you who when you suffer by your Kings Think to mend all by War and by Rebellion See here your sad mistakes how dreadfully You scourge your selves learn here the greatest Tyrant Is to be chose before the least Rebellion And Oh you Kings who let your people rule Till they have run themselves into confusion See here your gentleness is greatest Tyranny Enter Prince and Queen Pr. Fly Father sly all 's lost your Friends are fled Qu. The day is lost and with the day the Kingdom Hen. Where 's Clifford Qu. I believe he 's dead by this time I met him bleeding with a hundred wounds He all the day rowl'd like a siery meteor About the field and burnt up men like reeds But now in lakes of blood his fire is quench'd Post you to Scotland with all haste you can I will to France to beg that Kings assistance Ex. Qu. Pr. Hen. I go but care not what becomes o' me Ex. Enter Clifford wounded Cl. Here burns my Candle out that lighted Henry Warwick and all Plantagenets three Sons And all King Henry's malicious Planets With much ado to day have kill'd one man Henry's Stars ruine me and my fall him But his soft sway made way for his destruction Oh! Henry hadst thou rul'd as Kings shou'd do Or as thy Father or his Father did These Summer slies had never sprung to sting thee Rebels you thrive and may Rebellion thrive That Rogues may cut your throats as you do ours The Ayr has got into my deadly wounds I am too faint to Fight or Fly and Mercy I deserve none and will have none from Rebels I scorn to live by them who deserve death Fate Guards the Scaffold but she hates the Office And will e're long let Rebels have their own I 'm going All you of Plantagenets Race My comfort is in death I kill'd your Father Fall ' s Enter Edward George Richard Warwick Ed. Now the great cause is come to its decision Are any Troops gone to pursue the Queen On her tame Henry's fortune does depend As the Seas ebb and slow does on the Moon War Yes I took care o' that Rich. My chief care was To hunt the bloudy Clifford but I cou'd not Find him among the living or the dead War I thought you set death's mark so deep upon him Death cou'd not miss him Geo. Fortune at us all Play'd him to day but when he was in danger Snatch'd him away again as who shou'd say When I have lost this card my game is gone Cl. Oh! Groans Ed. What Soul is that that takes her heavy leave See who it is and be he Friend or Enemy Use him with mercy Ric. No 't is bloody Clifford Ed. Clifford War Clifford Geo. Clifford Rich. He 's dead oh that he had but life And sense enough to see and hear and know us That we might scoff him as he did our Father Ric. Damn him he counterfeits to shun our taunts Clifford you know me ask me mercy Clifford I am the Son of your dear Friend Plantagenet I 'll pity you for you did pity Rutland Geo. No answer prithee swear as thou wast wont War He 's dead I 'm certain if he does not swear Cl. Damnation on you all Dyes Ed. He Curses he Curses War Then there is hopes of him Ed. 'T was his last Prayer Off with his Head and place it on the pinacle Where the bold bloudy Slave durst place our Fathers War Now let the Trumpets proclaim Edward King A Flourish of Trumpets Trum. Long live Edward the fourth King of England and France And Lord of Ireland a Shout War Now march to London Sir I will to France About the Marriage you so much approved of With the fair Lady Bona that Queens Sister Ed. Oh! thou hast made me much in love with her And all Relations have encreas'd my Passion War Sir She 's the fairest Creature in the Woorld And in that Marriage you will not only Have a fair bedfellow for your delight But that great King your friend for your security Ed. I cannot marry better haste away War I 'm glad of this I have secur'd my Mistress Aside Some days ago as you commanded me I did dispatch an Envoy to King Lewis To make the offer and he seem'd unwilling Not knowing what th' event of War wou'd be But now I with the Sword that conquer'd Henry Will go my self Embassador and try If a French King dare's deny any thing To an English conquering Sword Ed. Oh! thou hast given me A Crown give me this Beauty and thou art A God to me thy gifts are all divine Geo. My life too on his bounty does depend War Is it in me to give you happiness Geo. Yes if a Father can bestow a Daughter War I shall be very proud you will accept her Geo. I shall be very happy to attain her War She shall be yours if the King give consent Ed. My Brother cou'd not have oblig'd me more Than in this choice War Then she 's at his devotion Geo. Then I 'm a happy man Ed. The Earl of Warwick Is the good Angel of our Family Ric. Of what strange stuff so different from my Brothers Am I made they are all-over love I have appetite but not one grain of Love Ed. Thou art not of a mould for love to grow in Men plant not flowers in a Kitchen garden Well Brother I create you Duke of Clarence You Brother Richard I make Duke of Gloucester Ric. I do not like the Title it is om inous Ed. A foolish observation War Royal Sir I 'll take my leave Ed. Success attend thy Embassy Ex. Geo. I 'll take my leave Ed. Success attend your love Ex. Scene a Chamber Enter Lady Grey and her Woman La. Gr. King Henry beaten poor unfortunate King I and my Children are all ruin'd with him The conquerors will seize my Husbands lands War Madam the greatest Conquerour is your Friend The Earl of Warwick he 'll preserve your Fortune Yes and advance 'em if you 'l give him leave La. Gr. Name not that insolent great man I hate him Enter a Page Pa Madam the Earl of Warwick's coming up La. Gr. He coming up how knows he I am here Pa. His Servants learnt it accidentally Enter Earl of Warwick War So near fair Widow and my beating pulses And quivering flesh give me no notice of it For the kind needle never fails to tremble When it approaches it 's beloved Pole What have you paid formality her wages And turn'd off that old Governess of Women Have you yet dryed your eyes and drawn your Curtains Is the Son good enough to be admitted o you If so I hope his humble kindred may For I am near a-kin to him in heat In short you shall be mine if I can give Others a Crown I 'll give my self a wife La. Gr. If you were serious as I think you are not You give me a brave occasion to revenge My Husbands blood and your affronts to
