THE Love-sick KING An English Tragical History WITH The Life and Death of Cartesmunda the fair Nun of Winchester Written by Anth. Brewer Gent. LONDON Printed for Rob. Pollard at the Ben Ionson-head behind the Exchange and Iohn Sweeting at the Angel in Popes-head-Alley 1655. Persons of the Play Etheldred King of England slain Alured his Brother after disguised under the name of Eldred and at last King Canutus King of Denmark the Love-sick King The King of Scotland Edmond Duke of Thetford Edulf and Edell Lords 1 Captain 2. Captain Osbert the Rebel Duke of Mertia Erkinwald and Harrold Lords of Denmark Osrick Hoffman Huldrick Danes Walcolme a Scot The Abbot of Winchester Goodgift a Merchant of Newcastle Randal a Coal-Merchant brother to Goodgifts wife George Factor to Goodgift Thornton the Pedlar Grim the Collier Servant to Randal A Black-smith A Gold-smith A Workman 〈◊〉 Elgina Sister to Canutus King of Denmark Cartesm•nda the fair Nun of Winchester Wife to Goodgift after his widow The Scene England The Love Sick KING ACT. 1. SCEN. 1. Enter King Etheldred Alured his Brother Edmond Duke of Thetford Edulf Edell Earl of Hampshire with their Swords drawn and some Souldiers wounded before them Alarms continuing afar off King O Stay and hear me speak my noble Friends my Subjects and my Souldiers hear your King in nine set Battels •gainst the conquering Danes hath Ethelred with various fortunes fought to rescue you and England from the spoyls of War and Tyranny Recall your spirits this City Winchester is all our strength And if you cease to fight the Foe comes on With bloody rage and sad confusion Cap. 1. The breach is made the Danes rush ore the Walls and like the pent up Ocean 'bove his banks falls from his height with roaring violence and drowns us all in blood Alu. despair not quite We yet may beat 'em back arm arm to fight Edm. The Danes are in the streets slaughter begins and execution is their Souldiers words O will you lay your throats beneath their swords or doth your danger make you desperate your houses will be preys to fire and theft King Your Wives and Daughters slaves to Danish lust Alur Your Children in their Mothers arms struck dead Edm. The names of English torn from memory Oh let your valors in one chance be buil'd Or quite extirpe a Nation from the World King See on my knees I pray you for your selves O 't is for Englands safety not my own makes me a Subject to my Subjects thus pitty your King your Country and your selves that now are falling let your valors rise and in this last resist your enemies Alu. Now by my Princely birth my royal Brother His sight amazes more than all the Danes rise rise and speak no more put them away the stones will sooner yeeld you aid than they 2. Capt. Rip up our Brests and see our loyal hearts to fight and die for you in this just cause But death hath seized us all our bloods are wasted and through our many wounds our souls exhausted 1. Capt. And since we can no more O let your swords take swift revenge and save the Danes a labor In killing us you ease our present woes Alarm and cryes within Ent Edel Fly royal Princes save your lives by flight the day looks clouded there 's no hope of safety The traiterous Osbert Duke of Mertia makes Head against you and with all his Troops enters the City gates guards in the Danes tryumphs in slaughter thorough every street The aged Father of St. Swithins Abby that with his holy Cross between his hands mounted the Walls to cause the Souldiers on to fight for Freedom and Religion Seeing this Treason hath retir'd himself and on the holy Altar heaves his hands awaiting death the chast religious Mayds with Cartesmunda their fair Governess Flock to the Temple as their last defence Hoping that place may shield their innocence King Come Princely Alured my noble Brother le ts seek to stop their pressing through the City if we must die Alur 'T is but our Fate Which even till death close by thy side I le wait Exeunt Alarm Enter Osbert Erkinwald Harold and the Danes crying Kill kill the wounded Souldiers rise and fight to them the King Alured and the English who are driven out and the King slain Edm. Seek for your safety Sir the King is dead Alur See noble Edmond what the Danes have done a King by Heaven created for a Crown now onely made fit for a golden Urne betrayd to death and slaughter pittiless Edm. Curse on the Traitors heart that wrought this Treason rebellious Osbert that betrayest thy Country Alur Leave his reward to Heaven