Myliege,ifanybreathe,thatdarescomeforth,AndsaymylifeinanyofthesepointsDeservesth’attaindorofignoblethoughts,HerestandI,cravingnoremorseatall,Buteventheutmostrigormaybeshown。
KING。
Letitsuffice;weknowyourloyalty。
Whathaveyouthere?
COBHAM。
Adeedofclemency;
YourHighness’pardonforLordPowis’life,WhichIdidbeg,andyou,mynobleLord,Ofgraciousfavourdidvouchsafetogrant。
KING。
Butyetitisnotsignedwithourhand。
COBHAM。
Notyet,myLiege。
[Onereadywithpenandink。]
KING。
Thefact,yousay,wasdone,Notofprepensedmalice,butbychance。
COBHAM。
Uponminehonorso,nootherwise。
KING。
Thereishispardon;bidhimmakeamends,[Writes。]
AndcleansehissoultoGodforhisoffence。
Whatweremit,isbutthebody’sscourge——
[EnterBishop。]
Hownow,LordBishop?
BISHOP。
Justice,dreadSovereign!
AsthouartKing,sograntImayhavejustice。
KING。
Whatmeansthisexclamation?letusknow。
BISHOP。
Ah,mygoodLord,thestate’sabused,Andourdecreesmostshamefullyprofaned。
KING。
How?orbywhom?
BISHOP。
Evenbythisheretic,ThisJew,thisTraitortoyourmajesty。
COBHAM。
Prelate,thouliest,eveninthygreasymaw,OrwhosoevertwitsmewiththenameOfeithertraitor,orofheretic。
KING。
Forbear,Isay:and,Bishop,shewthecause>Fromwhencethislateabusehathbeenderived。
BISHOP。
Thus,mightyKing:——Bygeneralconsent,AmessengerwassenttocitethisLord,Tomakeappearanceintheconsistory;
Andcomingtohishouse,aruffianslave,Oneofhisdailyfollowers,mettheman,Who,knowinghimtobeaparroter,Assaultshimfirstandafter,incontemptOfusandourproceedings,makeshimcateThewrittenprocess,parchment,scaleandall:
Wherebyhismasterneitherwasbroughtforth,Norwebutscornedforourauthority。
KING。
Whenwasthisdone?
BISHOP。
Atsixaclockthismorning。
KING。
Andwhencameyoutocourt?
COBHAM。
Lastnight,myLord。
KING。
Bythisitseems,heisnotguiltyofit,Andyouhavedonehimwrongt’accusehimso。
BISHOP。
Butitwasdone,mylord,byhisappointment,Orelsehismandurstne’erhavebeensobold。
KING。
Orelseyoudurstbeboldtointerrupt,Andfillourearswithfrivolouscomplaints。
Isthisthedutyyoudobeartous?
Was’tnotsufficientwedidpassourwordTosendforhim,butyou,misdoubtingit,Or——whichisworse——intendingtoforestallOurregalpower,mustlikewisesummonhim?
ThissavorsofAmbition,notofzeal,Andratherprovesyoumalicehisestate,Thananywaythatheoffendsthelaw。
Goto,welikeitnot;andheyourofficer,Thatwasemployedsomuchamissherein,Hadhisdesertforbeinginsolent。
[EnterHuntington。]
So,Cobham,whenyoupleaseyoumaydepart。
COBHAM。
Ihumblybidfarewelluntomyliege。
[Exit。]
KING。
Farewell。——What’sthenewsbyHuntington?
HUNTINGTON。
SirRogerActonandacrew,myLord,OfboldseditiousrebelsareinArms,IntendingreformationofReligion。
AndwiththeirArmytheyintendtopitchInFicketfield,unlesstheyberepulsed。
KING。
Sonearourpresence?Daretheybesobold?
Andwillproudwar,andeagerthirstofblood,Whomwehadthoughttoentertainfaroff,Pressforthuponusinournativebounds?
MustwebeforcedtohanselloursharpbladesInEnglandhere,whichwepreparedforFrance?
