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 Hoâ—â—r 〈◊〉 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 and live by those Tayl. But by your favour Sir I am a Taylor And Sir I live by Lords and Gentlemen I only wou'd hang those that owe me money And will not pay me Cade Why thou stiching Coxcomb We will be Lords and Gentlemen our selves Tayl. Oh! that 's another thing Cade Another thing What do we fight for else you silly Rascal Cob. 'T is true my Lord we ought to be Great-men For it is said Labour in thy Vocation That is let Magistrates be labouring-men Therefore we lab'ring men ought to be Magistrates And I will be Lord Cobler and a Counsellor Carp I 'le be Lord Carpenter for 't is a shame That none of the Kings Council are good Workmen Cob. The Lords forsooth scorn to wear leather Aprons Cade We 'll make 'em glad to go in leather Aprons Butch We 'll stick 'em all and we 'll be Lords our selves Tayl. I 'll be contented to be but a Knight Cob. Shall we not spare the Lords that are our friends Such as thy Cousin Plantagenet and others Cade No Lord is our Friend you Fool they meerly chouse us Butch How meerly chouse us Cade I say meerly chouse us All the fine words and money that they give us Is nothing else but buying of Calves-heads Butch My Cleaver then shall chouse 'em of their Brains Cade When they have done with us they 'l turn us off Butch Here are brave Knaves Tayl. His Honour understands ' em Cob. I Gad my Lord 's a devilish parlous Fellow Prethee my Lord what ail's these plaguy Lords To keep this coyl when they have a power o' money Brave Lands and gallant Wenches to their Wives Cade I 'll
' Mongst the small Wares they sell so dear to us Qu. Oh! how she taunts me this is meant to me Aside I will take an occasion to affront her Le ts fall her Fan. Give me my Fan What Minion Can you not She gives the Duchess a Box o' th' â—â—re I cry you Mercy Madam Was it you Elia. Yes it was I proud Daughter of a Beggar Strike me thy betters many times thy betters Bating the Dignity thc King bestows on thee No mar'le thou look'st with envy on my Jewels Thy Father cou'd not give thee Gold enough Only to Guild one of the Kings Prayer-Books The King was forc'd to give him two great Provinces That so it might not shamefully be said The Father of the Queen of England starves Qu. So so King Fye Madam Fye this is too much Pray Rule your self it was against her will Elia. Against her will no! Sir 't was with her will And shortly she will do as much to you But she shall never strike me unreveng'd Exit Elia. Buck. I will follow her my Lord Cardinal And listen after the Duke how he proceeds The Duchess Fury now will need no spurs She 'l gallop fast enough to her destruction Card. And let her gallop and the Devil speed her Ex. Buck. Enter Duke Humphry Glo. My Lords I 've walk'd away from all that passion Which your false spiteful Accusations Had kindled in my breast and now I come In a cold candid temper to advise you To spare your selves for me you cannot hurt Bring any Proofs of what you have accused me And I lye open to the Law as any Man At least I will do so for if you think My Office fences me I 'le throw it down But to the matters that we have in hand I say the Duke of York's the fittest person To be your Regent Sir in France Suff. Before Election's made let me shew reason why The Duke of York is most unfit of any Man York My Lord of Suffolk I will tell you why Because I scorn to be your Flatterer Next if I be appointed for the place Such is my Lord of Somersets ambition And hate to me that he will keep me here Without Discharge Money or Furniture Till France be wonn he had rather it were lost Than any one shou'd rule it but himself Last time I danc'd Attendance on his will Till Paris was besieg'd famish'd and lost War That I can witness and a blacker Treason Was ne'r committed Suff. Peace my Lord of Warwick Here 's one shall silence you and him you plead for Enter Armorer and his Man Peter York How Silence me Suff. Yes here is a Man accused Of Treason that relates to you my Lord. York Does any one accuse me for a Traytor King What do you mean my Lord What Men are these Suff. An 't please your Majesty this is the Man That does Accuse his Master of High Treason His words were these That Richard Duke of York Was the true lawful heir to the Crown of England And that your Majesty was an Usurper King Say Man Were these thy words Arm. An 't please your Majesty I never said nor thought any such matter Heaven is my witness I am falsely accus'd Pet. By these ten bones he spoke e'm to me one night my Lord in the Garret when we were scow'ring the Duke of York's Armour York Base Villain I will have thee hang'd for this Most Trayt'rous Speech I do beseech your Majesty Let him find all the rigour of the Law Ar. Hang me my Lord if ever I spoke these words My Accuser is my Prentice and I correcting him For his Fault the other day he Vow'd on 's knees He 'd be reveng'd on me I have good witness Therefore I beseech your Majesty cast not away An Honest Man for a Rogues Accusation One that has been a Rogue Sir all his Life A most notorious Rogue Sir I beseech you King Unckle What shall we say to this in Law Glo. If I may Judge Sir let the Duke of Somerset Be Regent o'r the French because the Duke Of York lies under violent suspition And let these have a day appointed e'm For single Combate ' cause the Armourer Has Witness of his Servants Threats and Malice This is the Law and this is Sir my Sentence King Let it be so Som. I humbly thank your Majesty Armo. And I accept the Combat willingly Pet. Alass my Lord I cannot fight oh pity me Oh Heaven have mercy on me I shall never Be able to strike a blow oh Lord my heart Why the Devil must I fight Is this my Reward for Witnessing I cannot fight Glo. Sirrah you must fight or be hang'd King Away with e'm to Prison till the Combat Come my Lord Duke I will dispatch you to France All go out but the Cardinal Card. I will not rest till I 've the Blood of Glocester He must be Lord Protector of the Kingdom And Lord it over me He thinks he is A better Man ' cause he is a King's Son And I but Son of the Duke of Lancaster He is the Son of Henry the Fourth And I of Henry's Father John of Gaunt But at my making there it seems did want Some Holy Ceremonies for want of which I 'm that the Rude Ill-manar'd Law calls Bastard And ' cause the Law has thrust me from Succession To the great Temporal Glories of my Father They wrap'd me up in a Priest's Robe and lay me Out of the World and in the way of Heaven They shou'd have drest poor Henry in this Child's Coat And laid him in the Cradle of the Church And hum'd him fast asleep with Holy Stories His little Soul was fitter for those things Well I will go to Heaven but in my way I at the Lord Protectorship will bayt Or I will lye abroad in stormes of Blood My Cosins themselves Legitimate may call Their Souls compar'd with mine are Bastards all Exit Enter Elianor Humes the Scene a Room in the Conjurer's House Elia. Where are your Instruments Humes They are both ready Preparing their dire Charms and Exorcisms Elia. Call e'm Enter Bullingbrook and the Witch Humes Come in this Madam is Roger Bullingbrook A Man of wonderful and dreadful Art He has a Key to the Infernal deep And let 's abroad what Spirit he will and when And when he will he Chains him up again This Woman equals him in Power and Art Her Name is Jordan Elia. Come begin your Charmes Bull. Dare you be present Madam Elia. Dare the Devil Come in my presence for I dare meet him Bull. Madam you may for Heaven fetters him And gives us Mortal Creatures Power to do so I gain'd my Art by Prayer and profound Study Then nothing fear Elia. I ne'r knew what fear was Bull. Go Mother Jordan get the Incense ready The Witch goes out Elia. Well said my Masters come begin begin Bull. Pray Patience Madam for we know our times Our time is in the Deep and Silent Night
save your self From Whipping leap o'r this Stool and run away Simp. Alass Master I am not able to stand alone You go about to Torture me in vain Glo. Well Sirrah I must have you find your Legs Whip him till he leap o'r that same Stool Simp. Master What shall I do I cannot stand Glo. Leap Sirrah Leap Simp. Oh! oh Beadle Whips him he leaps over the Stool and runs away and they cry a Miracle follow King Do'st thou behold thir Heaven and bear thus long Glo. Bring back the Rogue and take this Drabbe away Wife Alass we did it for pure need forsooth Glo. Let e'm be Whipt through every Market Town Till they come to Berwick from whence they came Car. Heark you Are not you a Company of Damn'd Fools To employ such a Silly Rogue as this Softly to a Fryer That has shewn all your Cheats to the whole World Fry My Lord they were known to all Wise Men before And such a Fool will serve to Couzen Fools And Fools are those that we must hope to stand by Exit Enter Buckingham King What Tidings brings my Lord of Buckingham Buc. Such as my heart does temble to relate My Lord Protector 's Wife has practis'd horridly And dangerously against your Majesties Life H 'as dealt with Hellish Conjurers and Witches To raise up wicked Spirits from under Ground To acquaint her with your destiny and Councel her How she may ayd your Fate and hasten it She 's enquir'd too of the Infernal Oracle The Fates of several of your Majesties Council We apprehended e'm all in the Fact Car. Ha! Is she fallen into our Trap that 's well Aside And she shall soon pluck her Duke Humphrey after My Lord Protector your good Lady finding She governs you thinks she can rule the Devil And have th' infernal Powers at her Command Heaven be Prais'd England's Protected well Your Grace is Lord Protector of the Kingdom Your Wife rules you the Devil is her Protector And so the Devil is England's Lord Protector I hope we shall displace his Devilship Glo. And put a worse Devil in if you succeed But these good Churchmen are the heavenly comforts You give your Kinsman in affliction You may insult for sorrow has so vanquisht me The basest Groom may trample on me now King What horrid things are practis'd in this World How vile ones heap confusion on their heads Qu My Lord my Lord you see your nest is tainted Look that your self be faultless you had best Glo. Madam I will not answer for a Woman For my own self to heaven I appeal Who knowes how I have lov'd my King and Country And for my Wife I know not how it stands Sorry I am to hear what I have heard Noble she is but if she have forgot Honor and Vertue I will forget her And banish her my Bed and my Acquaintance And give her up to the just punishment Which â—he deserves for so much wickedness And so dishonouring my honest Name King I will to London with what haste I can To look into this business thoroughly And call these foul offenders to their Answers Ex. Om. prae Suff. and the Qu. Qu. My dear dear Suffolk how thou every moment Heap'st new delights on me when thou didst get for me The English Crown thou didst not please me more Then now in getting me revenge on Elianor Treading on her methinks I walk in Triumph To a second and more pleasing Coronation Suff. I told you Madam I had snares for her You were impatient and cou'd not stay Till things cou'd ripen Qu. Oh! thou art my Sun My joyes and glories ripen grow and flourish Under thy beautiful and glorious beams Come le ts go see Dame Elianor in her shame The pleasing'st sight in the whole World next thee Suff. Next sight I 'le shew you shall be Gloster's fall The good fond Husband will be loth to stay Behind his Wife though she goes to destruction Qu. Sure thou wert made o' purpose for my Love Had heaven bid me ask for some great Merit A Gift that might have shewed bounty divine I wou'd have said Let Suffolk heaven be mine Ex. ACT III. Enter York Salisbury and Warwick The SCENE the Duke of York's House long Scrowles lying on a Table York NOw my good Lords of Salisbury and Warwick You have perus'd my Title to the Crown I pray deliver me both your opinions War My Lord 't is very plain the Right is yours King Henry claimes the Crown from John of Gaunt Fourth Son of Edward the Third Your Grace claims it From Lyonell Duke of Clarence the Third Son Till Lyonell's Issue fails his shou'd not Reign It failes not yet but flourishes in you â—nd in your Sons fair Branches of your Stock My Lord of Salisbury kneel we together And in this private Room be we the first That shall Salute our Lawful Soveraign With the honor of his Birth-right to the Crown Both. Long live our Sovereign Richard King of England York My Lords I give you both my hearty thanks But I am not your King till I be Crown'd And my Sword slayn'd in the heart blood of all The House of Lancaster and that 's not suddenly Nor very easily to be perform'd We must use Counsel Secresy and Courage Do you as I do in these dangerous days Wink at the Duke of Suffolk's Insolence At Beauford's Pride at Somerset's Ambition At Buckingham and all the Crew of e'm Till they have snar'd the good and wise Duke Humphry Whose Vertues are so many Guardian Angels Both to the King and Kingdom his destruction These ill Men seek and they in seeking that Shall find their own if I can Prophesie Sal. My Lord let us break off we know your Mind War There 's something great within my breast that tells me The Day is coming when the Earl of Warwick Shall make the Duke of York the King of England Yo. And I shall live to make the Earl of Warwick The greatest Man in England but the King Exit The SCENE the Court. Enter King and Queen Duke of Suffolk Duke of Glocester Cardinal Elianor a Prisoner King Madam stand forth and hear your Sentence from me In sight of heaven and me your guilt is great A Crime to which heavens Book adjudges Death Your Fellow Criminals shall suffer Death â—nd 't is notorious false reasoning â—ou shou'd be spar'd because you are great and Noble he World is us'd to such false Reasonings â—nd that 's the cause there is so little Truth in it But I observe but few of the World's Customs Nor will I now be lead away in this Then hear my Sentence since to your great Spirit There is no pain like shame I Sentence you To bear the tort'ring shame of open Pennance And since to live depos'd of all your Honors In some remote sad desolate obscurity Is to you pain like burying alive I Sentence you to spend your days in Banishment With Sir John Stanley in the Isle of Man
