitting upon London-Stone Declare this is the first day of our Reign So I command the Conduits all Piss Claret And I proclaim it Treason now for any man To call me other than Lord Mortimer Enter a Souldier running Sould. Jack Cade Jack Jack Cade Knock down that sawcy Fellow A Butcher kill 's him Butch If he has wit he 'll never call thy Honour Jack Cade again Cade I think he has fair warning Enter a Cobler with a Scrivener Cob. My Lord my Lord Cade Well said a mannerly Fellow Cob. I have catch'd a Scrivener here setting Boyes Copies Cade Oh! there 's a Villain a corrupter of Youth Cob. He has a Book in 's pocket with red Letters in 't Cade Then he 's a Conjurer Cob. He can write Bills and Bonds and Obligations to bind People to undo themselves and pay Money whether they Can or no such a Rogue is enough to undo a Nation Cade I 'm sorry for it for on my honour he 's a proper fellow He shall not dye unless I find him Guilty Cob. He shall die Guilty or not Guilty I brought him to be Hang'd and I will not lose my labour I love hanging there 's Never any hanging but I leave my Stall to go see it Hanging-day is my holy-day and I will keep Coblers holy-day Cade We 'll hang him but we 'll examine him first Cob. No hang him first for now no man will confess Till after he 's hang'd Cade I will examine him Sirrah what 's thy Name Scriv. Emanuel Cob. Emanuel That 's a strange Name Friend 't will go very hard with you Cade Let me alone Friend dost thou write thy Name Or use a mark like a plain honest man Scriv. Sir I thank Heaven I have been so well bred That I can write my name All. He has confest He 's a stranger and a Villain hang him Cade Hang him with his Pen and Ink about his Neck Enter others with the Lord Say Prisoner My Lord my Lord a prize an 't like thy Honour Here 's the Lord Say who sold the Townes in France And made us pay one and twenty Fifteens And a shilling to the pound last Subsidy Cade I will behead him one and twenty times Come scurvy Lord what canst thou say To our Mightiness for giving up our Towns To Monsieur Basimecu the Dolphin of France Be it known unto thee Traytor by these presents Even by the presence of my self Lord Mortimer That I will sweep the world clean of such filth Thou Trayterously hast built a Grammar-School To debauch all the youth and whereas formerly Our Grandsiers us'd no Book but Score and Tally Thou hast caus'd wicked Printing to be us'd And contrary to the King his Crown and Dignity Hast built a Paper-Mill It will be prov'd That thou hast Servants talk of Nouns and Verbs And such vile Words no Christian er'e can here Thou hast appointed Justices of Peace To call poor men before 'em about matters They cou'd not answer yes and thou hast hang'd 'em Because they cou'd not read Cob. There was a Villain Cade Thou rid'st upon a foot-cloth dost thou not Say Well what of that Cade Why is it not a shame Thy Horse shou'd weare a Cloak when honest men Go in their Hose and Doublets Say Well I find You men of Kent All. What of us men of Kent Say That Kent is bona terra mala gens Cade Bold Traytor he speaks Latin in my presence Go hang him hang him Say Hear me Country-men Cade Hear Latin Villain hang him All. Hang him hang him They drag him away Butch We 'll hang up every man that can speak-Latin Cade Well counsel'd Butcher counsel'd like a Butcher We will and more for they are but few Tay. We 'll hang up any man that can speak French For I 'm a Taylour and there is no man That can speak French will let me work a stitch for ' em Cob. We 'll hang up all the Lords and Gentlemen Spare none but such as go in clouted shoes For I 'm a Cobler
we ha' no use o' Churches nor Steeples Nor Priests the chief use o' Priests is to eat Pig we can eat Pig as well as they Cade We have no use o' the Inns of Court or Tower Pluck down the Tower and burn all the Records Why shou'd we keep Mouldy Records of what our Grandsiers did For we do what we will for all our Grandsiers On London bridge hang Traytours heads and quarters These are Records too but who minds Records Burn all Records Records All. Burn all Records Cade Who sounds a parley there Enter a Souldier Soul One from the King Cade Well let him come I don't care if I speak with him Enter Old Lord Clifford Well what 's thy business with me Old Cl. Thou vile Rebel VVhy dost thou thus disturb the King and Kingdome Cade Thou Fool to have my own I 'm heir to the Crown Old Cl. Impudent Slave thy Father was a Plaisterer Cob. Yes and his Mother was a Midwife what 's that Cade VVell Adam was a Gardiner