brat of woe and sad defame Although a Kings he cannot hide the shame Exit Ent. King Earle of Wiltshire Bishop Lutius and Emma King Thus Royall Lords we are in Justice plac't And by the assistance of the all-seeing heaven To search forth murther Are the suspected persons Yet brought Wilt. They are my Leige King Speak woman and remember as thou speakest That thou art before heaven as well as we Who them with all thy cunning caust not blind What knowst thou of the murther Em. I doe beseech bring forth my accusers VVilt I am the first yet free from spot of envy And thus I ground my feare if your white hands Have tane no tincture from the bloody wounds Of our late murdred Prince why is your Lord Against his oath alleageance and command Fled thus preposterously in the self-same hour In which he should have done his Country-service Em. The Law whiâ—h did â—nite my Lord and me In one firm body never did impart The freedome of his thoughts into my boosome Neither doth that or any English custome Impose on wives their husbands blemishes I pray my Lord accuse me for my self King 'T is from your self if you be foul in him Wilt. Besides it is affirm'd by solemn oath The self same night the King forsook the World You and your Lord did never come in bed So that in common sence you either were Or chief or aiding to the murderer Em. Our busy care to entertain the King Did make us leave our beds to vertuous ends Oh! my good Lord you would disgrace my goodness But my poor innocence is so cleare from blemish No filths of any tongue can sully it And here before your Master I wish If I be guilty or in thought or action May I be made a warning to all women And branded with most black damnation oh oh Wilt. Defend us heaven Look to the Lady there Bish. Are you hurt Madam Em. No but amazed at this dreadful thunder Bish. Oh! be advised in time and tempt not heaven Scarce had deniall issued from your lips Bâ—t thunder cryes aloud that you reueal What else heaven will speak in miracles King Doe woman tell the truth Em. You mad me wiâ—h your vaine suggestions Your actions are unjust and terrible I doe defie what ever can accuse me Though it be wrested in loud peales of thunder Yet with a breath more noble then your slander I throw defiance at your envious boosoms What doe you think to work upon my weakness Tush I am armed with better fortitude My Lords I aske a husband at your hands A Noble Prince which you have murdered And now with these suggestions would overwhelme My life and fortunes making me confess A crime of which I am more innocent Then you your selves or babes new born this hour A blasing star appeares Bish. Se se my Lord a blasing star appears And hangs directly o're this fatall house Edm. Angels proâ—ect us Em. Ha what art thou Thou dost amaze me with thy curled fires Why doth thy flaming train thus point at me oh oh Bish. How fare you Lady Em. Oh hide thy branded fire whose flaming beams Are shot into my brain it flames and burnes And all the waters that o'rewhelme the King Can never quench it till his body come oh oh King Doth water then o'rewhelme his body VVilt Perhap 't is cast into some River Sir Em. Spare me oh spare me gentle heaven be dumb Call not so loud let me unload my boosom Of this eternall waight of sin and murder Then let thy winged lightning split my breast That all the World may know my Lord and I Contriv'd the King's most bloody tragedy King It is confest Em. Oh! Royall Sir I am inforst to speak Frowning heavens and that almighty fire Hath thrust it from my mouth and I confess My Lord and I did hire two desperate men And they by our command did kill the King King Where are those men Em. The murder done they fled to find out safety But whither by my soul 's sicke estate I know not King What did you with the body of the King Em. Hard by the Castle stands an old grown oake Close by whose side a little River runnes Whose quiet streams we stopt and turn'd hâ—s course Up to his head till in his sandy bottom We dig'd a pit and therein laid the body Which done we cover'd it with earth stones And turnd the water to his former passage That running over it none might see Or find the author of this tragedy King Unheard of stratagem take pitty on thy soul Thou barbarous woman call to the powers above For to be mercifull Em. False World farwell let me example be A warning to our sex from blood to flee Dies King Go home and see the body be brought before the Judge Wilt. I shall my Lord performe it carefully Enter some with Sibert and Murderers Wilt. Come bring him before the King Sib. Let me not see the King nor be examin'd That cursed which did bewitch my sence And made me hire the slaves to murder him King Discourse to us the manner of their taking Sib. I 'le tell the tale my self hear me O noble Iudge When in disguise loaden with desperate thoughts