Glocester The FIRST PART ACT. I. Enter Humphry Duke of Glocester Duke of York Cardinal Beauford Duke of Somerset Duke of Buckingham Earl of Salisbury Earl of Warwick Glo. MY Lords you cannot but have seen of late Much discontent sit always on my Brow All Men that know me well must know no private Petty concernment can unfix my mind No some will think perhaps I speak too proudly I care not what they think I 'le speak my Mind Nothing has weight enough to press my spirits Less than the great Misfortunes of the Kingdom Card. So how my Lord Protector gracefully aside Ushers himself into these Lords esteem What bosom here now will not bid him wellcome I hate him but I will not let him know it Till I can let him know it to his ruine Glo. Ah! my Lords Did my valiant glorious Brother Henry the Fifth erect the Law of England Above the Roman or the Macedonian Do things that made the Continent all tremble When e're the favourable Winds unlockt The floating Gates of this our little World To let out that our brave Warriors to invade it That France not only did confess it self A Vassal to his Royal English Blood But the whole Empire of the World did seem To own it self the Birth right of his Valour Yo. Eternity shall ne'r wear out the Characters Of his Renown which his keen Sword engrav'd Glo. Ay yes his fame shall last but not his Empire He 's dead and with him his great Empire dies All that hiâ— Valour got all that the vigilance And wisdom of my Brother Bedford kept All that your selves and I have early and late Study'd to keep and kept some years with glory Crowning our King in Paris in his Infancy Making Proud France bow to an English Child All all these Labours Victories and Glories Are melting down in a soft beautious bosom Given away to purchase a Fair Face A fatal Marriage in one fatal minute Has spoyld the Work of many glorious years Card. Nephew you are more passionate than needs Erance is not gone nor shall it go so easily Glo. No 't is not gone indeed but all the sluces Are pulling up and it is going fast 'T is pouring out apace in Provinces The new made Duke of Suffolk gives whole Provinces To buy the King a Wife Anjou and Maine Are frankly given to the Queen 's poor Father King â—eignier whose high and flowing style Dwells far above the Banks of his low Purse But he must have these Provinces to fill it Of such low value in this Duke's esteem Is all the purchase of our Blood that he Wil give it all away for Blushing Cheeks Sal. Those Dukedoms were the Keys of Normandy My Lord of Warwick Weeps Why weeps my Son War Who wou'd not weep to see his own Blood cheapned And sold before his Face at a low rate I won those Provinces and what got With Wounds is given away with peaceful words Glo. Yes and to make it even ridiculous The Duke of Suffolk Asks a whole Fifteenth For Charges to Transport the Queen to England What Was there ne'r a Beauty in the World Besides the Queen yes sure there was in England Had the King so much doted upon Beauty He might have Married one of His fair Subjects And had more Beauty at a cheaper rate Card. My Lord of Glocester this is hot discourse And as I think to very little purpose Since what is done now cannot be recall'd And what is done was done to please the King Glo. My Lord of Winchester I understand you 'T is not my hot Discourse but Presence warms you You have a Fester'd Mind and 't will break out I saw it in your Face if I stay longer We shall begin our antient Bickerings But such small matters shall not trouble me I will be gone but e're I go I 'le Prophesy France will be lost but I desire to prove As False a Prophet as you are a Priest Exeunt Card. Affronted thus ' Pox o' these fumbling Robes aside How came my Warlike Spirit wrapt in these Formalities that hold my hands from Blood I 'm fitter for a Sword and I will use one Did you not hear the good Protector Lords Expect what usage you will have when I His Unckle and a Priest am thus abus'd You see how well his Enmity is heal'd And he has much the same kiâ—dness for you And indeed for the King He makes great shew Of Zeal for England and he has great zeal for it That is t' enjoy it he is heir apparent And the King cannot please him by a Marriage Unless he 'd Wed an Altar or a Cell Be not my Lords cheated with his smooth words What though the foolish common people dote on him Clapping their hands and shouting when they see him Crying Heaven save your Roâ—al Excellence And call him always the good Duke of Glocester They are Fools and know not Men nor what they love Uncheat e'm but however save the King Protect him from his dangerous Protector Buck. Why shou'd the King my Lords have a Protector He is of age I think to rule himself My Lord of Somerset joyn you with me We with the Duke of Suffolks ayd will hoyse Duke Humphry from his Seat Card. This weighty business Brooks no delay I 'le to the Duke of Suffolk Exit Som. Though the Protector 's Pride and Greatness vex us The Cardinal's Insâ—lence is more intolerable If Gloster be displac'd he 'l be Protector Buck. If Gloster falls or you or I 'le succeed Ex. Buck. and Sal. Sal. So so the Kingdom will thrive well no doubt When all will rend her for their private ends I never saw but the good Duke of Glocester Bore himself like a Noble Gentleman But I have seen the Cardinal demean himself More like a Soldier than a Priest he 'l often Swear like a Ruffian quarrel like a Hector Trample on all as he were Lord of all My worthy Son and you my Lord of York My valâ—aâ—t Brother let us joyn together And shâ—w the Kingdom has some good Men in it Who faithfully will serve their King and Country And ayd all others who promote that work And among those I reckon the Protector War So heaven help me as I love my Country Ex. Sal. War Yo. And so say I for I have greatest cause Anjou and Main are given to the French Two Dukedoms given for a Dukes fair Daughter Henry I blame thee not What is it to thee Thou dost not give away thine own but mine Pirates may make cheap penny-worths of their Pillage Whilst the poor injur'd owner stands aloofe And shakes his head and weeps and wrings his hands And sees his Goods all borne away and dares Not touch his own or scarcely call it his England and France and Ireland are my Kingdoms One day I may both claim and seize my own And from weak Henry's Head may pull the Crown These high fierce Tempests methinks make it shake What opportunity
they give I 'le take Exit Enter Duke of Glocester and his Dutchess Elianor Eli. Why droops my Lord and on the sullen Earth Fixes his Eyes What dost thou there behold King Henry's Diadem fallen from his Head Too feeble to support the mâ—ghty weight If it be that thou look'st on gaze thy fill Put forth thy hand and reach the glorious Gold Glo. Oh Nell sweet Nell if thou dost love thy self Banish the Canker of Ambitious thoughts They will devour thy Peace thy Life thy Soul May the curst hour when I imagine ill Against my Royal Nephew vertuous Henry Be my last breathing in this mortal World Eli. I wish the same to me but Is it ill To the good Pious King to take from him A heavy Weight that presses him to Earth An Element his heavenly mind abhors His thoughts are all above and Royal cares Tear e'm and pull e'm down to earth in spite of him And What a torment to him must that be It is unjust to let so good a Prince So cruelly be tortur'd with a Crown Gloc. Oh Elianour away with thy fond words Thou mayst deceive thy self thou canst not me Hast thou in my Embraces layn so long And am I yet wholly a stranger to thee I find thy high aspiring thoughts did study My honor and my offices not me Thou know'st them well thou hast weigh'd them exactly But me thou art an utter stranger to Or thou woud'st never tempt me to disloyalty Eli. He is the loyal Subject seeks to please His King and not himself 'T is more disloyalty T' impose a Crown upon Religious Henry Than 't is to Usurp one from another King But you are only Loyal to your self And your own fame because to take the Crown The World wou'd call Disloyalty and Treason You wrong the King to save your own renown Glo. Away away fond Elianor as Nature Has given you Women thinner skins than Men Through which your working blood is easier seen So thinner Arts to hide your laboring thoughts Do not I know your thoughts designs and soul And all you 'd work me â—o as well as you You would have me throw my self down to Villany To exalt you in place above the Queen Blast my Renown and Soul to all eternity To please your haughtiness for some few years Oh Elianor now I must Chide outright Presumptuous unkind ill-minded Elianor Are you not the second Woman in the Kingdom H ve you not Worldly Pleasure at command A greater circle of delight than all Thy Soul can range about in thy whole Life Yet not content with these Wilt thou be forging New impious honors till pil'd heap on heap They fall and overwhelm thy self and me Eâ—i I must confess I mortally abhor And scorn that Woman which is now my Queen Oh! hateful thought she she my Queen a Vassal Of France subdu'd by us into a Province And she a Beggar in that Conquer'd Province Become the Queen and Mistriss of her Conquerors I the first Woman of Victorious England Bow to the last of low dejected France Preposterous ignominious base contemptible Had you the spirit of an English Conqueror You wou'd not bear it but you have it not The mighty fire that burnt so bright and hot In the brave English Souls of the last Age Is blazing now its last in me a Woman Who can no more than greatly think and talk A shrewd sign heaven is taking from us France Since he takes from us spirits that shou'd rule it And yet were I but Queen of England once I wou'd not doubt but to keep Conquer'd France Though Kings and Lord Protectors cannot do it Glo. Talk not of ruling Kingdoms rule your self That I lament the King 's most fatal Marriage The Queen her self and all the Kingdom knows But I abhor it not for Womanish causes Because my Wive's inferior goes before her But because France England's inferior Will by this Match ascend above her Conqueror We give two Provinces to buy a Wife Who brings nought with her but a shameful Peace And this is that causes my present sadness Eli. And sadness will redress your Country's Griefs Gl. Yes He shall dye that wrought e'm trayterous Suffolk Eli. If Suffolk dyes for bringing such a Curse on us What shou'd be done to her who is that Curse Let her not live or rather let her live But live no Queen Glo. But subject to your self Eli. I almost scorn to have so poor a Subject Glo. Ah Elianor thy Pride and my fond Love To thee will bring destruction on us both Have I not Griefs enow already on me And Enemies enow that plot my ruine But you must be among the number of e'm Eli. I 'em Enemy to nothing but the Queen And I 'le to her be an implacable And Devillish Enemy whil'st she is a Queen Let her be poor Dame Margaret and my Subject And I will Sign her then an Act of Grace Glo. You will comply in nothing to please me Eli. I will comply in every thing I can But I must hate the Queen in spite of me Glo. If thou must hate her do but yet love me Eli. I hope you doubt not that my Lord. Glo. I do not Enter a Messenger Messen My Lord Protector 't is His Majesties pleasure You prepare to ride to S. Albans Where both the King and Queen are a going to Hawke Glo. I go Come Nell Wilt thou along with us Ex. Eli. Yes my good Lord I 'le follow presently Follow I that 's the Word follow I must Whil'st Glocester bears this base and humble mind My Spirit cries go first the Duke sayes follow Shall I obey my Husband or my Soul My Soul is my self he but my other self And by his humble mind my weaker self Well I will play my part in Fortune Pageant Where are you there Sir John nay fear not Man We are alone here 's none but thee and I. Enter Humes Hume Heaven preserve your Majesty Eli. My Majesty Hume Yes that will be your Title very shortly Eli. Has my infernal friend the Devil said this By his Priest and Priestess the Conjurer and Witch Hast thou conferr'd with e'm Hume Madam I have Eli. And Will they undertake to do me service Hume They have promised from the infernal deeps to dragge One of the Spirits that of old gave Oracles Whose fiery eye by its own Native Light Sees all that 's hidden in Fates dark Abyss As plain as we Mortals when they come to light This Spirit shall make Answer to all Questions That it shall please your Grace to pose him with Eli. It is enough I 'le think upon the Questions Here Hume take this reward make merry Man With thy Confederates in this weighty business Hume I humbly thank your Grace Exit Enter the Duke of Suffolk talking with the Queen Eli See here comes she That blasts my eyes worse than the Spirit can do The Witch will raise out of th' Infernal deep And with her her damn'd
