France Irish cōflicts Scotland knowes my trust When thou hast kept thy skin vnscard and let thine armor rust How thou vniustly here exclaim'st Yea far from loue or kin Was this the oath which at our princes death With vs thou didst combine But time permits now to tell thee all my minde For well t is known that but for fear you neuer wold haue clind Let Commons now haue it in hand the matter is begun Of whom I feare the lesser sort vpon thy part will run My Lords I cannot breath it out in words like to you but this My honor I will set to sale let any comman man come in And say Earle Riuers faith vnto his Prince did quaile Then will I lose my lands and life but if none so can doo Then thou Protector iniur'st me and thy copartner too But since as Iudges here you are and taking no remorce Spare me not let me haue law iniustice do your worst Buc. My Lord lay down a cooling card this game is gone too far You haue him fast now cut him off for feare of ciuill war Iniurious Earle I hardly brooke this portion thou hast giuen Thus with my honor me to touch but thy ruth shall begin Ri. But as thou art I leaue thee here Vnto the officers custody First bare him to Pomphret Castle Charge them to keep him secretly And as you heare from me so deale Let it be done immediatly Take from our Garrison one whole band To guard him thither safely Riu. And send'st thou me to common Iayle Nay then I know thy minde God blesse these yoong and tender babes That I do leaue behinde And God aboue protect them day and night Those are the marks thou aim'st at to rid them from their right Farewell sweet England and my country men Earle Riuers leades the way Yet would my life might rid you from this thrall But for my stock kinred to the Queen I greatly feare thē all And thus disloyall Duke farewell when euer this is knowne The shame and infamy thereof be sure will be thine owne Exit Rich. So now my Lord of Buckingham let vs hoyst vp saile while the winde serues this hot beginning must haue a quicke dispatch therefore I charge and command straightly that euerie high way be laid close that none may be suffered to carrie this newes before we our selues come for if word come before vs then is our pretence bewraid and all we haue done to no effect If any aske the cause why they may not passe vse my authoritie and if he resist shoote him through Now my Lord of Buckingham let vs take post to Stony Stratford where happily I le say such grace to the Princes dinner that I will make the deuoutest of them forget what meat they eate and yet all for the best I hope Exit Enter the yoong Prince Lord Gray sir Thomas Vaughon sir Richard Hapc and their traine Hapc. Lord Gray you do discomfort the King by reason of your heauinesse Gray Alasse sir Richard how can I be merry when we haue so great a charge of his grace and again this makes me to greeue the more because wee cannot heare from Earle Riuers which makes me think the Protector and he haue bene at some words King Why good vnkle comfort your selfe no doubt my vnkle Earle Riuers is well is comming no doubt with my vnkle of Gloster to meete vs else we should haue heard to the contrarie If any haue cause to feare it is my selfe therfore good vnkle comfort your selfe and be not sad Gray The sweete ioyce of such a grape would comfort a man were he halfe dead and the sweete words of such a Prince would make men carlesse of mishaps how dangerous soeuer Hap. Lord Gray we heare now by all likelihoods the Protector not to be farre therefore wee are to entertaine him and the Duke of Buckingham with curtesie both for the Princes behalfe and for our owne Gray Sir Richard Hapc I shall hardly shew the Protector or the Duke of Buckingham any mery countenance considering how hardly I haue bene vsed by them both but yet for loue to my prince I wil bridle my affectiō but in good time they come Enters Richard Duke of Buckingham and their traine Rich. Long liue my Princely Nephew in all happinesse King Thankes vnckle of Gloster for your curtesie yet you haue made hast for we lookt not for you as yet Rich. Therein I shew my humble dutie to your grace whose life I wish to redouble your deceased fathers dayes King Thankes good vnckle Buc. Long liue my gratious Prince King Thankes Buckingham but vnckle you will beare vs company towards London Rich. For that cause we came Buc. Gentlemen on afore keep your roomes how now Lord Gray doo you iustle in the presence of the King This is more then needs Gray My Lord I scarce touched you I hope it be no offence Rich. Sir no great offence but inward enuy will burst out No Lord Gray you cannot hide your malice to vs of the Kings blood King Why good vnckle let me know the cause of your suddaine quarrell Rich. Marry thus noble Nephew the old wound of enuy being rubbed by Lord Grayes venomous rashnesse is growne to such a venomous sore that it is incurable without remooue of dead flesh Buc. Lord Gray I do so much dislike thy abuse that were it not in presence of the Prince I would bid thee combate but thus and it shal like your grace I arest atache this Lord Gray Sir Thomas Vaughon and