what 's that Say did not Edmund Mortimer Earl of March Marry the Daughter o' the Duke of Clarence Old Cl. He did Sir Clown and what is that to you Cade By her he had two Children at a Birth The Elder of 'em being put to Nurse Was stole away by a stinking Beggar-woman Like a damn'd cursed jade and by that means The Princely Infant was bred up a Brick-layer And I 'm the Princely Off-spring of that Infant Old Cl. Plantagenet invented this fine story Cade You lye for I invented it my self Old Cl. I am sent by the King to offer pardon To all that will forsake thee and go home VVhat say you Countrymen will you be happy And leave this Rogue or follow him and be hang'd All. I don't know what to think on 't All mutter Cade Are you muttering VVhy you damn'd fools will you believe a Lord Do they not often run into your Debts And promise payment and ne're keep their words Do they not often with fine promises Delude your Daughters and when they have enjoyed them Do they e're keep their words Then follow me All. A Cade a Cade we 'll follow thee Jack Cade Old Cl. You 'll follow Cade pray whither to the Gallows He has no other home to lead you to He knows not how to live but by the spoil But say that whilst you robb and kill your Country-men The fearful French whom you but lately vanquisht Shou'd make a start o're Seas and vanquish you Had you not better go and spoil the French And the King pay you too for your good service Than here Rebel and the King hang you all For Rogues or worse the French come make you slaves All. I don't know what to think on 't All mutter Cade Again muttering VVho'll ever trust such cursed whisling Rascals Enter young Clifford and Followers Yo. Cl. What are you doing my Lord treating with Rascals It were too vile an Office for a Scavenger To sweep such dirt into the Common shore And are you treating with ' em Nay and treating In the Kings name too very fine indeed The King must barter for his Crown with Rascals What ever price the Villains make him pay Though his Crown shou'd be dear himself is cheap I with no Tongue but this will talk to Rebels Draws all fight on the Stage Ex. The Scene a Tent. Enter King Henry Hen. Never had King less joy in Throne than I Nor more misfortune Heaven was pleas'd to set My Cradle on the top of humane Glory Where I lay helpless open to all Storms My Childish hand not able to support My Fathers Sword dropt the victorious point And let fall all the Lawrels that adorn'd it And French and English fell a scrambling for 'em So lost I France now am I threatned too By wicked Rebels with the loss of England Cade and his Rebels drive me from my City Plantagenet seek's to drive me from my Kingdom Enter the Queen and her Train Qu. Take comfort Sir I bring you happy tidings The Villain Cade is kill'd by brave young Clifford Hen. Kill'd Qu. Kill'd and all the Rebels beg your mercy Hen. Oh! Heav'n accept my vows of thanks and praise But ha here comes his gallant Father weeping Enter Old Clifford Ol. Cl. Yes Sir I weep but I weep tears of Joy For I am crush'd between two mighty Joyes Your Royal safety and my Sons success But here he is to tell you his own story Enter Young Clifford Yo. Cl. Sir I most humbly here present your Majesty The Head of the notorious Rebel Cade Hen. Oh! Gallant Clifford how shall I reward thee Yo. Cl. I fought not for rewards or if I did I ought to end my work e're I be paid I have only now pull'd down a paltry Scaffold On which Plantagenet design'd to climbe To build his Trayt'rous Projects Hen. True indeed He is approaching me with a great Army But he gives out he only does intend To drive away from me some wicked Ministers Yo. Cl. The constant vizard of Rebellion Rebellion is so foul and grim a Monster That those that mount the horrid Beast are forc'd To cover it all o're with gaudy Trappings They mark it in the Forehead with white starrs Pretences Heavenly and Innocent Qu. Sir he has told you a most excellent truth Hen. I must confess I like not to have Subjects Present their Kings Petitions upon Pikes Old Cl. Sir let the Rebels come we are prepar'd Enter an Officer Offi. A Trumpet from Plantagenet craves audience Hen. Admit him Enter the Trumpet Trum. Royal Sir the Duke my master Does beg admission to your Kingly presence To give you the true Reason of his arming And prove his Loyalty Qu. Just as we thought Hen. Go tell my Cousin since he speaks so fair He shall have free access and all kind usage Exit Trum. Old Cl. What do you mean Sir Hen. To throw far from my self The guilt of all