that will avenge it and brave Duke Edmond sith the times are such le ts take disguise with speed and seek for safety If Heaven be pleas'd brave Lord we yet may live if not what Heaven has given I le freely give Hie thee to Thetford raise thy friends in Norfolk If I escape with life I le post to Scotland Donald the King is of a noble spirit and will not slack I know to send his aide against this common Foe to both our Kingdoms There shalt thou meet me tho our journeys far Wee 'l once again renue this dreadful war Edm. Spoke like the hope of England Royal Prince shake hands in this red City and then part for in thy quarrell I will live and dye Alu. First bear hence this cold clay of Majesty our hapless Brother and revenge his death Edm. That and what else may but express thy Worth and Title to the Crown I le still pursue or may black infamy my baseness tell Alu. My soul shall quit thy love Brave Prince farewell Exeunt severally Alarm Enter Canutus K. of Denmark Elgina his Sister Erkinwald Osbert Harold Osrick Souldiers Osb. The Cities wone my Lord the King is slain and great Canutus with his Royal Troops may rake possession of this conquer'd Town Canu Thy love brave Osbert duke of Mertia revolting from the English to our part has overturn'd the City Winchester drown'd in the blood of Kingly Etheldred and all his Hoast Hie thee Duke Erkinwald conduct our beauteous Sister to our Tent You shall go back Elgina strongly guarded till with our swords we clear all passages that may oppose our peaceful enterance Stand on you Hill and hear the English crys While Trumpets sound the Da•ish Victories Conduct her Elkinwald Erk. I shall great Prince Elgi The Gods protect my noble Brothers safety and crown thy brows with wreathes of victory Canu Duke Harold take our Guards and march before ransack the Temple and each private house Who bears the name of English strike him dead This day the Kingdom 's wholly conquered Osb. Long may it so remain to great Canutus an hundred thirty years the English Kings have paid just Tribute to the conquering Danes which now re-conquered with assured hopes to hold possession of the State and Crown see here the slaughtered
My Fate is come great King my vestal Vow that broken with my wish is faln upon me For your fair love I fayl'd my faith with heaven And from your hand my death is justly given Such was my former wish farewel Canutus And with my fall may thy great Fame arise Poor Cartesmunda thus untimely dyes Dyes Can. May all the world dye with thee now I see The heavens envy an earthly Diety Har. Brave Huldrick that durst dye for Countries good And for our freedom spent thy life and blood Canut Ha sit you weeping there or has Amazement turn'd you into stone That like men gasping all Medusia's stand To see my Love thus fall by mine own hand Our Self will instantly be in the Field and scourge the English pride and Inhabitants Sound up our D•um and call our Troops together and arm with speed I le to the Field and fight Farewel dear Love whom I of life bereft for which unwilling Act O pardon me Canutus arms a while shall be thy Tomb Then gold inclose thee till the day of Doom Exeunt Act. V. At one Door Enter Canutus Harold Captains with Drum and Colours At the other Malcol Alured Edm Drum with Colours Can. How harsh these Drums sound now that once like Musick did more delight mine ear than Orpheus Lute Sweet Cartesmunda's death my senses kill Like one long sick I relish all things ill Enter all the Colliers Har. Courage my Lord see where the English stand braving your Mightiness Let 's set upon 'em and never leave till to their mother Earth they pay their lives as Tribute Now what sayes Canutus Can. That ye all are Rebels Om. Eng. Rebels Alu. Stay let him speak it out Can. An hundred thirteen years the English Kings have paid to Denmark and our Ancestry an annual Tribute of ten thousand pounds which you unjustly and rebelliously detain from me a lawful successor Alur 'T is true Canutus that the Denmark Kings so long our native Island hath usurp'd and whilst they kept within their Danish bounds and left us to enjoy our own in peace we justly paid our homage F•alty But since your Father Hardiknut• arose and you succeeding him neither content with that our Tribute but would further seek our utter Extirpation which five and twenty years you have attempted planting here your selves in Norfolk Suffolk and in Cambridgeshire erecting Garrison• through all our Kingdom against the Laws of former