Well,aGod’snamebeit!What’stheirnumber,say,Orwho’sthechiefcommanderofthisrout?
HUNTINGTON。
Theirnumberisnotknown,asyet,myLord,ButtisreportedSirJohnOld—castleIsthechiefmanonwhomtheydodepend。
KING。
How,theLordCobham?
HUNTINGTON。
Yes,mygraciousLord。
BISHOP。
IcouldhavetoldyourmajestyasmuchBeforehewent,butthatIsawyourGraceWastoomuchblindedbyhisflattery。
SUFFOLK。
Sendpost,myLord,tofetchhimbackagain。
BUTLER。
Traitoruntohiscountry,howhesmoothed,AndseemedasinnocentasTruthitself!
KING。
Icannotthinkityethewouldbefalse;
Butifhebe,nomatter;lethimgo。
We’llmeetbothhimandthemuntotheirwoe。
[ExeuntallbutBishop。]
BISHOP。
Thisfallsoutwell,andatthelastIhopeToseethishereticdieinarope。
ACTIII。SCENEI。AnavenueleadingtolordCobham’shouseinKent。
[EnterEarlofCambridge,LordScroop,Gray,andChartrestheFrenchfactor。]
SCROOP。
Oncemore,myLordofCambridge,makerehearsal,HowyoudostandentitledtotheCrown。
Thedeepershallweprintitinourminds,Andeverymanthebetterberesolved,Whenheperceiveshisquarreltobejust。
CAMBRIDGE。
Thenthus,LordScroop,sirThomasGray,&you,MonsieurdeChartres,agentfortheFrench:——
ThisLionel,DukeofClarence,asIsaid,ThirdsonofEdward(England’sKing)thethird,HadissuePhillip,hissoledaughterandheir;
WhichPhillipafterwardwasgiveninmarriageToEdmundMortimer,theEarlofMarch,AndbyhimhadasoncalledRogerMortimer;
WhichRoger,likewise,hadofhisdescentEdmund,Roger,Anne,andEleanor——
Twodaughtersandtwosons——butthosethreeDiedwithoutissue。Anne,thatdidsurvive,Andnowwasleftherfather’sonlyheir,Myfortunewastomarry,beingtooBymygrandfatherofKindEdward’sline:
Soofhissirname,Iamcalled,youknow,RichardPlantagenet。MyfatherwasEdward,theDukeofYork,andsonandheirToEdmundLangley,Edwardthethird’sfifthson。
SCROOP。
Sothatitseemsyourclaimcomesbyyourwife,AslawfulheirtoRogerMortimer,ThesonofEdmund,whichdidmarryPhillip,DaughterandheirtoLionel,DukeofClarence。
CAMBRIDGE。
True,forthisHarryandhisfatherboth,Harrythefirst,asplainlydothappear,ArefalseintrudersandusurptheCrown。
ForwhenyoungRichardwasatPomfretslain,InhimthetitleofprinceEdwarddied,ThatwastheeldestofkingEdward’ssons:
William,ofHatfield,andtheirsecondbrother,Deathinhisnonagehadbeforebereft:
Sothatmywife,derivedfromLionel,ThirdsonuntokingEdward,oughtproceed,AndtakepossessionoftheDiademBeforethisHarry,orhisfatherking,WhofetchedtheirtitlebutfromLancaster,Forthofthatroyalline。Andbeingthus,Whatreasonistbutsheshouldhaveherright?
