proof of which I summon thee to Combate Beseeching of his Majesty the Grace To my wrong'd Fame t' appoint our Tryal-day Where Herford's Blood shall for his slanders pay And wash the Poyson of his Tongue away King Rash men thus long we have giv'n you the hearing Now let the pleasure of your King be heard And know our Wisdom shall prescribe a way To purge this Choller without letting Blood Forget forgive conclude and be agreed Gaunt see this difference end where it begun Wee 'l calm the Duke of Norfolk you your Son Gaunt To be a Peace-maker becomes my Age Throw down my Son the Duke of Norfolk's Gage King And Norfolk throw down his Gaunt When Harry when Obedience bids I shou'd not bid again King Will Norfolk when the King commands be slow Mow. My self dread Sov'raign at your feet I throw My Life you may command but not my Shame I cannot give nor will you ask my Fame I am Impeacht disgrac't before my King Pierc't to the Soul with Slanders Venom'd Sting Incurable but by the Traytor 's Blood That breath'd the Poyson King Rage must be withstood Give me his Gage Lyons make Leopards tame Mow. Yes but not change their Spots take but my shame And I resign my Gage my dear dread Lord The purest Treasure Mortal times afford Is spotless honour take but that away Men are but guilded Loam and painted Clay King Cousin throw down his Gage do you begin Bull. Just Heav'n defend me from so foul a sin Condemn not Sir your Blood to such disgrace Shall I seem brav'd before my Father's Face No Royal Sir ere my Blaspheaming Tongue Shall do my Loyalty so foul a wrong Or sound so base a Parle by th' Roots I 'le tear The slavish Herrald of so vile a fear And spit it bleeding where the worst disgrace And slanders harbour ev'n in Mowbray's face King Now by my Scepter you have wak't my spleen And since we sue in vain to make ye friends Prepare to meet before us in the Lists You shall and he that bauk's the Combat dies Behold me give your head-long fury Scope Each to chastise the others guilty Pride What Council cannot let the Sword decide Exeunt SCENE the Second Enter Dutchess of Glocester in Mourning Dutch How slow alas the hours of Sorrow fly Whose Wings are dampt with Tears my dear dear Gloster I have more than a Widdows loss to mourn She but laments a Death but I a Murder Enter Gaunt Gaunt When Sister will you find the way to comfort Dutch When Gaunt has found the way to Vengeance Comfort Before that hour were Guilty Edwards seven Sons whereof thy self art one Where as seven Viols of his sacred Blood Or seven fair Branches springing from one Stock Some of those Streams by natures course are dry'd Some of those Branches by the Destinies cut But Thomas my dear Lord my Life my Gloster One flourishing Branch of that most Royal Stem Is hew'd and all his verdant Leaves disperst By envies hand and Murders bloody Axe Gaunt Sister the part I have in Gloster's Blood Do's more sollicite me than your exclaims To stir against the Butchers of his life But since Revenge is Heav'ns Prerogative Put we our Quarrel to the will of Heav'n Enter York York Save ye Sister very hot oh hot weather and hot work come Brother the Lists are ready the Fight will be worth the while besides your concern there is somewhat more than ordinary I' faith now I cou'd be content to have Harry scape but for all that I wou'd have the Traytor die Gaunt Cou'd my impartial eye but find him such Fell Mow-bray's Sword should come to late Dutch Where shall my Sorrows make their last complaint If York deny me too York What wou'd our Sister Dutch Revenge and speedy for my Glosters death York Why there 't is Revenge ho a fine morsel for a Lady fasting Gloster was my Brother true but Gloster was a Traytor and that 's true too I hate a Traytor more than I love a Brother Dutch A Traytor York York 'T is somewhat a course name for a Kinsman but yet to my thinking to raise an Army execute Subjects threaten the King himself and reduce him to answer particulars has a very strong smatch with it go too you are in fault your complaints are guilty your very Tears are Treason No remedy but Patience Dutch Call it not patience York 't is cold despair In suffering thus your Brother to be slaughter'd You shew the naked path to your own