Minion Trayterous Suffolk That I were now a Pestilence to cover her From head to foot with tort'ring deadly sores I will throw scorn on her as I pass by A thing a Woman hates worse than the Plague And I will undermine her Royal Glories If digging deep as lowest Hell will do it I 'le climbe the Throne or else to Hell I 'le fall If Heaven won't make me great the Devil shall Qu. Ha! Did you not observe my Lord of Suffolk With what contempt that Woman look'd upon me As she past by Suff. I saw it and I laugh'd at it Qu. Ho! call her back and fling her at my feet Suff. She shall fall shortly there and lower too If my Plots fail not Enter Petitioners Peter the Armorers Man being one 1. Pet. May it please your Grace Suff. What woud'st thou have with me 1. Pet. I think you be my Lord Protectors Grace If you be pray your Grace see my Petition 2. Pet. And mine 3 Pet. And mine an 't please your Grace Qu. So All Petitions to the Protector 's Grace The Kingdoms supplications all to him And all the Ladies follow his Wives Train The King and I are only Royal Cyphers Flourish'd and guilded only with fine Titles Come What are your Petitions let me see e'm 1. Pet. Mine is an 't please you Madam against John Goodman my Lord Cardinall's Man for keeping my House and my Lands and my Wife from me Suff. How thy Wife from thee too that 's very hard 1. Pet. Nay an 't please your Grace let him give me my House and my Lands and let him keep my Wife an' he will I do not care now he has had her so long Suff. What 's yours What 's here Against the Duke of Suffolk for Enclosing the Commons of Melford How now you Rascal 2. Pet. An 't please your Grace I am but a poor Petitioner of our whole Township Pet. Mine is against my Master Thomas Horner for saying the Duke of York is lawful Heir to the Crown Qu. How Pet. Yes and that the King is but an Usurper Qu. There 's a Villain indeed Suff. Who is there Enter a Servant Take this Fellow in and send for a Pursuivant presently We 'l hear more of this Matter before the King Qu. You here who shroud your selves under the Protector Begin your Suits anew and sue to him Tears their Petitionâ— This is the Duke of Suffolk I 'me your Queen 2 Pet. The Duke of Suffolk oh I am undone Qu. Away you Slaves ho turn these Fellows out Is this the Fashion in the Court of England Is this the Royalty of th' English King To be a Pupil to a Governour Am I a Queen yet Subject to a Duke Oh my La Poole when in the City Tours Thou rann'st a tilt in honour of my Love And stol'st away the Ladies hearts of France I from thy Graces copyed in my Mind A charming glorious Picture of King Henry I thought thy Courage Courtship and Proportion Had been brave Shadows of thy braver King But oh there ne'r was Woman so deceiv'd At the first sight of the Kings sad grave Look The golden Image of him in my mind Fell down upon my heart and almost broke it My heavy heart sunk in a Royal shadow And greater was the fall because before It stood on high and golden expectations Ah! never was so sad a fall as that From glorious Suffolk down to soft King Henry Suff. Madam be patient for I Married you Not to the poor weak King but to the brave Kingdom And that I 'le make a glorious Husband to you Qu Indeed the Marriage 'tween the King and me Is but a strange one for to speak the truth I 'm Wedded to the Throne more than to him And he is Married more to Heaven than me His Soul is Married to all the Saints in Heaven Heaven is the King 's spacious Seraglio There his heart lives that which he leaves below With me and with the Kingdom is a shadow Suff. He is indeed no more but a King's Ghost That walks in night it has been night in England E'r since that Glorious Sun his Father set And France and England like two metled Steeds bound startle break their reins and run away At sight of this pale Ghost nor will be Govern'd Qu. 'T were night with England I am sure with me If 't were not for my glorious La Poole If 't were not for thee England were Hell to me And I tormented with Infernal pains Under the Arrogance of the Protector Of Cardinal Beauford that imperious Church Man Of Somerset Buckingham and grumbling York For each of these is greater than the King Suff. And Salisbury and Warwick are as great as they Qu. Indeed for any thing that I can see The King 's the only Subject iâ— the Kingdom He obeys all and no one obeys him But all this does not vex me half so much As the intolerable insolence Of that proud Dame the Lord Protectors Wife She invades the Court each day with Troopes of Ladies And vanquishes my Glory so entirely That I appear a little falling Star And she a Comet upon whom all gaze Her very Habit does exceed in cost Th' expences of a little Princes Court She Swim's along the Court like a Guilt Ship New come from India laden all with Jewels And then she scorns to strike her Sayl to me But over-looks me like a little Pinke Laden with Toyes and Fripperies from France This slave to Pride that shou'd be slave to me Vaunted amongst her Minions the other day The very Train of her worst wearing Gown Was better worth then all my Fathers Lands Till Suffolk gave two Dukedoms for his Daughter Suff. Laugh at her Pride for Madam it shall shortly Be your Divertisement and her Destruction I 've dug a Pit for the fierce Lyoness Who greedy of Honor ranges to the very Suburbs of Hell for it and I 've turn'd loose Jackalls to tempt her to the Pit in shew Of guiding her to her desired Prey See here comes one of my Jackalls Sir John What News Enter Humes Humes Good News my Lord I have been with the Duchess And did Salute her in the Devil's Name With the Title of Majesty Suff. Ha! ha ha Laughs Qu. What do you mean Suff. Madam the Story will make you Laugh the Duchess Is going to the Devil for Preferment Qu. How To the Devil Suff. Yes and bribes this Gentleman To find out some of the Devil's Spyes and Agents To ayd her in a Correspondence with him Humes Madam it is most true and I 've found out One Margery Jordan an experienc'd Witch And Roger Bullingbrook a Conjurer And they pretend they 'l raise from Hell a Spirit Shall tell her all she 'l aske Qu. Sure they are Cheats Suff. They shall be Cheats to her and her Duke Humphry Two mortal Devils call'd York and Buckingham Shall send their Devil to Hell and carry her To what she more than Hell abhors to
his Succession And letting fall some words to please her pride To shew what high designs he had near Birth Made the proud frantique Woman run immediately To fetch a cursed Midwife out of Hell King Indeed that was a very wicked Fact Suff. Oh! Sir the Duke of Glocester is a Man Unsounded yet and full of deep deceit Card. Sir he appears to you to be a Man Of great Humanity Mildness and Gentleness There 's not a greater Tyrant upon Earth If any small Offences had at any time Tript up the heels of any of his Enemies And thrown e'm in his power he tortur'd e'm Beyond all bounds either of Law or Manhood He has torn their Bodies so by horrid Deaths As if to put affronts upon that peaceful Christianity which forbids all Revenge He 'd put a cheat upon the Resurrection And tear that Article out of our Creed King Can this be true How chance I never heard of it Card. Who ever durst acquaint you this before Suff. Who ever had your Ear but he till now King The meanest poorest Subject in my Kingdom Had it and shall as much as he or any Man Card. Ay! you like Heaven Sir gave access to all But he was that eternal Persecution All suffer'd that devoutly wou'd approach you King If this this be true what a vile thing is Man Yo. Sir his insatiable Avarice Makes two great Crowns sit loosely on your Head He squeez'd the English Purses till Blood followed Upon pretence to pay your Troops in France So almost tore this Kingdom from its Loyalty Then by not sending any of that Money He starv'd your Troops and almost lost you France Buck. Oh! there are horrid Crimes lie hid in smooth Duke Humphrey which the time will bring to light King My Lords you seem to take great care of me If it be real it deserves great praise But shall I speak my Conscience freely to you No Man I 'me sure no Monarch shou'd dissemble I do not cannot think the Duke of Glocester That horrid thing you represent him to me Card. Then what are we Sir King My Lord Cardinal I 'le tell you what my Father said you were His Reason was as piercing as his Sword And he from depth of Knowledg not from Prophesie Said That if e're you were a Cardinal You 'd make your Cap vye with your Prince's Crown As for these Lords I wo'ld entreat of them To think that I have Eyes as well as they If my Lord Duke of Glocester had such Sores Break out of him as these I shou'd ha' seen e'm Some time or other sure as well as they If he had plaid such Proteus tricks as these Some time or other sure I shou'd have catch'd him But if he be the Monster they have painted him Then what a horrid villanous thing is Man Who wou'd not rather live with Wolves than Men For a Wolf shews his nature but a Man Appears a Lamb when he is most a Wolf If so then I must fly from all of you For now when you seem Lambs you may be Tygers Qu. Sir on my knees I humbly fall before you Kneels And beg with Tears do not give up your self And all of us to Death by incredulity I am a poor weak Woman and a Stranger And of a Nation for whom your Subjects By Nature have an inbred scorn and hate Which great successes greatly have improv'd And Sir my banish't Enemy the Duchess Will in the Rocks of her poor barren Island Sit brooding Vengeance and when you are dead The Eagles she has hatcht shall tear my Soul out And who in England can or will protect me Suff. And all of us are in the same condition All kneel Qu. Then if you think these Lords Sir have no Loyalty Nor I the consort of your Youth no love Yet think we have some kindness for our selves And in your preservation seek our own King Rise my dear Love rise all of you my Lords If I have injur'd you by my suspitions I pray forgive me you perhaps have seen More in the Duke of Glocester than I have I must confess I 'me of a temper fram'd Wakeful to holy thinks drowzy to earthly I 'me as unfit for Earth as some for Heaven Yet knowing I 'me the Shepherd of my Flock I rouse my self to attend upon my Duty But oft I charm my self asleep again With the Caelestial Musick of Religion And then a Wolf may steal upon my sleep And I not see him which perhaps you may That Sirs I thank you all for your kind care Card. Sir we have faithfully discharg'd our Consciences King You have done well I thank you all but pray Give me good proofs of what you have alledged 'T is not enough to say in such a Bush There lies a Thief in such a Cave a Beast But you must shew him to me e're I shoot Else I may kill one of my stragling Sheep I 'me fond of no mans Person but his Vertue Prove that the Duke and Loyalty are strangers And he and I will be as far asunder As Life and Death the Grave shall be betwixt us Suff. Oh! Sir we shall not want sufficient proofs Enter the Duke of Glocester they all start as soon as he comes in Card. See! see the Duke is here King Ha! they all start At the first sight of him I like not that Aside Gl. All happiness attend my Lord the King Pardon Royal Sir that I have stayed so long Suff. My Lord of Glocester you are come too soon Unless you were more Loyal than you are My Lord I here Arrest you of high Treason Gl. My Lord of Suffolk you shall not see me blush Nor change my Countenance at this Arrest King As they to see him did he twits e'm well Aside Gl. Innocence is not very easily daunted Who can accuse me Wherein am I guilty Yo. 'T is thought my Lord that you took Bribes from France And being Protector staid the Souldiers Pay By means whereof all France is almost lost Gl. Is it but thought so What are they that think so King Ha! Is it come but to a thought already Aside Gl. I never rob'd the Souldiers of their Pay Nor ever had one penny Bribe from France But I have rob'd my self both day and night Of all my rest to study good for England The Farthing that e're I wrested from the King Or hoarded up for my own private use I wish may canker all I can call mine But I have wrested from my own Revenues Many a Pound and given among the Garrisons Because I wou'd not Tax the needy Commons And never ask'd for Restitution Card. It serves you well my Lord to say so much Gl. I say no more than truth so help me Heaven Yo. In your Protectorship you did invent Strange and unheard of Tortures for Offenders That England was defam'd by Tyranny Gl. It is well known Pity was all my fault For I shou'd melt at an Offenders tears And humble