the ill that may ensue He shall not say that I refus'd to hear Or to redress any just grievances Y. Cl. Sir you will find your self will be the grievance The Tricks of these ambitious men are first To poison all the People with disloyalty And when they have made 'em sick they tell 'em nothing Can cure 'em but fome flowers out of the Crown And so they set the rabble raving for ' em Qu. Lord Clifford when the haughty rebelcom e's Arrest him of High-Treason Old Cl. I will do it Madam Enter Plantagenet Edward Richard George Plant. kneels and kisses the Kings Hand Hen. Welcome dear Cousin Pray acquaint me faithfully What do you mean by all the Troops you bring Pl. Only to drive some Traytours from your presence Qu. I know no greater Traytors than your self Old Cl. And therefore I arrest thee of High-Treason Pl. Arrest me ha Shall it be thus King Henry Hen. It shall not be I promis'd him safe Conduct Edw. My Lord we 'll be your Bail Pl. See
I have Bail Lord Clifford in whose name do you Arrest me Old Cl. In the Kings Name Pl. Then I 'll unfold my self Know hitherto I 've been like a dark Cloud Where scorching heat has been ingendring Thunder The grumbling and the rowling you have heard But now the deadly bolt shall light among you I am your King Hen. Ha! Pl. Yes I am Your King I 'm sprung out of the Royal house of Clarence Whom three usurpers of the house of Lancaster Successively have trodden under feet Whilst they have glittered in our Royal Glory Shone like false Diamonds in our royal Robes Q. Now Sir are we convinc'd we told you truth Pl. And my next Title is the only Claim Duke Henry for I 'll call him now no otherwise Duke Henry borrows from his bloody Grand Father Henry the Fourth I 've twenty thousand men But with this difference Henry's Troops were Villains Deposers of their lawful Sov'reign Richard Mine are defenders of their true King Richard I mean my self Hen. Was ever such Ambitious Frenzy as this Y. Cl. Did not we tell you this Ed. And we will tell you more obey your King I mean my Royal Father or our Swords Shall turn the Arrest of Treason on your selves Old Cl. Surely you think you are among your Beauties Amorous Edward there your Vigour lies Q. Let them admire thy boasts here thou art scorn'd Ed. 'T is said when the brave Duke of Suffolk liv'd Queen Margaret would not contemn a Lover I 'm young and love but yet I am not stricken So blind with beauty but I can discern Both the fair Kingdom and the fair Queen lye Sick of the impotence of a Weak King Qu. Ill manner'd insolence Rich. Why do you talk To this poor wretched Neapolitan She and her Husband are fit for each other He has no heart and she no heart for him Fortune loathed him as soon as e're she saw him Nor from his Cradle never wou'd endure him And her she never did think worth her care Qu. Why well said ugly Crook-back spoken like Thy hideous horrid self I will not do thee so much good to kill thee Thy Soul cannot be worse than where it is Hen. He bears about him what is more deform'd Than humane shape can be his wickedness Pl. I 've shewed my right and here are my three Sons To plead it with their Swords now I 'll produce My last and strongest Title to the Crown The sword of the victorious Earl of Warwick Call in the Earl of Warwick Enter VVarwick War I am here Pl. Inform the ignorant world who is King of England War Whom my sword pleases Hen. Thou against me Warwick What did'st thou never swear Allegiance to me War ' Cause I adored an idol once in ignorance Must I still do so now I see my error Know Duke of Lancaster for you are no more Henry your Grand Father murdered his King Richard the second not content with that He trampled on the rights of the next heirs Your Father warlick Henry I confess Had in desert what he did want in Title But merit makes no lawful claim to Crowns For if it did I wou'd be King of England But I will tell you to your face Duke Henry That you have neither Title nor Desert Qu. Most impudent of Traytours Old Cl. Most impudent of Traytours Y. Cl. Most impudent of Traytours War I 'll speak truth And value not the fury of you all Your Father Henry was a Wall of steel Through which there was no passing to the throne But you are only a soft silken Curtain Which with my hand or breath I 'll put aside And seat your self King Richard in the Throne For it is empty though the Duke be there The Duke is nothing or such poor thin soft stuff The Crown sinks down in him and is not seen Yo. Cl. What have these Traytours conquer'd us already They talk at this bold