THE MISERY OF CIVIL-WAR A TRAGEDY As it is Acted at the DUKE's Theatre By His Royal Highnesses Servants Written by Mr. CROWN LONDON Printed for R. Bentley and M. Magnes in Russel-Street in Covent-Garden 1680. PROLOGUE REligious Broyles to such a height are grown All the sweet sound of Poetry they drown Were Orpheus here his Lute might charm our Beasts Our Mastiffs not our Robble or our Priests Good Heaven Sirs are there no other ways To damn the Pope but damning all our Plays To our Religion 't is no Praise at all That if our Wit must stand our Faith must fall All parties in a Play-House may agree The Stage is priviledg'd from Piety 'T is pleasant Sirs to see you fight and brawl About Religion but have none at all Most fiercely for the Road to Heav'n contend But never care to reach the Journeys end Though you lose Heaven you will keep the Way The Pope sha'n't have you though the Devil may These things such business for the Criticks find They 're not at leasure Poetry to mind Well for the Poet 't is they 're so employ'd Else this poor Work of his wou'd be destroy'd For by his feeble Skill 't is built alone The Divine Shakespear did not lay one Stone Besides this Tragedy a Rod will prove To whip us for a Fault we too much Love And have for ages liv'd call'd Civil Strife The English Nation like a Russian Wife Is to a gentle Husband always curst And loves him best who uses her the worst This Poet though perhaps in Colours faint Those scurvy Joys does in all Postures Paint Fools take in pelting out each others Brains A joy for which this Nation oft takes pains If any like the Ills he shews to day Let them be damn'd and let them damn the Play The Persons Represented in the Tragedy KIng Henry the Sixth Prince Edward King Henry's Son By Mr. Joseph Williams Richard Plantagenet Duke of York By Mr. David Williams Edward eldest Son of Richard Plantagenet and after his Fathers death King of England By Mr. Smith George Duke of Clarence second Son of the Duke of York By Mr. Bowman Richard the third Son called Crook-back By Mr. Gillow Rutland a Child the youngest Son  The Great Earl of Warwick By Mr. Batterton Old Lord Clifford By Mr. Pearcival Young Clifford his Son By Mr. Wiltshire Queen Margaret Wife of King Henry Mrs. Leigh Lady Grey the Widow of Sir John Grey belov'd and at length married by King Edward the fourth By Mrs. Batterton Lady Elianor Butler a young Lady of great quality that was one of King Edward's Mistresses By Mrs. Currer SCENE ENGLAND THE MISERIES OF Civil-War ACT. I. SCENE I. A Noise of Fighting a Shout for Victory Enter Cade and his Rabble Cade FLing all my dead Subjects into the Thames Now say what place is this Butch 'T is London-Stone Cade Then am I Mortimer Lord of this City And here I sitting upon London-Stone Declare this is the first day of our Reign So I command the Conduits all Piss Claret And I proclaim it Treason now for any man To call me other than Lord Mortimer Enter a Souldier running Sould. Jack Cade Jack Jack Cade Knock down that sawcy Fellow A Butcher kill 's him Butch If he has wit he 'll never call thy Honour Jack Cade again Cade I think he has fair warning Enter a Cobler with a Scrivener Cob. My Lord my Lord Cade Well said a mannerly Fellow Cob. I have catch'd a Scrivener here setting Boyes Copies Cade Oh! there 's a Villain a corrupter of Youth Cob. He has a Book in 's pocket with red Letters in 't Cade Then he 's a Conjurer Cob. He can write Bills and Bonds and Obligations to bind People to undo themselves and pay Money whether they Can or no such a Rogue is enough to undo a Nation Cade I 'm sorry for it for on my honour he 's a proper fellow He shall not dye unless I find him Guilty Cob. He shall die Guilty or not Guilty I brought him to be Hang'd and I will not lose my labour I love hanging there 's Never any hanging but I leave my Stall to go see it Hanging-day is my holy-day and I will keep Coblers holy-day Cade We 'll hang him but we 'll examine him first Cob. No hang him first for now no man will confess Till after he 's hang'd Cade I will examine him Sirrah what 's thy Name Scriv. Emanuel Cob. Emanuel That 's a strange Name Friend 't will go very hard with you Cade Let me alone Friend dost thou write thy Name Or use a mark like a plain honest man Scriv. Sir I thank Heaven I have been so well bred That I can write my name All. He has confest He 's a stranger and a Villain hang him Cade Hang him with his Pen and Ink about his Neck Enter others with the Lord Say Prisoner My Lord my Lord a prize an 't like thy Honour Here 's the Lord Say who sold the Townes in France And made us pay one and twenty Fifteens And a shilling to the pound last Subsidy Cade I will behead him one and twenty times Come scurvy Lord what canst thou say To our Mightiness for giving up our Towns To Monsieur Basimecu the Dolphin of France Be it known unto thee Traytor by these presents Even by the presence of my self Lord Mortimer That I will sweep the world clean of such filth Thou Trayterously hast built a Grammar-School To debauch all the youth and whereas formerly Our Grandsiers us'd no Book but Score and Tally Thou hast caus'd wicked Printing to be us'd And contrary to the King his Crown and Dignity Hast built a Paper-Mill It will be prov'd That thou hast Servants talk of Nouns and Verbs And such vile Words no Christian er'e can here Thou hast appointed Justices of Peace To call poor men before 'em about matters They cou'd not answer yes and thou hast hang'd 'em Because they cou'd not read Cob. There was a Villain Cade Thou rid'st upon a foot-cloth dost thou not Say Well what of that Cade Why is it not a shame Thy Horse shou'd weare a Cloak when honest men Go in their Hose and Doublets Say Well I find You men of Kent All. What of us men of Kent Say That Kent is bona terra mala gens Cade Bold Traytor he speaks Latin in my presence Go hang him hang him Say Hear me Country-men Cade Hear Latin Villain hang him All. Hang him hang him They drag him away Butch We 'll hang up every man that can speak-Latin Cade Well counsel'd Butcher counsel'd like a Butcher We will and more for they are but few Tay. We 'll hang up any man that can speak French For I 'm a Taylour and there is no man That can speak French will let me work a stitch for ' em Cob. We 'll hang up all the Lords and Gentlemen Spare none but such as go in clouted shoes For I 'm a Cobler