the Living cannot eat Nor drink nor sleep in quiet for the Dead The Dead that can do none of e'm must plague us Thou envious Ghost get to thy own abode I know not where it is in Heaven or Hell Oh! Hell Hell Hell I am tormented Oh! 1 Mur. Oh! gallant brave Infallibility Enter the King Salisbury Warwick King How does the Cardinal 2 Mur. Sir of a sudden He 's fallen into a fit of Infallible Madness Card. Ha! who are these Stand off stand off who are you Sal. This is your King Card. What King The King of Terrors Death is it he If thou be'st Death I 'le give thee Treasure enough to purchase all this Kingdom So thou wilt let me live and feel no pain King Ah! What a sign it is of evil life When Death's approach appears so terrible War My Lord my Lord Do you know your King Car. What King what King War King Henry Car. Ha! King Henry Sir bring me to my Trial when you will I am prepar'd died he not in his Bed Can I make men live whether they will no Oh! do not torture me I will confess Oh! King Poor wretch War What think you Sir Are not these signs Of horrid Guilt King Let us not Censure him Car. Alive again do you say Ha! shew him me I 'le give a Thousand Pound to look on him Stand by and let me see him there he is He has no Eyes the dust has blinded e'm Comb down his hair look look it stands upright Like Limetwigs set to catch my flying Soul I prethee do not carry me along with thee And I 'le do cruel Pennance all my life Hunger shall tear my Entrals Whips my Flesh Thorns my bare Feet my habit shall be Hair-cloth The Rock my Bed hard Roots my only food Foul Puddle all my drink if this suffice not I 'le sell my self a Slave among the Turks What dost thou say wilt thou consent to this King Oh! thou eternal Mercy cast an eye Of pity on this Wretch Oh! drive away from him The hungry Fiend that strives to gripe his Soul Card. Ha! Wilt thou not consent and must I die Oh! let me live and be a Slave a Dog What must I die Oh! this is very cruel War See how he grins Sir with the pangs of Death Sal. Disturb him not let him pass peaceably King Peace to his Soul if it be Heavens good pleasure Lord Cardinal If you have any hopes of Heaven Hold up your hand and give a joyful signal Sal. He gives us none King Oh! Heaven have mercy on him War He gives a dreadful signal of his Guilt King Forbear to judge him we are sinners all He 's dead close up his eyes and let us all To sad and devout Meditation Exeunt The Scene is drawn The Queen weeping A Lady attending Qu. How am I robb'd of all my joys in Youth That now my doleful Years will hang on me Like a great Family on a poor Bankrupt My hope is Destiny will ne're be able With this great weight of Misery upon me To drag me to the Prison of old Age Where we lie cold and dark as in the Grave And have as great a load of Earth upon us Where melancholy thoughts about us crawl Like Toads in Dungeons about Malefactors That Prison where through gates of Horror wrinkled Fate feeds us with the Water of our Tears But enough to quench the thirst of Sorrow For the old Well is then almost dried up Lady Oh! Madam you 'l bring Age on you in Youth If you weep thus Qu. I wou'd if I cou'd bring on me The only joy of Age to be near Death But I have a long Life to travel through Barren and comfortless as any Desert And I am spoil'd of all just at the entrance Enter another Lady 2 Lady Madam there 's a Gentleman without Come from aboard a Vessel where the Duke Of Suffolk lately was Qu. Oh! bring him Enter a Gentleman Oh! saw you lately Sir the Duke of Suffolk Gent. Yes Madam Qu. Oh! How does he Gent. Well I doubt not He is at the end of an unhappy Journey Qu. In France already Gent In a better Country Madam forgive my zeal to my dear Lord. I had the honour to be once his Servant And knowing well your Majesty did bear A very great respect to his great Merit Came to entreat you to revenge his Blood Qu. His Blood Gent. His Blood See Madam this was once The beauteous manly Visage of my Lord. Shews the Duke of Suffolk 's Head 1 Lady She faints she dies Oh! help for Heaven's sake 2 Lady She stirs she 's coming to her self again Qu. Why have you wak'd me from this pleasing slumber In which I had forgotten my vast misery Where is the bloody Spectacle you shewed me 1 Lady Away with it Qu. Shew it me again I say Oh! barbarous and bloody Spectacle Is this the Noble Duke Is this the man That was the pride of Nature England's Ornament But now is England's everlasting shame Oh! my dear murder'd Duke Is this the meeting Which we at parting promised to each other Love promis'd more than Destiny cou'd pay Who did this cursed deed Gent. A cursed Pyrate Who in the Rivers Mouth clapt him aboard And took the Duke and all of us his Prisoners The Duke they knew not till they spy'd his George And then he own'd himself and for his Ransome Offer'd what sums of Gold they wou'd demand He chanc'd to be one Walter Whitmore's Prize Who lost in Fight his eye Qu. And to revenge it He wou'd put out the Sun Gent. Yes kill the Duke And he was stirr'd to greater insolence By that damn'd Villain which they call'd their Captain Who said the Duke had murder'd good Duke Humphry Begger'd the King lost France and ruined England Nay his foul Tongue did not refuse to spit Dishonour on your Sacred Majesty And said the Duke had injur'd the King's Bed Qu. Impudent Villain Gent. For all which foul Crimes He said he wou'd revenge the King and Kingdom Qu. Bold bloody Villain Gent. The brave Duke on this Calling to mind his Birth was Calculated And it was told him he shou'd die by Water He thought at first the Fiend had quibbled with him And he shou'd die by one who was call'd Water But then remembring that he was at Sea He found the Devil had two strings to his Bow So Saw himself encompast round with Destiny Then lifting up his Eyes to Heaven he smil'd As if he in his noble thoughts derided The sport Fate makes with great mens Lives and Fortunes Then looking down with scorn on his base Enemies He gave a sigh at which he nam'd Queen Margaret And with that grace he acted every thing He bowed his Head and had it stricken off Qu. Oh! execrable Villains cou'd this face Which govern'd me not strike an awe in you Who were not worthy once to look up it And thou unfortunate gallant man Thy Wit thy Valour and
thy delicate Form Were mighty faults which the World cou'd not bear No wonder the vile envy of the base Pursued thee when the Noble cou'd not bear thee They cursed thee as the Negroes do the Sun Because thy shining Glories blackned e'm For which Oh England thus I pray for thee May'st thou ne're breed brave Man or if thou dost Oh! let him be thy Ruine or thou his May all thy Witty men be sadly Vitious Let sloth devour their Fortunes Fools their Fame Lewdness their Souls their Bodies Foul Disease May thy Wise Men be Factious and head Fools If they be honest let e'm loose their Heads Let thy Brave Men against thy self be bravest Be Men at foreign Devils at Civil War Let all thy Pious Sons with zeal run mad And make Religion thy Reproach and Curse May'st thou have all Religions to confound thee And none to save thee Here a bloody Altar Oh! cruel England hast thou made for me Therefore these bloody Prayers I make for thee 2 Lady The King is coming Madam Enter the King King Oh! my Lord I bring thee frightful News the Kentishmen Are up in Arms headed by one Jack Cade A Fellow who proclaims himself Lord Mortimer Descended from the Duke of Clarence Line He is marching towards London in the head Of a rude rugged merciless crowd of Peasants And all the way he proclaims me Usurper And vows to Crown himself at Westminster And in this great distress to comfort me The tray'trous Duke of York with a great Power Is marching hither too and he proclaims He comes but to remove the Duke of Sommerset But most believe he secretly intends To reap the benefit of Cade's Rebellion That I am like a Ship beset with danger Threatned with Wracking by the Kentish Storm Or to be Boarded by that Pyrate York Qu. So so my Curse on England springs already Aside Oh! this were Musick to me were it not Allay'd by the sad weeping of my Son Heir of these Noble Kingdoms who methinks Sighs in my Ear Ah Mother for my sake Pity the helpless King my unfortunate Father He was Crown'd King when he was nine Months old But if you do not aid him his Misfortune Will never suffer me to be a King For thy sake Princely Boy I will assist him And something for his own he 's a good Man Though a weak King and it was my ambition Made Suffolk stain his hands in innocent Blood Which Crime forgive me Heaven and let the Duke Of Suffolk's Blood be all my Punishment Enter Sommerset and Buckingham Buck. Oh! fly Sir fly the Rebels are in Southwark The Citizens through fear forsake their Houses The Rascal People all joyn with the Traytors Threatning to spoil the City and your Court. Som. Take comfort Royal Sir we 'll all stand by you King Pray let as little Blood be shed as possible I 'le send a holy Bishop to entreat e'm To spare their Souls and Bodies I will promise e'm To mend my Government for I confess England may yet Curse my unfortuate Reign Qu. Come Sir take Spirit in you Men like Buildings Fall to the Ground if never Fire burn in e'm To harden e'm King 's a Royal Building That shou'd have no soft Clay in it at all Adversity has always reign'd upon you And made you soft but yield not Sir to Rebels Royalty like great Beauty must be chaste Rogues will have all if once they get a taste Exeunt Epilogue NOw some fine things perhaps you think to bear But he who did reform this Play does swear He 'll not bestow rich Trappings on a Horse That will want Breath to run a Three-days Course And be turn'd off by Gallants of the Town For Citizens and their Wives to Hackney on Not that a Barb that 's come of Shackspears breed Can e're want Mettle Courage Shape or Speed But you have Poetry so long rides Post That your delight in Riding now is lost And there is Reason for it I must own â—'ave Foundred all the Poets in the Town Alas their Strength and Courage may abate Vnder the Critique's Spur and the Fools Weight And Destiny is playing wanton Tricks Turning the Nation round to Politiques The Romish Beast has fear'd her from her Wits And thrown her in her old Convulsion Fits The same she had many Years since 't is said Then Poetry was a miserable Jade The Pulpit then Men fiercely did bestride And Musqueteers that Wooden Horse did ride Those damn'd Diseases by time purg'd away The Nation streight grew Young again and Gay Balls assign'd as Masquerades and Plays Were all the Business of those happy Days You flock'd to Plays as if they Jubilees were Things to be seen but once in Fifty Year Boxes i' th' Morning did with Beauty shine And Citizens then in the Pit did Dine The Wife with her good Husband did prevail To bring the Sucking Bottle full of Ale Then on her Knees cold Capon-legs were seen Her Husbands Capon-legs I do not mean Then we were pretious things purchas'd t is known By Cloaths and Suppers but these Days are done Yet they will come again Times cannot hold But whilst they mend Curse on it we grow old Then we may all who once were your delight Suâ— with Duke Humphry as you have done to Night FINIS HENRY the Sixth The Second Part. OR THE MISERY OF CIVIL WAR As it was Acted at the Dukes Theatre Written by Mr. CROWN LONDON Printed for R. Bentley and M. Magnes in Russel-Street in Covent-Garden 1681. 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 Rabble 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