Richard Hapce of high treason to your grace And that Lord Gray hath conueyed money out of the Tower to relieue our enemies the Scots and now by currying fauour with your Maiestie he thinkes it to be hid Rich. Only this I adde you gouerne the Prince without my authoritie allowing me no more then the bare name of Protector which I wil haue in the dispight of you and therfore as your competitor Earle Riuers is alreadie imprisoned so shall you be till time affoord the law to take place Gray But whereas we are atacht as traytors to his grace and gouerne him without your authoritie why we haue authoritie from the mother Queene And for the deliuery of the mony to the Scots it was done by a generall consent of you all and that I haue your hands to shew for my discharge therfore your arest atachment is not lawfull yet as lawful as your quarell is right Rich. Thy presumption condemnes thee Lord Gray thy arest is lawfull Therefore see them speedily and secretly imprisoned and after the coronation they shall answer it by law meane while Officers looke to your charge King A Gods and is it iustice without my consent Am I a King and beare no authoritie My louing kindred committed to prison as traytors in my presence and I stand to giue aime at them A Edward would thou laist by thy fathers side or else he had liued till thou hadst
be performed Touching the marriage with Elizabeth Daughter to our King Edward the fourth And by this marriage ioyne in vnitie Those famous Houses Lancashire and Yorke Then England shall no doubt haue cause to say Edwards coronation was a ioyfull day And t is is all Landoys desires to see Richm. Thanks Landoys and here Earle Richmonds vows If their kinde promises take but effect That as they haue promised I be made King I will so deale in gouerning the state Which now lies like a sauage shultred groue Where brambles briars and thornes ouer-grow those sprigs Which if they might but spring to their effect And not be crost so by their contraries Making them subiect to these outrages Would proue such members of the Common-weale That England should in them be honoured As much as euer was the Romane state When it was gouernd by the Councels rule And I will draw my swoord braue country-men And neuer leaue to follow my resolue Till I haue mowed those brambles briars and thornes That hinder those that long to do vs good Oxf. Why we haue scapt the dangeroust brunt of all Which was his garrison at Milford Hauen Shall we dismay or dant our friends to come Because he tooke the Duke of Buckingham No worthie friends and louing country-men Oxford did neuer beare so base a minde He will not winke at murthers secretly put vp Nor suffer vpstarts to enioy our rightes Nor liue in England vnder an vsurping king And this is Oxfords resolution Rich. But Blunt looke whos 's that knocks Blunt My Lord t is a messenger from the mother Queene And the Ladie Standley your mother with letters Rich. Admit him straight now shall we heare some newes Enters Messenger Mess. Long liue Earle Richmond The mother Queene doth greet your honour Rich. Welcome my friend how fares our mother the rest Mess. In health my Lord and glad to hear of your ariual safe Rich. My friend my mother hath written to me of certaine that are comming in our aide the report of whose names are referd to thee to deliuer Mess. First theirs the Lord Talbut the Earle of Shreuesbury sonne and heire with a braue band of his owne There is also the Lord Fitz Harbart the Earle of Pembrookes sonne and heire Of the Gentlemen of the Welch there is sir Prise vp Thomas and sir Thomas vp Richard sir Owen Williams braue gentlemen my Lord These are the chiefe Rich. Are these the full number of all that come Mess. Only two more my Lord which I haue left vnnamed the one is sir Thomas Denis a Westerne gentleman and ioynd with him one Arnoll Butler a great many are willing but dares not as yet Rich. Doth Arnoll Butler come I can hardly brooke his trecherie for hee it was that wrought my disgrace with the King Oxf. Well my Lord wee are now to strengthen our selues with friends and not to reape vp olde quarrels say that Arnoll Butler did iniurie you in the time of peace the mendes is twise made if he stand with you in the time of warres Rich. Well my friend take this for thy good newes And commend me to our mother and the rest Thus my Lords you see God still prouides for vs But now my Lords touching the placing of our battell best And how we may be least indangered Because I will be foremost in this fight To incounter with that bloodie murtherer My selfe wil lead the vaward of our troope My Lord of Oxford you as our second selfe Shall hall haue the happie leading of the reare A place I know which you will well deserue And Captaine Blunt Peter Landoyse and you Shall by in quarters as our battels scowtes Prouided thus your bow-men Captaine Blunt Must scatter here and there to gaull their horse As also when that our promised friends do come Then must you hold hard skirmish with our foes Till I by cast of a counter march Haue ioynd our power with those that come to vs Then casting close