Lives Ah! had his fate been yours my Gloster wou'd Have set a Nobler Prince upon your Lives York This Air grows infectious will you go Brother Dutch But one word more grief ever was a Talker But I will teach him silence of you both I take eternal leave Comforts wait on you When I am laid in Earth to some dark Cell Will I betake me where this weary Life Shall with the taper waste there shall I greet No Visitant but Death adieu my Lords If this Farewell your Patience has abus'd Think 't was my last and let it be excus'd Exeunt SCENE the Third A Pavilion of State before the Lists Marshal and Aumerle from several Entrances Marsh. My Lord Aumerle is Harry Herford arm'd Aum. Yes at all points and longs to enter in Marsh. The Duke of Norfolk sprightfully and bold Waits but the Summons of the Appealants Trumpet But see the King Flourish Enter King Queen attended Gaunt York Pierce Northumberland c. who place themselves to view the Combat Mowbray brought in by a Herald King Marshal demand of yonder Combatant Why he comes here and orderly proceed To swear him in the justice of his cause Marsh. In the Kings name say who thou art and what 's thy Quarrel Speak truly on thy Knighthood and thy Oath So Heav'n defend thee and thy Valour Mow. Hither is Mowbray come upon his Oath To justifie his Loyalty and truth Against false Bullingbrook that has appeal'd me And as I truly fight defend me Heav'n Trumpet again Bullingbrook and Herald King Demand of yonder Knight why he comes here And formally according to our Law Depose him in the justice of his Cause Marsh. Thy name and wherefore thou art hither come Before King Richard in his Royal Lists Speak like a true Knight so defend thee Heav'n Bull. Harry of Herford Lancaster and Derby Stands here in Arms to prove on Thomas Mowbray That he 's a Traytor to the King and State And as I truly fight defend me Heav'n But first Lord Marshal I entreat the Grace To kiss my Soveraigns hand and do him homage For Mowbray and my self are like to men That vow along and weary Pilgrimage Therefore shou'd take a ceremonious leave And tender farewel of our several Friends Marsh. Th'Appealant in all duly greets your Highness Craving to kiss your hand and take his leave King We will descend and fould him in our Arms Now Cousin as thy Cause is just So be
I bend my Knee York Against 'em Both my Old stiff Joynts I bend Dutch Pleads he in Earnest see his Eyes are dry His Pray'rs come from his Mouth ours from the Heart He beggs but faintly and wou'd be deny'd His weary Joynts wou'd gladly rise I know Our Knees shall bend till to the Earth they grow Deny him King he kneels in pain to crave A Boon that wou'd dismiss him to the Grave Granting his Suit the Suer you destroy But yielding ours you give your Beggar 's Joy Bull. Good Madam rise up Dutch Nay do not say rise up But pardon first and then we rise indeed The word is short but endless Comfort brings Pardon the Language both of Heav'n and Kings Bull. I pardon him as Heav'n shall pardon me Dutch Aum. Thanks Gracious Liege a God on Earth thou art York So much for that one word at parting King Let me tell thee King 't was none of these Politicks that made thee King and so farewell to Court Exit Bull. But for the Rest of this Consorted Crew Our Justice shall o're-take 'em injur'd Richard Thy wrongs already are too deep reveng'd As yet the Crown 's scarce settled to my Brow When Royal Cares are rooted in my Heart Have I no Friend my Lords in this fair Train No Friend that to his Monarch's Peace will clear The Way and ridd me of this Living Fear Exit SCENE A Prison King Richard Solus Rich. I Have bin studying how to compare This lonesom Prison to the populous World The Paradox seems hard but thus I 'll prove it I 'll call my Bâ—ain the Female to my Soul My Soul the Father and these Two beget A Generation of succeeding Thoughts Th' Inhabitants that stock this little World In humours like the People of the World No Thought Contented for the better sort As Thoughts of things Divine are mixt with doubts That set the Faith it self against the Faith Thoughts tending to Ambition they are plotting Unlikely Wonders how these poor weak Hands May force a passage through these stubborn flints And cause they