rare Thou Traytour Warwick Warwick no! when thou didst unking thy King Thou mad'st thy self a Groom by the same law Thou tramplest on thy King a sawcy Groom May set his dirty foot upon thy jaws And tell thee they were made both of one Clay War The duke of Lancaster's no King of mine Y. Cl. VVhence hast thou this from Lawyers and from Scriblers Say the King's Grand-father Murther'd his King And damn'd his Soul for it what 's that to thee Say our prosterity shou'd wrong each other VVhat must their Servants cudgel 'em to honesty Oh! But old stories censure the King's Title Are royal Robes made of such raggs as Pamphlets Yes when a beggar feign wou'd put 'em on One that wou'd beg the Kingdom from the people And such a beggar is Plantagenet Oh! but the lawyers like not the Kings Title VVhat shall the lawyers be the Kingdoms Oracles And judge their Kings who speak but as inspir'd By the Kings Image stampt upon his Gold Let the King give 'em store of golden Pictures And they will give him a substantial title And then the Noble-men must be the Bayliffs To execute the sentence of the Coyfe Damn thy pedantick Treason thou art as far From wit as honour and that 's far enough VVho stopps a River's head up drie's the stream Thou hast divided thy self from thy King The spring of honour so thou hast no honour But art a heap of dirty pesantry Fit only to manure a brave mans fortune A straying Beast with the Devil's mark upon thee Rebellion and I 'll send thee to thy owner Ed. What a fierce talker's this War I laugh at him All this loud noise and fury you have heard Is but the crackling of some burning thorns That hedge the Duke and they will soon be ashes Pl. No more Duke Henry will you yield my Crown Or shall we fall upon you Hen. Must it be so Let us not bloodily Butcher one another But fairly to the field and there in Battle Make an Appeal to Heaven Pl. With all my heart Y. Cl. Then royal Henry fixt on loyal Clifford Stand like a Cedar on a Mountain top Securely rooted and despise all storms Hen. My cause is sixt on Heav'n for it is just War Then sound to Armes All. To Armes to Armes to Armes Exit ACT. II. An Alarm Enter Warwick and Souldiers chasing others over the Stage Enter Plantagent and Old Clifford fighting Old Clifford falls P FArewell old valiant Clifford I shou'd now Be sorry for thee wer 't thou not my Enemy Ex. Old Cl. Be sorry for thy self thou art a Traytour And I for loyalty die honourably Enter Young Clifford Y. Cl. Shame and Confusion all is on the rout My men are fled or kill'd and I alone Stand like a lofty Mast shewing my head Above the Waves when all the Ship is sunk I cannot find my Father not my King Old Cl. Son Yo. Cl. I heard a voice resembling much My Fathers very weak and faint it seemed As he were far from me or near to death Old Cl. Son
Yo. Cl. Ha! again he calls Oh! there he lyes All weltring in his gore gasping for life Oh! Father Father if thou hast breath enough Leave with me but the name of him that wounded thee That I may give thee and my self revenge And I 'll prefer that glorious Legacy Before the Estate and Honour which thou leav'st me Ol. Cl. Plantagenet gave me my death Farewel Dyes Y. Cl. Plantagenet gave thee thy death Plantagenet Then gave himself and all his race destruction He kills our old men and I 'll kill his Children Henceforth I will not have to do with pitty Tears shall be to me as the dew to fire I will be famous for inhumane cruelty My Father hear's me not he 's dead he 's gone Come thou new ruin of Old Clifford's house I 'll bear thee on my shouldiers as Aeneas Did old Anchises but with this sad difference He bore a living Father mine is dead And so my burden and my grief is heavier He takes his Father on his back and going out meets the King Queen and Souldiers Q. Away away Sir what do you mean to stay All 's lost you have no safety but in flight Hen. My heart 's so heavy that I cannot flye Q. Ha! who goes there Clifford thou art I think Yo. Cl. I am Qu. What burden hast thou on thy shoulders Yo. Cl. I carry vengeance for Plantagenet Hen. Plantagenet dead Yo. Cl. A braver honester man My valiant loyal Father Hen. Clifford dead Yo. Cl. Kill'd by Plantagenet Qu. Take comfort Clifford We 'll streight to London where we have pow'r enough To revenge our selves and thee and to assist us The Parliament shall meet and raise the Kingdom Yo. Cl. For your revenge ralse Kingdoms and for mine I 'll raise my self and I 'll have bloody Vegeance I 'll kill Plantagenet and all his Sons That when he is dead he may not