Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A35321
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The English princess, or, The death of Richard the III a tragedy written in the year 1666, and acted at His Highness the Duke of York's Theatre.
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Caryll, John, 1625-1711.
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1667
(1667)
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Wing C744; ESTC R170909
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38,360
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72
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THE English Princess OR THE DEATH OF RICHARD THE III. A TRAGEDY Written in the Year 1666 and Acted at his Highness the Duke of York's Theatre Nec minimum meruêre decus vestigia Graeca Ausi deserere laudare domestica facta Horat. de Art Poet. LICENSED May 22. 1667. Roger L'Estrange LONDON Printed for Thomas Dring and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the George in Fleetstreet neer St. Dunstans-Church 1667. PROLOGUE YOu must to day your Appetite prepare For a plain English Treat of homely Fare We neither Bisque nor Ollià s shall advance From Spanish Novel or from French Romance Nor shall we charm your Ears or feast your Eyes With Turkey-Works or Indian Rarityes But to plain Hollinshead and down-right Stow We the coarse Web of our Contrivance owe. Since Laces Ribbands and such Modish geer Fetcht from abroad are now forbidden here Amongst those Forreign Toys for ought we know Fine Plots for Plays may be included too Greece the first Mistress of the Tragick Muse To grace her Stage did her own Heroes chuse Their Pens adorn'd their Native Swords and thus What was not Grecian past for Barbarous On us our Country the same duty lays And English Wit should English Valour raise Why should our Land to any Land submit In choice of Heroes or in height of Wit This made him write who never writ till now Only to shew what better Pens should do And for his Pains he hopes he shall be thought Though a bad Poet a good Patriot The Persons King Richard the third Queen Dowager of Edward the fourth Princess Elizabeth Daughter of Edward the fourth Earl of Richmond Crown'd Henry the seventh Earl of Oxford Lord Lovel Lord Stanly Sir William Catesby Lord Strange his Son Sir Richard Ratclife Lord Chandew of Bretany Miles Forrest Sir William Stanly The Priour of Litchfield Mrs. Stanly A Captain A Lieutenant Charlot Page to the Princess Souldiers Guards and Artendants The Scenes are laid in the Head-quarters of King Richard and the Earl of Richmond when they are in sight of one another THE English Princess OR THE DEATH OF RICHARD III. A TRAGEDY ACTUS I. Enter King Lord Lovel Sir William Catesby Sir Richard Ratclife with Guards and Attendants King THe World must now confess that Monarchs are Of him who rules above the cheifest care For Richmond whom in vain so long I sought Whom I with half my Realm had gladly bought Is past retreat brought home to my own door Heaven could not give me nor I covet more Fond Boy what madness with such fatal speed Under my Justice hastens thee to bleed I owe thy Frenzy to my kinder Stars Who thus conclude my dangers and my wars L. Lovel The Powers above are now ambitious grown To bribe your Favour and preserve your Throne They give you Richmond and in giving him They from the power of chance your Crown redeem Should the world joyn this Kingdom to devour It would not weaken but declare your power Catesby Tumultuous and Unarm'd their Forces are And fit to make a riot not a war The Crown tempts Richmond like a silly Fly Which dazled with the flame does in it dy As Justice here below so Heaven does blind Their eyes whose execution is design'd King I both his rashness and his weakness know But those who now are weak may stronger grow I therefore have such preparations made As form an Army fitter to invade Whole Kingdoms then to quell a giddy Rout Of half-starv'd Fugitives newly thrust out From Forreign Lands Poor Worms they shall not long Attend their Fate Treason though ne're so young And weak should not be dally'd with but must When first it buds and in the shell be crush't Ratclife Great Sir these Fugitives will soon afford More bus'ness for your Heads-man then your Sword But 't is not now their number nor their armes That they confide in they have other charms Which draw into their Circle and bewitch All those whom either discontent or Itch Of novelty makes apt to be undone The Lady El'sabeth's weak right they own To ground their Treason on they