cannot Die in their own Pride Thoughts tending to Content are whispring to me That I am not the first of Fortunes Slaves And shall not be the Last poor flatt'ring Comfort Thus I and every other Son of Earth With nothing shall be pleas'd till we be eas'd With being nothing A Table and Provisions shewn What mean my Goalers by that plenteous Board For three days past I 've fed upon my Sighs And drunk my Tears rest craving Nature rest I 'll humour thy dire Need and tast this food That only serves to make Misfortune Live Going to sit the Table sinks down Thus Tantalus they say is us'd below But Tantalus his Guilt is then his Torture I smile at this fantastick Cruelty Ha Musick too Ev'n what my Torturers please Song and soft Musick after which a Messenger Enters Mess. Hail Royal Sir with dang'rous difficulty Gives him Letters I 've enter'd here to bear These to your hand O killing Spectacle Rich. From whom my Queen My Isabell my Royal wretched Wife O Sacred Character oh Heav'n-born Saint Why here are words wou'd charm the raging Sea Cure Lunaticks dissolve the Wizzard's Spell Check baleful Planets and make Winter bloom How fares my Angel say what Air 's made rich With her arrival for she breathes the Spring What Land is by her presence priviledged From Heavn's ripe Vengeance O my lab'ring Heart Inn hide Thee and prepare in short to Answer To th'infinite Enquiries that my Love Shall make of this dear Darling of my Soul Whilst undisturb'd I seize the present Minute To answer the Contents of this blest Paper Ex. Mess. Sits down to write Enter Exton and Servants Furies what means this Pageantry of Death Speak thou the foremost Murderer thy own hand Is arm'd with th' Instrument of thy own Slaughter Go Thou and fill a room in Hell Kills 4 of them Another Thou Exton here strikes him down That hand shall burn in never quenching Fire That staggers thus my Person cruel Exton The blackest Fiend shall see thee lodg'd beneath him The Damn'd will shun the Villain whose curst Hand Has with the King's blood stain'd the King's own Land Dies Ext. Hast and convey his Body to our Master Before the very Rumour reach his Ear. As full of Valour as of Royal Blood Both have I spilt O that the Deed were Good Despair already seizes on my Soul Through my dark Brest Eternal Horrours roul Ev'n that false Fiend that told me I did well Cry's now This Deed is Register'd in Hell Ex. SCENE a Palace Bullingbrook Lords and Attendants Bull. Our last Expresses speak the Rebels high Who have consum'd with Fire Our Town of Gloster Enter Northumberland and Pierce Welcome Northumberland what News North. Health to my Liege I have to London sent The Heads of Spencer Blunt and Salsbury Pierc Broccas and Seelye too are headless Trunks The dang'rous Chiefs of that consorted Crew That sought your Life at Oxford Ross. Our Abbot griev'd to see his Plott defeated Has yielded up his Body to the Grave But here 's Carlile yet living to receive Your Royal Doom Bull. Carlile I must confess Thô thou hast ever bin my Enemy Such sparks of Honour always shin'd in Thee As priviledg Thee from our Justice now Choose out some secret place some reverend Cell There live in peace and we shall not disturb The Quiet of thy Death what suddain Damp Congeals my Blood ha Exton then comes Mischief Enter Exton and Servants bearing in a Coffin Ext. Great Sir within this Coffin I present Thy bury'd Fear possess the Crown secure Which breathless Richard never more will claim Bull. Exton I thank thee not for thou hast wrought A Deed of Slaughter fatal for my Peace Which Thou and I and all the Land shall rue Ext. From your own Mouth my Lord did I this Deed. Bull. They love not Poyson that have need of Poyson Nor do I Thee I hate his Murderer Tho' I did wish him Dead Hell thank thee for it And guilt of Royal Blood be thy Reward Cursing and Curst go wander through the World Branded like Cain for all Mankind to shun Thee Wake Richard wake give me my Peace agen And I will give Thee back thy ravisht Crown Come Lords prepare to pay your last Respects To this great Hearse and help a King to Mourn A King 's untimely Fall O tort'ring Guilt In vain I wish The happy Change cou'd be That I slept There and Richard Mourn'd for Me. EPILOGUE Spoken by M ris Cook NOw we expect to hear our rare Blades say Dam ' me I see no Sense in this dull Play Thô much of it our abler Iudges know Was famous Sense 'bove Forty Years ago Sometimes we fail to Please for want of Witt i th' Play but more for want on 't in the Pitt For many a ruin'd Poëts Work 't wou'd Save Had you but half the Sense you think you have Poets on your Fore-Fathers pam'd dull Plays And shrewdly you revenge it in our Days In troth we fare by 't as your Tradesmen do For whilst they raise Estates by Cheating You Into Acquaintance with their Wives you fall And get 'em Graceless Sons to spend it All. 