Open thy mouth and let in these Morsels of mortality to gorge thy hunger Well I 'le in to a corner and feed like a mandiâ— Soldier Exit Ent. Edmund and Bishop Edm. Seek not to disallow my good intent For I must visit her Bish. To give your grace some satisfaction I 'le pass a little with Religious Orders For ne're no man unless a â—rier in confession Might meet in private with a sacred Nunne Edm. High seated Iove far meaner shapes diâ— take When he did visit his fair Parramour And shall I that am a mortall then disdaine The holy habit of a frolick Fryer No Reverent man stand it with thy good liking That shape above all other I would take Bish. You shall in hope your deeds Shall no way tend to acts of sacriledge Edm. To sacriledge no our thoughts are purâ— and free From the least thought of such a horrid crime The habit I will take onely because I would be admitted to her unknown Bish. Your thoughts are noble Sir and we'lâ— assist you Puts on a Fryer's shape Put on this habit and affect your wishes Let me alone to get admittance for you Edm. How doe you like me in this habit my Lord Bish. Now by my holy Order Royall Lord You in this shape may be admitted Unto all our Nunnes and be a helper To increase their stoie Edm. There will be one the less by her I fear Ent. Abesse and Nunnes Ab. Your humble hand-maids High and Reverent Lord Thus bow themselves before your Fatherhood Bish. We come grave Lady to have conference With one of your Religious Votarists That has we hear without Confession Lived many years in this your Nunnery Whose Father being a worthy Cittizen All careless of his life hath left his calling And by the River Thames a mile from London He late haâ—h builded up a famous Abbey Call'd by his own name Thorny and for this Fearing some sin of hers hath thus inforc't him I have here brought a holy Confessor That finding the true cause we may appear To reconcile her to her Fathers love Ab. 'T is a pious work Bish. Is she not here amongst these holy Sisters Ab. No my good Lord go on and call her forth Edm. I 'le be her Confessor Bish. And will not trouble your devotion Come holy Sister leave them to themselves Ab. Beleeve me gratious Lord I know no cause In her that should inforce her Father In such sort to estrange his love Her life is modest chaste and vertuous Ent. Anne with a deaths-head See here she comes sadly alone Ever in grief and contemplation It is the Reverent Bishop holy Daughter That here has brought a holy Confessour To have some conference about your Father Exâ—â— Edm. Oh! who can see a beauty mufflled up Thus like the sun in a malignant cloud And not shed tears Beauteous Nun I came from your Father An. My Father oh holy powers forgive him That has forgotten me but I 'le pray for him He never more will see me but in death As this sad token sent me witnesseth And 't is more wellcome comming from hiâ— hands Then all earths pleasure here I 'le learn to dye And never grieve him with my memory This object tells me that this life is vain All come from earth and must to earth again Edm. A good resolve a vertuous persuasion But tell me fairest what was the cause That made your Father to forsake you thus An. Heaven pardon him I pray that sundred us Edm. Him who why were â—here more Originalls Then your self An. Oh holy Frier let that point alone I may hurt one by that confession Which once I dearly loved but woe is me His love has brought me to this misery Edm. Whaâ— was he speak for you are sworâ— To open every â—cruple of your conscience To your Confessor that hiâ— saâ—ient judgment May minister a balsome to your wounds The oyâ— of vertuoâ—s counsell â—hat's distilde From he unfâ—ined coâ—â—sell of a tongue Tâ—aâ— stâ—ll speaks truth Play tâ—e good Chirurgeon Draw forth the filthy ulcers of your ill That your immaculate good may still rest sound Else the corrupted fistula of Sin Will putrifie the purest of your goodness Nor need you fear I will disclose For I am sworn ever to keep it close An O! holy Father pray for me and him I once did love Edm. It is my duty for to pray for him To entreat the powers above to quit his sin And yours what e're it were but one You once did love in that there is no sin An. Not if the hearts be true But ours met not and there my sorrow grew His place waâ— high and eminent in State Mine low of birth and most unfortunate Oh! let me name his Name with Reverence He is a Royal great and gracious Prince Nay more he 's now a King Edm. But tell me pray Was not your love equally paid from him An. Oh no! his very thought yet comforts me Yet 't is for him I live in misery Lord Edmund Brother to the King deceast Made me believe he lov'd me and I thought His oaths and protestations like himself Should all be Noble true and virtuous So rendred up my Virgin state to him Oh! then my grief began he soon forgot His former vows and left me big with child Which being by my Father once espide And I not daring to make known my love Lest I should wrong the Prince in rage and grief He thrust me forth his doors exclaim'd on me Taking such grief unto his aged heart That never since he would acknowledge me And in a grave he leads a life so poor That to