to heauen and earth The sin is more to hacke and hew poore men Then to embrace in an vnlawfull bed The register of all rarieties Since Letherne Adam till this youngest howre Enter Countesse King Goe Lodwike put thy hand into thy purse Play spend giue ryot wast do what thou wilt So thou wilt hence awhile and leaue me heere Now my soules plaiefellow art thou come To speake the more then heauenly word of yea To my obiection in thy beautious loue Count My father on his blessing hath commanded King That thou shalt yeeld to me Coun: I deare my liege your due King And that my dearest loue can be no lesse Then right for right and render loue for loue Count Then wrong for wrong and endles hate for hate But sith I see your maiestie so bent That my vnwillingnes my husbands loue Your high estate nor no respect respected Can be my helpe but that your mightines Will ouerbeare and awe these deare regards I bynd my discontent to my content And what I would not I le compell I will Prouided that your selfe remoue those lets That stand betweene your highnes loue and mine King Name then faire Countesse and by heauen I will Co: It is their liues that stand betweene our loue That I would haue chokt vp my soueraigne Ki. Whose liues my Lady Co. My thrice loving liege Your Queene and Salisbury my wedded husband Who liuing haue that tytle in our loue That we cannot bestow but by their death Ki Thy opposition is beyond our Law Co. So is your desire if the law Can hinder you to execute the one Let it forbid you to attempt the other I Cannot thinke you loue me as you say Vnlesse you do make good what you haue sworne No more thy husband and the Queene shall dye Fairer thou art by farre then Hero was Beardles Leander not so strong as I He swome an easie curraunt for his loue But I will throng a hellie spout of bloud To arryue at Cestus where my Hero lyes Co: Nay you le do more you le make the Ryuer to With their hart bloods that keepe our loue asunder Of which my husband and your wife are twayne Ki. Thy beauty makes them guilty of their death And giues in euidence that they shall dye Vpon which verdict I their Iudge condemne them Co: O periurde beautie more corrupted Iudge When to the great Starre-chamber ore our heads The vniuersell Sessions cals to count This packing euill we both shall tremble for it Ki. VVhat saies my faire loue is she resolute Co. Resolute to be dissolude and therefore this Keepe but thy word great king and I am thine Stand where thou dost I le part a little from thee And see how I will yeeld me to thy hands Here by my side doth hang my wedding knifes Take thou the one and with it kill thy Queene And learne by me to finde her where she lies And with this other I le dispatch my loue Which now lies fast a sleepe within my hart When they are gone then I le consent to loue Stir not lasciuious king to hinder me My resolution is more nimbler far Then thy preuention can be in my rescue And if thou stir I strike therefore stand still And heare the choyce that I will put thee to Either sweare to leaue thy most vnholie sute And neuer hence forth to solicit me Or else by heauen this sharpe poynted knyfe Shall staine thy earth with that which thou would staine My poore chast blood sweare Edward sweare Or I will strike and die before thee heere King Euen by that power I sweare that giues me now The power to be ashamed of my selfe I neuer meane to part my lips againe In any words that tends to such a sute Arise true English Ladie whom our I le May better boast of then euer Romaine might Of her whose ransackt treasurie hath taskt The vaine indeuor of so many pens Arise and be my fault thy honors fame Which after ages shall enrich thee with I am awaked from this idle dreame Warwike my Sonne Darby Artoys and Audley Braue warriours all where are you all this while Enter all Warwike I make thee Warden of the North Thou Prince of Wales and Audley straight to Sea Scoure to New-hauen some there staie for me My selfe Artoys and Darby will through Flaunders To greete our friends there and to craue their aide This night will scarce suffice me to discouer My follies seege against a faithfull louer For ere the Sunne shal guide the esteme skie We le wake him with our Marshall harmonie Exeunt Enter King Iohn of Fraunce his two sonnes Charles of Normandie and Phillip and the Duke of Lorraine King Iohn Heere till our Nauie of a thousand and saile Haue made a breakfast to our foe by Sea Let vs incampe to wait their happie speede Lorraine what readines is Edward in How hast thou heard that he prouided is Of marshiall furniture for this exployt Lo: To lay aside vnnecessary soothing And not to spend the time in circumstaunce T is bruted for a certenty my Lord That hee s exceeding strongly fortified His subiects flocke as willingly to warre As if vnto a tryumph they were led Ch: England was