'T is plain Th' are Yours Cause All our Arts miscarry For just like You They 'll Damn before they 'll Marry Of honest Terms I now almost Despair Vnless retriev'd by some rich Yeoman's Heir In Grannam's Ribbans and his Own streight Hair What Comforts such a Lover will afford Ioynture Dear Ioynture O the Heavenly Word But E're of You my Sparks my Leave I take For your Vnkindness past these Pray'rs I make So very Constant may Your Misses be 'Till You grow Cloid for Want of Iealousie Into such Dullness may your Poëts Tire 'Till They shall write such Plays as You Admire May You instead of Gaming Whoring Drinking Be Doom'd to your Aversion Books and Thinking And for a Last Wish What I 'm sure You 'l Call The Curse of Curses Marriage Take ye All. FINIS * Epst. Ded. to the Span. Fryar
King Richard II. The first alteration of this play was by Tate intitled The Sicilian Usurper It was prohibited from being performed on which account it was published by the author in 16â—1 with a preface in which he protests against such prohibition In 1720 an alteration of it was published by Theobald It was performed at the Lincoln's Inn-Field's Theatre with tolerable success THE HISTORY OF King RICHARD The SECOND Acted at the THEATRE ROYAL Under the Name of the Sicilian Usurper With a Prefatory Epistle in Vindication of the AUTHOR Occasion'd by the PROHIBITION of this PLAY on the Stage By N. TATE Inultus ut Flebo Puer Hor. LONDON Printed for Richard Tonson and Iacob Tonson at Grays-Inn Gate and at the Judges-Head in Chancery-Lane near Fleet-street 1681 TO My Esteemed FRIEND George Raynsford Esq SIR I Wou'd not have you surpriz'd with this Address though I gave you no warning of it The Buisiness of this Epistle is more Vindication than Complement and when we are to tell our Grievances 't is most natural to betake our selves to a Friend 'T was thought perhaps that this unfortunate Off-spring having been stifled on the Stage shou'd have been buried in Oblivion and so it might have happened had it drawn its Being from me Alone but it still retains the immortal Spirit of its first-Father and will survive in Print though forbid to tread the Stage They that have not seen it Acted by its being silenc't must suspect me to have Compil'd a Disloyal or Reflecting Play But how far distant this was from my Design and Conduct in the Story will appear to him that reads with half an Eye To form any Resemblance between the Times here written of and the Present had been unpardonable Presumption in Me. If the Prohibiters conceive any such Notion I am not accountable for That I fell upon the new-modelling of this Tragedy as I had just before done on the History of King Lear charm'd with the many Beauties I discover'd in it which I knew wou'd become the Stage with as little design of Satyr on present Transactions as Shakespear himself that wrote this story before this Age began I am not ignorant of the posture of Affairs in King Richard the Second's Reign how dissolute then the Age and how corrupt the Court a Season that beheld Ignorance and Infamy preferr'd to Office and Pow'r exercis'd in Oppressing Learning and Merit but why a History of those Times shou'd be supprest as a Libel upon Ours is past my Vnderstanding 'T is sure the worst Complement that ever was made to a Prince O Rem ridiculam Cato jocasam Dignámque Auribus tuo Cachinno Ride quicquid amas Cato Catullum Res est Ridicula c. Our Shakespear in this Tragedy bated none of his Characters an Ace of the Chronicle be took care to shew 'em no worse Men than They were but represents them never a jot better His Duke of York