my heart it is a grievous sore The angry Fates have all conspird to show The most that their enraged power can do My father's heart hath quite renounc't his child And my affections from my self exil'd I onely wish my hasty hour-glass run And with my cares my daily tears were done Edm. The King is just how can there be then Such unexpected Constancy in men Anne My noble King is just to whose royal breast 'T is too great boldnesse for me to make request I am too mean for him to think upon Long may he live and long t' enjoy his own That everlasting dayes may Crown his-head Shall be my pray'rs while here I 'me Cloistered Edm. What a soul of Virtue hath this woman Anne My father's Legacy this Sceleton Shall be my mate and sole Companion This face will not deceive me 't is my dear And counstant tutour I will it hear And in my armes for ever shall it lye 'Till death and dust have hid my misery Edm. Oh my heart how heavy art thou grown My lord Bishop I can no longer own This Fâ—yars Coul for I must now disclose My self sh' has suffer'd for my woes But yet I 'le stay and see the event of all Enter Wiltshire young Edmund and Abbesse Woodf Here comes your fair Son To see you Nun. Ann. Oh my dear Child Young Edm. Am
knows whose hands were bathed in the blood Wilt. You see the cruell terrors of these times Oh! gratious Prince and that which doth exceed The strength of all amazement since the death Of our late murdered Lord and Soveraign The Sun and Moon was never seen to shine Edm. The eye of heaven is banish't from the earth And gone to wander in eternall night And ransake some Cemerian seated cave To finde the Murderers that with horror sitts Starting at every apparition And never will illuminate the world Till it hath brought him to transparent view And to him speaks this thunder Sib. No 't is to me but I 'le not answer Though the boults should flie and strike me to the center Edm. How horridly it cracks A generall desolation sure is come And heavens glorious eye I think is banish't hence eternally Sib. Take courage Sir a Royall thought Stoops not to Fortunes blindness great thoughts are ever Fixt to the publik good and not kept down by passions Oh! the blood Wilt. Let 's invocate the powers above For to reveal the horrid Murderers Sib. Hot vengeance light on him that so perswades him Edm. Swear as you hope for heaven your carefull studies Shall be to siâ—t this execrable deed And bring to light this damned Murtherer Sib. Zoundes I must kill him too and prevent his purpose VVilt We vow the same with force and diligence Edm. As for my self I will outwatch the night Wast these life-seeing tapers of mine eyes Till they drop forth the sockets of my skull But I will finde the execrable Slave Why standst thou silent Sibert Sib. Alas my Lord I am hid in sorrow That in my house this mischief happened And yet dear Prince I have already spent The utmost minutes in this fatall business No place no person no suspected breast That might unto the act be aidable But I have torne it open and examin'd So that deceit it self could not deceive me But all in vain the damn'd Murderer lies unrevealed And heaven or none must find him hee 's so subtill Edm. I feare thy Loyalty come let 's to Coventry And there we will fift out murthers darkest ways Sibert let 's have your Company along Were millions given this purpose to prevent All Europe shall not hinder our intent Be ready Sibert Sib. With all my heart my Lord. Mischief confound it Edm. Set forward Lords Thou that still guards the right Bring this dark obscure murther to the light Exeunt Manet Sibert So the King 's for Coventry and I as mark't With some brand of suspicion must be the man To attend above the rest Sfoot what note Or character of guilt lies on my brow More then the rest my speech was firm I was less frighted with this loud tongu'd thundeâ— Then was the King or any of his Peeres And but my conscience nothing troubles me And that is no mans burthen but my own Which I 'le conceal though with the Kingdoms ruine Let Hell spit fire I 'le not accuse my self Although the Sun and Heaven be hid in clouds And with an everlasting darkness cover us Thunder loud Oh! I presume too much that crack has mazed me Horrour of Hell what shall I doe think Sibert and conceive What if the King should call my wife in question Or that the Murderers we hir'd to doe 't Should be surpris'd and brought unto the King Examined put to death where 's Sibert then Thrown in Hell fire never to rise again Which to prevent I 'le presently make flight And leave with them my feare and jealousie I 'le ship my self for Ireland and there Shrowd my self safe and there close up my eares From this loud peals of thunder which are sent And on my head with winged vengeance bent Exit Ent. Mr Woodford and Anne Thorny Wood. Now you are a happy mother the good Heavens Has brought your burthen to a happy issue you may Now curse the cause you shall have my instructions To direct you An. Now Heaven forbid VVood. By his delay you may see how he stands affected An. 