As I wou'd do a Toad or a young Serpent Rut. Hear me but one word more dear brave Lord Clifford You have a Son for his sake pity me Lest as you kill me for my Father's faults Just Heaven shou'd destroy your Son for yours And he be miserably kill'd as I am Then Oh! for your Son's sake give me my life And for my Father's faults keep me in Prison And kill me whensoever I offend you Cl. Thou wilt be an offence to me in living Whilst any of thy cursed Fathers race Live upon Earth I live on Earth then dye Rut. Oh! shall I have no pity at your hands Cl. Such pity as my Rapiers point affords Wounds him Rut. May'st thou ne're get more same than by this deed Oh my poor Father Oh! my death will kill him Dyes Cl. Ho! take the body up and carry it after me I 'll make a present of it to his Father Exit Enter Plantagenet Pl. All 's lost my men by numbers are devour'd Or fly like Ships before the stormy wind My Sons have bravely fought but all in vain They only swim like Swans against the Tide And are born down by over-matching Waves And I am very faint and cannot flie But had I strength I 'm on all sides enclos'd The Sands are numbred that make up my life See! the bloody Clifford comes then here I fall Enter Clifford and Souldiers Cl. Ha! have I found thee proud Plantagenet What tumbled Phaethon from thy shining Chariot And made an Evening at thy highest Noon Oh Father from the joys above descend And share with me the pleasure of Revenge Or else by high revenge I 'll climb to thee Pl. Thou bloody raging Clifford do thy worst I 'd scorn to ask thee mercy hadst thou any But thou hast none then come with all thy Multitudes Cl. So Cowards sight when they can fly no farther So Pigeons peck the Falcon's piercing Talons So desperate Thieves breathe curses at the Officers Pl. Hast thou the impudence to charge a Prince With cowardize who made thee basely fly Call to thy memory S. Albans Battel Cl. I do then didst thou kill my brave old Father Pl. And now wou'd thee wert thou not back't with multitudes Cl. I will try that stand of and do not touch him Unless I fall then cut him all to pieces I will not lose revenge yet I will give him So much revenge to kill me if he can Pl. I thank thee for the kindness 't is a great one They Fight Plantagenet is disarm'd and thrown Cl. Now wilt thou yield that I have fairly conquer'd thee As Cl. is lifting up his arm to kill him Enter the Queen Q. Hold valiant Clifford hold I wou'd prolong The Traytors life to scorn him trample on him Are you the man that wou'd be King of England Are you the man that revell'd in the Parliament Sat in your Sovereign's Throne and did believe Your breath cou'd blow his Crown from off his head Where are your Mess o'Sons to back you now Your wanton Edward and your lusty George Your ugly valiant Dick that crookback Prodigy And with the rest where is your darling Rutland Pl. My heart misgives me where is he indeed Qu. Ask Clifford Pl. Oh! thou hast not butcher'd Clifford The innocent Boy Cl. On that young tender morsell My greedy vengeance staid a while it 's stomach Till it cou'd dine on thee and all thy Sons Qu. See! I have stain'd a Napkin in the blood That valiant Clifford with his Rapier's point Made issue from the bosome of thy darling And bring it thee to wipe away thy tears Pl. She-wolf of France or rather cruel Tygress For woman thou art none women are soft Gentle and pitiful but thou art cruel Oh! ten times more than an Hyrcanian Tygress There is a Boy that thinks thou art his Mother But surely thou didst never bear a Child For thou woud'st something know a Parents love And have some natural touch of pitie in thee And not have drain'd the life-blood of a Child To bid his Father wipe his eyes withal Qu. I therefore did it to increase thy sorrow I know a Parent 's love and thy fond love And all the mysteries of thy haughty heart I knew that thou woud'st Barricado it Against the losses of a Crown and Life With Iron-barrs of stubborness and pride But oh this blood like Oyl will sink into it These Crimson threads will lead tormenting grief Into the inmost lodgings of thy Soul And lest this Napkin be too soft a thing I have within an Engine that shall squeeze Thy soul into thy eyes Bring Rutland's Body Now thou hast drunk the liquour take the cup. Enter some with dead Rutland Pl. Oh! my sweet Boy Qu. Ah! this is Musick to me This is the part thou mean'st I shou'd have plaid If thy accursed Treasons had succeeded But that my Tragedy must have been deeper And bloodier far thou mean'st I shoud have wept For a lost Kingdom Husband and a Son Pl. Yes and I do not doubt but my three Sons Heaven's vengeance and the curses of all England Shortly will make thee weep for loss of all ' em Qu. I 'll spoil thy prophecying give me a sword Cl. I 'll pierce him first there 's for my Fathers blood Qu. There for the horrid ills thou threatnest to me Cl. There for the ills he brought upon the Kingdome Pl. Open thy gate of mercy gratious Heaven Dyes Qu. Now take his head once fill'd with lofty thoughts And set it on a lofty pinacle Ex. Scene the Field Enter Edward Ed. No tydings of my Father I am troubled Enter Richard Ric. Brother I 've news Ed. What of our valiant Father Ric. Oh no! I cannot hear what is become of him Ed. What are your news then Ric. They are not very good A Messenger is come from the Earl of Warwick Who tell 's us he is marching to our aid But leaving a strong party with Lord Cobham To guard the King and all the Southern parts They chanc'd to meet with some of the Queen's Troops And whether the Kings Coldness numm'd his keepers Or whether terror of the Warlike Queen Whose armies and success each hour encrease Or of the inexorable cruel Clifford It is not known but my Lord Cobham's men Look'd on the shining Valour of the Enemy Like sleepy Owles on day and fell beneath it That they were all destroyed and Henry fled With the Victorious Troops to joyn the Queen That the Earl of Warwick now wants strength to fight her Ed. This is ill news indeed what shall we do Ric. Hee desires you to haste away with speed To meet ten thousand men marching from Wales Rais'd by your interest there to whom he sent To joyn his Troops if possible to morrow Which they may do if you will hasten ' em Ed. They shall not want for that I 'll go this instant Ric. Pray do not fail for all our Lives and Fortunes Are set on this one cast Ed.