after all his buisy pretended Loyalty is found false to his Kinsman and Sovereign and joyn'd with the Conspirators His King Richard Himself is painted in the worst Colours of History Dissolute Vnadviseable devoted to Ease and Luxury You find old Gaunt speaking of him in this Language Then there are found Lascivious Meeters to whose Venom found The open Ear of Youth do's always Listen Where doth the World thrust forth a Vanity So it be New there 's no respect how Vile That is not quickly buzz'd into his Ear That all too late comes Counsel to be heard without the least palliating of his Miscarriages which I have done in the new Draft with such words as These Your Sycophants bred from your Child-hood with you Have such Advantage had to work upon you That scarce your Failings can be call'd your Faults His Reply in Shakespear to the blunt honest Adviser runs thus And Thou a Lunatick Lean-witted-fool c. Now by my Seat's right Royal Majesty Wer 't Thou not Brother to great Edward's Son The Tongue that runs thus roundly in thy Head Shou'd run thy Head from the unreverent Shoulders On the contrary though I have made him express some Resentment yet he is neither enrag'd with the good Advice nor deaf to it He answers Thus Gentle Unkle Excuse the Sally's of my Youthfull Blood We shall not be unmindfull to redress However difficult our States Corruptions And purge the Vanities that crowd our Court. I have every where given him the Language of an Active Prudent Prince Preferring the Good of his Subjects to his own private Pleasure On his Irish Expedition you find him thus bespeak his Queen Though never vacant Swain in silent Bow'rs Cou'd boast a Passion so sincere as Mine Yet where the Int'rest of the Subject calls We wave the dearest Transports of our Love Flying from Beauties Arms to rugged War c. Nor cou'd it suffice me to make him speak like a King who as Mr. Rhymer says in his Tragedies of the last Age considered are always in Poëtry presum'd Heroes but to Act so too viz. with Resolution and Justice Resolute enough our Shakespear Copying the History has made him for concerning his seizing old Gaunt's Revennues he tells the wise Diswaders Say what ye will we seize into our Hands His Plate his Goods his Money and his Lands But where was the Iustice of this Action This Passage I confess was so material a Part of the Chronicle being the very Basis of Bullingbrook's Vsurpation that I cou'd not in this new Model so far transgress Truth as to make no mention of it yet for the honour of my Heroe I suppose the foresaid Revennues to be Borrow'd onely for the present Exigence not Extorted Be Heav'n our Judge we mean him fair And shortly will with Interest restore The Loan our suddain Streights make necessary My Design was to engage the pitty of the Audience for him in his distresses which I cou'd never have compass'd had I not before shewn him a Wise Active and Iust Prince Detracting Language if any where had been excusable in the Mouths of the Conspirators part of whose Dialogue runs thus in Shakespear North. Now afore Heav'n 't is shame such Wrongs are born In him a Royal Prince and many more Of noble Blood in this Declining Land The King is not Himself but basely led By Flatterers c. Ross. The Commons He has pil'd with grievous Taxes And lost their Hearts c. Will. And daily new Exactions are devis'd As Blanks Benevolences and I wot not what But what o' Gods Name doth become of This North. War hath not wasted it for warr'd he has not But basely yielded upon Comprimize That which his Ancestours atchiev'd with Blows More has He spent in Peace than they in War c. with much more villifying Talk but I wou'd not allow even Traytors and Conspirators thus to bespatter the Person whom I design'd to place in the Love and Compassion of the Audience Ev'n this very Scene as I have manag'd it though it