I meant to pass to Ireland by the Seas The angry heavens call'd up the mounting waves And bad them in their hollow murmurs say They would not beare a Kings base murtherer My passage thus denied by raging stormes Like a distracted out-cast forth I went Into strange paths careless and negligent And there I met these damned Murtherers Mad as my self and horrour with dispair They hollowed still for mudering the King We all are damn'd to eternall tortering Which when the people heard they us surprised And brought us thus a bloody sacrifice King The Gods are ever just oh Coventry Thou art the bloody Subject of our curses Thy bloody hand hath bath'd the anoynted King In his own blood for which we will be swift In vengeance take these three and by their heeles hang Them upon stakes let ravens mastives worry them to death That when they sâ—rick their hideous fearfull cryes May draw the Land to see their miseries Sib. and Murd The doom is Royall just and mercifull King For this vile woman see her senceless body Be on a pile of faggots burnt to earth And scatter'd before the blustring wind That on their winged convayes they may flye To the Worlds furthest verge or memory See it perform'd they thus to death are sent The Heaven I hope will pease her punishment Bish. Take comfort Princely Sir the worst is past The sacred powers are pleas'd with this your justice For with the Traitors deaths the stormes are ceast The air is clear and all the thunders past And see the Sun and Moon give blessed light And quite abolisht our diurnall night King Now the news Ent. with the body Wilt. The body 's found my Lord. King Bring it in Wilt. 'T is here my Leige
ever murder done and hid so rarely The body buried in the rivers bottom What policy of men can ever finde it Ha! who is 't that speaks so loud crack the clouds This crying seene is not yet heard in heaven I hope Is it for that this dreadfull voyce of thunder Roules through the black inraged Elements And wraps this bright diapome in fire Or are these sounds the knelling obsequies You use to keep at a King's Funerall if so King treason out but onely this I barr Wake not the dead nor name the Murderer Exit Ent. Bishop and VViltshire Sibert meeting them B. Lu. Angels defend us what a night is here Sib. How now my Lords you have had ill rest to night VVilt Who but the dead can sleep in such loud summons The blessed powers defend us 't is most fearfull B. Lu. We come to see the King in this sick hour Sib. And for that only cause my Reverend Lords We draw our care so nigh his Highness chamber That had he call'd we had attendant bin To furnish his desire but sure he wakes not VVilt And sure he sleepes not let 's to his chamber Sib. With all my heart See here comes my Lady Ent. Emma B. Lut. Alas good Lady wak'd from your bed with thunder Em. Oh! who can rest in such a dreadfull hearing When every crack of thunder that breaks forth Seems as if heaven would fall upon our heads VVilt Noble Lady accompany us to the King's bed-chamber Em. With all my heart I 'me sorry he 's thus disturbed VVilt Softly least being not yet awak'd We fright his Highness with our suddain coming Ha! the bed empty his Highness sure is up My Lord my Leige ha no answer B. Lut. Strengthen me heaven lights here a little Is not this blood Sib. Ha blood more lights VVilt I fear my royal blood my Lord my Leige my King Sib. Cry treason louder then this voice o' th thunder 'T is that that he hath all this while proclaimed And we dull animals could not perceive it Treason murder treason All. Treason murder treason Sib. Call for the Pages raise up all the Court. And hollow treason through out every room Oh! who is he hath staind my Loyalty And made my house the author of this treason Ent. Pages VVilt Be patient Sibert here come the Pages Let 's examine them Page Where 's the King Sib. Who 's that that speaks so drowsily base villains When blood of Kings besmears the Royall bed Page Ha the King 's murdred my Royal Master Thy loss is our decay Sib. Die Loyall traitors you have murdred him Kills them O're take him Slaves or hide your guilt in hell VVilt Alas my Lord you doe you know not what Sib. Doe you uphold them take heed tempt not your spotles Loyalties with any scrupulous thought I would fain beleeve That you were as my self right loyall Amb. 1. That shall be seen Sir in our diligence Sib. You talke but nothing doe search for the body If we find that we soon shall find the traitors Search every room the body is not far The murderer will be found black deeds of hell Who was the author Exit Sibert and Emma Em. Those that will not tell VVilt This is a horrid night Bish. To kill the Pages unexamined these are not just proceedings VVilt I doe not blame his loyalty but his rage That in their deaths we should have questioned Prevents the means of our discovery