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
sacrifice A Cry within Arm Arm. Treason VVarwick VVarwick Then Enter Warwick and his Souldiers and seize Edward and Lady Grey Ed. Why how now Warwick What dost mean by this War What mean'st thou Duke to put this scorn upon me Ed. Duke when we parted thou didst call me King War Then I disgrac'd the Title and I gave it To one who merit 's not the name of Friend Were I a King I 'd hang that common Fellow That shou'd abuse a Friend as thou hast me And such a friend as I have been to thee Ed. Thou dost abuse thy self in talking thus War Then it is no abuse to me to make me The scorn of every French Page and waiting Woman The Marriage is agreed on nothing wanting To compleat all but my arrival there And all my Equipage and Train are gone Now when instead of me this news arrives I shall have all my Servants hist from France My self be made a Common publick jest I shall be call'd the great Ambassador That goe's with splendour to negotiate nothing But my Embassage is but like my conquest For I have fought for thee that is for nothing I 've stole the Royal Robes to adorn nothing And help it to another nothing Woman La. Gr. I 'll tell you Sir whence all this fury spring's This haughty Lord who thinks his Sword has given Chains to our Sex as well as to the men Did strive to drag me to his marriage bed And using many threats I out of fear Made some faint yieldings but he finding now I 'm plac'd above his reach his burning envy Seek's to destroy what he cannot attain Then calls his fury his revenge of honour Ed. Is that the mystery indeed War Yes Duke Thou with a Crown hast bought a Widow from me And bought her with the Kingdom which I gave thee Ed. Com'st thou to ruin me for love of beauty And thou thy self rebel for love of it War I come to punish thy ingratitude Ed. I did not know thy Love but say I did If I commit a fault to take a Woman To whom thou hast no right then what dost thou Who plunder'st thy Kings Right thy Countreys peace War Thy glory 's mine my Sword created it My Crime is thine thy wrongs to me created it Ed. I 'm a great Criminal to wrong a Subject Thou none to ruin both the King and Kingdom Thus men like Bears devour the young of others But strive to lick their own fowl Cubs to shape War I do no wrong in ruining you all I but restore to every thing it 's own I to the Kingdom shall restore the damn'd Confusion which my Sword took away from it I shall restoâ—e this Woman to her tears I found her weeping over her dead Husband I 'll leave her weeping over thy dead fortunes I will restore thee and all thy Family To the subjection from which I advanc'd it Thy fortunes to their proper state I 'll bring Beauty shall be thy plague thy foe thy King Ex. ACT. V. Scene London Enter King Henry in a rich Robe under a Canopy The Queen and Prince followed by Warwick and Guards with their Swords drawn Shouts and Acclamations They pass over the Stage The Scene changes to the Palace Enter King Henry Queen Prince Warwick Qu. NOw Sir you are King again this valiant Lord Has left the horrid desarts of Rebellion Where he and all his glorious deeds were lost And found the Road of Honour War I confess Fortune did mislead me and I the Kingdom To give your Royal Rights to a false Prince Who has the Royal bloud no Royal Vertues So has no right to Crowns those vertues gain'd Hen. I give you thanks my Lord for your great gifts Life Freedom and a Crown I call 'em gifts ' Cause you can take 'em from me or let me keep ' em To Life and Freedom I have a clear Title Because I ne're did any ill to forfeit ' em But oh I am afraid to wear the Crown For fear I share the murder that procur'd it Qu. Oh! Spiritless Prince born for a Chain a Prison What if your Grandfather murder'd his King Must you take Physick for his sicknesses Nay must you dye for a Kings Crown and Life Go both together So King Richard found it Pr. Sir all our lives wholly depend on yours And for one fault of my dead Grandfather Which he perhaps repented will you punish Thousands You will sin to lose a Crown More than my Grandfather did do to gain one Qu. If you will doom your self to be depos'd Because the Crown was gotten by ill means By the same law You may hang half your Kingdom If men by inheriting their Fathers Fortunes Inherit the Crimes by which their Fathers gain'd 'em Where is the Nation wou'd not deserve hanging War Sir talk no more you are and shall be King All power is from Heav'n Earth or Hell Heav'n send 's you his consent in my sucess The People send you all their votes in me Hen. My Lord I have a Conscience I 'll not part with For this and many Kingdoms but you tell me That Royal Virtue first gave royal Power Now I have Royal Virtue Edward none And therefore I must Reign and