we invade Whilst they usurp our Mid-night Scouring Trade SONG for the third ACT. I. Love's Delights were past Expressing Cou'd our happy Visions last Pity 't is they fly so fast Pity 't is so short a Blessing Love's Delights were past expressing Cou'd our happy Visions last Tide 's of Pleasure in possessing Sweetly Flow but soon are past Love's Delights c. II. Calms in Love are fleeting Treasure Only Visit and Away Hasty Blessing we enjoy Tedious Hours of Grief we Measure Calms in Love are fleeting Treasure Only Visit and Away Sighs and Tears fore-run the Pleasure Iealous Rage succeeds the Ioy. Calms in Love c. SONG For the Prison SCENE in the last ACT. I. REtir'd from any Mortals sight the Pensive Damon lay He blest the discontented Night And Curst the Smiling Day The tender sharers of his Pain His Flocks no longer Graze But sadly fixt around the Swain Like silent Mourners gaze 2. He heard the Musick of the Wood And with a sigh Reply'd He saw the Fish sport in the Flood And wept a deeper Tyde In vain the Summers Bloom came on For still the Drooping Swain Like Autumn Winds was heard to Groan Out-wept the Winters Rain 3. Some Ease said he some Respite give Why mighty Powrs Ah why Am I too much distrest to Live And yet forbid to Dye Such Accents from the Shepherd flew Whilst on the Ground He lay At last so deep a Sigh he drew As bore his Life away The Persons Names together with those under which the Play was Acted KIng Richard Oswald Gaunt Alcidore York Cleon. Bullingbrook Vortiger Northumberland â—â—rmogenes Piercie Ross. Willoughby Carlile Aumarl Exton Queen Aribell Dutchess of York Ladies Gardiners Souldiers Messengers Guards Attendants Books newly Printed for R. Tonson and J. Tonson The Spanish Fryer or the Double Discovery Written by Mr. Dryden Lucius Iunius Brutus Father of his Country A Tragedy written by Mr. Lee. The Art of making Love or Rules for the Conduct of Ladies and Gallants in their Amours Price of each 1 s. THE HISTORY OF King Richard the II d. ACT I. SCENE a Chamber of State King Richard John of Gaunt Northumberland Piercie Ross Willoughby with other Nobles and Attendants King OLD Iohn of Gaunt time honour'd Lancaster Hast thou according to thy Oath and Bond Brought hither Harry Herford thy bold Son Here to make good th'Impeachment lately charg'd Against the Duke of Norfolk Thomas Mowbray Gaunt I have my Liege King Hast thou moreover sifted him to find If he Impeach the Duke on private malice Or worthily as a good Subject shou'd Gaunt As far as I can sound him in the Business On some Apparent danger from the Duke Aim'd at your Highness no Inveterate Malice King Then set 'em in our presence Face to Face And Frowning Brow to Brow our self will hear Th' Accuser and the Accus'd both freely speak High-Stomacht are they both and in their Rage Deaf as the storming Sea hasty as Fire Bulling-brook and Mowbray from several Entrances Bull. Now many years of happy day's befal My gracious Soveraign my most honour'd Liege Mow. Each day exceeding th' others happiness Till Heav'n in Jealousie to Earth's success Add an immortal Title to your Crown King Cousin of Herford what dost thou object Against the Duke of Norfolk Thomas Mowbray Bull. First then be Heav'n the Record to my speech That in devotion to a Subjects love Not on Suggestions of a private Hatred Come I Appealant to this Princely presence Now Thomas Mowbray do I turn to Thee And mark my greeting well for what I speak My Body shall make good upon this Earth Or my divine Soul answer it in Heav'n Thou art a Trayter to the King and State A foul Excrescence of a Noble Stem To Heav'n I speak it and by Heav'n 't is true That thou art Treason spotted false as Hell And wish so please my Soveraign ere we move What my Tongue speaks my right drawn Sword may prove Mow. Let not the coldness of my Language draw My Sov'reign Liege your Censure on my Zeal 'T is not the Tryal of a Womans War The senseless clamour of contending Tongues Can arbitrate the Diffrence 'twixt us Two The Blood is hot that must be cool'd for this The Reverence of this Presence curbs my speech That else had shot like Lightning and return'd This charge of Treason to the sland'rers Throat Set but aside his high Blood 's Royalty And let him be no Kins-man to the King Allow me this and Bulling-brook's a Villain Which to maintain I will allow him odds Pursue him bare-foot to the farthest North Whose Chastisement I tamely now forbear Bull. White-liver'd Coward there I throw my Gage Disclaiming my Relation to the King Which Fear not Reverence make thee to object If guilty Dread has left thee so much