I have Bail Lord Clifford in whose name do you Arrest me Old Cl. In the Kings Name Pl. Then I 'll unfold my self Know hitherto I 've been like a dark Cloud Where scorching heat has been ingendring Thunder The grumbling and the rowling you have heard But now the deadly bolt shall light among you I am your King Hen. Ha! Pl. Yes I am Your King I 'm sprung out of the Royal house of Clarence Whom three usurpers of the house of Lancaster Successively have trodden under feet Whilst they have glittered in our Royal Glory Shone like false Diamonds in our royal Robes Q. Now Sir are we convinc'd we told you truth Pl. And my next Title is the only Claim Duke Henry for I 'll call him now no otherwise Duke Henry borrows from his bloody Grand Father Henry the Fourth I 've twenty thousand men But with this difference Henry's Troops were Villains Deposers of their lawful Sov'reign Richard Mine are defenders of their true King Richard I mean my self Hen. Was ever such Ambitious Frenzy as this Y. Cl. Did not we tell you this Ed. And we will tell you more obey your King I mean my Royal Father or our Swords Shall turn the Arrest of Treason on your selves Old Cl. Surely you think you are among your Beauties Amorous Edward there your Vigour lies Q. Let them admire thy boasts here thou art scorn'd Ed. 'T is said when the brave Duke of Suffolk liv'd Queen Margaret would not contemn a Lover I 'm young and love but yet I am not stricken So blind with beauty but I can discern Both the fair Kingdom and the fair Queen lye Sick of the impotence of a Weak King Qu. Ill manner'd insolence Rich. Why do you talk To this poor wretched Neapolitan She and her Husband are fit for each other He has no heart and she no heart for him Fortune loathed him as soon as e're she saw him Nor from his Cradle never wou'd endure him And her she never did think worth her care Qu. Why well said ugly Crook-back spoken like Thy hideous horrid self I will not do thee so much good to kill thee Thy Soul cannot be worse than where it is Hen. He bears about him what is more deform'd Than humane shape can be his wickedness Pl. I 've shewed my right and here are my three Sons To plead it with their Swords now I 'll produce My last and strongest Title to the Crown The sword of the victorious Earl of Warwick Call in the Earl of Warwick Enter VVarwick War I am here Pl. Inform the ignorant world who is King of England War Whom my sword pleases Hen. Thou against me Warwick What did'st thou never swear Allegiance to me War ' Cause I adored an idol once in ignorance Must I still do so now I see my error Know Duke of Lancaster for you are no more Henry your Grand Father murdered his King Richard the second not content with that He trampled on the rights of the next heirs Your Father warlick Henry I confess Had in desert what he did want in Title But merit makes no lawful claim to Crowns For if it did I wou'd be King of England But I will tell you to your face Duke Henry That you have neither Title nor Desert Qu. Most impudent of Traytours Old Cl. Most impudent of Traytours Y. Cl. Most impudent of Traytours War I 'll speak truth And value not the fury of you all Your Father Henry was a Wall of steel Through which there was no passing to the throne But you are only a soft silken Curtain Which with my hand or breath I 'll put aside And seat your self King Richard in the Throne For it is empty though the Duke be there The Duke is nothing or such poor thin soft stuff The Crown sinks down in him and is not seen Yo. Cl. What have these Traytours conquer'd us already They talk at this bold rare Thou Traytour Warwick Warwick no! when thou didst unking thy King Thou mad'st thy self a Groom by the same law Thou tramplest on thy King a sawcy Groom May set his dirty foot upon thy jaws And tell thee they were made both of one Clay War The duke of Lancaster's no King of mine Y. Cl. VVhence hast thou this from Lawyers and from Scriblers Say the King's Grand-father Murther'd his King And damn'd his Soul for it what 's that to thee Say our prosterity shou'd wrong each other VVhat must their Servants cudgel 'em to honesty Oh! But old stories censure the King's Title Are royal Robes made of such raggs as Pamphlets Yes when a beggar feign wou'd put 'em on One that wou'd beg the Kingdom from the people And such a beggar is Plantagenet Oh! but the lawyers like not the Kings Title VVhat shall the lawyers be the Kingdoms Oracles And judge their Kings who speak but as inspir'd By the Kings Image stampt upon his Gold Let the King give 'em store of golden Pictures And they will give him a substantial title And then the Noble-men must be the Bayliffs To execute the sentence of the Coyfe Damn thy pedantick Treason thou art as far From wit as honour and that 's far enough VVho stopps a River's head up drie's the stream Thou hast divided thy self from thy King The spring of honour so thou hast no honour But art a heap of dirty pesantry Fit only to manure a brave mans fortune A straying Beast with the Devil's mark upon thee Rebellion and I 'll send thee to thy owner Ed. What a fierce talker's this War I laugh at him All this loud noise and fury you have heard Is but the crackling of some burning thorns That hedge the Duke and they will soon be ashes Pl. No more Duke Henry will you yield my Crown Or shall we fall upon you Hen. Must it be so Let us not bloodily Butcher one another But fairly to the field and there in Battle Make an Appeal to Heaven Pl. With all my heart Y. Cl. Then royal Henry fixt on loyal Clifford Stand like a Cedar on a Mountain top Securely rooted and despise all storms Hen. My cause is sixt on Heav'n for it is just War Then sound to Armes All. To Armes to Armes to Armes Exit ACT. II. An Alarm Enter Warwick and Souldiers chasing others over the Stage Enter Plantagent and Old Clifford fighting Old Clifford falls P FArewell old valiant Clifford I shou'd now Be sorry for thee wer 't thou not my Enemy Ex. Old Cl. Be sorry for thy self thou art a Traytour And I for loyalty die honourably Enter Young Clifford Y. Cl. Shame and Confusion all is on the rout My men are fled or kill'd and I alone Stand like a lofty Mast shewing my head Above the Waves when all the Ship is sunk I cannot find my Father not my King Old Cl. Son Yo. Cl. I heard a voice resembling much My Fathers very weak and faint it seemed As he were far from me or near to death Old Cl. Son