he be ruin'd Oh! my Lord this is a confounding principle If Kings may lose their Rights for want of Virtue And Subjects are the Judges of that Virtue Then Kings are Subjects and all Subjects Kings And by that Law that Subjects may destroy Their Kings for want of Virtue other Subjects May think those Subjects Rogues and cut their throats Thus Babel might be builded but no Kingdom Pr. Sir if you be no King we are all Rebels And ought to dye War And you shall reign or dye If you refuse the Crown I 'll carry it back And with it both your heads to ransom mine I 'll quench your lives as Mariners wou'd do False lights that lead their Vessels to destruction Qu. Why do you pause Sir will you rather dye And let your Son dye too e're be a King Hen. Powerful Nature is too hard for me Will it not cost more bloud if I shou'd Reign War The VVar is at an end Edward's my Pris'ner Not only doom'd by Heaven unfit to Reign But by his flesh and bloud his Brother Clarence VVho has revolted from him and brought all His Troops to mine and to create between us A lasting league marries my youngest Daughter Pr. And I have given my heart Sir to her sister Oh! do not make me wretched every way Hen. Oh! Nature conquer's me Qu. Oh! happy conquest Pr. Upon my knees Sir I return you thanks Enter George War See here come's he who gallantly to serve His King and Country will forsake his Brother Geo. I thought my blood derived a Crown to us But now I find it derives only Treason To clear the taint I come to set it boyling Over a flaming zeal for the Kings service War VVhat think you now Sir do you judge
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
Whilst I take orders for my own Affairs Suff. To raise you men my Lord shall be my business And now return we to the false Duke Humphry Card. Let us about the work immediately Things of great weight must not be carried long For fear we shou'd tire under e'm and now The gaudy blabbing and remorseful day Is crept into the bosom of the Sea And in the room more fitting for our purpose The silent pitiless stern-night is risen And beckâ—ns us methinks with her black hand To do that gallant work under her Wings Will make her fam'd in the Records of Time Who else will like a drop fall in the Sea Of black Oblivion and be lost for ever Suff. Come then I slame with fury to be at it That I shall need no Flambeau but my self Card. We two my Lord will be the chief performers But yet we must have some trusty assistants And I will go and fashion some immediately I always have store of soft Clay prepar'd Which I can mould into what shape I please Suff. Madam please you to go to your Repose And dream of Crowns and Scepters the high Wall That kept you from e'm shall fall down to Night And your way open'd to the Royal Seat Qu. And thou shalt happy be when I am great Aside to him Yo. So Lords I thank you you have done my business Ex. S.Q.C. I wanted men and you will give e'm me I wanted Glocester's death you give me that too Now lies the King as open to destruction As a poor Ship tost on the open Sea With Masts all broken and the Sailers mad I have seduc'd one Cado a headstrong Kentishman To take on him the name of Mortimer And make Commotion I have seen in Ireland That Fellow fight till his thighs full of Darts Were almost like two sharp-quill'd Porcupines Then have I seen him dance like a Morisco Shaking the bloody Darts as he his Bells In Face and Gate and Speech he 's like dead Mortimer Thus shall I try how men affect our Title If he be ta'ne and Rack'd he 'l ne're confess And if he thrives I 'le reap the Rascal's harvest Then pious Henry to a Covent gone And Humphry to his Tomb I 'le climb the Throne Exit Enter the Cardinal Suffolk and three Murderers Suff. Are you provided my Lord Cardinal Card. Of three brave Fellows Suff. What old hardned Villains Card. Of better instruments of soft Church Tools Which I have heated with the fire of Zeal And I can bow e'm any way I please These are the honest men Come honest men You are design'd to be most glorious men Glorious on Earth and glorious in Heaven Suff I will provide for e'm on Earth my Lord The other place do you look after for e'm Card. How I provide for e'm in Heaven my Lord They 'l have more share in Heaven than my self 1. Mur. Oh! my good Lord Card. Nay it is true my Friends Suff. My Lord you will instruct e'm what to do Card. I have instructed and encourag'd e'm Told e'm their business and the nature of it That 't is a charity to the whole Church I 've told e'm stopping of a Heretick's Windpipe Is stopping a wide Leak sprung in the Church Where streams of Heresie flow in to drown it Which if they will not stop especially When I a Pilot in the Church command e'm They will not only cast away their own Poor ruin'd Souls but many