as wings on either side We will giue a new prauado on the foe Therefore let vs towards Aderstoe amaine Where we this night God-willing will incampe From thence towards Lichfield we will march next day And neerer London bid King Richard play Exit Enters the Page Page Where shall I finde a place to sigh my fill And waile the griefe of our sore troubled King For now he hath obtaind the Diademe But with such great discomfort to his minde That he had better liued a priuate man his lookes are gastly Hidious to behold and from the priuie sentire of his heart There comes such deepe fetcht sighes and fearefull cries That being with him in his chamber oft He mooues me weepe and sigh for company For if he heare one stirre he riseth vp And claps his hand vpon his dagger straight Readie to stab him what so ere he be But he must thinke this is the iust reuenge The heauens haue powred vpon him for his sinnes Those Peeres which he vnkindly murthered Doth crie for iustice at the hands of God And he in iustice sends continuall feare For to afright him both at bed and boord But staie what noyse is this who haue we here Enters men to go to Richmond How now sirs whither are you going so fast Men Why to Earle Richmonds Camp to serue with him For we haue left to serue King Richard now Page Why comes there any more Men A number more Exit Page Why these are the villaines my Lord would haue put his life into their hands A Richard now do my eyes witnesse that thy end is at hand For thy commons make no more account of thee then of a priuate man yet will I as dutie bindes giue thee aduertisements of their vniust proceedings My maister hath lifted out many and yet hath left one to lift him out of all not onely of his Crowne but also of his life But I will in to tell my Lord of what is happened Enters Richmond and Oxford Rich. Good my Lord depart and leaue me to my selfe Oxf. I pray my Lord let me go along with you Rich. My Lord it may not be for I haue promised my father that none shall come but my selfe therfore good my Lord depart Oxf. Good my Lord haue a care of your self I like not these night walkes and scouting abroad in the euenings so disguised for you must not now that you are in the usurper dominions and you are the onely marke he aimes at and your last nightes absence bred such amazement in our souldiers that they like men wanting the power to follow Armes were on a sodaine more liker to flie then to fight therefore good my Lorde if I may not stand neare let me stand aloofe off Rich. Content thee good Oxford and tho I confesse my self bound to thee for thy especiall care yet at this time I pray thee hold me excused But farewell my Lord heere comes my Lord and father Enters Standley and another Stan. Captaine
Rich. Then Madame for our happie battelles victorie first thankes to heauen next to my foreward country-men but Madame pardon me tho I make bold to charge you with a promise that you made which was confirmed by diuerse of the Peeres touching the marriage of Elizabeth and hauing ended what I promised you Madam I looke and hope to haue my due Stand. Then know my sonne the Peeres by full consent in that thou hast freed them from a tyrants yoke haue by election chosen thee as King first in regard they account thee vertuous next for that they hope all forraine broyles shall cease and thou wilt guide and gouerne them in peace then sit thou downe my sonne and here receiue the Crowne of England as thy proper owne sit downe Oxf. Henry the seuenth by the grace of God King of England France and Lord of Ireland God saue the King All Long liue Henry the seuenth King of England Rich. Thanks louing friends and my kind country-men and here I vow in presence of you all to root abuses from this common welth which now flowes faster then the furious tyde that ouerflowes beyond the bankes of Nile And louing father and my other friends whose ready forwardnesse hath made me fortunate Richmond will still in honourable loue count himselfe to be at your dispose nor do I wish to enioy a longer life then I shall liue to thinke vpon your loue But what saith faire Elizabeth to vs for now wee haue welcommed our other friends I must bid you welcome Ladie amongst the rest and in my welcome craue to be resolued how you resolue touching my profered loue vnto you here your mother and the Peeres agree and all is ended if you condescend Eliz. Then know my Lord that if my mother please I must in dutie yeeld to her command for when our aged father left his life he willed vs honour still our mothers age and therefore as my dutie doth command I do commit my selfe to her dispose Queene Then here my Lord receiue thy royall spouse vertuous Elizabeth for both the Peeres and Commons do agree that this faire Princesse shall be wife to thee And we pray all that faire Elizabeth may liue for aye and neuer yeeld to death Rich. And so say I thanks to you all my Lords that thus haue honoured Richmond with a Crowne and if I liue then make account my Lords I will deserue this with more then common loue Stan. And now were but my forme George Standley here How happie