Heark he calls I must be gone Farewel my dear remember what you have promis'd L. El. Remember you your Vows of constancy Exit Rich. within Brother what do you mean leave your damn'd Women For I 'm sure 't is some damn'd Woman stays you But for my part I 'll stay no longer for you For I will not be chidden for your faults My Father and his Friends shall know how it is Ed. Thank thee good natur'd honest vertuous Brother How proud this Leper is of one sound place Though he has all the vices in the world Yet he insults o're me because he is free From my one fault my almost faultless fault He is a Hell at whose foul front appears Ill manners and ill nature and ill shape Like a three-headed Dog that barks at all things That dare come near him specially at beauty But has within a thousand ugly Haggs His Soul embraces bloody cruelty Lean envy and insatiable Ambition And he has this advantage over me His Mistresses are Devils and so invisible Some time or other I 'll descend like Hercules Into this Hell and dragg to humane sight The Monster that so barks at my delight Ex. Scene the Parliament House a Throne Canopy Seats for the Lords Enter Plantagenet George Richard Warwick Clarence Rutland Guard all with drawn Swords War This is the palace of the fearful King And this the Regal Seat Richard Plantagenet Sit down and from this hour be King of England Pl. I think if mighty Warwick said be Emperour Of the whole world the Genii of all Kingdoms Wou'd vanish and give place to his great spirit Assisted then by thee I here sit down Sits in the Throne And take possession of my Royal Right War I plant you here now Root you up who dares Enter Edward Pl. Where 's my Son Edward Son why loiter you War Sir why do you neglect your Father thus Ed. Reprov'd by Warwick what does Warwick cheat us Aside Give us a Crown to cheat us of our liberty Hire us to be his slaves so soon so arrogant This humour I must quell I cannot bear it Pl. Sons I here take possession of my right And will be Crown'd or kill'd if I shou'd fall Son Edward claim the Crown if you fall with me Then George the Crown is thine if both you dye Then Richard thou art King War Three goodly Pillars Pl. And last in birth but not in my Affection Here is my litle pretty darling Rutland Look to him Guard for if his brothers Perish He is your King fear not my pretty Boy We 'll be too hard for wretched timerous Henry Rut. Sir let him come and all his Souldiers with him If you will beat his Souldiers I 'll beat him Pl. Well said my boy and heark I think he comes Enter King Henry in his Robes his Crown on his head the Sword born before him Attended by Clifford Northumberland Westmorland Exeter in their Robes Hen. My Lords look where the sturdy Rebel sits War Look where your King is seated Duke of Lancaster What say you will you resign in peace the Crown To him whose right it is Richard Plantagenet Or shall we force it from you by our Swords Rich. Let 's tear the Crown from the Usurpers head Ed. Sound but the Trumpets and the King will fly Pl. Peace Sons Hen Peace all of you and hear your King Rebels I fear all danger less than you do For I am better arm'd with innocence But I confess I do fear Civil War Not for my own but for my peoples sake I am afraid to shed the blood of English men But you indeed are bold in cruelty By which oh Heaven judge whose is the Child His who desires to have it cut in peices Or mine who strive in tenderness to save it For my own part I fear no power but Heaven Rebels may be successful for a time And overturn all order right aud justice But Heaven does not let the world stand long In that unnatural uneasie posture But soon put 's all things in their proper places Pl. Thy own mouth Henry has pronounc'd thy doom Successful Murder and Rebellion Swell'd for two Generations of thy race Over all right and all that durst oppose 'em But Heaven in thee has dryed up the black stream And made it such a Brook all trample over it Hen. I 've oft been told by thee my Grand-father Depos'd his King Pl. And I did tell thee truth Hen. Cannot a King adopt an Heir Pl. VVhat then Hen. Did not King Richard to my Grand-father Resign the Crown in open Parliament Pl. Did not thy Grand-father compel him to it By force of Arms and then the Parliament To their eternal shame if not Damnation Flatter'd the wicked fortunate Usurper War But say the King had done it unconstrain'd He cou'd not give away another's right Henry usurp'd the right of the next Heirs Hen. My Conscience tells me that my Title is weak Cl. How Sir will you revolt from your own self Who will stand by you then War Clifford thou dyest If thou permit'st not Henry to resign Cl. Let Henry give his Title to the Crown He shall not give my Title to revenge May the ground gape and swallow me alive When e're I kneel to him who kill'd my Father War Ho! there within Cl. I am prepar'd for you War stamps and enter Souldiers of his side Cl. does the same and enter Souldiers on his side as they are going to fight King Henry interposes Hen. Hold hold my Lords Oh! let not Blood be shed Let us not make a Shambles of this place Pray hear me all I find my Title 's weak And to defend it were to fight with Justice Besides there lyes already on my head The Blood of Richard murder'd by my Grand-father And I 'd be loth to add my peoples Blood For saving which hear this proposal from me I have been King these eight and thirty years And many Interests must grow to mine That you can never tear me from the Throne But you will set a thousand Veins a bleeding Then let me reign in quiet all my life And when I 'm dead Plantagenet be King Pl. I approve of it and on that condition Kneels and kisses Hen's hand I swear to be King Henry's faithful Vassal Hen. And not to seek the Throne by Arms or Treason Pl. Never whilst King Henry lives Hen. Then I entail The Crown to thee and to thy Heirs for ever Cl. The Devil to him and to his Heirs for ever VVhat have you done War Good to himself and England Cl. VVrong to his Son his Subjects and himself Ex. VVhy sigh you Sir King Hen. sighs Hen. For my poor Son I 've wrong'd War You have not wrong'd him you have wholly freed him From all the Vengeance due to Usurpation Cl. Oh! Henry if thy Father's Soul did see Thy baseness it wou'd torture him in Heaven Plantagenet when that great Monarch liv'd Thou durst have sooner let into thy Soul