thousands more Suff. Sure nothing is more plain 1. Mur. Nothing my Lord. 2. Mur. Oh! may it please your Grace 't is very plain 3. Mur. Pshaw pshaw 't is not so plain and I do'nt like it 'T is not so plain I 'me sure as I want Money Aside Card. Well I need say no more I 'le only give e'm An Oath of secrecy come to me presently About that Business 1. Mur. 2. Mur. We 'l attend your Grace Ex. Card. Suff. 3. Mur. I don't know what to think o' this damn'd business 1. Mur. What shou'd you think 'T is stopping of a Leak 3. Mur. Do not talk to me of stopping of a Leak It is a cursed Murder 2. Mur. How a Murder The Cardinal said it is a work of charity 3. Mur. It is so to my starving Wife and Children I shall stop Leaks in their poor empty Bellies And that 's the thing that satisfies my Conscience 1. Mur. That 's not enough you may get Money otherwise 3. Mur. I cannot I take pains and pray and fast And am so fearful to displease a Saint That I keep every day a Holy-day And yet I cannot thrive 2. Mur. That 's very strange 3. Mur. I got a little Money the other day And went and gave half of it to a Priest To pray for me and give me a little counsel What course I had best take to get some Money He gave me a heavenly Prayer and bid me say it For thirty days together and after that He said I shou'd obtain what e're I ask'd for I did and at the end of thirty days I pray'd to Heaven to give me thirty pounds Then I watch'd night and day almost a Week To see if any thing wou'd bring the Money The devil of any one brought me a farthing 1. Mur. That 's very strange 3. Mur. I went and told the Priest What luck I had he bad me go to Canterbury And pray devoutly to St. Thomas Becket I went and pray'd to St. Thomas and St. Thomas But might as well have pray'd to St. Tom Thumb For any thing I got 2. Mur. That 's very strange 3. Mur. I went again and told the Priest my luck And then he gave me a miraculous Prayer Said if that wou'd not do then nothing wou'd He said the other day in Germany A high dutch Lady had her Head cut off And yet liv'd after it two and twenty hours 2. Mur. After her Head was off 3. Mur. After 't was off 1. Mur. Good-lack is' t possible 3. Mur. She cou'd not die Till she Confest and had Communicated And then her Head and Body agreed to die And in her Grave it seems this prayer was found 2. Mur. And did you say it 3. Mur. Ay forty times a day For forty days 1. Mur. And was you e're the richer 3. Mur. The devil a farthing 2. Mur. Oh! Good-lack good-lack 3. Mur. On this I went and told the Cardinal all 1. Mur. And what said he to you 3. Mur. He made me kneel And thank St. Thomas and the high dutch Lady For they had heard my Prayers and sent me to him To do a work wou'd gain me Heaven and Earth 2. Mur. Why look you there now 1. Mur. Look you look you there now 3. Mur. But that same work was this same scurvy business 2. Mur. A scurvy business Do you call a blessing Sent from St. Thomas and the high dutch Lady A scurvy business 3. Mur. Why shou'd I believe It came from them for both their Throats were cut Why
Royal Sir the Duke of Suffolk instantly Will bring the Duke of Glocester I have lodg'd My noble Prisoner but in the next Rooms King Methinks he shou'd not be the man you make him Card. Your Majesty has your eyes always fixt On shining Heaven that when you look below The World is in a mist and dark to you Enter Suffolk King How now Why look'st thou pale why do'st thou shake Where is my Uncle What 's the matter Speak Suff. The Duke is dead Card. How Dead Suff. Dead in his Chair Qu. Oh! Heaven forbid Suff. 'T is true Card. Heaven's secret Judgments I fear'd some dreadful judgment wou'd o'retake him The King Swoons Qu. How is my Lord Help help the King is dying Suff. Rear up his Body fetch some Water quickly Qu. Oh! Help help help Suff. See he revives again Madam be comforted Qu. How does my Lord King Oh! heavenly God! Sighs deeply Suff. Take comfort Gracious Sir King Ah! Wo is me for Glocester wretched man Qu. Is all your comfort shut up in his Tomb And can you find no joy in me at all Why do you turn away and hide your Face I am no loathsome Leaper look on me Ah! wo is me more wretched than he is Did I for this expose my self to Winds And Rocks and Seas and twice was almost wrack'd And twice was driven back as if the Winds Forewarn'd me landing on this unkind Shore The vaulting Sea danc'd with me to and fro As it were loth to bring me to this Coast The Rocks cover'd in the Waves and hid themselves As shaming to owe kindred to an Island Whose cruel King wou'd thus reward my Love Ah! see if he will speak to me or look on me How hateful am I grown Ah! wretched me Card. I see the King loves this dead Traytor better Than all his living Friends Farewel I 'me sorry Sir To see you hate your