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
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
Heark he calls I must be gone Farewel my dear remember what you have promis'd L. El. Remember you your Vows of constancy Exit Rich. within Brother what do you mean leave your damn'd Women For I 'm sure 't is some damn'd Woman stays you But for my part I 'll stay no longer for you For I will not be chidden for your faults My Father and his Friends shall know how it is Ed. Thank thee good natur'd honest vertuous Brother How proud this Leper is of one sound place Though he has all the vices in the world Yet he insults o're me because he is free From my one fault my almost faultless fault He is a Hell at whose foul front appears Ill manners and ill nature and ill shape Like a three-headed Dog that barks at all things That dare come near him specially at beauty But has within a thousand ugly Haggs His Soul embraces bloody cruelty Lean envy and insatiable Ambition And he has this advantage over me His Mistresses are Devils and so invisible Some time or other I 'll descend like Hercules Into this Hell and dragg to humane sight The Monster that so barks at my delight Ex. Scene the Parliament House a Throne Canopy Seats for the Lords Enter Plantagenet George Richard Warwick Clarence Rutland Guard all with drawn Swords War This is the palace of the fearful King And this the Regal Seat Richard Plantagenet Sit down and from this hour be King of England Pl. I think if mighty Warwick said be Emperour Of the whole world the Genii of all Kingdoms Wou'd vanish and give place to his great spirit Assisted then by thee I here sit down Sits in the Throne And take possession of my Royal Right War I plant you here now Root you up who dares Enter Edward Pl. Where 's my Son Edward Son why loiter you War Sir why do you neglect your Father thus Ed. Reprov'd by Warwick what does Warwick cheat us Aside Give us a Crown to cheat us of our liberty Hire us to be his slaves so soon so arrogant This humour I must quell I cannot bear it Pl. Sons I here take possession of my right And will be Crown'd or kill'd if I shou'd fall Son Edward claim the Crown if you fall with me Then George the Crown is thine if both you dye Then Richard thou art King War Three goodly Pillars Pl. And last in birth but not in my Affection Here is my litle pretty darling Rutland Look to him Guard for if his brothers Perish He is your King fear not my pretty Boy We 'll be too hard for wretched timerous Henry Rut. Sir let him come and all his Souldiers with him If you will beat his Souldiers I 'll beat him Pl. Well said my boy and heark I think he comes Enter King Henry in his Robes his Crown on his head the Sword born before him Attended by Clifford Northumberland Westmorland Exeter in their Robes Hen. My Lords look where the sturdy Rebel sits War Look where your King is seated Duke of Lancaster What say you will you resign in peace the Crown To him whose right it is Richard Plantagenet Or shall we force it from you by our Swords Rich. Let 's tear the Crown from the Usurpers head Ed. Sound but the Trumpets and the King will fly Pl. Peace Sons Hen Peace all of you and hear your King Rebels I fear all danger less than you do For I am better arm'd with innocence But I confess I do fear Civil War Not for my own but for my peoples sake I am afraid to shed the blood of English men But you indeed are bold in cruelty By which oh Heaven judge whose is the Child His who desires to have it cut in peices Or mine who strive in tenderness to save it For my own part I fear no power but Heaven Rebels may be successful for a time And overturn all order right aud justice But Heaven does not let the world stand long In that unnatural uneasie posture But soon put 's all things in their proper places Pl. Thy own mouth Henry has pronounc'd thy doom Successful Murder and Rebellion Swell'd for two Generations of thy race Over all right and all that durst oppose 'em But Heaven in thee has dryed up the black stream And made it such a Brook all trample over it Hen. I 've oft been told by thee my Grand-father Depos'd his King Pl. And I did tell thee truth Hen. Cannot a King adopt an Heir Pl. VVhat then Hen. Did not King Richard to my Grand-father Resign the Crown in open Parliament Pl. Did not thy Grand-father compel him to it By force of Arms and then the Parliament To their eternal shame if not Damnation Flatter'd the wicked fortunate Usurper War But say the King had done it unconstrain'd He cou'd not give away another's right Henry usurp'd the right of the next Heirs Hen. My Conscience tells me that my Title is weak Cl. How Sir will you revolt from your own self Who will stand by you then War Clifford thou dyest If thou permit'st not Henry to resign Cl. Let Henry give his Title to the Crown He shall not give my Title to revenge May the ground gape and swallow me alive When e're I kneel to him who kill'd my Father War Ho! there within Cl. I am prepar'd for you War stamps and enter Souldiers of his side Cl. does the same and enter Souldiers on his side as they are going to fight King Henry interposes Hen. Hold hold my Lords Oh! let not Blood be shed Let us not make a Shambles of this place Pray hear me all I find my Title 's weak And to defend it were to fight with Justice Besides there lyes already on my head The Blood of Richard murder'd by my Grand-father And I 'd be loth to add my peoples Blood For saving which hear this proposal from me I have been King these eight and thirty years And many Interests must grow to mine That you can never tear me from the Throne But you will set a thousand Veins a bleeding Then let me reign in quiet all my life And when I 'm dead Plantagenet be King Pl. I approve of it and on that condition Kneels and kisses Hen's hand I swear to be King Henry's faithful Vassal Hen. And not to seek the Throne by Arms or Treason Pl. Never whilst King Henry lives Hen. Then I entail The Crown to thee and to thy Heirs for ever Cl. The Devil to him and to his Heirs for ever VVhat have you done War Good to himself and England Cl. VVrong to his Son his Subjects and himself Ex. VVhy sigh you Sir King Hen. sighs Hen. For my poor Son I 've wrong'd War You have not wrong'd him you have wholly freed him From all the Vengeance due to Usurpation Cl. Oh! Henry if thy Father's Soul did see Thy baseness it wou'd torture him in Heaven Plantagenet when that great Monarch liv'd Thou durst have sooner let into thy Soul