strength Stoop and take up forthwith my Honour's Pawn By that and all the Rights of Knight-hood else I will make good against thee Arm to Arm What I have said and Seal it with thy Soul Mow. I seize it Herford as I wou'd seize Thee And by the Sword that laid my Knight-hood on me I 'll answer thee in any Knightly Tryal As hot in Combate as thou art in Brawl King What do's our Cousen lay to Norfolk's Charge Bull. First then I say my Sword shall prove it true That Mow-bray has receiv'd eight thousand Nobles In Name of Lendings for your Highness Service All which for lew'd Employments he detains Like a false Traytor and injurious Villain Besides I say and will in Combate prove That all the Treasons Plots Conspiracies Hatcht for these eighteen years within this Realm Fetcht from false Mowbray their first Spring and Head Farther I say and on his Heart will prove it That he did Plot the Duke of Gloster's Death Whose Martial Ghost to me for Vengeance cryes And by the glorious Worth of my Descent This Arm shall give it or this Blood be spent King How high a Pitch his Resolution Soars Thomas of Norfolk what say'st thou to this Mow. O let my Sov'raign turn away his Face And bid his Ear a little while be Deaf Till I have told this slander of his Blood How Heav'n and good men hate so foul a Lyar. King Now by our Sceptres Awe I tell thee Mowbray Were he my Brother nay my Kingdoms Heir Our Blood shou'd nothing priviledge him nor bend Our upright Soul from Justice Mow. Then Bulling-brook as low as to thy Heart Thou ly'st Three parts of my Receits for Callice I have disburst amongst his Highness Souldiers The Rest I by the King's consent reserv'd Upon remainder of a dear Account Since last I went to fetch the Queen from France First swallow down that Lye for Gloster's Death I slew him not but rather to my fault Neglected my Sworn Duty in that Case Compassion being here all my Offence And for the rest of thy perfidious Charge It Issues from the rancour of a Villain The flowing Gall of a degenerate Traytor In
that I shall stand Condemnd A wandring Vagabond my Rights and Royalties Snatcht from my Hand perforce and giv'n away To up-start Unthrifts wherefore was I Born If that my Cousen King be King of England It must be granted I am Duke of Lancaster York Thy words are all as false as thy Intents The King but for the Service of the State Has Borrow'd thy Revenue for a time And Pawn'd to me his Honour to repay it Which I as Gaunt Executour allow'd Bull. Then Uncle I am sorry you have drawn the Guilt on your own head and that of Course Justice must fall there too we must Commit you to our Guards Custody York Perfidious Villain Now he that has a Soul give me a Sword And since my Followers are too few to Engage Give but this Villain here and me a Ring And if you do not see a Traytor Cudgell'd As a Vile Traytor should I 'll give ye leave To hang my Brawn i' th' Sun North. The Duke has sworn he comes but for his own And in that Claim we all resolve to Assist him York What says Northumberland thou rev'rend Rebel Think what a Figure makes thy Beard amongst This Callow Crew allow that he were wrong'd As on the Kings Faith and mine he is not Yet in this kind to come with threatning Arms To Compass right with wrong it may not be And you that do abet him in this sort From the hoar'd Head to the raw beardless Chin Cherish Rebellion and are Rebels all Bull. We have not leisure to debate strike Drums York Now the Villains Curse light on thee and if thou dost seize the Crown mayst thou be more Plagu'd with being King than I am with being Deputy SCENE the Fourth Enter Rabble A Shoomaker Farrier Weaver Tanner Mercer Brewer Butcher Barber and infinite others with a Confused Noise 1. Silence hea I Revelation Stitch Command Silence All. Peace hoa 1. Am I not Nobly Descended and Honourably Born 2. Right the Field is Honourable and there was he Born under a Hedge 1. Have I not born Commission with Watt Tyler witness our luminary lost in that Service and was I not president at Iack Straw's Councel to kill all the Nobility and Clergy but the Fryers mendicant that in our Reign wou'd soon have starv'd out o' th' way All. Hum hum hem 1. What place then do our guifts desere at such a season