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
HENRY the Sixth The First PART WITH THE MURDER OF HUMPHREY Duke of Glocester 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. The Prologue WIth much ado a Prologue we obtain'd From th' Author who this good old Play did mend He said a Prologue was a Painted Clout Only to tell the Shew within hung out And he no pains wou'd on the Clout bestow When very few wou'd come to see the Show The Comet that last Summer flam'd obove Has dropt his Pitch in every Dish you love Poor slighted Wit is flung among the Swine Like Grapes in France now you forbid their Wine Play-Houses like forsaken Barns are grown The lusty Threshers of both ends of Town Let the Corn rot and give their Labour o're And so the Vizards cackle here no more Or if they hither come 't is but for fear Lest zealous Constables find 'em elsewhere And their torn Coats for Romish Reliques seize And the poor Girles for Painted Images Thus all your Pleasures wither and decay You 've suck'd the Globe and flung the shell away As for our wretched selves we are forc'd still To chaw down Poetry against our will But little Pleasure it to us does give We swallow it as Sick-Men eat to live And to preserve your Stomacks we make bold To Cram you every day with New or Old To day we bring old gather'd Herbs 't is true But such as in sweet Shakespears Garden grew And all his Plants immortal you esteem Your Mouthes are never out of taste with him Howe're to make your Appetites more keen Not only oyly Words are sprinkled in But what to please you gives us better hopâ— A little Vineger against the Pope The Persons Represented in the PLAY King Henry the Sixth By Mr. Jos Williams Humphry Duke of Glocester Lord Protector of the Kingdom and Uncle to the King being Brother to King Henry the 5th By Mr. Batterton The Cardinal a Bastard Son of John of Gaunt and so Uncle to Duke Humphry By Mr. Harris Richard Plantagenet Heir of the House of York pretender to the Crown By Mr. D. Williams Duke of Buckingham Earl of Warwick Earl of Salisbury Duke of Suffolk a Lover of the Queen By Mr. Smith Queen Margaret Wife of King Henry the 6th in Love with the Duke of Suffolk By my La. Slingsby Elianor Duchess of Glocester Wife to the Lord Protector By Mrs. Batterton Sheriff of London Sir John Stanly Attendants SCENE The Court at Westminster TO Sir CHARLES SIDLEY BARONET SIR I Am afraid I shall displease you by setting your Name before so scandalous a thing as a Pamphlet of mine but when I have told you the reason I believe you will pardon me I make not use of your Name to add a lustre to mine I am not so much concerned for it Fame built on Poetry is like a Castle in the Air which the next Wind demolishes I have heard of great Armies Mustered in the Air but never of any thing they Conquered Such are the Forces of Poetry I have had my Ears torn with the noise of a Poets Drums and Trumpets of the Bellowing of his Actors and the clapping of his Audience but I never heard of one inch of firm Land he gained All he fought for was Inchanted Ground which now he seems to possess and anon it vanishes has nothing real in it but the vexation of obscene Birds which disturb him with their croaking whilst he wakes and defile him by muting upon him if ever he sleeps No wise Man can much regard what his share is in such a barren and floating Place My concernment is for some little Truth and good Sense Commodities which no one will expect to find aboard such a Paper Boat as a Play were it not convoy'd by so flourishing and great Reputation as yours I speak not my own but the opinion of some of the wisest Men of this Age this Play is no indifferent Satyre upon the most pâ—mpous fortunate and potent Folly that ever reigned over the minds of men called Popery My Lord Bacon says good Books ought to have no other Patrons but Truth and Reason Many other things ought to be that never will If Truth and Reason were things so potent how came Folly and Error to prevail over e'm in all Ages and Nations How came Wisdom to live among the Antients in Porches and Tubs and Fools to shine in Palaces whilst living and in Temples when dead How came Truth among Christians to be troden under foot for several hundreds of Years whilst Error and Folly rode on mens Shoulders and trod on Princes Necks Mens Shoulders had never been so ill us'd if their Heads had been good And when a Germane Fryar dâ—scovered Trutb by an accident as strange as another did Gunpowder how come the latter mischievous invention to have fifty times the success of the former and to pierce a hundred times as many Heads and Hearts If Truth in Schools and Churches meet so much contempt what must it expect in so wretched a thing as a Play is now esteemed The wisest Men among the Ancients indeed thought themselves scarce wise enough to judge Drammatique Poetry but ours think themselves much too Wise and throw it off as a Trifle for Women and Fools to play with and by that means it pines more and more into a Trifle For what vigour soever is necessary to please Ladies elsewhere Impotence best delights e'm upon the Stage The Poets that will hit the right Mark must aim at the Boxes and what Arrows they shoot over them are all lost nor are our Male Judges of a more Masculine Spirit I have always observed when an Actor talks Sense the Audience begins to sleep but when an unnatural passion sets him a grimacing and howling as if he were in a fit of the Stone they immediately waken listen and stare as if some rare Operator were about to Cut him In short Sense is so great a stranger to the most that it is never welcome to Company for its own sake but the sake of the Introducer For this reason I use your Name to guide that share of it is in this Play through the Press as I did Shakespear's to support it on the Stage I called it in the Prologue Shakespear's Play though he has no Title to the 40th part of it The Text I took out of his Second Part of Henry the Sixth but as most Texts are serv'd I left it as soon as I could For though Shakespear be generally very delightful h is not so always His Volumn is all up-hill and down Paradise was never more pleasant than some parts of it nor Ireland and Greenland colder and more uninhabitable then others And I have undertaken to cultivate one of the most barren Places in it The Trees are all Shrubs and the Men Pigmies nothing has any Spirit or shape the Cardinal is duller then ever
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
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