boldly frame All Orders Warrants Summons in her Name And thus the easie Welch a Nation soon Stirr'd up and then again as soon laid down Caught with this Quail-pipe to their Camp resort And with Provisions the lean Troops support Catesby Young Richmond does himself her Champion own And brags his bus'ness is to place the Crown On that young Lady's head at least to dy In the attempt King O rare Knight-Errantry By these degrees he would himself prefer First to espouse her Quarrel and then Her But this bold Youth shall feel that he is more Out-match't in Wit and Policy then Powe She shall be crown'd and marry'd but by thee Young Fool nor crown'd nor marry'd shall she be For when she wears a Crown thou l't want a Head Thou in thy Grave she in her Maâ—â—â—age-Bed At the same time shall lye Catesby Sir will you give Me leave to ask how your pretentions thrive And what impression they have made upon That Lady's heart She cannot be all Stone And still make answer with a sullen No When so much Power and Eloquence shall woo King Something tow'rds Conquest in the Siege is done For in the Queen I have the out-works won But the main Fort is such a stubborn Rock As does all Parlies and all Stormings mock L. Lovel The Mother gain'd is more then half the day A Daughter's duty must not disobey And the two greatest Powers at once withstand Both of a Mother and a King's Command Catesby This present juncture of affairs requires A speedy answer to your just desires You must those strict Formalities lay by Which custom pays to Virgin Modesty For now the publick safety does perswade To court her like a Widow not a Maid King I know how much depends on this dispatch The Peace of Nations rests upon our match I and the Kingdom can no longer stay And if she will not love she must obey Enter Lord Stanly SCENA II. King Lord Stanly Lord Lovel Catesby Ratclife and Lord Strange c. Catesby Sir my Lord Stanly arriv'd King My best Of Friends O let me lodge thee in my breast The Person of the World most coveted For my occasions want thy Hand and Head Thy Councel and thy Action L. Stanly Sir to you All that I can all that I am is due King You now may shew it Stanly in defence Of your best Friend For Richmond with pretence Of right as weak as his starv'd Forces are Invades the Land whom nothing but despair Or hunger could have thrust on this design Unless some Traitors here should with him joyn L. Stanly Poor Mushrom His short date of Life is out Since all his hopes are in the fickle Rout Whose Favour is more various then the Winds Whose Fortunes are more desp'rate then their Minds But when your conqu'ring Army comes in sight You 'l find them fit for
you I did impute that Blame becomes my due Errours of Passion not of Will may find An easie Pardon in a generous Mind L. Stanly Madam your goodness now confounds me more Then your unkind reproaches did before But your concernments now require my haste And make the price of Time too great to waste Yet ere I part I must with Joy relate Of our improving Cause the prosp'rous state For your great Chief advances with a Power Resolv'd and Numerous growing every hour Which still receives by a supply'd access Of the Heroick Welch a fair encrease And Madam from this Camp you soon will see His Flying Colours brave the Enemie Princess His hasty Succours may advance too late L. Stan. Too late how can that be Prin. The Tyrant's hate By a most Fatal Metamorphosis Does in Love's Image his ill shape disguise Of which I dread the dismal consequence L. Stanly The thoughts of his own Danger and Defence Will soon allay the crafty Lover's Heats Princess Whilst I am in his Power no Fatal threats That aim at him can make my safety better For when his danger 's great mine must be greater His bloody Temper urg'd by Jealousie Will all his former cruelties outvie L. Stanly Madam can Heaven for such a Tyrant's sake Pervert their Justice and you Guilty make But is it true that now the Queen does prove A Mediatour for the Tyrant's Love Princess It is too true A Mothers tender heart Does for my safety take the Tyrant's part L. Stanly Ha's she forgot what Guardian he has been To her two Sons Ha's she not lately seen What Husband to his Wife he prov'd and can A Mother give a Daughter to this man Princess My Lord she is my Mother pray forbear L. Stanly I must not speak what you are loth to hear Princess I fear my Lord that our great bus'ness may Suffer some damage by your longer stay And yet one minute more you must attend Whilst I an answer to this Letter send L. Stanly Your sight with no mean Joy my heart does bless