Soul This Country belongs Sirrah to your Landlord And we have orders to take all the Money Burn all the Houses and hang all the people We have obey'd our orders yet and will The Scene is drawn and there appears Houses and Towns burning Men and Women hang'd upon Trees and Children on the tops of Pikes 1 Coun. Oh Heaven have mercy on us have mercy on us 2 Coun. Oh Heaven have mercy on us have mercy on us 1 Soul Now Rogues how do you like Rebellion 2. Soul Come hang 'em whilst there is a Tree to spare They are almost all bespoke Drumb beats Enter a Scout Scout To Armes to Armes Warwick is coming All 3. Warwick Arme Arm Arm. Ex. Enter Richard Warwick Souldiers Ric. Oh horrid spectacle See here my Lord War The Queen is planting in your Fathers Lands An Orchard for the Devil Ric. I will dung this Orchard With the blood of those that planted it I have a Spirit in this crooked Trunck Stands like a keeper in a hollow Tree Ready with bended bow to shoot fat Deer And down goe's thou thy Henry all thy Race I 'll not leave killing 'till I 've built my Father A monument of Bones and Sculls of Enemies That shall o'relook th' Aegyptian Pyramids Oh that my Brother Edward now were come War Till his Troops come we cannot fight the Enemy For they are above thirty thousand strong And we scarce twelve Enter Edward a Woman Ric. What do I see I think I see him there pray look my Lord and tell me Now I am sure 't is he for there 's a Woman Oh! we are ruin'd for I will be damn'd If he has not been with her all this Night War He durst not do it durst not serve me so Ed. I see my Brother and my Lord of Warwick Retire Ex. Wom. War My Lord. Ed. My Lord of Warwick War Yes my Lord Where are your men Ed. My Lord I must confess I 've been to night a happy but great sinner Starting to gallop for the Crown my destiny Flung in my way brighter temptations Than were all Atalanta's Golden Balls That had it cost a Kingdom and my life I cou'd not but have stoop'd to take 'em up Ric. 'T is well must all the glory we have div'd for In Seas of blood be melted in a kiss And swallowed down like Cleopatra's pearl In one sweet draught War So you have serv'd me well Ric. And do you thus revenge our Fathers blood War But what revenge shall I have for the ruin That I am like to suffer in your service Ed. Fear not War I do not fear I know which way I can repair my self in Henry's service I can have greatness with less pains and dangr Than I must take in yours to be undone Ed. You will not leave me War You first left your self And left me too Ed. I beg your pardon for it Who now my Fathers murderd am your King War You are my King but King of my own making And I like Heaven repent I 've made a Creature ' Who for the Apple of a rowling Eye Will lose a World But I 'll secure my share of it I will go make Henry a King again And tumble you again into a subject Ed. You will not sure my Lord War I swear I will Ed. Oh but you cannot do it War I 'll try that Ed. You can at most but make Henry a Tyrant For I am lawful King War Oh! I 'll give Henry My Sword and do you keep your lawfulness Then try which of you will be King of England I ne're found Conscience or in Priest or Layman So firm at anchor but a golden Ax Wou'd cut the Cable or success cou'd weigh it And set the Conscience swimming with the Tyde Ric. Oh! I cou'd tear my slesh must we be ruin'd For a fair Toy but I will not be ruin'd For I will seek the Kingdom for my self Ed. Brother 't is well Rich. Brother it shall be ill Exceeding ill with you and very quickly Ed. Hold I command you both hear me one word Know I have only made a Tryal of you For I have brought the Troops that you desir'd I march'd 'em hither with such expedition Their front encounter'd here the front of day Nay more I 've brought my Brother and his Troops Both Armies are not half a mile from hence And here my Brother is Brother come hither Enter George Geo. I heard of our great Fathers sad misfortunes And came to his revenge with all the speed A hungry wretch wou'd do to a great feast Where there were many guests and he far off Ed. Now my good faithful Friends what think you both Now Warwick will you make Henry a King And Brother will you make your self a King I was inform'd of what I have discover'd That you good Brother sought to be a King And Warwick to command him who is King And him you cannot Govern you will ruin Henry is govern'd by the Queen and Clifford And so because there is no room for Rule You fight for us to make us all your Vassals War Who durst say this of me Ric. And what bold Villain Durst give you such a Character of me Ed. Oh! you are angry I 'm inform'd the truth If they be Villains who durst tell me this Then what are you who durst to my own face Threaten to do all this War It was all passion Ric. Nothing but passion Ed. Brother you are wrong'd Or in cold blood you are as bad as this You act the undermining Polititian A King is a strong Tower on a high Rock And it is dangerous to storm him openly So at a mighty distance they break ground And cast up earth that is by subtle tricks They raise the dirty crow'd and behind them They lie secure from Royal battery There if they find any unguarded place About the King they use it most unmercifully My heart to beauty always lies too open And that infirmitie thou givest no quarter Though thou who censurest me because sometimes I shed some vacant hours among fair Women Wou'dst shed the blood or of thy Friend or King Or if thy Father were he now alive To gain a Crown for there is thy chief Lust Ric. That is a Cruel censure Ed. But a true one Who stabbs my Name wou'd stab my Person too Did not the Hangman's Ax lye in his way And no man care's to stumble upon that War Well Sir I have so long gone clad in Steel I have forgot to kneel but yet my Spirit More stubborn than my sinews bends to you And beggs your pardon for my too rash passion For 't was no more and there appear'd occasion Though you it seems kindled the fire o' purpose To shew us by the light of it our faults Ed. Nay I will own after the days Fatigues I fell into an ambuscade of beauty Where ignorant of what befell my Father And deep in Love I lay some hours last night And which of you