were our present meeting then But he is dead nor shall I euermore see my sweete Boy whom I do loue so deare for well I know the vsurper In his rage hath made a slaughter of my aged ioy Rich. Take comfort gentle father for I hope my brother George will turne in safe to vs Stand. A no my sonne for he that ioyes in blood will worke his furie on the innocent Enters two Messengers with George Standley Stan. But how now what noyse is this Mess. Behold Lord Standley we bring thy sonne thy sonne George Standley whom with great danger we haue saued from furie of a tyrants doome L. Stan. And liues George Standley Then happie that I am to see him freed thus from a tyrants rage Welcome my sonne my sweete George welcome home George Stan. Thanks my good father and George Standley ioyes to see you ioynd in this assembly And like a lambe kept by a greedie Woolfe within the inclosed sentire of the earth expecting death without deliuerie euen from this daunger is George Standley come to be a guest to Richmond the rest for when the bloodie butcher heard your honour did refuse to come to him hee like a sauage tygre then inraged commanded straight I should be murdered sent these two to execute the deed but they but they that knew how innocēt I was did post him off with many long delayes alleaging reasons to alaie his rage but t was in vaine for he like to a starued Lionesse still called for blood saying that I should die But to be briefe when both the battels ioyned these two and others shifted me away Rich. Now seeing that each thing turnes to our content I will it be proclaimed presently that traytrous Richard Be by our command drawne through the streets of Lester Starke naked on a Colliers horse let him be laide For as of others paines he had no regard So let him haue a traytors due reward Now for our marriage and our nuptiall rytes Our pleasure is they be solemnized In our Abby of Westminster according to the ancient custom due The two and twentith day of August next Set forwards then my Lords towards London straight There to take further order for the state Mess. Thus Gentles may you heere behold the ioyning of these Houses both in one by this braue Prince Henry the seauenth who was for wit compared to Salomon his gouernment was vertuous euery way and God did wonderously increase his store he did subdue a proud rebellious Lord that did encounter him vpon blacke health He died when he had raigned full three and twentie yeares eight moneths and some odde dayes and lies buried in Westminster He died left behind a sonne Mess. A sonne he left a Harry of that name a worthie valiant and victorious Prince for on the fifth yeare of his happie raigne hee entered France and to the Frenchmens costs hee wonne Turwen and Turney The Emperor serued this King for common pay and as a mersonary prince did follow him Then after Morle and Morles conquered he and still did keepe the French men at a bay And lastly in this Kings decreasing age he conquered Bullen and after when he was turned home he died when he had raigned full thirtie eight yeares nine moneths and some odde dayes and was buried in Windsore He died and left three famous springs behinde him Edward the sixt he did restore the Gospell to his light and finished that his father left vndone A wise yoong Prince giuen greatly to his booke He brought the English seruice first in vse and died when he had raigned six yeares fiue moneths some odde dayes and lieth buried in Westminster Eliza. Next after him a Mary did succeede which married Philip King of Spaine she raigned fiue yeares foure moneths and some odde dayes and is buried in Westminster When she was dead her sister did succeed Queene Worthie Elizabeth a mirrour in her age by whose wise life and ciuill gouernment her country was defended from the crueltie of famine fire and swoord warres fearefull messengers This is that Queene as writers truly say That God had marked downe to liue for aye Then happie England mongst thy neighbor Iles For peace and plentie still attends on thee And all the fauourable Planets smiles To see thee liue in such prosperitie She is that lampe that keeps faire Englands light And through her faith her country liues in peace And she hath put proud Antichrist to flight And bene the meanes that ciuill wars did cease Then England kneele vpon thy hairy knee And thanke that God that still prouides for thee The Turke admires to heare her gouernment And babies in Iury sound her princely name All Christian Princes to that Prince hath sent After her rule was rumord foorth by fame The Turke hath sworne neuer to lift his hand To wrong the Princesse of this blessed land T were vaine to tell the care this Queene hath had In helping those that were opprest by warre And how her Maiestie hath stil bene glad When she hath heard of peace proclaim'd from far Ieneua France and Flanders hath set downe The good she hath done since she came to the Crowne For which if ere her life be tane away God grant her soule may liue in heauen for aye For if her Graces dayes be brought to end Your hope is gone on whom did peace depend FINIS