Mrs. Stanly Brother your kindness makes my happiness Exeunt Princess and Mrs. Stanly SCEN. IV. Lord Stanly Charlot L. Stanly Sir by the noble Richmond's strict commands I am to leave this Letter in your hands You are intirely happy in his grace I find you there possess an envyed place Charlot I may presume that for so poor a thing As Charlot Envy cannot find a sting L. Stanly Your Person I confess should alwaies prove The subject not of envy but of love Nature does court you and her Favourite Is for a Prince his kindness ever fit Charlot My Lord you quite mistake me I was worse Then nothing till my Essence from that Source Of goodness was deriv'd From him I own Being and Happiness So the kind Sun Smiles on a Clod of Earth after a showre And then prefers that Dirt into a Flower L. Stanly Your Person and your Gratitude both shew Your Patron just when he is kind to you I find the Royal Princess too does seem To give you the same place in her esteem Charlot She does her gracious countenance afford To a slight Toy sent to her from my Lord. L. Stanly But in this jealous Court what Industry Has thus preserv'd you from each watchful spy Charlot Their bus'ness is above I keep below Besides French Pages are the Fashion now But pray my noble Lord what numbers join Of French Nobless to favour our Design L. Stanly I durst not publick in their Camp appear But of a Breton Lord much Fame I hear Charlot starts He 's Chandew call'd What 's this something I find By your chang'd face has discompos'd your mind Charlot My Lord I hope you will not think it strange That in my troubled breast you see this change Impressions such as these are often wrought When absent Friends and Country fill our thought Such fits will quickly vanish But I fear That our attendance we too long forbear L. Stanly Charlot 't is well advis'd Pray shew the way Exeunt L. Stanly and Charlot Enter again Charlot reading the Letter My Charlot I beg the continuance of thy kindness in being the faithful Interpreter and Promoter of my Passion to our adored Princess Charlot shuts the Letter suddenly Charlot Dear Paper I to thee this Homage pay kisses the Letter Though I in thy contents already find A Warrant for my execution sign'd Which I must serve upon my self and be The instrument of my own Destinie Though I am thus condemn'd yet I not grudge To kiss the Sentence and adore the Judge I only pray my Punishment may be Kept secret and exempt from infamie Alas my hopes are vain for how can I Conceal a Daughter from a Fathers eye My Fault 's too great for Pardon I allow Yet I as great a Penance undergo Since I assist my Rival to possess That which possest destroys my Happiness Grant Heaven at least that I may part from hence As clear in Honour as in Innocence Exit Charlot SCEN. V. Enter King Queen L d Strange and Attendants King Well Madam will she yield Queen I did not spare My labour to reduce her nor my care Patience must this to happy issue bring King Patience is not the Virtue of a King It will concern you and your Daughter too Not to become too tedious Queen Sir you woo In a strange Language King I must change my course Queen Nothing does less consist with Love then Force King Call Stanly and his Sister The Idle may In lingring Courtship trifle out the Day Slow Treaties will to stormings him oblige Who leisure wants to take the Fort by Siege Princess In exigents of State or Rage of War Sudden dispatch and Force conducing are But Sir in love-concernments they destroy The chiefest Blessing that you would enjoy King Madam these tedious forms destructive grow The safety of my Crown they overthrow Like a bold Suitour Richmond marches on And by pretending Love to Strength is grown When Kingdoms such Convulsion-fits endure We must not complement about the Cure Enter Sir Will. Stanly Stanly have you perform'd what I enjoyn'd Sir W. Stan. I have obey'd you Sir King But do you find Good Symptoms of Success Mrs. Stanly What shall I say apart Sir W. Stan. Sir I have done my part King Then I must lay Madam the blame on you if my design To Mrs. Stanly Miscarry Mrs. Stanly Sir unless the Fault be mine Your Justice will not punish me with blame King I do not like this Prologue Does my Flame Yet warm her Breast Mrs. Stanly Sir she condemns your haste And says her time of mourning is not past For her two Brothers and she thinks that you Your Queen scarce cold should be a mourner too Then she concludes it would great Scandal move If two so deep in Sorrow should make Love King She thinks it is too soon for me to woo But does she think it so for Richmond too Madam you know