Articles we now resolve to spend our Royal blood and either countervail our former loss or hazard all we hold by doubtful battel Can. That is your answer then Omnes Resolvedly for all Can. Now by the high and Royal blood of Kings Edm. Swear by the beauteous Nun of Winchester you oft have kist that book Can. And that one word has rais'd more vigor in my active blood then ere her beauty flam'd my Appetite to crop the sweets of Love Mal. It shall be cool'd with better spels than earst her wanton Magick could e're invent to lay thy burning Ardor All Danes Parly no more Canutus Can. O Cartesmunda from thy gentle Arms I flye to conquer in Wars rough Alarms Exeunt Al•rm Excursions Enter Canutus and Alured Can. Why do'st not strike do'st thou not like thy Aym or do'st not know me I am the Danish King that which all Souldiers seek in bloody War may here be got on me eternal honor and easily too for by the powers that made me my senses are benummed Alur I dare not nor will take no such Advantage though I on thee could vent my roughest spleen pass safe my Lord I will not fight with you for your fair Sisters sake whose love was to me so high and potent that it did attract her Virgin-thoughts to dart Loves joyes into me and for the zeal due to her Memory keep what I co'd take from you Life and Honor Can. I prethee take it I le yeeld it willingly and for I see thou art religious in thy love let me imbrace thy brest and of my Love bright Cartesmunda Nun of Winchester I le tell so sad a Tale Alur I cannot stay to hear it hark great Sir Wars Mu sick summos me for Elgina's sake I slip the Advantage that Fate bids me take Exit Can. O for a Midwife I am big with grief And fain would be delivered tho with death Alarms Enter Harold Osrick Captains and Souldiers Har. See where he stands secure him Souldiers Never did man so feebly use his sword in such sad times of Terror O my Lord can you in all this danger be thus calm Os. Though you neglect your self yet prize your honor or if not that yet for your subjects sake be pleas'd to re-assume your wonted valor Can. Can he be valiant that 's without a heart or can a senseless Trunck have sense of Loss Such have you made me therefore share the gain And to these English leave your Lives and Fame All There is no way but Flight Can. Thank your selves for 't had Cartesmunda liv'd and grac'd mine Attempts but with a smile these English would as soon take part with those that from Olympus strove to pluck down Iove as look upon Canutus•ound Retreat the blood of Cartesmunda stirs the gods for this Revenge and if this may appease her angry soul we get by losing it Do what yee will for I will never more taste joy on earth her death makes all things poor Omnes What shall we do Har. What else but fight and dye And in our deaths hide all our Infamy Alarm Enter Thornton Randolph and the Colliers they fight and take Canutus prisoner and drive out the rest A Florish and a Retreat sounded K. Scots Enter Alured Donald Malcolme Edmond Thornton with prisoners Grim and the Colliers leading Canutus and Osrick K. Thus from the usurped Temples of Canutus we take the English Crown and plant it here to whom in right it legally belongs Princes and Souldiers now with me proclaim Victorious Alured Englands Sovereign Omnes Long live great Alured our lawful King Florish Alur First to all-helping heaven due thanks we give Then next to you by whom our glories live Grim. 'T was I that took him prisoner my Lord the Colliers are the Conquerors Alu. We will reward your Valours Har. Propose a ransome Royal Alured to sad Canutus and his Country-men Can. Give me no Ransom sir O let me dye in Cartesmunda's death I brake my vow and for her sake I have neglected all and willingly have sought mine own sad ruine I le have no Ransom Cartesmunda's dead let me be buried with her that 's all the mercy I now will beg of thee from all thy Conquests Alu. No great Canutus for I pitty thee I call to mind thy Royal Sisters love beauteous Elgina worthier then thy Nun whose loving heart was once unbosom'd here and for her •ake I le like a brother use thee this one condition frees thee ransomless that you abate the Fealty we paid you you shall return unto your State in Denmark and henceforth even as brothers wee will live exchanging Embassies of Love and Honor And now to you my worthy Country-men it shall be texted to your lasting fame that your Newcastle strength set England free in this dayes fair and happy Victory for which and