'T is a delay without proportion VVood. Your Father threatens and persues your lives best shipwrack Vowing if you should starve not to give A penny for to comfort you An. Yet I will pray for him eternally And for my Sovereign which hath forsaken me But of his love I will expect no more Think wise or dream then of that thing Unknown unsought or never thought upon Wood. Oh! be not to your self so cruel An. Since in his loss I have lost my self and honour I now resolve in this unblemisht habit to weare out The remnant of my days in penetance Amongst the holy Nunnes of Holy well Into whose Sister-hood I am admitted And there for ever will I plant my being VVood. Oh! gentle Cuz An. I am deaf to all persuasions My best of blood I have no friend but you And in your virtue I impose my trust That with all secret care you chuse a time To give this ring to my dear Soveraign The once dear pledge of his forgotten love With it this letter in whose sad contents Is nothing but a vertuous milde intreaty That he would gratiously behold this child His hapless Son and called by his name Edmund that mongst the longer of my sighes I may have comfort to keep down my griefs VVood. And as my own I mean to tender it An. Your vertue makes my care lie easy on me Good Cosen speak what temper holds my Father VVood. Has given o're his house and all his wealth He means for to distribute to holy uses An. And yet I live and breath that am the sinfull author Of these sorrows but flows this deluge for his own Offences Or the remembrance of my hatefull shame VVood. From your disgrace An. Then to this World Adieu why doe you urge To hold me longer here a Prisoner I have out lived myne honour buried alive My old and vertuous Father for which I am below All reach of humane pitty that I know They wish to Serpents more prosperity My soul 's as black as darkness and can take no light Of other beauty till my teares have washt it I doe beseech you Cuz commend my duty To my Father and intreat his vertue To lâ—y no more affliction on his age for my offences past And last to thee my first of cares Whose innocence is spotted with my sin Oh! be thou made so blest that in thy vertues I and my faults may loose their memories Take my last kiss and with it these my teares Which to thy Royall Father thou shalt beare Now take it â—r and with it all my comforts all my prayers Love it dear Cuz though from grief it spring Yet 't is the onely Son unto a King farwell I feare we never more shall meet on earth Here my joys end you have my sorrows birth Exit VVood. Success attend you would all that stept awry Would be but subject to thy penalty Come on thou
I a King's Son Mother An. I dare not say thou art yet heaven weâ— knowes it Wilt. Our good King 's fair soul hath confest it An. My duty on my knees I render him Beseeching you to assure his Majesty That if the holy vows of faithfull hearts Witnest by heaven may make a marriage lawfull Without this earthly ceremonious state This câ—ild is onely hiâ— legâ—t mate Edm. I can forbear no longer I believe thee Come to my soul thou best of women Within this small circumference of my armes I hold a jâ—wel That which â— prise more then my diadem Come my dear love An. Oh my dear Lord Abb. The King turn'd Friar Edm. Come I must take away your Votariâ— Abb. Your Highness may command so she be pleas'd I could my self change states to be so rais'd Edm. Dry up these tears all grief is overthrown An. Content be yours I am no more my own But Oh! my Father Edm. Has lost himself in grief but when he hears Our sacred union he 'll find new joys Come my fair Queen set forward to our Court Where we 'l espouse thee On Reverend Bishop Thy hand shall joyn us let all people sing Anne Thorny's wife unto Great Englands King Exit Ent. Old Thorny led by an Angel Th. Oh! stay thou Minister yet speak to me Why hast thou led me all this silent night 'Bout this large building as if y 'ould survey Their workmanship and statelinesse I did not for my self erect this pile I have a Pallace for my proper use Ang. From the white path of blest Eternitie I 'me sent to comfort thy mortality Persevere Thorny as thou hast begun Thou shalt be made a bright-Celestiall Sun And with a quire of Angels thou shalt sing Thy pilgrimage and toyl is almost ended And now arriv'd whither thy steps have tended Leaving the world and her abortive race And sit as King in an immaculate place Exit Thor. Into what Sphear is my transcending soul Climb'd from the earth me thinks even now I see How death comes in to part this world and me I 'le hast me to my tombe and meet thee there What ho my man wake Sirrah rise and leave My silent tomb I 'le now go sleep my self Lob. I can never rest sleeping nor waking· This 't is to serve a Master that 's troubled with Chollimolly Some talk of taking pleasure in their bed I 'm sure I take none there for I am almost asleep before I go to bed and I am call'd up before I wake And this my masters bed that he sayes shall be his grave is none of the softest and surely none of the easiest neither for if it were he would not talk so much of it He thinks says and speaks of nothing else but of that and his dying two things I can't abide to hear of If he would mention good provision as plum-PUDDING good pouder'd beef mutton or veal turkies or