have a Son To bear him to the grave as I my Father And so cut off his memory from the Earth Meet I but any Infants of his House Into as many gobbits will I cut 'em As wild Medea did the young Absyrtis And I will strave my men that they may eat 'em And so let us about our several business Exit A Shout of Victory Enter at one door Warwick at another Plantagenet Edward Richard Souldiers Plantagenet embraces VVarwick Pl. Let me embrace the greatest man that breaths War Pray cease my Lord you know this does not please me Edw. England will learn again to Fight and Conquer A glorious science we have almost lost Under the reign of this tame bookish Henry War What is become of the young boasting Clifford Fate as if tender of him did to day VVhen e're I met him thrust a crowd betwixt us Pl. I met his Father in the field and there I put the brave old man to his last bed The stout old winter Lyon that had long Endur'd the brush of time fought with that heat As he had been but in the spring of youth Like arras-hangings in a homely house So was his gallant Spirit in his body Edw. Whilst we pursued the horâ—â—men o' the North With too much heat the King escap'd our hands But he has left behind some of his friends I fell upon the gallant Duke of Buckingham And with one fortunate substantial blow I cleft his good steel Helmet and his Scull And see his Brains are yet upon my Sword Rich. To speak the truth my Brother Edward fought To day as if he had fought for a Mistress Ed. I must confess I fought with more dispatch ' Cause had the Battle lasted 't wou'd have spoil'd An assignation that I have to night Rich. Did not I say as much Pl. Thou good Son Richard Dost not disturb thy heart with cares of love Rich. The hill upon my back fence's my heart The women love not me so I hate them War We have all cut our names deep on the Pillars Of Fame's high Temple where shall be forever Written this glorious Battle at S. Albons Now my Lord post away with speed to London For thither I am told the King is Fled And there he will repair this day's wide breaches Citizens always love Tame Godly Princes And such as abhor fighting like themselves Then if you can enter the Town before 'em And fill it with your Troops and then tomorrow Get very early into the Parliament House And guarded well openly claim the Crown My Tongue and Sword shall both assert your Title Then let me see what Peer dare be so bold Or Common so sawcy to oppose it Pl. Thou Soul of valour Wisdom and Nobility I 'll take thy Counsel War Go then march with speed I 'll tarry for a moment to take care For any of quality that are dead or wounded Ex. Plantagenet Richard one way Warwick another Edw. I well approve this speedy March to London For here to Night I hope to meet my Mistress Ex. Edward Enter two bearing a Body Warwick meets ' em War Whose Body is that 'T is Sir John Grey of Grooby War A fierce bigot for the Lancastrian Faction I 've heard of him and whither do you carry him 2. To his fair Widow she had only news He had some wounds and so came in her Chariot To carry him away with her but all Her care is now too late see here she is Enter Lady Grey attended La. Gr. Where is my Husband I am impatient for him 1. We have found him Madam in a state too bad For you to look on L. Gr. Oh! he 's dead he 's dead 2. Help help she 's falling on him dead as he War I never saw so beautiful a Creature 1. She is come to her self War But I 'm so lost That I shall never be my self again La. Gr. Oh! my dear Husband War See! see she embalmes His Body with her pretious Tears and Kisses I know not to what place his Soul is fled But I am sure his Body is in Heaven Forms Ceremonies Civil Fooleries Insects engendred of corrupt false Wit I will ride o're you in my way to joy Though this is the first time I ever saw her And she lies drown'd in Tears o're her dead Husband Drown'd in his blood shed may be by my self Yet here and now I 'll tell her that I Love And here and now resolve to make her mine Madam your pardon that I interrupt you La. Gr. Who are you Sir War You Madam best can tell When I came hither I was Earl of Warwick But you have chang'd me to I know not what La. Gr. The Earl of Warwick Oh! my Lord I beg you Conjure you by the Honour of a Nobleman That you permit a miserable Woman To give her Husbands Body decent Burial War Madam with all my heart and I cou'd wish He had been buried when he first saw light And never liv'd to do Prodigious mischiefs La. Gr. What wondrous mischiefs dying for his King War Oh! he has done more ill