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 whifling 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 some flowers out of the Crown And so they set the rabble raving for ' em Qu. Lord Clifford when the haughty rebel come'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 â—ichard the second not content with that â—e trampled on the rights of the next heirs â—our Father warlick Henry I confess â—ad in desert what he did want in Title â—ut merit makes no lawful claim to Crowns â—r 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 rate 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 fixt 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 Plantagenet 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 nor 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 raise 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 starve 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 horsemen 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 for ever 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 to morrow 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 there 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 than Frantick Alexander When he set fair Persepolis o' Fire Or him that burnt the fam'd Ephesian Temple La. Gr. Who did all this War He whom Heav'n there has punisht And did it Madam by enjoying you By kindling in your heart love for himself He fir'd a stately Palace only fit For hearts of mighty Kings He burnt a Temple The master piece of Nature the Worlds wonder La. Gr. Is this fit talk to one in my condition War I know old Tyrant Custom does command You Widows to be stretch'd on the long rack Of twelve months mournful abstinence from love And which methinks is an immodest fashion You must wear black the colour of the night To put you in remembrance of the pleasure Night for your service pays you no more Wages Yet you in gratitude must wear Nights livery And you must sigh and weep to tell the World What skill you have in man for who e're weeps For loss of that whose value they ne're knew Fy what ill woman brought up those ill Customs La. Gr. What horrid insolence you treat me with Enter one running 1. My Lord the Enemy begins to rally War Go fight 'em for I 'm busily employ'd Enter a Second 2. Mount mount my Lord or you 'l be taken Prisoner War I am a Prisoner nor can stir from hence Unless this beauty with a smile release me La. Gr. Grief Horror and Confusion put me again Into a deadly Fainting War I perceive Formality the Governess of Women And Custom the great Tyrant of the World Are married in the Temple of this beauty Take with you then your pale Companion And pay to it the Tax of some Months tears
And lock your self in solitude and darkness But after that by my renown and fortune By this days victory by that great power By which I to the King say be a Subject And to a Subject I say be a King I swear I shortly will say to my self Warwick be thou Possessour of this beauty I 'll have you though you hate and Heaven envy me And the first joy I reap cost me my life La. Gr. In spight of me I am compel'd to speak I swear by the dead body of my Husband By my unspotted fame most sacred to me I rather will chuse death than any man But I 'll chuse Hell e're you War Cruelly sworn But yet such Oaths are heriots which Widows To custom always pay when a life falls The world expects to have 'em pay such fines E're they renew another life in love Then Madam take your fallen tenement And pay all custom'd dues you have your freedom And for your safety all my guard shall wait you La. Gr. Though paying rights of burial to my husband Be all that I desire to do on Earth E're I will be oblig'd to you for any thing I 'll dye upon him and be all his monument War Oh Beauteous Monument all men wou'd dâ—e To be so buried envy will not suffer me To let the dead have so much happiness Therefore I 'll take my leave La. Gr. The only favour I will receive or can endure from you War Take it one kindness oft begets another Farewel most cruel but most beauteous creature La. Gr. Farewel most rude and most abhorr'd of men War Softly to his men Guard her safe hence but do not let her know it Lest she refuse it and shou'd meet with injury Ex. Scene a Room in London Table Lights Enter Edward pulling in Lady Ellanor Butler L. El. Oh! do not tempt me for I know You will be false Ed. Well but I know I shall not L. El. Oh! to how many women have you sworn As much as you ha' done to me to night Ed. Oh is there not great difference among VVomâ—n Some Women are but petty Inns to lodg at And though perhaps rather than want a lodging We wou'd pay all they ask though most unreasonable But if they wou'd pay me I wou'd not dwell with 'em But your sweet beauty is my journey's end L. El. Oh! yes till you begin another journey Ed. Besides the many thousand Charmes about you From which it is impossible to ' scape Your Birth and Quality will not permit me To trifle with you as with trifling women I dare not but regard Lady Elianor Butler L. El. But when you have enjoy'd Lady Elianour Butler She 'l seem as very a trisle as the rest Ed. Then what a perjur'd Villain must I be L. El. VVhen you are Prince of Wales perhaps you 'l think The Prince of Wales is not obliged to keep Lord Edwards Oaths and when I follow you You will cry Madam I am Prince of Wales And I must marry for the Nation 's good I 'm very sorry I am forc'd to lose you But pardon me it is the Nation 's fault So Madam I 'm your very humble Servant If I can serve you any way command you Then instead of being made Princesse of Wales I sneak away poor cheated Elianor Butler Ed. Well this is very unkind to make me throw So sweet a Night so foolishly away I thought you wou'd have given me a clear draught Of Love without the dreggs of Oaths and Vows L. El. Oh! you are too charming not to be belov'd And when once lov'd not to be lov'd for ever I know I 've not desert to keep you constant And 't is enough for me that you once lov'd me To blame you that you will not love me always as a beggar blam'd a Prince for giving him Only one Jewel No one Woman merit 's Your Love so you divide it among all But oh methinks I feign wou'd have it alle And have it always Ed. So I swear you shall Then come away for night is stealing from us Weary with holding up her sable Robe To hide two loytring lovers to no purpose Then come away L. El. Oh swear to me once more Ed. I 'll swear no more whil'st we by foolish Oaths Secure delights to come we lose the present Then come away for else I shall be call'd Oh Heaven's see the day is broke already The vast and heavy business of a Kingdom Heave up the scale of Morn before it's time Oh! come away for fear I be undone L. El. Oh! do not ask for fear I be undone Knocking Ed. Hark! I hear knocking I am call'd I 'm ruin'd Enter the waiting Woman Wo. My Lord here is your Brother my Lord Richard Is come to fetch you to the Parliament He says your Father 's going thither already Ed. Did not I tell you Love what you wou'd do Confound my Lord Richard tell him I 'm not here Wo. He says you are here and he 'l not part with you Ed. So we have manag'd our occasion finely Was this well done of you L. El. You may forgive me Since I 'm almost as sorry as you are Ed. Then will you mend the fault another time L. El. I fancy I shall do my weak endeavour Rich. within Why Brother Ed. Heark he calls I must be gone Farewel my dear remember what you have promis'd L. El. Remember you your Vows of constancy 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 ' S'wound's 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 and 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. sight 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 Ten thousand Devils than a Traytrous Thought Farewel degenerate faint-hearted King May'st thou be beat in War and scorn'd in Peace Exit Pl. Sons head the Troops before the Palace Gate Lest furious Clifford shou'd do some rash thing Ex. Ed. and Rich. and George Enter the Queen and Prince Pl. Here comes the Queen Hen. And with her my poor Son War She appears big with Thunder and with Lightning Expect a Tempest quickly Sir but slight it Qu. Are the news true can it be possible That you have disinherited your Son And given your Crown to Trayterous Plantagenet Hen. The Crown is his I have no Title to it But what is founded on Rebellion The murder and usurpation of a King Qu. Then hast thou not the spirit of a King Nor of a Father timerous mean VVretch To let a Crew of Rebels hector thee Out of a Crown nay out of thy own Son For thou must think thou hast no Title to him Or thou'dst not disinherit him unnaturally Hen. My Love I do not disinherit him For what I give away is not his right And if I should entail another's right on him I shou'd entail Heaven's Vengeance on his head Qu. Who says the Crown 's not yours Hen. I am convinc'd By powerful Arguments Qu. By Pikes and Swords Had I been here when thou mad'st this Agreement The Souldiers shou'd have tost me on their Pikes E're I 'd have stoop'd to such unnatural baseness Oh! how came thee and I in Marriage joyn'd For I am Fire thou art weak floating Water Driven by the breath of Rebels any way Wou'd I had dy'd a Maid and never seen thee At least had never born thee such
bloody raging Clifford do thy worst I 'd scorn to ask thee mercy hadst thou any But thou hast none then come with all thy Multitudes Cl. So Cowards fight when they can fly no farther So Pigeons peck the Falcon's piercing Talons So desperate Thieves breathe curses at the Officers Pl. Hast thou the impudence to charge a Prince With cowardize who made thee basely fly Call to thy memory S. Albans Battel Cl. I do then didst thou kill my brave old Father Pl. And now wou'd thee wert thou not back't with multitudes Cl. I will try that stand of and do not touch him Unless I fall then cut him all to pieces I will not lose revenge yet I will give him So much revenge to kill me if he can Pl. I thank thee for the kindness 't is a great one They Fight Plantagenet is disarm'd and thrown Cl. Now wilt thou yield that I have fairly conquer'd thee As Cl. is lifting up his arm to kill him Enter the Queen Q. Hold valiant Clifford hold I wou'd prolong The Traytors life to scorn him trample on him Are you the man that wou'd be King of England Are you the man that revell'd in the Parliament Sat in your Sovereign's Throne and did believe Your breath cou'd blow his Crown from off his head Where are your Mess o' Sons to back you now Your wanton Edward and your lusty George Your ugly valiant Dick that crookback Prodigy And with the rest where is your darling Rutland Pl. My heart misgives me where is he indeed Qu. Ask Clifford Pl. Oh! thou hast not butcher'd Clifford The innocent Boy Cl. On that young tender morsell My greedy vengeance staid a while it 's stomach Till it cou'd dine on thee and all thy Sons Qu. See! I have stain'd a Napkin in the blood That valiant Clifford with his Rapier's point Made issue from the bosome of thy darling And bring it thee to wipe away thy tears Pl. She-wolf of France or rather cruel Tygress For woman thou art none women are soft Gentle and pitiful but thou art cruel Oh! ten times more than an Hyrcanian Tygress There is a Boy that thinks thou art his Mother But surely thou didst never bear a Child For thou woud'st something know a Parents love And have some natural touch of pitie in thee And not have drain'd the life-blood of a Child To bid his Father wipe his eyes withal Qu. I therefore did it to increase thy sorrow I know a Parent 's love and thy fond love And all the mysteries of thy haughty heart I knew that thou woud'st Barricado it Against the losses of a Crown and Life With Iron-barrs of stubborness and pride But oh this blood like Oyl will sink into it These Crimson threads will lead tormenting grief Into the inmost lodgings of thy Soul And lest this Napkin be too soft a thing I have within an Engine that shall squeeze Thy soul into thy eyes Bring Rutland's Body Now thou hast drunk the liquour take the cup. Enter some with dead Rutland Pl. Oh! my sweet Boy Qu. Ah! this is Musick to me This is the part thou mean'st I shou'd have plaid If thy accursed Treasons had succeeded But that my Tragedy must have been deeper And bloodier far thou mean'st I shoud have wept For a lost Kingdom Husband and a Son Pl. Yes and I do not doubt but my three Sons Heaven's vengeance and the curses of all England Shortly will make thee weep for loss of all ' em Qu. I 'll spoil thy prophecying give me a sword Cl. I 'll pierce him first there 's for my Fathers blood Qu. There for the horrid ills thou threatnest to me Cl. There for the ills he brought upon the Kingdome Pl. Open thy gate of mercy gratious Heaven Dyes Qu. Now take his head once fill'd with lofty thoughts And set it on a lofty pinacle Ex. Scene the Field Enter Edward Ed. No tydings of my Father I am troubled Enter Richard Ric. Brother I 've news Ed. what of our valiant Father Ric. Oh no! I cannot hear what is become of him Ed. What are your news then Ric. They are not very good A Messenger is come from the Earl of Warwick Who tell 's us he is marching to our aid But leaving a strong party with Lord Cobham To guard the King and all the Southern parts They chanc'd to meet with some of the Queen's Troops And whether the Kings Coldness numm'd his keepers Or whether terror of the Warlike Queen Whose armies and success each hour encrease Or of the inexorable cruel Clifford It is not known but my Lord Cobham's men Look'd on the shining Valour of the Enemy Like sleepy Owles on day and fell beneath it That they were all destroyed and Henry fled With the Victorious Troops to joyn the Queen That the Earl of Warwick now wants strength to fight her Ed. This is ill news indeed what shall we do Ric. Hee desires you to haste away with speed To meet ten thousand men marching from Wales Rais'd by your interest there to whom he sent To joyn his Troops if possible to morrow Which they may do if you will hasten ' em Ed. They shall not want for that I 'll go this instant Ric. Pray do not fail for all our Lives and Fortunes Are set on this one cast Ed. I 'll spur away Which way go you Ric. I 'll to the Earl of Warwick Exit Ed. My Horse my Horse I must ride for a Kingdom Enter Lady Eleanor Butler in a riding dress La. El. My Lord Ed. My Love or a fair Vision if a Vision Tell me lest I embrace thee into a Dew La. El. Yes I am that fond she who gave Lord Edward The lovelyest bravest but the most inconstant Of all mankind my hand and heart for ever Ed. Then I am that fond he will lose a Kingdom Rather than one hours pleasure with my Love And so farewell a Kingdom for an hour La. El. I heard you were surrounded by the Queens Numerous Troops and in exceeding danger And I cou'd have no quiet till I came And shar'd your destiny what e're it was Ed. Oh! it was kindly charitably done To speak the truth mine is a scurvy destiny The Enemy is in my Father's Castle And I 've no Beds of Down on Golden Bed-steads Under plum'd Canopies t' embrace my Love in My Destiny will be to lye to night On some Straw-bed under some low thatch'd Roof And thou shalt share it what if the chil wind Blow on us it will make us lye the closer Or what if we shou'd lye on the cold Earth It was our Grandsire Adam's Bridal Bed 'T was there he gave the start to all mankind La. El. Fye Fye such thoughts as these at such a time When you have a Life and Kingdom to look after Ed. A thousand Lives and Kingdoms are in thee Whilst the Enemies tall fortune stalks about In darkness like a blinded Polyphem We will creep under it into a Cottage Of some of