capons pasties or tarts there were some comfort towards the keeping up of this poor frail flesh But he 's alwayes peeping on a bare deadman's head talking of grim death of an hourglasse run out and of tapers that are burnt and such like heavy stuffe that my weak stomack can't digest Well I 'le walk easily home and see what â—oan hath provided for us for unlesse I do look after all we shall have nothing Exit Thorney awakes and enters Thus thus my joyes are quite extinguisht never To be reviv'd thus gon thus gon for ever Oh world what art thou naught but discontent A Chaos of confusion making man repent All his delight and pleasure he hath past That bringeth naught but misery at last Oh heaven how much unto thee am I bound That I an end of this my grief have found And through this pilgrimage of life at last Wiâ—h patience through it I have gone and past But oh the sad remembrance of my child Has drawn back my grief that now was quite exil'd Still gripes my heart but being now to die All dying men should end in charity I doe forgive her now doe thou so heaven And then the debt of her defame is even Enter Young Edmund Wiltshire and Woodford Young Edm Good Sir where where 's my grandfather Pray shew him me That I may ask his blessing on my knee Thorn Ha! what apparition's this I was awake even now Why doe you kneel or thus stand bare about me You doe not worship me I 'me sure I am no Idol You hear me speak I hope VVood. We think no less but that you are a man And living This Mr. Thorney is the Royal Prince Thorn Pray pardon me I doe not come at Court You see good Sir what doting age can doe It is my duty then to kneel to you VVood. Stand up good Sir alas why doe you kneel Why doe you turn aside Thorn Stand up my Daughters Son And tempt no more my resolution I 'le ne're more see thee nor thy worthy Mother Queen Though trap't with all the ornaments of state And for her memory even Thee I hate Yet though I see thee not thus on thy head I 'le backward lay my hand and bend my knee With sighs and tears to pull a blessing down Shall be more pretious then thy fathers Crown Let heaven and holy Angels ever spread Their blest beatitudes upon thy head Peace crown thy days all graces thee attend And to thy race let thy race never end Live long in virtue let thy good o'regrow thee Or die before thy bad shall overthrow thee Nay rise my Child thy face ne're more I 'le see But pray to send thee blest eternitie Commend me to thy Mother say that I Freely forgive her and to heavens doe pray To wipe her deep insculped sins away And though on earth she now is placed high Oh! let her ne're transcend Humility My starrs burn dim my times sand-glass is run Record what for a daughter I have done And to the King my Royal Son say thus That his baâ—e Father dy'd ambitious For when his fainting body thus sunk down His soul flew up to heav'n to gain a Crown Young Edm. O my Grandsire Dyes VVood. I want tears to lament his misery VVilt Where 's the Reverend man VVood. He 's dead he 's dead My good Lord of Wiltshire Before the gasp of his last breath was gon His speech being usher'd with a deep fetcht groan Through the sad confluence and mistie throng Of his distracted thoughts his feeble tongue Dropt forth these words Thus fleet thus transitory Is mans delight and all that painted glory Poor earth can give Nor wealth nor bloud nor beauty Can quit the debt that necessary duty They owe to change and time but like a flow'r They flourish now and fade within an hour Wilt. The world is like a Play his glass is run Death acts the Epilogue and thus his dayes are done The King and Queen are come to comfort him VVood. They come too late Whirlewinds of grief has overwhelm'd lifes state VVilt He is then dead Alas this suddain death Will strike the Court with grief and heaviness But hark they come Ent. King Queen and Attendants King Where 's aged Thorny Quee. Where 's my displeased Father VVoodf Here 's his Effigies drawn unto the life By the grave workman of mortality All dreading death this doth prefigurate Man's pilgrimage on earth whose steps do tend To bring his life unto his journyes end Queâ—n O me unhappie eyes rain down bring drops And with them here embalme my Father's Corps Had I but got his blessing e'â—e he died I had bin happy Young Edm. You want not that Mother For in his blessing me he did name you And sent to you a blest Beatitude Queen Heaven quit him for 't let all the Court In black lament his death And let 's in sighes chaunt forth his requiem And to express my love unto the Hearse From whence I came the Nuns I 'le freely give Five hundred pounds a year whiles that I live King And I 'le make sure thy gift And now His old lamented Corps let be convai'd Upon a Chariot lin'd and oâ—erlaid With Sables then to receive the Crown Prepar'd for Virtue and deserv'd Renown Where now we leave him to be full pâ—sâ—est Of endlesse peace and everlasting Rest. Set on to Court 'till a fit time doth call To solemnize this mournfull Funeral And while the world shall last old Thorny's name Shall live recorded in the book of Fame FINIS ⸫ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ⸫ Here the Candles are putting out