wou'd not have done the same War All of us wou'd and Sir I humbly beg you Think my wild passion was the Woman in me And I 've enjoy'd my Woman as you yours Ed. My Lord I know you wou'd enjoy your Woman I mean your Mistress for you have a Mistress And you who threatned to revolt from me Because some moments which were due to business I gave away to Beauty and to Love Had almost at S. Albans given away Our victory to a Woman that abhorr'd you War Ha! Ed. Yes my Lord I was inform'd the story You woo'd her over her dead Husband's Body Till you were almost taken by the Enemy I do not know her Name I never pry Into your pleasures though you censure mine But thou in Chastity wou'dst seem a Scipio Know that the Woman that thou saw'st me with Was thy own Whore Ric. Ha! Ed. Yes thy own poor Whore A Peasant's dirty Daughter whom thou keep'st By whom thou hast a little tawny Bastard Whom I o' purpose brought to shew thy Faults In th' eyes where thou hast often seen thy face This is the Lady Enter Woman Ric. Cursed treacherous jade Aside Ed. Now Sirs what think you Ge. Pray Sir give me leave To intercede for 'em I see shame covers 'em And to great minds no punishment like shame Rich. Sir not for mine but for my Father's sake Pardon my Errours and accept my Service Kneels both That I may aid you to revenge his Blood War Sir not for mine but for the Kingdoms sake Pardon my Errours and accept my service For I by placing you in the English Throne Shall place the English Throne above the World Ed. Rise both of you I freely pardon you And yet methinks it is unequal usage A King shou'd pardon all the faults of Subjects And Subjects pardon nothing in their King When a King 's crown'd he is not deifyed When he puts on the Royal Robes he does not Therefore put of th' Infirmities of man I own I have my faults and so have you You see I have convinc'd you and I did it That you might leave your faults and pardon mine Or if you kept your faults to part with me For if my Lord of Warwick does design By all his Service only to enslave me I shall lose nothing by his leaving me I can but be a Slave when I am conquer'd And if my Brother Richard has worse ends Ric. Oh! Sir no more unless you do design I shou'd rip up my Breast to shew my heart War Sir I 'll desire no farther pardon of you Till I have writ it in your Enemies Blood And pawn'd my Life and Fortune for my Loyalty Ed. Our Friendship then is stronger for this breach Now let us bend our talk to our Affairs On the sad tidings of my Father's death Which I but lately heard I sent Commissioners To Henry to demand the Crown of him According to the Oath he made in Parliament They are here what tydings Peace or War Enter Commissioners Com. War All. War 1 Com. Th' Amazon Queen drags Henry to the Battel He fain would keep his Oath but she 'll not suffer him Ric. I 'm glad of it I would not for a Kingdom Peace shou'd chain up that Bloody Mastiff Clifford And keep him safe from the edge of our keen Swords War You wrong the Beast to give that name to Clifford An English Mastiff scorns to bite a Child Ed. Now let us march to meet the Enemy This day decides who shall be King of England The right is ours War And Justice will prevail Since Right and Merit both are in the Scale Exeunt ACT. IV. An Alarm Enter King Henry the Queen Prince Clifford Cl. DAmn your unlucky Planets pray Sir get you Out of the Battel 't is impossible For men to fight the malice of your Planets Qu. He tells you true Sir Victory will never Come where you are Hen. Victory will not come Where Perjury is you make me break my Oath Cl. You ought not to have sworn so ill an Oath Pr. Father you cannot give away my Right I 'll rather lose my life than my Inheritance Cl. Spoke like a Prince Hen. Oh! Boy if thou didst know What a Crown was thou wou'dst be more content If I shou'd leave thee no Inheritance But the Example of my vertuous deeds I wish my Father had left me no more Cl. Oh! damn all this come let us to the Battel Ex. Cl. Qu. Pr. Hen. Oh! how this Fellow curses he accuses My Stars for my misfortunes when his Curses Wound all my Men and poyson the Enemies shot Wou'd I were dead if it were Heav'ns good will Lyes down For I am very weary of this World Troublesome folly governs all this World Men live her Vassals and they dye her Martyrs Oh! happy he who in an humble state Only attends on Nature's easie business And brings white heirs down to a quiet Grave Falling to earth as gently as the Snow Alarm Enter a Son bearing his Father Here comes a wretch laden as he believes With happy Fortune 't is with bloudy folly And Heaven has carv'd Fool on his breast with wounds Son Who e're thou art thy life has cost me dear But I 'll repay my self out of thy Gold If thou hast any with the hopes of that I took such pains to kill thee And yet I Who plunder thee may be compel'd e're Night To give my life and plunder to another What 's this Oh! Heaven I have kill'd my Father Oh Father pardon me I did not know thee I was in London prest to serve the King And thou the Earl of Warwick's servant prest To fight on th' other side and so unknown We met and Fought and so unknown I kill'd thee Oh from thy Bosom I will wash away With tears the marks of this unnatural Crime Hen. Oh piteous spectacle Oh sad confusions What horrid errours and unnatural ills Our horrid and unnatural war produces Poor wretch didst thou want tears I cou'd supply thee Enter a Father bearing his Son Fath. Thou that so stoutly hast resisted me Give me thy gold if thou hast any gold For I have bought it with a hundred blows Ha! let me see is this my Enemy Ah no my Son I 've kill'd my only Son Hen. Ah woe on woe Heaven stop these bloudy mischiefs Though by the Death of me and all my Race Son Oh I have ta'ne his life who gave me mine Fath. Oh! I 've kill'd him for whom I wou'd have dyed Son How will my Mother for my Fathers death Take on with me Fath. How will my mourning Wife Accuse me of the slaughter of my Son Hen. How will my people charge all this on me Son I 'll bear thee hence and weep but fight no more Ex. Fath. I 'll bear thee hence and weep but kill no more Except my self with sorrow Ex. Hen. Oh! poor men Here is a King more woful than you all For you grieve for your selves I for you all Oh