Bish. This night is fatall for 't is hatch't in blood VVilt Heaven cease this thunder 't is a time of sorrow But come my Lord think of the Kingdoms safety First let us resolve with swiftest speed To greet the Earl of London Royal Prince Edmund with thiâ— heavy news Bish. As 't is most fit See here 's Sibert Ent. Sibert Sib. No marvail tho the heavens speak in thunder To see anointed blood spilt on the earth And in my house oh heavens VVilt Nay good my Lord forbear Sib. Did not I tell you that those drousie Pages Whom this hand slew I thank heaven for it Were the tour traitors perhaps hired to doe it Lut. That we would have found my Lord. Sib. I would my heat of rage had given you leave I doe repent it now but 't is most certain For that the Postern gate whose keys they had in keeping Was now found open tax me to any pains To find this treason set me down half the world For my own travail I 'le bring the Traitor forth Or ne're return Lut. Use your care whilest we send post away This night 's the worst that ever covered day Exit VVilt and Bishop Lut. Sib. Ha ha ha ha the best to me So so Speak louder thunder make a more horrid night Conscience is not at home thou canst not fright Crie Traitor stil though I thy meaning know Here 's none that understands thou call'st me so Exit Ent. Edmund and Anne Edm. Nay doe not grieve An. Can you allow me less then teares my Lord Oh what a noble Traitor have you prov'd In that deceiving ring that brought me to you Edm. When I beheld this glorious frame of Nature This ever prais'd yet never prais'd enough Proportion O what a suddain passion I was in The Queen of love drew forth a fieâ—y shaft And shot my brest which rancle did so sore The more I let it rest it rag'd the more Till from the store-house of my hatching brain This balsome of remedie I distill'd And cured the wound this rich Embassador Discover'd to me more then the Indies wealth An. Oh! what a jewell then beyond esteem Have I then lost which gold can ne're redeem Edm. That is not lost that is repayd with love Such is our fair exchange had some rude slave Polluted thy white soul with ugly lust Thou then hadst cause to grieve but my desire Was free from the least baseness what I have borrowed Of thy maidenstore I will repay and with a husbands love Give satisfaction nay weep not good sweet-heart An. A pretty Epitaph for wantons to congratulate withall You did salute me with a sweeter name Then I imagine this sweet-heart to be But you have robd me of it Edm. Nay lovely maid An. Were it heavens will would I had kept that name Edm. Would you have then ingrost perfection And like a usurer have hoarded up The Princely jewell of your maidenhead And let pale death have bin your husband You were created that from you should spring The worlds increase then would you most unkind Alter what you were made for 't is A husband you must have and if 't be so Why not as good me as another man An. If you want no vail to shadow Sir How many have you caught within this snare Am I the first Edm. Yes by this blessed aire Nor art thou caught in any lustfull net But in a sacred matrimoniall band Which we have registred in heavens white book Where all the sacred Hymeneall oaths Are writ in
knows whose hands were bathed in the blood Wilt. You see the cruell terrors of these times Oh! gratious Prince and that which doth exceed The strength of all amazement since the death Of our late murdered Lord and Soveraign The Sun and Moon was never seen to shine Edm. The eye of heaven is banish't from the earth And gone to wander in eternall night And ransake some Cemerian seated cave To finde the Murderers that with horror sitts Starting at every apparition And never will illuminate the world Till it hath brought him to transparent view And to him speaks this thunder Sib. No 't is to me but I 'le not answer Though the boults should flie and strike me to the center Edm. How horridly it cracks A generall desolation sure is come And heavens glorious eye I think is banish't hence eternally Sib. Take courage Sir a Royall thought Stoops not to Fortunes blindness great thoughts are ever Fixt to the publik good and not kept down by passions Oh! the blood Wilt. Let 's invocate the powers above For to reveal the horrid Murderers Sib. Hot vengeance light on him that so perswades him Edm. Swear as you hope for heaven your carefull studies Shall be to siâ—t this execrable deed And bring to light this damned Murtherer Sib. Zoundes I must kill him too and prevent his purpose VVilt We vow the same with force and diligence Edm. As for my self I will outwatch the night Wast these life-seeing tapers of mine eyes Till they drop forth the sockets of my skull But I will finde the execrable Slave Why standst thou silent Sibert Sib. Alas my Lord I am hid in sorrow That in my house this mischief happened And yet