for thy sake most worthy Thornton wee 'l give a lasting honor to the Town now beautified by thee with Wals and Towers to which wee 'l add all noble priviledge belonging to a Town Incorporate and for your former Government of Poretereans we here establish it a Majo•alty and Thornton as the first we here create Mayor of Newcastle and give thee the power to elect a brotherhood of Aldermen with choice of Sheriffs to assist thy Government your Charter shall be drawn wi•h fullest strength Even with the fairest Cities of our Land This Sword confirms it from King Alureds hand Bear it before ye still Thorn Your Highness gives us honor 'bove our Merits Alur We have not yet done all but what we want wee 'l study to requite to thee and them Grim. Then since your grace is got into the giving Vain I beseech you sir Let Corporal Grim be bold to put a Colliers request into one of your ears Alur What 's that Grim Grim. Only this sweet King I that for thy service sake was Corporal to be Warden of your Coal-Carriers to provide Coals Surreverence for your Highness own tooth I le promise you weight and measure if none of your Officers do purloyn and warm their Noses at your fires in their own Chimnies Alu. A reasonable Request Thou art our Coal-carrier Grim. Nay I le carry no Coals neither I can tell you and yet I have another Chaldron of curtesies to 〈◊〉 from your kindness that in remembrance of Newcastle Colliers that have fought so bravely we may from henceforth have the upper shoulder and the wall of Croydon Colliers and that if ever they be found with a Goose in their sacks they may be made to stand a whole Market day in the Bakers Pulpit because they shewed themselves Cowards to their Country and durst not fight against the Danes as we have done Alur All this is granted sir Grim. Then stand thy ground old Coal of Newcastle and a fig for Croyden Alur How now still sad Canutus We now must war with love to raise this siege which we will do with Banquets and with Revels Great King of Scotland we are yet a debtor to your kind love which thus we 'gin to pay all those our Northern borders bounding on Cumberland from Tine to Tweed we add unto your Crown so 't was fore-promised and 't is now perform'd Most fit it is that we be ever lovers The Sea that binds us in one Continent Doth teach us to imbrace two hearts in one To strengthen both 'gainst all invasion Look up Canutus now all 's cleer ab•ve Let Cartesmunda dye in our•new love And let swift fame thy former glories ring And hide the sollies of a Love-sick King Exeunt omnes FINIS
again to live to see her O bring me her Dull slave with reverence Let not the Sun be more out-worshipp'd by the tann'd Barbarian Tell her A bleeding Lover sent thee to her and name me if thou chance to see her smile Tha 'st not forgot my name A cup of Wine ready Hos. No my good Lord Canut Let me not spurn thee Go Fetch me some Wine wee l war a while with Love Fair Phaedra who in Corinth once was found compar'd to her as different they wo'd show as sable Ebony to Alpine Snow when first I saw her at the holy Altar Surely the gods more careful of her life then of a mass of souls brought me upon her and fix'd my soul to hers Let 's have some Musick Ent. Hofman But thou prevent'st us with a better sound The Accent of her Name strikes Musick dumb for she is Ayr of all perfection Her Name Hof Her three times sacred Name most Royal King is Cartesmunda a Religious Nun. Canut It needs no Epithite t' express the Name For Cartesmunda is the worlds bright frame I charge thee Villain strait conduct her to me Her sacred Name is Cartesmunda call'd O fairest soul I fear 't a harder Task to conquer thee than all the spacious Bounds of Barbary Had the gods none to take my glory from me but a weak woman O strange destin'd Fate Ten Worlds in Arms against Canutus State Enter Osrick and Cartesunda See the day breaks Look where Aurora comes and see the Mornings dew falls from her eyes begetting better Flowers than those of May from the glad ravish'd Earth O tell me Fayr Speak English Maid How camest thou to my sight What makest thou here Camest thou to murder me Cartis What all my friends have found but wretched I I seek for death to end my misery Canut But canst not find him for thou art immortal Death wud dye for thee if he even saw thee and for thy sake make blunt his Ebon dart Pray weep no more He prayes that might command We will not force the Jewel thou so prizest till thou bequeath it freely to my youth We are