wont to harbour malcontents Blood thirsty and seditious Catelynes Spend thrifts and such as gape for nothing else But changing and alteration of the state And is it possible That they are now so loyall in them selues Lo: All but the Scot who sollemnly protests As heere to fore I haue enformd his grace Neuer to sheath his Sword or take a truce Io: Ah that 's the anchredge of some better hope But on the other side to thinke what friends King Edward hath retaynd in Netherland Among those euer-bibbing Epicures Those frothy Dutch men puft with double beere That drinke and swill in euery place they come Doth not a little aggrauate mine ire Besides we heare the Emperor conioynes And stalls him in his owne authoritie But all the mightier that their number is The greater glory reapes the victory Some friends haue we beside drum stricke power The sterne Polonian and the warlike Dane The king of Bohemia and of Cycelie Are all become confederates with vs And as I thinke are marching hither apace But soft I heare the musicke of their drums By which I gesse that their approch is neare Enter the King of Bohemia with Danes and a Polonian Captaine with other soldiers another way King of Boheme King Iohn of Fraunce as league and neighborhood Requires when friends are any way distrest I come to aide thee with my countries force Pol. Cap. And from great Musco fearefull to the Turke And lofty Poland nurse of hardie men I bring these seruitors to fight for thee Who willingly will venture in thy cause K. Io: Welcome Bohemian king and welcome all This your great kindnesse I will not forget Besides your plentiful rewards in Crownes That from our Treasory ye shall receiue There comes a hare
of her eies I le say that like a glas they catch the sunne And thence the hot reflection doth rebounde Against my brest and burnes my hart within Ah what a world of descant makes my soule Vpon this voluntarie ground of loue Come Lodwick hast thou turnd thy inke to golde If not write but in letters Capitall my mistres name And it wil guild thy paper read Lorde reade Fill thou the emptie hollowes of mine eares With the sweete hearing of thy poetrie Lo: I haue not to a period brought her praise King Her praise is as my loue both infinit Which apprehend such violent extremes That they disdaine an ending period Her bewtie hath no match but my affection Hers more then most myne most and more then more Hers more to praise then tell the sea by drops Nay more then drop the massie earth by sands And said by said print them in memorie Then wherefore talkest thou of a period To that which craues vnended admiration Read let vs heare Lo: More faire and chast then is the queen of shades King That loue hath two falts grosse and palpable Comparest thou her to the pale queene of night Who being set in darke seemes therefore light What is she when the sunne lifts vp his head But like a fading taper dym and dead My loue shall braue the ey of heauen at noon And being vnmaskt outshine the golden sun Lo: What is the other faulte my soueraigne Lord King Reade ore the line againe Lo: More faire and chast King I did not bid thee talke of chastitie To ransack so the treason of her minde For I had rather haue her chased then chast Out with the moone line I wil none of it And let me haue hir likened to the sun Say shee hath thrice more splendour then the sun That her perfections emulats the sunne That shee breeds sweets as plenteous as the sunne That shee doth thaw cold winter like the sunne That she doth cheere fresh sommer like the sunne That shee doth dazle gazers like the sunne And in this application to the sunne Bid her be free and generall as the sunne Who smiles vpon the basest weed that growes As louinglie as on the fragrant rose Le ts see what followes that same moonelight line Lo: More faire and chast then is the louer of shades More bould in constancie King In constancie then who Lo: Then Iudith was King O monstrous line put in the next a sword And I shall woo her to cut of my head Blot blot good Lodwicke let vs heare the next Lo: There 's all that yet is donne King I thancke thee then thou hast don litle ill But what is don is passing passing ill No let the Captaine talke of boystrous warr The prisoner of emured darke constraint The sick man best sets downe the pangs of death The man that starues the sweetnes of a feast The frozen soule the benefite of fire And euery griefe his happie opposite Loue cannot sound well but in louers toungs Giue me the pen and paper I will write Enter Countes But soft here comes the treasurer of my spirit Lodwick thou knowst not how to drawe a battell These wings these flankars and these squadrons Argue in thee defectiue discipline Thou shouldest haue placed this here this other here Co. Pardon my boldnes my thrice gracious Lords Let my intrusion here be cald my duetie