all this Night War He durst not do it durst not serve me so Ed. I see my Brother and my Lord of Warwick Retire Ex. Wom. War My Lord. Ed. My Lord of Warwick War Yes my Lord Where are your men Ed. My Lord I must confess I 've been to night a happy but great sinner Starting to gallop for the Crown my destiny I sung in my way brighter temptations Than were all Atalanta's Golden Balls That had it cost a Kingdom and my life I cou'd not but have stoop'd to take 'em up Ric. 'T is well must all the glory we have div'd for In Seas of blood be melted in a kiss And swallowed down like Cleopatra's pear In one sweet draught War So you have serv'd me well Ric. And do you thus revenge our Fathers blood War But what revenge shall I have for the ruin That I am like to suffer in your service Ed. Fear not War I do not fear I know which way I can repair my self in Henry's service I can have greatness with less pains and dangr Than I must take in yours to be undone Ed. You will not leave me War You first left your self And left me too Ed. I beg your pardon for it Who now my Fathers murderd am your King War You are my King but King of my own making And I like Heaven repent I 've made a Creature ' Who for the Apple of a rowling Eye Will lose a World But I 'll secure my share of it I will go make Henry a King again And tumble you again into a subject Ed. You will not sure my Lord War I swear I will Ed. Oh but you cannot do it War I 'll try that Ed. You can at most but make Henry a Tyrant For I am lawful King War Oh! I 'll give Henry My Sword and do you keep your lawfulness Then try which of you will be King of England I ne're found Conscience or in Priest or Layman So firm at anchor but a golden Ax Wou'd cut the Cable or success cou'd weigh it And set the Conscience swimming with the Tyde Ric. Oh! I cou'd tear my flesh must we be ruin'd For a fair Toy but I will not be ruin'd For I will seek the Kingdom for my self Ed. Brother 't is well Rich. Brother it shall be ill Exceeding ill with you and very quickly Ed. Hold I command you both hear me one word Know I have only made a Tryal of you For I have brought the Troops that you desir'd I march'd 'em hither with such expedition Their front encounter'd here the front of day Nay more I 've brought my Brother and his Troops Both Armies are not half a mile from hence And here my Brother is Brother come hither Enter George Geo. I heard of our great Fathers sad misfortunes And came to his revenge with all the speed A hungry wretch wou'd do to a great feast Where there were many guests and he far off Ed. Now my good faithful Friends what think you both Now Warwick will you make Henry a King And Brother will you make your self a King I was inform'd of what I have discover'd That you good Brother sought to be a King And Warwick to command him who is King And him you cannot Govern you will ruin Henry is govern'd by the Queen and Clifford And so because there is no room for Rule You fight for us to make us all your Vassals War Who durst say this of me Ric. And what bold Villain Durst give you such a Character of me Ed. Oh! you are angry I 'm inform'd the truth If they be Villains who durst tell me this Then what are you who durst to my own face Threaten to do all this War It was all passion Ric. Nothing but passion Ed. Brother you are wrong'd Or in cold blood you are as bad as this You act the undermining Polititian A King is a strong Tower on a high Rock And it is dangerous to storm him openly So at a mighty distance they break ground And cast up earth that is by subtle tricks They raise the dirty crow'd and behind them They lie secure from Royal battery There if they find any unguarded place About the King they use it most unmercifully My heart to beauty always lies too open And that infirmitie thou givest no quarter Though thou who censurest me because sometimes I shed some vacant hours among fair Women Wou'dst shed the blood or of thy Friend or King Or if thy Father were he now alive To gain a Crown for there is thy chief Lust Ric. That is a Cruel censure Ed. But a true one Who stabbs my Name wou'd stab my Person too Did not the Hangman's Ax lye in his way And no man care's to stumble upon that War Well Sir I have so long gone clad in Steel I have forgot to kneel but yet my Spirit More stubborn than my sinews bonds to you And beggs your pardon for my too rash passion For 't was no more and there appear'd occasion Though you it seems kindled the fire o 'purpose To shew us by the light of it our faults Ed. Nay I will own after the days Fatigues I fell into an ambuscade of beauty Where ignorant of what befell my Father And deep in Love I lay some hours last night And which of you wou'd not have done the same War All of us wou'd and Sir I humbly beg you Think my wild passion was the Woman in me And I 've enjoy'd my Woman as you yours Ed. My Lord I know you wou'd enjoy your Woman I mean your Mistress for you have a Mistress And you who threatned to revolt from me Because some moments which were due to business I gave away to Beauty and to Love Had almost at S. Albans given away Our victory to a Woman that abhorr'd you War Ha! Ed. Yes my Lord I was inform'd the story You woo'd her over her dead Husband's Body Till you were almost taken by the Enemy I do not know her Name I never pry Into your pleasures though you censure mine But thou in Chastity wou'dst seem a Scipio Know that the Woman that thou saw'st me with Was thy own Whore Ric. Ha! Ed. Yes thy own poor Whore A Peasant's dirty Daughter whom thou keep'st By whom thou hast a little tawny Bastard Whom I o' purpose brought to shew thy Faults In th' eyes where thou hast often seen thy face This is the Lady Enter Woman Ric. Cursed treacherous jade Aside Ed. Now Sirs what think you Ge. Pray Sir give me leave To intercede for 'em I see shame covers 'em And to great minds no punishment like shame Rich. Sir not for mine but for my Father's sake Pardon my Errours and accept my Service Kneels both That I may aid you to revenge his Blood War Sir not for mine but for the Kingdoms sake Pardon my Errours and accept my service For I by placing you in the English Throne Shall place the English Throne above the World Ed. Rise both
of you I freely pardon you And yet methinks it is unequal usage A King shou'd pardon all the faults of Subjects And Subjects pardon nothing in their King When a King 's crown'd he is not deifyed When he puts on the Royal Robes he does not Therefore put of th' Infirmities of man I own I have my faults and so have you You see I have convinc'd you and I did it That you might leave your faults and pardon mine Or if you kept your faults to part with me For if my Lord of Warwick does design By all his Service only to enslave me I shall lose nothing by his leaving me I can but be a Slave when I am conquer'd And if my Brother Richard has worse ends Ric. Oh! Sir no more unless you do design I shou'd rip up my Breast to shew my heart War Sir I 'll desire no farther pardon of you Till I have writ it in your Enemies Blood And pawn'd my Life and Fortune for my Loyalty Ed. Our Friendship then is stronger for this breach Now let us bend our talk to our Affairs On the sad tidings of my Father's death Which I but lately heard I sent Commissioners To Henry to demand the Crown of him According to the Oath he made in Parliament They are here what tydings Peace or War Enter Commissioners Com. War All. War 1 Com. Th' Amazon Queen drags Henry to the Battel He fain would keep his Oath but she 'll not suffer him Ric. I 'm glad of it I would not for a Kingdom Peace shou'd chain up that Bloody Mastiff Clifford And keep him safe from the edge of our keen Swords War You wrong the Beast to give that name to Clifford An English Mastiff scorns to bite a Child Ed. Now let us march to meet the Enemy This day decides who shall be King of England The right is ours War And Justice will prevail Since Right and Merit both are in the Scale Exeunt ACT. IV. An Alarm Enter King Henry the Queen Prince Clifford Cl. DAmn your unlucky Planets pray Sir get you Out of the Battel 't is impossible For men to fight the malice of your Planets Qu. He tells you true Sir Victory will never Come where you are Hen. Victory will not come Where Perjury is you make me break my Oath Cl. You ought not to have sworn so ill an Oath Pr. Father you cannot give away my Right I 'll rather lose my life than my Inheritance Cl. Spoke like a Prince Hen. Oh! Boy if thou didst know What a Crown was thou wou'dst be more content If I shou'd leave thee no Inheritance But the Example of my vertuous deeds I wish my Father had left me no more Cl. Oh! damn all this come let us to the Battel Ex. Cl. Qu. Pr. Hen. Oh! how this Fellow curses he accuses My Stars for my misfortunes when his Curses Wound all my Men and poyson the Enemies shot Wou'd I were dead if it were Heav'ns good will Lyes down For I am very weary of this World Troublesome folly governs all this World Men live her Vassals and they dye her Martyrs Oh! happy he who in an humble state Only attends on Nature's easie business And brings white heirs down to a quiet Grave Falling to earth as gently as the Snow Alarm Enter a Son bearing his Father Here comes a wretch laden as he believes With happy Fortune 't is with bloudy folly And Heaven has carv'd Fool on his breast with wounds Son Who e're thou art thy life has cost me dear But I 'll repay my self out of thy Gold If thou hast any with the hopes of that I took such pains to kill thee And yet I Who plunder thee may be compel'd e're Night To give my life and plunder to another What 's this Oh! Heaven I have kill'd my Father Oh Father pardon me I did not know thee I was in London prest to serve the King And thou the Earl of Warwick's servant prest To fight on th' other side and so unknown We met and Fought and so unknown I kill'd thee Oh from thy Bosom I will wash away With tears the marks of this unnatural Crime Hen. Oh piteous spectacle Oh sad confusions What horrid errours and unnatural ills Our horrid and unnatural war produces Poor wretch didst thou want tears I cou'd supply thee Enter a Father bearing his Son Fath. Thou that so stoutly hast resisted me Give me thy gold if thou hast any gold For I have bought it with a hundred blows Ha! let me see is this my Enemy Ah no my Son I 've kill'd my only Son Hen. Ah woe on woe Heaven stop these bloudy mischiefs Though by the Death of me and all my Race Son Oh I have ta'ne his life who gave me mine Fath. Oh! I 've kill'd him for whom I wou'd have dyed Son How will my Mother for my Fathers death Take on with me Fath How will my mourning Wife Accuse me of the slaughter of my Son Hen. How will my people charge all this on me Son I 'll bear thee hence and weep but fight no more Ex. Fath. I 'll bear thee hence and weep but kill no more Except my self with sorrow Ex. Hen. Oh! poor men Here is a King more woful than you all For you grieve for your selves I for you all Oh you who when you suffer by your Kings Think to mend all by War and by Rebellion See here your sad mistakes how dreadfully You scourge your selves learn here the greatest Tyrant Is to be chose before the least Rebellion And Oh you Kings who let your people rule Till they have run themselves into confusion See here your gentleness is greatest Tyranny Enter Prince and Queen Pr. Fly Father fly all 's lost your Friends are fled Qu. The day is lost and with the day the Kingdom Hen. Where 's Clifford Qu. I believe he 's dead by this time I met him bleeding with a hundred wounds He all the day rowl'd like a fiery meteor About the field and burnt up men like reeds But now in lakes of blood his fire is quench'd Post you to Scotland with all haste you can I will to France to beg that Kings assistance Ex. Qu. Pr. Hen. I go but care not what becomes o' me Ex. Enter Clifford wounded Cl. Here burns my Candle out that lighted Henry Warwick and all Plantagenets three Sons And all King Henry's malicious Planets With much ado to day have kill'd one man Henry's Stars ruine me and my fall him But his soft sway made way for his destruction Oh! Henry hadst thou rul'd as Kings shou'd do Or as thy Father or his Father did These Summer flies had never sprung to sting thee Rebels you thrive and may Rebellion thrive That Rogues may cut your throats as you do ours The Ayr has got into my deadly wounds I am too faint to Fight or Fly and Mercy I deserve none and will have none from Rebels I scorn to live by them who deserve death Fate