Friends and love your Enemies Ex. King Where is my dead Friend I 'le see him lead me to him Suff. In the next Room Sir Ho open these doors The Scene is drawn and the Duke of Glocester is shewn dead in a Chair King Oh! thou good man And hast thou thus been us'd And is this all of thee that 's left to me Oh! to how little and how poor a pittance Are all my Comforts in this life now brought Enter Warwick War Oh! Sir Reports are spread among the People The good Duke Humphry treacherously is murder'd By Suffolk's and the Cardinal Beauford's means Suff. By mine War By yours Suff. I did expect as much War The Commons like a Hive of angry Bees That want their Leader scatter up and down And care not whom they sting in their revenge I have endeavour'd to allay their rage Until they are satisfied about his death King Ah! my Lord he is dead 't is true too true See here But how he died God knows not I. I fear foul play was plaid him for his Life Oh Heaven to whom Judgment alone belongs Forgive me if I injure any one With false suspitions War Sir as certainly As I believe that Heaven was his Maker I believe Treachery was his destroyer Suff. Do you know it that so dreadfully you swear it War I swear that I believe it Suff. What 's your reason War I see already above a thousand proofs That he was basely strangled Suff. Strangled War Strangled His Face is black and swell'd with settled Blood Which shews the passage to the Heart was stopt Whether the Blood in natural deaths descends To aid the labouring Heart in his last conflict And failing freezes with the cold of Death And ne're returns but leaves the face all pale His eyes stand gastly from his Head and almost Come out to meet us to complain of strangling His gaping nostrils are stretch'd out with striving His hands are spread abroad as one that grasp'd And tugg'd for Life but was by strength o're-master'd His well proportion'd Beard is rugged made Like Summer's Corn by furious tempest lodg'd See a blew Ring encompasses his Neck Oh! Murder here has danc'd her fairy round If the Duke was not strangled ne're was man Suff. Why who shou'd do it my Lord none but my self And Cardinal Beauford had him in protection War Who finds the Heifer dead and bleeding fresh And sees a Butcher with his Ax stand by May easily suspect who made the Slaughter Qu. The Cardinal and you my Lord are Murderers For shame my Lord of Warwick rule your arrogance War Pray Madam let me with due reverence tell you Each word you speak for him slaunders your Honour Suff. Blunt-witted Lord thy evil manners say Thy Mother took into her blameful Bed Some rough untutour'd Churl and grafted there On Nâ—vil's noble race a rugged Clown War Did not my Sovereign's presence check my fury I 'de make thee kneel for pardon for this speech And say 't was thy own Mother that thou mean'st And after this low homage I wou'd kill thee Thou treacherous murderer of sleeping men Suff. Thou shalt be waking when I shed thy blood If er'e I meet thee from this royal presence War Away or I will drag thee though I scorn thee I 'le fight with thee to appease Duke Humphry's Ghost King Forbear my Lords for shame stay I command you A Noise Enter Salisbury Sal. Great Sir the Commons humbly implore by me The Duke of Suffolk may be put to death Or Banish'd instantly for else they threaten They 'l tear him hence by violence and Torture him Free from bold contradiction to your liking But out of Loyalty they drive him from you They say If you desir'd to sleep and charg'd No one on pain of Death shou'd dare to wake you Yet if they saw a Serpent in your Bosom They with the hazard of their lives wou'd wake you And drive him from you whether you wou'd or no. They say the Duke of Suffolk is that Serpent By whose envenom'd sting your Uncle perish'd A Prince a thousand times of Suffolk's value From him they also fear your Majestie 's Death Suff. They durst not send this message to their King My noble Lord Embassador from Weavers King My Lord of Salisbury Tell e'm from me I thank e'm for their Loyal care of me That I have been awake long e're they rouz'd me And seen the dangerous Serpent I have cherish'd To my great danger and my Friends destruction For oh the slimy paths the Serpent crawl'd To sting my Friend to Death shine in my eyes Suff. Sir will you judg me e're you know my innocnece King Go tell e'm By that Heavenly Majesty Whose most unworthy Deputy I am I vow most solemnly the English Air Shall not receive three days infection more From this most wicked man for if it does The fourth shall end his wickedness and him Exit Salis. Suff. Sir this is hard to doom mâ—'re I 'me tried Qu. Oh! let me plead Sir for this injur'd Lord. King Oh fye forbear forbear your pleading
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