Enter Richard George Souldiers and seize Henry and the Women Ric. How now thou Traytour thou unnatural Traytor Geo. Thou wrong'st me I am as Loyal as thy self VVhat I have done was only in design To gain this beauty and now she is mine My Loyalty is mine Ric. Can this be true Geo. Thou saw'st it true thou saw'st I fought for thee Ric. Thou didst but I believ'd it was thy Cowardize That made thee now betray thy Friend as lust Made thee betray thy Brother Geo. It is false And if I don't appear to day in Battel As valiant and as Loyal as thy self I 'll kill my self Ric. Do that and I 'll embrace thee But let 's away our Royal Brother wants us Ex. The Scene the Field Enter VVarwick Queen Prince guards Qu. Oh! cursed Traytour why wou'd you e're trust One that was always false War I was bewitch'd To trust a man who had betray'd his Brother Pr. My Fathers words now sink into my breast He said at parting we shou'd never meet On Earth again War VVell if the Villains murder him I will revenge his bloud and make you King VVhene're I went to work to make a King Ine're yet fail'd whatever stuff I had But hark the Traytors come let us fall on Ex. Trumpets An Alarm Enter Edward Enter Lady Elianor in mans habit La. El. Turn this way Edward here 's an Enemy Thirsts for thy bloud La. El. and Ed. Fight La. El. falls Ed. VVhat bold young man is this Thou art dispatch'd I wonder who thou art La. El. Look on me well see if thou dost not know me Ed. May I believe my eyes La. El. Thou may'st King Edward They speak more truth than e're thou didst to me Ed. Oh! killing sight La. El. VVou'd thou hadst never seen me The cold Earth had not been my Death-bed then Nor had I needed as I do two graves One for my self the other for my name Ed. Oh Heaven How have I wrong'd this beautious Creature First robb'd her of her Fame now of her Life La. El. Ah! Monarch do I merit this for Love Ed. Oh no but I deserve a thousand plagues And I have here with my own hand broke open A fair Pandora's box to let 'em out To fly about my head La. El. Indeed King Edward My injuries have already found thee out Have driven thee from thy throne how far will drive thee I cannot tell I will not curse thee now Cursing is not a language spoke in Heaven And I am very near that glorious Kingdom Therefore I 'll speak the language that is blessing May this be the last day of all thy Troubles And I be the last woman thou shalt wrong May Heaven forgive thy broken Vows as I do And quicklier forget 'em all than thou didst And this one poor request I beg of thee Since I was all the staine of my great Family And I have made thy self who wert the cause of it With thy own Sword cut out the ruined piece Oh hide it where it may no more be seen But be forgot by all as 't will by thee Dyes Ed. She 's gone She 's gone Oh! thou sweet injur'd beauty I never shall forget thee whilst I live Thy wrongs I fear will haunt my mind and fortune In this sweet spot of Earth I fear I 've planted Much mischief for my self I gather'd all The Sweets and now Thorns will spring up to tear me Enter an Officer Offi. Oh Sir the Earl of Warwick ranges o're The Field with so much fury and success Your Troops are just upon the point of flying Ed. My punishment so soon pursue my Crime This beauties wrongs steel that proud Rebels Sword And give it all the kneenness that it has Oh Heav'n hide thy eyes from this sweet Creature At least for this one hour and here I vow I will give o're robbing such spicy Isles And take an honest dwelling at my own Lest sailing to a fro a Tempest fall That shall revenge the injuries of 'em all Ex. Enter Edward and VVarwick Fighting VVar. falls Ed. Now I am King of England and Iowe My Crown to my own Sword and not to thine War Insult not Edward for I am not kill'd By thee but Henries cursed Destiny I 'm crush'd under the wheels of his damn'd fortune I am ground all to pieces by his Stars My fortune sickned when I first came under 'em Truth is my Spirit led her such a dance She cou'd not keep me company but tyr'd Now sit's her down and like a poor cast Whore Is glad to be pick'd up by any body Now thou maist banish fear for I am dying Who when I liv'd cou'd frown thee into a Subject Bury thee in the wrinckle of my brow Ed. Talk not of burying Kings but rather think Of burying all thy Crimes in penitence War My greatest Crime is that I e're serv'd thee Whose base ingratitude has ruin'd me I gave thee Kingdoms and thou giv'st me death Dyes Ed. I ne're wrong'd thee nor didst thou e're serve me Thou hast been wrong'd by nothing but my ignorance And hast serv'd nothing but thy vanity And nothing else I fear will e're reward thee Enter George Richard and Guards Geo. Now Sir I hope you will forgive my errours For Beauties sake for Beauty drew me in And you have felt the mighty power of Beauty Ed. Brother your errours are all buried under Heaps of my Enemies you have kill'd to day I have dispatch'd my greatest Enemy Warwick will make and unmake no more Kings Ric. And the bold Amazon Queen and insolent Boy Her fierce Son Edward are both taken Prisoners I 've order'd Sir they shall attend you here And here they are Enter Queen Prince Guarded as Prisoners Ed. So Madam and young Edward What satisfaction will you make to me For all the Mischief you have done my Kingdom And all the Trouble you have given me Pr. What satisfaction wilt thou make my Father Me and the Kingdom for thy bold usurping My Fathers Crown and my inheritance Ruining us and slaughtering our people Qu. Oh! that thy Father had been so resolv'd Ric. That so your Distaff might have been our Scepter Pr. Why how now AEsop Nay mistake me not AEsop I mean in Body not in mind Ric. Brat I will crush thy brains out Ed. Hold forbear He is a Boy Ric. Why then to School with him To learn him manners Pr. If I learn thy manners The Devil must be my Tutour Ed. Hold your peace You foolish Child Geo. The Boy 's too malapert Pr. The man is too perjur'd I mean perjur'd George And you are all Traytors to me your Prince Ed. How now proud Boy take that Strikes him with his hand Ric. Nay then take that Geo. And that for twitting me with Perjury Rich. and Geo. draw and kill him Qu. Oh! they have kill'd my Son oh murderers Oh! kill me too Ric. Marry with all my heart The Qu. swoons upon the Prince Ed. Hold Brother we have done too