Guards the Scaffold but she hates the Office And will e're long let Rebels have their own I 'm going All you of Plantagenets Race My comfort is in death I kill'd your Father Fall's Enter Edward George Richard Warwick Ed. Now the great cause is come to its decision Are any Troops gone to pursue the Queen On her tame Henry's fortune does depend As the Seas ebb and flow does on the Moon War Yes I took care o' that Rich My chief care was To hunt the bloudy Clifford but I cou'd not Find him among the living or the dead War I thought you set death's mark so deep upon him Death cou'd not miss him Geo. Fortune at us all Play'd him to day but when he was in danger Snatch'd him away again as who shou'd say When I have lost this card my game is gone Cl. Oh! Groans Ed. What Soul is that that takes her heavy leave See who it is and be he Friend or Enemy Use him with mercy Ric. No 't is bloody Clifford Ed. Clifford War Clifford Geo. Clifford Rich. He 's dead oh that he had but life And sense enough to see and hear and know us That we might scoff him as he did our Father Ric. Damn him he counterfeits to shun our taunts Clifford you know me ask me mercy Clifford I am the Son of your dear Friend Plantagenet I 'll pity you for you did pity Rutland Geo. No answer prithee swear as thou wast wont War He 's dead I 'm certain if he does not swear Cl. Damnation on you all Ed. He Curses he Curses War Then there is hopes of him Ed. 'T was his last Prayer Off with his Head and place it on the pinacle Where the bold bloudy Slave durst place our Fathers War Now let the Trumpets proclaim Edward King A Flourish of Trumpets Trum. Long live Edward the fourth King of England and France And Lord of Ireland a Shout War Now march to London Sir I will to France About the Marriage you so much approved of With the fair Lady Bona that Queens Sister Ed. Oh! thou hast made me much in love with her And all Relations have encreas'd my Passion War Sir She 's the fairest Creature in the Woorld And in that Marriage you will not only Have a fair bedfellow for your delight But that great King your friend for your security Ed. I cannot marry better haste away War I 'm glad of this I have secur'd my Mistress Aside Some days ago as you commanded me I did dispatch an Envoy to King Lewis To make the offer and he seem'd unwilling Not knowing what th' event of War wou'd be But now I with the Sword that conquer'd Henry Will go my self Embassador and try If a French King dare's deny any thing To an English conquering Sword Ed. Oh! thou hast given me A Crown give me this Beauty and thou art A God to me thy gifts are all divine Geo. My life too on his bounty does depend War Is it in me to give you happiness Geo. Yes if a Father can bestow a Daughter War I shall be very proud you will accept her Geo. I shall be very happy to attain her War She shall be yours if the King give consent Ed. My Brother cou'd not have oblig'd me more Than in this choice War Then she 's at his devotion Geo. Then I 'm a happy man Ed. The Earl of Warwick Is the good Angel of our Family Ric. Of what strange stuff so different from my Brothers Am I made they are all-over love I have appetite but not one grain of Love Ed. Thou art not of a mould for love to grow in Men plant not flowers in a Kitchen garden Well Brother I create you Duke of Clarence You Brother Richard I make Duke of Gloucester Ric. I do not like the Title it is ominous Ed. A foolish observation War Royal Sir I 'll take my leave Ed. Success attend thy Embassy Ex. Geo. I 'll take my leave Ed. Success attend your love Ex. Scene a Chamber Enter Lady Grey and her Woman La. Gr. King Henry beaten poor unfortunate King I and my Children are all ruin'd with him The conquerors will seize my Husbands lands War Madam the greatest Conquerour is your Friend The Earl of Warwick he 'll preserve your Fortune Yes and advance 'em if you 'l give him leave La. Gr. Name not that insolent great man I hate him Enter a Page Pa Madam the Earl of Warwick's coming up La. Gr. He coming up how knows he I am here Pa. His Servants learnt it accidentally Enter Earl of Warwick War So near fair Widow and my beating pulses And quivering flesh give me no notice of it For the kind needle never fails to tremble When it approaches it 's beloved Pole What have you paid formality her wages And turn'd off that old Governess of Women Have you yet dryed your eyes and drawn your Curtains Is the Son good enough to be admitted o you If so I hope his humble kindred may For I am near a-kin to him in heat In short you shall be mine if I can give Others a Crown I 'll give my self a wife La. Gr. If you were serious as I think you are not You give me a brave occasion to revenge My Husbands blood and your affronts to me By making you unhappy in a Wife War Were you the first of Widows that talk'd thus I must confess I think 't wou'd damp my courage But when this is the constant language spoke In the dark shady Land of Vailes and mourning Shou'd I be scar'd I were as rank a fool As the dull Heroe that shou'd leave a pleasant Country he conquer'd ' cause the people speak A strange odd Language you are a conquer'd Province And you may keep your Language and your Customs But I will have the Government and Tribute La. Gr. My Lord I have affairs of greater consequence Then this fond talk and so your humble Servant War So have not I and therefore you shall stay La. Gr. What do you mean my Lord War I mean my Lady To marry you this day enjoy you this night La. Gr. My Lord I tell you plainly I do not love you War All 's one I tell you plainly I will have you I know you are a woman of great virtue And time will file away these rugged humours But if it do not though your soul be rough Your body will be smooth your Cheeks be soft Your eyes be sparkling and your lips be tempting And more perhaps might make me mad with love Ho! call a Parson La. Gr. Now my Lord VVar. Ay! now La. Gr. What and my Husband dyed so very lately War What then what has the dead to do with us La. Gr. I 'll rather go a begging with my Children War Come leave this fooling by this kiss you shall La. Gr. I 'll dye e're suffer all this barb'rous rudeness War VVell thou art a most beauteous Creature I 'm going now Embassadour for France I
truth than e're thou didst to me Ed. Oh! killing sight La. El. VVou'd thou hadst never seen me The cold Earth had not been my Death-bed then Nor had I needed as I do two graves One for my self the other for my name Ed. Oh Heaven How have I wrong'd this beautious Creature First robb'd her of her Fame now of her Life La. El. Ah! Monarch do I merit this for Love Ed. Oh no but I deserve a thousand plagues And I have here with my own hand broke open A fair Pandora's box to let 'em out To fly about my head La. El. Indeed King Edward My injuries have already found thee out Have driven thee from thy throne how far will drive thee I cannot tell I will not curse thee now Cursing is not a language spoke in Heaven And I am very near that glorious Kingdom Therefore I 'll speak the language that is blessing May this be the last day of all thy Troubles And I be the last woman thou shalt wrong May Heaven forgive thy broken Vows as I do And quicklier forget 'em all than thou didst And this one poor request I beg of thee Since I was all the staine of my great Family And I have made thy self who wert the cause of it With thy own Sword cut out the ruined piece Oh hide it where it may no more be seen But be forgot by all as 't will by thee Dyes Ed. She 's gone She 's gone Oh! thou sweet injur'd beauty I never shall forget thee whilst I live Thy wrongs I fear will haunt my mind and fortune In this sweet spot of Earth I fear I 've planted Much mischief for my self I gather'd all The Sweets and now Thorns will spring up to tear me Enter an Officer Offi. Oh Sir the Earl of Warwick ranges o're The Field with so much fury and success Your Troops are just upon the point of flying Ed. My punishment so soon pursue my Crime This beauties wrongs steel that proud Rebels Sword And give it all the kneenness that it has Oh Heav'n hide thy eyes from this sweet Creature At least for this one hour and here I vow I will give o're robbing such spicy Isles And take an honest dwelling at my own Lest sailing to a fro a Tempest fall That shall revenge the injuries of 'em all Ex. Enter Edward and VVarwick Fighting VVar. falls Ed. Now I am King of England and I owe My Crown to my own Sword and not to thine War Insult not Edward for I am not kill'd By thee but Henries cursed Destiny I 'm crush'd under the wheels of his damn'd fortune I am ground all to pieces by his Stars My fortune sickned when I first came under 'em Truth is my Spirit led her such a dance She cou'd not keep me company but tyr'd Now sit's her down and like a poor cast Whore Is glad to be pick'd up by any body Now thou maist banish fear for I am dying Who when I liv'd cou'd frown thee into a Subject Bury thee in the wrinckle of my brow Ed. Talk not of burying Kings but rather think Of burying all thy Crimes in penitence War My greatest Crime is that I e're serv'd thee Whose base ingratitude has ruin'd me I gave thee Kingdoms and thou giv'st me death Dyes Ed. I ne're wrong'd thee nor didst thou e're serve me Thou hast been wrong'd by nothing but my ignorance And hast serv'd nothing but thy vanity And nothing else I fear will e're reward thee Enter George Richard and Guards Geo. Now Sir I hope you will forgive my errours For Beauties sake for Beauty drew me in And you have felt the mighty power of Beauty Ed Brother your errours are all buried under Heaps of my Enemies you have kill'd today I have dispatch'd my greatest Enemy Warwick will make and unmake no more Kings Ric. And the bold Amazon Queen and insolent Boy Her fierce Son Edward are both taken Prisoners I 've order'd Sir they shall attend you here And here they are Enter Queen Prince Guarded as Prisoners Ed. So Madam and young Edward What satisfaction will you make to me For all the Mischief you have done my Kingdom And all the Trouble you have given me Pr. What satisfaction wilt thou make my Father Me and the Kingdom for thy bold usurping My Fathers Crown and my inheritance Ruining us and slaughtering our people Qu. Oh! that thy Father had been so resolv'd Ric. That so your Distaff might have been our Scepter Pr. Why how now Aesop Nay mistake me not Aesop I mean in Body not in mind Ric. Brat I will crush thy brains out Ed. Hold forbear He is a Boy Ric. Why then to School with him To learn him manners Pr. If I learn thy manners The Devil must be my Tutour Ed. Hold your peace You foolish Child Geo. The Boy 's too malapert Pr. The man is too perjur'd I mean perjur'd George And you are all Traytors to me your Prince Ed. How now proud Boy take that Strikes him with his hand Ric. Nay then take that Geo. And that for twitting me with Perjury Rich. and Geo. draw and kill him Qu. Oh! they have kill'd my Son oh murderers Oh! kill me too Ric. Marry with all my heart The Qu. swoons upon the Prince Ed. Hold Brother we have done too much already Why wou'd you cruelly kill the poor Boy I struck him in my Choler but I meant him No farther harm Ric. Who cou'd forbear besides Shou'd we have let him live to cut our Throats Geo. What wou'd have grown up with him but Rebelion Why shou'd a Sprig grow up to be a Tree That wou'd breed nothing else but Caterpillars Ed. His Mother Swoon's use means for her recovery Qu. Oh my dear Son is kill'd my Son is kill'd Speak to thy Mother Son can'st thou not speak Oh murd'rers Butchers Traytors Cannibals Ric. Hence with this rayling Woman Qu. Ay hence with me Out of the world I prithee Richard kill me Murder is all the Almes thou givest the miserable Bestow thy bloudy Charity upon me Have pity on a Queen that begs it of thee Ric. We pity not those that are born to beggery If thou dost beg 't is but thy native poverty Ed. Insult not o're a miserable Woman Madam I pray go hence you shall be us'd With all respect Qu. All the respect of Murderers Is death Oh! bloudy George do thou bestow it Geo. I swear I will not do thee so much kindness Qu. Ay but thou usest to forswear thy self Ed. Madam pray go Qu. Oh! Edward Richard George Be it to you and yours as to this Prince For 't were a shame the Sons of Executioners Shou'd e're be Kings Ric. Away with her away with her The Guard lead out the Qu and carry out the Pr. Now I will to the Tower to dispatch Henry Aside Till he be kill'd our work is done by halves Ex. Geo. Sir If you please I 'll visit my young Bride Ex. Ed. I have a Beautious Bride