dear Prince I have already spent The utmost minutes in this fatall business No place no person no suspected breast That might unto the act be aidable But I have torne it open and examin'd So that deceit it self could not deceive me But all in vain the damn'd Murderer lies unrevealed And heaven or none must find him hee 's so subtill Edm. I feare thy Loyalty come let 's to Coventry And there we will fift out murthers darkest ways Sibert let 's have your Company along Were millions given this purpose to prevent All Europe shall not hinder our intent Be ready Sibert Sib. With all my heart my Lord. Mischief confound it Edm. Set forward Lords Thou that still guards the right Bring this dark obscure murther to the light Exeunt Manet Sibert So the King 's for Coventry and I as mark't With some brand of suspicion must be the man To attend above the rest Sfoot what note Or character of guilt lies on my brow More then the rest my speech was firm I was less frighted with this loud tongu'd thundeâ— Then was the King or any of his Peeres And but my conscience nothing troubles me And that is no mans burthen but my own Which I 'le conceal though with the Kingdoms ruine Let Hell spit fire I 'le not accuse my self Although the Sun and Heaven be hid in clouds And with an everlasting darkness cover us Thunder loud Oh! I presume too much that crack has mazed me Horrour of Hell what shall I doe think Sibert and conceive What if the King should call my wife in question Or that the Murderers we hir'd to doe 't Should be surpris'd and brought unto the King Examined put to death where 's Sibert then Thrown in Hell fire never to rise again Which to prevent I 'le presently make flight And leave with them my feare and jealousie I 'le ship my self for Ireland and there Shrowd my self safe and there close up my eares From this loud peals of thunder which are sent And on my head with winged vengeance bent Exit Ent. Mr Woodford and Anne Thorny Wood. Now you are a happy mother the good Heavens Has brought your burthen to a happy issue you may Now curse the cause you shall have my instructions To direct you An. Now Heaven forbid VVood. By his delay you may see how he stands affected An. 'T is a delay without proportion VVood. Your Father threatens and persues your lives best shipwrack Vowing if you should starve not to give A penny for to comfort you An. Yet I will pray for him eternally And for my Sovereign which hath forsaken me But of his love I will expect no more Think wise or dream then of that thing Unknown unsought or never thought upon Wood. Oh! be not to your self so cruel An. Since in his loss I have lost my self and honour I now resolve in this unblemisht habit to weare out The remnant of my days in penetance Amongst the holy Nunnes of Holy well Into whose Sister-hood I am admitted And there for ever will I plant my being VVood. Oh! gentle Cuz An. I am deaf to all persuasions My best of blood I have no friend but you And in your virtue I impose my trust That with all secret care you chuse a time To give this ring to my dear Soveraign The once dear pledge of his forgotten love With it this letter in whose sad contents Is nothing but a vertuous milde intreaty That he would gratiously behold this child His hapless Son and called by his name Edmund that mongst the longer of my sighes I may have comfort to keep down my griefs VVood. And as my own I mean to tender it An. Your vertue makes my care lie easy on me Good Cosen speak what temper holds my Father VVood. Has given o're his house and all his wealth He means for to distribute to holy uses An. And yet I live and breath that am the sinfull author Of these sorrows but flows this deluge for his own Offences Or the remembrance of my hatefull shame VVood. From your disgrace An. Then to this World Adieu why doe you urge To hold me longer here a Prisoner I have out lived myne honour buried alive My old and vertuous Father for which I am below All reach of humane pitty that I know They wish to Serpents more prosperity My soul 's as black as darkness and can take no light Of other beauty till my teares have washt it I doe beseech you Cuz commend my duty To my Father and intreat his vertue To lâ—y no more affliction on his age for my offences past And last to thee my first of cares Whose innocence is spotted with my sin Oh! be thou made so blest that in thy vertues I and my faults may loose their memories Take my last kiss and with it these my teares Which to thy Royall Father thou shalt beare Now take it â—r and with it all my comforts all my prayers Love it dear Cuz though from grief it spring Yet 't is the onely Son unto a King farwell I feare we never more shall meet on earth Here my joys end you have my sorrows birth Exit VVood. Success attend you would all that stept awry Would be but subject to thy penalty Come on thou