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
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
Priest was And he has hudled up the Murder of Duke Humphry as if he had been guilty of himself and was afraid to shew how it was done But I have been more bold to the great displeasure of some who are it seems ashamed of their own mysteries for there is not a Tool us'd in the murder of Duke Humphry in this Play but what is taken out of their own Church Armory nor a word put into the mouth of the Cardinal and his foolish Instruments but what first dropt from the Heads that adorn their own Church Battlements I cou'd be large in Quotations did I not nauseate Pedantry I shall only shew that what serves here to make the Comical part of a Play does in the Popish Countries compose the gravest part of their Devotion I make the foolish Murderer complain that he cou'd not thrive though he kept every Day a Holy-day in honour of some Saint Now nothing is more known then that in those Countries the great Trafique between them and their Saints almost ruine all other Trades The People are forced to keep so many Holy-days that they have not Working-days enough to keep themselves when they shou'd be labouring to fill their Bellies they are cramming Latine into their Mouths in the honour of some Saint who perhaps understands not a word of the Language unless he learnt it since he died which is a great doubt And they have so many Saints that the People in Heaven starve those upon Earth and contrary to what is done in other Famines the Dead devour the Living No Manufactury thrives like that of Saint-making all others must contribute to that and even the Workmanship of God must grow poor to enrich that of the Priests When all the Saints had disappointed this poor Fellow I make him go to a Priest for advice who instead of bidding him follow his calling sets him a mumbling a Prayer which he tells him is of that efficacy that if he says it over Thirty Days together it will procure him in the end what ever he asks for What appears too ridiculous here for the mouth of a Stage-fool in a Country no less polished then France is recommended to the Faith and Devotion of no less a Prince then the Dauphin in a little Book entituled HEVRES Dedidees a Monsiegneur le Dauphin contenant L' Office qui se dit en L' Eglise ave l' Exercice du Matin en soir le Catechisme dresse par les Peres de la Mission The Prayer is to the Virgin Mary in the 229th Page in the middle of the Prayer 't is said Here demand what ever you please When this Prayer would not do I make the Priest give him another Conveyed by an Angel as he says into the Grave of a Germane Lady who had her Head cut off and lived after it two and twenty Hours not being able to die till she had Confessed and Communicated And the Prayer had this miraculous power annext to it that whosoever did but carry it about him shou'd never suffer by Sea or by Land c. This I found in a little French Book of Devotion to the Virgin Mary Licenced by the Fathers of the Augustine Friars as containing nothing in it contrary to Catholick Faith and recommended to the People with an extraordinary Approbation by what Charter these Prayers claim such great Priviledges is not said yet must be believed Some think me very profane for bringing what belongs to the Church upon the Stage but they may allow me that since they have carried many things that belong to the Stage into the Church To expose these Follies to the People is the business of this Play and I believe you will pardon me that I borrow some assistance from your Reputation since you your self have of late to your very great Honour employ'd your Interest and excellent Vnderstanding in the same design And though you can do it better in common Conversation then I by all my Study and Premeditation It follows not because Lightning sometimes shoots through all the Heavens and rends the Oaks a Man may not light a Candle in the Night To hinder this Rush light from being blown out is the reason why I place your Name before it I have a mind the Play shou'd be read and every one will read it if they think you like it I know few Vnderstandings so universally esteem'd as yours and for so good Reason It wou'd be foolish in me to lash out into unnecessary praises of a Wit that has been so long the delight and ornament of the Nation and is now become the Defence of what is very dear to it Truth Liberty and Property I have so deeply felt what the loss of Property is that I cannot but honour the Defenders of it though their defence comes too late to me I may appear vain in my complaint but People will Groan when they are in pain my Father and by consequence my self his Heir was stript long since by the advice of some ill great Men who sacrifice both private and publick Interest to their own of the Moity of a Province so considerable the French Crown thought it worth contending for many Years And if that fortunate Kingdom strove for it you may imagine they got it I have great hopes of a speedy reparation from the great Justice Clemency and Goodness of his Majesty But this loss made me run into that Madness call'd Poetry and inhabit that Bedlam call'd a Stage I have been so happy that for several Years certain Gentlemen unknown to me have fallen on me and endeavoured to Bleed me when ever I appear'd I wish I knew 'em that I might thank 'em for the Kindness they have done me though they design'd me nothing but Mischief The grounds of their Antipathy I know not Fools I confess may be very well moved to bark at Poets from the same cause that they say all kind of Dogs do at Skinners from a natural instinct that gives 'em notice their own Hides are in danger But I have no great scent of Blood upon me and therefore must impute their Aversions to those Occult Qualities that puzle Philosophers This convinces me 't is necessary for me to flie to some Wise Mans protection and I cannot be safer than under yours Poets are too poor to be beg'd 't is well if they can get Guardians for begging I am confident you will be entreated to take upon you the Guardianship of this little parcel of a Mad-mans Estate now I have told you for what good uses it 't is design'd And if so this will do well and I shall live at ease for those who will behave themselves very rudely to me as a Poet and to this as a thing for publick entertainment will be very civil to this when it is under your care and to me when I am received by you For SIR Your very humble Servant JOHN CROWN Henry the Sixth OR THE MURDER OF THE Duke of