That comes to see my soueraigne how he fares Kin: Go draw the same I tell thee in what forme Lor: I go Con Sorry I am to see my liege so sad What may thy subiect do to driue from thee Thy gloomy consort sullome melancholie King Ah Lady I am blunt and cannot strawe The flowers of solace in a ground of shame Since I came hither Countes I am wronged Cont Now God forbid that anie in my howse Should thinck my soueraigne wrong thrice gentle King King Acquant me with theyr cause of discontent How neere then shall I be to remedie Cont As nere my Liege as all my womans power Can pawne it selfe to buy thy remedy King Yf thou speakst true then haue I my redresse Ingage thy power to redeeme my Ioyes And I am ioyfull Countes els I die Coun: I will my Liege King Sweare Counties that thou wilt Coun: By heauen I will King Then take thy selfe a litel waie a side And tell thy self a King doth dote on thee Say that within thy power doth lie To make him happy and that thou hast sworne To giue him all the Ioy within thy power Do this and tell me when I shall be happie Coun: All this is done my thrice dread souereigne That power of loue that I haue power to giue Thou hast with all deuout obedience Inploy me how thou wilt in profe therof King Thou hearst me saye that I do dote on thee Coun: Yf on my beauty take yt if thou canst Though litle I do prise it ten tymes lesse If on my vertue take it if thou canst For vertues store by giuing doth augment Be it on what it will that I can giue And thou canst take awaie inherit it King It is thy beautie that I woulde enioy Count O were it painted I would wipe it of And disposse my selfe to giue it thee But souereigne it is souldered to my life Take one and both for like an humble shaddow Yt hauntes the sunshine of my summers life But thou maist leue it me to sport with all Count As easie may my intellectual soule Be lent awaie and yet my bodie liue As lend my bodie pallace to my soule Awaie from her and yet retaine my soule My bodie is her bower her Court her abey And shee an Angell pure deuine vnspotted If I should leaue her house my Lord to thee I kill my poore soule and my poore soule me King Didst thou not swere to giue me what I would Count I did my liege so what you would I could King I wish no more of thee then thou maist giue Nor beg I do not but I rather buie That is thy loue and for that loue of thine In rich exchaunge I tender to thee myne Count But that your lippes were sacred my Lord You would prophane the holie name of loue That loue you offer me you cannot giue For Caesar owes that tribut to his Queene That loue you beg of me I cannot giue For Sara owes that duetie to her Lord He that doth clip or counterfeit your stamp Shall die my Lord and will your sacred selfe Comit high treason against the King of heauen To stamp his Image in forbidden mettel For getting your alleageance and your othe In violating mariage secred law You breake a greater honor then your selfe To be a King is of a yonger house Then to be maried your progenitour Sole ragning Adam on the vniuerse By God was honored for a married man But not by him annointed for a king It is a pennalty to breake your statutes Though not enacted with your highnes hand How much more
I go Pr. How confident their strength and number makes them Now Audley sound those siluer winges of thine And let those milke white messengers of time Shew thy times learning in this dangerous time Thy selfe art busie and bit with many broiles And stratagems sore past with yron pens Are texted in thine honorable face Thou art a married man in this distresse But danger wooes me as a blushing maide Teach me an answere to this perillous time Aud. To die is all as common as to liue The one in choice the other holds in chase For from the instant we begin to liue We do pursue and hunt the time to die First bud we then we blow and after seed Then presently we fall and as a shade Followes the bodie so we follow death If then we hunt for death why do we feare it If we feare it why do we follow it If we do teare how can we shun it If we do feare with feare we do but aide The thing we feare to seize on vs the sooner If wee feare not then no resolued proffer Can ouerthrow the limit of our fate For whether ripe or rotten drop we shall as we do drawe the lotterie of our doome Pri. Ah good olde man a thousand thousand armors These wordes of thine haue buckled on my backe Ah what an idiot hast thou made of lyfe To seeke the thing it feares and how disgrast The imperiall victorie of murdring death Since all the liues his conquering arrowes strike Seeke him and he not them to shame his glorie I will not giue a pennie for a lyfe Nor halfe a halfe penie to shun grim death Since for to liue is but to seeke to die And dying but beginning of new lyfe Let come the houre when he that rules it will To liue or die I