Elia. Welcome my Banishment for I am sure My doleful days will not be many there Glo. Oh Wife What hast thou brought upon thy self Did not I timely warn thee of Ambition And say one day 't wou'd do some dismal deed The King has past a righteous Sentence on thee And none have reason to complain but I Who innocently suffer in thy shame My honor shares in all thy sad reproach And my love suffers in thy Banishment That I am punish'd equally with thee Though I am innocent and yet the King Does me no wrong at all no Elianor I 've reason to complain of none but thee Who woud'st not take the Counsels that I gave thee Out of dear Love to thee Elia. I see my folly Glo. Now hast thou brought dishonor on my age And shame and grief will sink me to my Grave Qu. My Lord my Lord you can be sensible Of your Wive's shame but not of the dishonor The King and I both suffer'd by her Insolence You weep ' cause she must suffer an houâ—s Pennance But she has made me suffer horrid Pennance E'er since I was her Queen both to my own And the King's shame and grief that you ne'r wept for She must walk barefoot now upon the stones Time was she trod on me I was her way Which I endur'd to the King's shame and mine And you for that had very small regret Gl. Madam if for her Crimes her too great Crimes The punishment the King has doom'd her â—o Be not enough pray Sentence her to more But let her know an end of punishment But if the Scale be full enough already As the just King who poiz'd it well conceives Do not be heaping till it grows injustice Qu. My Lord she deserves more then she shall suffer Only for the intolerable rudeness Wherewith she treated me her Queen to day To call me to my Face a Beggars Daughter Suppose I were that miserable Beggar Is it well done to tread on Poverty But when by Birth heaven made me a great Princess And the King's Love made me a great Queen her Queen For her to treat me so Was that well done Suff. Yes Madam 't was well done for his Designs Of making her your Queen your Majesty her subject That they had such Designs her present Crimes Are a sufficient proofe and they did well To bring you to subjection by degrees Car. All the reflection I shall make is this He who was Govern'd by so ill a Woman Is very unfit to be the Kingdoms Governor She was his Counsellor the Devil hers Conjecture then what his Designs must be Glo. Lord Cardinal I am sure of your good Word I see what all of you thirst for my ruine I had long since remov'd out of your way If duty to my King had not detain'd me I was afraid to trust him in your hands But I perceive my stay occasions him Perpetual trouble and the heavenly power Has an especial eye to Sacred Kings To his Protection then I 'le leave the King If the King will permit me and retire To bear the heavy burden of my griefs Qu. Pray do my Lord we 'l take you at your word I see no reason why a King of years Shou'd be Protected like a little Child Resign your Staffe and give the King his Kingdom The King by heaven's help may Govern it King Do do my Lord since they 'l all have it so I shall not want a Counsel or Protection For heaven is my hope my stay my guide And go in peace less powerful less great No less belov'd by me and all good Men. Enter York Glo. Then here most Sacred Sovereign is my Staffe As willingly do I resign it to you As e're your glorious Father made it mine As willingly I lay it at your feet As others wou'd ambitiously receive it Farewell good King may you when I am dead Never have cause to shed one tear for me When is your Royal Pleasure that my Wife Shall do her Pennance King Now immediately Glo. Come Elianor let us support our Sorrows Sorrow is natural to this Vale of Tears My fall will rather pleasure to me bring If it shall cause no sorrow to the King Exit Glocester Elianor with a Guard King Oh Lords you have made me part with a good Man I wish I may never have need of him York How Has the Duke resign'd the Government Qu. Yes Henry now is King and I am Queen And Humphry Duke of Glocester scarce himself Two of his stately Branches are lopt from him His Wife is Banish'd and his Staffe resign'd And he will shortly wither with the Mayme Yo. As I wou'd wish How have these haughty Lords asidâ— Most subtilly wrought their own destruction For now the King lies open to my Sword But they shall perish with him for their Villanies A Shout Enter Buckingham King Now What 's the News Buck. May it please your Majesty The Combate 'tween the Armourer and his Man The Appellant and Defendant has been fought According as your Majesty appointed Truth has prevail'd the Guilty Armourer Worsted by his Servant has confest the Treason King Where is the Fellow Buc. They are both without Come in Enter Armorer and his Man with a Guard King What Fellow did you speak the words Arm. Yes please your Majesty King Yet you deny'd ' em Ar. I was unwilling to be hang'd an 't please you King But not unwilling to destroy thy Soul By spilling of an innocent Fellows blood As thou hast done if right had not prevail'd Buck. Sir it was right indeed that did prevail I never saw poor Fellow so afraid As the Armorer's Servant was in all my life And yet he beate his Master by his Innocence Arm. It was my Conscience beate me and not he If my own Conscience had not fought against me I cou'd have beaten twenty such as he Pet. I do not know that for though I was afraid E're I came to it now I know what it is I do not care if I have t'other bout King There 's mischief in this Business I discern it Aside The Common People have been tamper'd with To try how they will like a change of Princes And to make way for it my right is question'd And my good Lord Protector sent away from me Oh! heaven if I be useful to my People Preserve me for their sakes from wicked Men If I be not extend thy Providence To them and let what will become of me Go lead that Traytor to the Death he merits Thou honest man whose truth and innocence Heaven has reveal'd by me shall be rewarded Exit Omnes prae Suffolk and the Queen Qu. Now it goes excellently well indeed This haughty Woman tumbled in the dirt So far beneath my feet I cannot tread upon her Duke Humphrey's charming Rod broken in pieces Wherewith he kept as in a Conjurers Circle The King and Kingdom both out of our reach Suff. Did not I promise you there shou'd be nothing
In England Madam that your Soul cou'd wish for I 'd not make yours Qu. And thou hast kept thy Word Suff. I think I promis'd you that wonderful That ravishing moment when I first beheld you When Fortune prodigally propitious to me With Lawrels crown'd my Sword my Arms with Beauty Flung Captive in my Arms such wondrous Beauty That when I saw it I cry'd out amaz'd Our thundring Canons sure has tore the Heavens And through the Chrystal breach an Angel's dropt Qu. And I when first I saw brave Suffolk shining In Armour Victory but most of all In his own Charms Oh! said I to my self I 'le wonder now no more the English Conquerors They are Angels all or Angels fight for ' em Suff. I most unworthy to support so bright A Heaven of Beauty did retire to gaze Whilst all my Soul came crowding to my eyes And thrusted till it almost crackt the Windows Then like a laden Thief that stole more Wealth Than he cou'd spend in all his Life runs back And lock't it up secure in every Room Qu. In vain is this rich guilding of that hour Which only was the portal of our Loves Since we are enter'd and possess the Palace How I then wonder'd and how since I lov'd Let all the Gardens Groves and happy Rooms That have been aiding to our Pleasures tell So full of Life and Soul our Joys have been We have almost scatter'd Life to all things round us A thousand times I 've thought the wanton Pictures Have striven to leap out of their Golden Frames That held 'em Captive and come share with us A thousand times methought I 've seen their Mouths Striving to break the painted shadows Bonds That held 'em bound in everlasting silence And burst into a Laughter and a Rapture Suff. I never minded Pictures when a Substance Of so much Beauty lay in my embraces Nor Venus's Picture no nor Venus's self Cou'd have extracted a regard from me Qu. How often has our Love in Groves and Gardens Fill'd every Creature near us with such Spirit That they have danc'd to Death as they were stung The Birds have chirp'd their little souls away The Turtles bill'd till they have no breath The Winds have sported wantonly around us Till they have swoun'd away into a Calm Suff. Yet all this Love and Beauty which cou'd make The sapless trunk of a dead Tree to bud Can put no warmth into the frozen King Qu. Oh! to my Arms He comes like depth of Winter With Cheeks all moist with Penitential Tears And Lips so cold each kiss gives me an Ague Suff. Alas How shou'd you expect them otherwise He comes from kissing Brazen Images And Bones and Sculs of Saints that were more cold When they were living than you 'l be when dead Qu. Well next to Love Revenge has sweetest taste Let us go take some private stand and see Dame Elianor in her ridiculous Pomp Walking the Streets in her White Garment barefoot Holding a burning Torch to light her shame A gaping Crowd and throng of hooting Boys Following her Train and the Belconies fill'd With laughing Ladies whom she onc'd contemn'd A shout Heark they are coming let 's not loose the Pleasure Exit The SCENE a Street Enter Duke Humphry and his Men in Mourning Cloaks Gl. Oh! What a Change is here in my condition Fallen from the highest Pinacle of Glory Down to the lowest depth of Shame and Ruine From being Ruler of the King and Kingdom To be the Scorn and Sport of common Fellows Oh! Elianor I 've wrong'd my self and thee By doting on thee beyond bounds of Reason Thy Errors did appear to me all Excellencies But thou poor Nell hast punishment enough I 'le not heap more on thee by my Complaints Alas how will thy tender Feet endure To kiss the rugged face of cutting Flints How hardly will thy noble Spirit brook The abject People gazing on thy Face With scornful looks deriding thy Disgrace Who lately followed thy proud shining Chariot And did not care what dirt the Wheels flung on 'em Might they be blest out with a look from thee A shout But soft I think she come's and I 'le prepare My Tear-stain'd Eyes to see her Miseries Serv. So please your Grace we 'll force her from the Sheriff Gl. No stir not for your lives she shall submit To what the King was pleas'd t' inflict upon her Enter the Duchess in a White Sheet a Taper burning in her Hand Sheriff and Officers El. Come you my Lord to see my open shame Can you endure it If you have no sense Of my great Sufferings pity your self For you in seeing my shame do Penance with me See how the gaping Multitude all point And nod their Heads and throw their Eyes on you Ah! my Lord hide you from their odious looks And shut up in your Closet mourn my shame And curse mine Enemies both mine and yours Gl. Be patient gentle Nell forget this grief El. First teach me to forget my self and you For whilst I think I am your Wife and you A Prince and Lord Protector of the Kingdom Methinks this shou'd not be my Garb and Pomp I shou'd not thus be lead along the Streets Wrapt up in shame with Papers on my Back And followed by a Rabble that rejoyce To see my Tears and hear my deep-fetch'd Groans The pitiless Flints gash deep my tender Feet And when I start the envious People laugh And bid me be advised how I tread Gl. What if they do my Love What matter is it They do but shew their low degenerate natures Wert thou condemn'd into a Wilderness Would'st thou expect to have the Tygers court thee The Lions flatter thee wild Beasts adore thee These Crowds are little better little gentler El. Oh! I cannot endure this heavy shame My Soul boyls under it and my Heart breaks I never will behold the Sun again Nor face of Humane Creature Dark obscurity Where never eye of Man nor voice of Fear Can penetrate shall cover me for ever Out of the sight and memory of the World And bury all the World too out of mind Nay if Love will not be too hard for me I will not let thee come into my mind For oh what deadly sorrow will it breed To think I am the Duke of Glocester's Wife And he a Prince and Governour of England Yet so he Rul'd and such a Prince he was As he stood by whilst his forlorn Duchess Was made a Wonder and a Pointing-stock To every idle rascal follower Gl. What wou'dst thou have me do El. Nay nothing nothing Be mild and tame and blush not at my shame Be stirr'd at nothing 'till the Ax of Death Fall on thy self as shortly sure it will For Suffolk he that can do all in all With that vile Woman who abhors us all And York and impious Beauford that false Priest Have all laid Snares which thou shalt never scape But fear not thou until thy Foot be snar'd Nor ever seek