o th' Eagles kind and scorn to stoop to an ignoble Thought Sweet will you hear me 'T was King Canutus fetch'd that sigh you heard Still turn aside Well if you loathe me leave me there lyes your way Yet be advis'd Fond Maid No sooner shalt thou pass from forth my sight but the base Souldiers will lay hold on thee and what I value 'bove Religion will not be thus much there They 'l ravish thee and therefore prethee stay with tears I pray thee Thou frosty April woo't not love for love Doo 't then for Honor Pleasure Majesty Ungentle still Then get thee from my sight Go to the Woods and learn of wilder Beasts a little pitty You preserve chastity with a foul sin Ingratitude Goodnight Yet stay We are strangers We may kiss at parting Thou hast infus'd Promethean Fires into me I have two lives Yet none of them mine own Fair Cartesmunda If thou wilt be gone bid me Goodnight though in some Language that I understand not Cartes Goodnight My Lord Canut When shall I have thy Love Cartes When men shall cease to think there is a God or any thing more strange Alas great Prince My Chastity stands at the Bar above My Life I owe to you but not my Love Canut So young and full of grey hair'd Purity In vain I shoot against a wall of brass that sends mine own shafts back upon my self I must choose fitter time to conquer thee Lights and a double guard t' attend my Love Fairest Good rest be dutious in her keeping He wake with thought of thee and then with weeping Exeunt Manet Erkinwald Harold Captain Erk. The King is Love-sick Harold Joyn thy powers and round begir• this City Winchester Beset the wayes let not the English scape That stood the siege and sack of Winchester Har. I think there 's few escap'd the King is slain And England now submits toth ' conquering Dane Erk. Prince Alured the Brother to the King and Edmond Duke of Thetford both are scap'd and may raise powers afresh Therefore be careful Enter Elgina Har. Doubt not my Lord See here comes the Princes Ex. Erk. Madam I bring you dear commends from your great Brother England is won and the white flag of peace is rear'd upon the ruins of this City King Etheldred slain and great Canutus invested with his Crown and Dignity What conquest can be more Elg. That you subdue your thoughts and sir give ore till I have conference with the King Erk. And then you le love Elg. Till then I le love no other Enter two Souldiers dragging in Alured in disguise 1 Soul Drag him along he 's English and must dye Come forward sir Alu. Yee cannot fright me 't is my wish to die And I that seek it scoff your Tyranny O for fair Englands good and my lost powers Mine be the suffering and the glory yours Erk. What prisoner have our Danish Souldiers got 2 Sould. One of the straggling English my good Lord And now are leading him to have him tortur'd Erk. Let him come near us Say what art thou Whispers with Alured Elg. Some God I think disguis'd in humane shape come down to court us with bewitching looks There 's something tels me if my thoughts speak truth To thee I owe the pleasure of my youth Erk. Was that thy fortune ' thad been better far Th'adst fallen amongst thy friends in this dread war Then live to further shame Away and hang him Elg. Stay good my Lord Erk. Madam forbear the King hath sworn the deaths of all that bar'd his enterance to this City they scorn'd his profer'd peace and now must perish This may suffice Hee 's English and must dye Elg. If all the English perish then must I for I now know in England here was b•ed although descended of the Danish blood King 〈◊〉 my Father thirty years governed the one half of this famous Kingdom where I that time was born an English Princess Therefore I pray my Lord set this man free Let me bestow his life and liberty I le beg it of the King Erk. Madam t is yours go Souldiers drink this gold and let our word to you discharge your Prisoner 1. S•ul It shall my Lord wo'd we were rid of all the English thus Ex. Sould. Elg. Pray Sir resolve me what has your fortunes been Alu. The most of woes dear Princess I have liv'd to see my Country ruin'd my friends murdred My self condemn'd to die and but for you I had been dead that life I have's your due Elg. Comfort your self henceforth you shall be mine Attend this noble Lord 't is for your good Where mildness conquers we must shed no blood Erk. You are all compact of Love and Mercy Lady attend me sir and for this Princess sake we will prefer thee come beauteous Madam you now must leave the Tents to entertain