hold indifferent Exeunt Enter king Iohn and Charles Ioh: A sodaine darknes hath defast the skie The windes are crept into their caues for feare the leaues moue not the world is husht and still the birdes cease singing and the wandring brookes Murmure no wonted greeting to their shores Silence attends some wonder and expecteth That heauen should pronounce some prophesie Where or from whome proceeds this silence Charles Ch: Our men with open mouthes and staring eyes Looke on each other as they did attend Each others wordes and yet no creature speakes A tongue-tied feare hath made a midnight houre and speeches sleepe through all the waking regions Ioh: But now the pompeous Sunne in all his pride Lookt through his golden coach vpon the worlde and on a sodaine hath he hid himselfe that now the vnder earth is as a graue Darke deadly silent and vncomfortable A clamor of rauens Harke what a deadly outcrie do I heare Ch. Here comes my brother Phillip Ioh. All dismaid What fearefull words are those thy lookes presage Pr. A flight a flight Ioh: Coward what flight thou liest there needs no flight Pr. A flight Kin: Awake thy crauen powers and tell on the substance of that verie feare in deed Which is so gastly printed in thy face What is the matter Pr. A flight of vgly rauens Do croke and houer ore our souldiers heads And keepe in triangles and cornerd squares Right as our forces are imbatteled With their approach there came this sodain fog Which now hath hid the airie flower of heauen And made at noone a night vnnaturall Vpon the quaking and dismaied world In briefe our souldiers haue let fall their armes and stand like metamorphosd images Bloudlesse and pale one gazing on another Io: I now I call to mind the prophesie But I must giue no enterance to a feare Returne and harten vp these yeelding soules Tell them the rauens seeing them in armes So many faire against a famisht few Come but to dine vpon their handie worke and praie vpon the carrion that they kill For when we see a horse laid downe to die although not dead the rauenous birds Sit watching the departure of his life Euen so these rauens for the carcases Of those poore English that are markt to die Houer about and if they crie to vs T is but for meate that we must kill for them Awaie and comfort vp my souldiers and sound the trumpets and at once dispatch This litle busines of a silly fraude Exit Pr. Another noise Salisbury brought in by a French Captaine Cap: Behold my liege this knight and fortie mo Of whom the better part are slaine and fled With all indeuor sought to breake our rankes And make their waie to the incompast prince Dispose of him as please your maiestie Io: Go the next bough souldier that thou seest Disgrace it with his bodie presently For I doo hold a tree in France too good To be the gallowes of an English theefe Sa: My Lord of Normandie I haue your passe And warrant for my safetie through this land Ch. Villiers procurd it for thee did he not Sal: He did Ch: And it is currant thou shalt freely passe En Io: I freely to the gallows to be hangd Without deniall or impediment Awaie with him Vil. I hope your highnes will not so disgrace me and dash the vertue of my seale at armes He hath my neuer broken name to shew Carectred with this princely hande of mine and rather let me leaue to be a prince Than break the stable verdict of a prince I doo beseech you let him passe in quiet Ki Thou and thy word lie both in my command What canst thou promise that I cannot breake Which of these twaine is greater infamie To disobey thy father or thy selfe Thy word nor no mans may exceed his power Nor that same man doth neuer breake his worde That keepes it to the vtmost of his power The breach of faith dwels in the soules consent Which if thy selfe without consent doo breake Thou art not charged with the breach of faith Go hang him for thy lisence lies in mee and my constraint stands the excuse for thee Ch. VVhat am I not a soldier in my word Then armes adieu and let them fight that list Shall I not giue my girdle from my wast But with a gardion I shall be controld To saie I may not giue my things awaie Vpon my soule had Edward prince of VVales Ingagde his word writ downe his noble hand For all your knights to passe his fathers land The roiall king to grace his warlike sonne VVould not alone safe conduct giue to them But with all bountie feasted them and theirs Kin: Dwelst thou on presidents then be it so Say Englishman of what degree thou art Sa: An Earle in England though a prisoner here And those that knowe me call me Salisburie Kin: Then Salisburie say whether thou art bound Sa. To Callice where my liege king Edward is Kin: To Callice Salisburie then to Callice packe and bid the king prepare a noble graue To put his princely sonne blacke Edward in and as thou trauelst westward from this place Some two