where the temporal King is absent and Usurpers invade 2. Why it behoveth thee to take unto thee a good Conscience and make thy felf King 1. Simon Shuttle I never lik't thy Politicks our meanest Brethren pretend to the spirit of Governing our Talent is to govern the Governour therefore as Bullingbrook shall approve himself to our liking we will fix him upon the last of the Government or cast him out amongst the shreds and shavings of the Common-wealth 4. But pray Neighbour what is this same Common-wealth 3. You may see it at Smithfield all the Fair-time 't is the Butt End of the Nation 5. Peace hea hear Master Revelation expound it 1. Why the Common-wealth is a-Kin to your-a-republick like Man and Wife the very same thing only the Common-wealth is the Common-wealth and the Republick is the Republick 2. What an excellent Spirit of knowledge is here 3. Wee 'l have no more Bills nor Bonds but all shall be reduc't to the Score and Tally 4. No Physick but what shall be administer'd in a Horn. 5. We 'l have Priviledges taken off and all sorts compell'd to pay their Debts 7. I except against that I would rather break than have gentlemen out of my debt it gives us priviledg of being Sawcy how are we fain to cringe 'till we have got them into our Books and then I warrant we can cock up with the best of ' em I hate mortally to be paid off it makes a man such a sneaking Rascal 1. We will have strict and wholsom Laws 6. Laws Strict Laws so will there be no mischief done and our Profession starve I 'll ha' no Laws Others no Laws no Laws no Laws Others Laws Laws Laws They Scuffle 1. Hark Bullingbrook approaches put your selves in posture and Sow-gelder wind me a strong Blast to return their Complement Flourish here Enter Bullingbrook with his Army North. Behold my Lord an Object strange and suddain The Rabble up in Arms to mock your pow'rs As once the Indian Apes are said to have done To Alexander's Army Pierc Death my Lord. Permit me play for once the Scavinger And sweep this Dirt out of your way Bull. Gently my valiant Piercy Rage is the proper weapon of these Bruits With which 't is odds they foil us Rainston go to 'em Bespeak 'em fair and know what caus'd this Tumult 1. Oh an envoy know of him his Quality 4. 'T is Sir Iohn Rainston I have wrought for him 1. Down on thy knee now because we will observe Decorums of State rise up Sir Iohn Drench and Treat with him Bull. Hold Rainston we will treat with 'em in person For in their looks I read a sober judgment All carefull to preserve the publick weal Chiefly this awful man to whose grave Censure We do refer the justice of our Arms. 2. Goodly what a gracious person he is Bull. I weep for joy to see so brave a spirit So jealous of your Liberty and Rights Trust me my Countrymen my Friends my Brothers 'T is worthy of the fame the world affords you And that curst Limb that stirs against your Priviledges Why let it Rot tho' it were this right hand All. A Bullingbrook a Bullingbrook c. Bull. Mistake not my dear Countrymen our purpose You think perhaps cause we are now arriv'd With formal Arms in absence of the King That we take this occasion to Usurp Alas we harbour no such foul design 1. How 's that not usurp hear ye that Neighbours he refuses to Usurp Others Fall on then he is not for our turn down with him 1. Sir we shall give you to understand that we want a Usurper and if you refuse to usurp you are a Traytor and so we put our selves in Battail array Bull. Yet hear me what you mean by Usurpation I may mistake and beg to be informd If it be only to ascend the Throne To see that justice has a liberal course In needful Wars to lead you forth to Conquest And then dismiss you laden home with Spoils If you mean this I am at your disposal And for your profit am content to take The burden of the State upon my hands All A Bullingbrook a Bullingbrook c. 1. One word of caution Friend be not Chicken-hearted but pluck up a Spirit for the work before thee it was revealed to me that now there should arise a Son of Thunder a second Tyler and I am resolv'd the vision shall not Lie therefore I say again pluck up a Spirit otherwise I shall discharge my Conscience and usurp my Self Bull. Friends think me not made of such easie