SCROOP。
Iamresolvedourenterpriseisjust。
GRAY。
Harryshalldie,orelseresignhiscrown。
CHARTRES。
Performbutthat,andCharles,thekingofFrance,Shallaidyou,lords,notonlywithhismen,Butsendyoumoneytomaintainyourwars。
Fivehundredthousandcrownshebademeprofer,IfyoucanstopbutHarry’svoyageforFrance。
SCROOP。
Weneverhadafittertimethannow,Therealminsuchdivisionasitis。
CAMBRIDGE。
Besides,youmustpersuadeye,thereisdueVengeanceforRichard’smurder,which,althoughItbedeferred,yetwillitfallatlast,Andnowaslikelyasanothertime。
Sinhathhadmanyyearstoripenin,Andnowtheharvestcannotbefaroff,WhereintheweedsofusurpationAretobecropped,andcastintothefire。
SCROOP。
Nomore,earlCambridge;hereIplightmyfaith,Tosetuptheeandthyrenownedwife。
GRAY。
Graywillperformthesame,asheisknight。
CHARTRES。
Andtoassistye,asIsaidbefore,Chartersdothgagethehonorofhisking。
SCROOP。
WelackbutnowLordCobham’sfellowship,Andthenourplotwereabsoluteindeed。
CAMBRIDGE。
Doubtnotofhim,mylord;hislife’spursuedBytheincensedClergy,andoflate,Broughtindispleasurewiththeking,assuresHemaybequicklywonuntoourfaction。
WhohaththearticlesweredrawnatlargeOfourwholepurpose?
GRAY。
ThathaveI,myLord。
CAMBRIDGE。
Weshouldnotnowbefarofffromhishouse;
Ourseriousconferencehathbeguiledtheway。
Seewherehiscastlestands。Givemethewriting。
Whenwearecomeuntothespeechofhim,Becausewewillnotstandtomakerecount,Ofthatwhichhathbeensaid,hereheshallread[EnterCobham。]
Ourmindsatlarge,andwhatwecraveofhim。
SCROOP。
Areadyway。Herecomesthemanhimself,Bootedandspurred;itseemshehathbeenriding。
CAMBRIDGE。
Wellmet,lordCobham。
COBHAM。
MylordofCambridge?
YourhonorismostwelcomeintoKent,Andalltherestofthisfaircompany。
IamnewcomefromLondon,gentleLords;
ButwillyenottakeCowlingforyourhost,Andseewhatentertainmentitaffords?
CAMBRIDGE。
Wewereintendedtohavebeenyourguests:
ButnowthisluckymeetingshallsufficeToendourbusiness,anddeferthatkindness。
COBHAM。
Business,mylord?whatbusinessshouldyouhaveButtobemerry?Wehavenodelicates,ButthisI’llpromiseyou:apieceofvenison,Acupofwine,andsoforth——hunters’fare;
Andifyouplease,we’llstrikethestagourselvesShallfillourdisheswithhiswell—fedflesh。
SCROOP。
Thatis,indeed,thethingwealldesire。
COBHAM。
Mylordsandyoushallhaveyourchoicewithme。
CAMBRIDGE。
Nay,butthestagwhichwedesiretostrikeLivesnotinCowling;ifyouwillconsent,Andgowithus,we’llbringyoutoaforest,Whererunsalustyherd;amongstthewhichThereisastagsuperiortotherest,Astatelybeastthat,whenhisfellowsrun,Heleadstherace,andbeatsthesullenearth,Asthoughhescornedit,withhistramplinghooves。
Alofthebearshishead,andwithhisbreast,Likeahugebulwark,counter—checksthewind:
Andwhenhestandethstill,hestretchethforthHisproudambitiousneck,asifhemeantTowoundthefirmamentwithforkedhorns。
COBHAM。
Tispitysuchagoodlybeastshoulddie。
CAMBRIDGE。
Notso,sirJohn,forheistyrannous,Andgorestheotherdeer,andwillnotkeepWithinthelimitsareappointedhim。
Oflatehe’sbrokeintoaseveral,Whichdothbelongtome,andtherehespoilsBothcornandpasture。Twoofhiswildrace,Alikeforstealthandcovetousencroaching,Alreadyareremoved;ifheweredead,Ishouldnotonlybesecurefromhurt,Butwithhisbodymakearoyalfeast。
SCROOP。
Howsayyou,then;willyoufirsthuntwithus?
COBHAM。
Faith,Lords,Ilikethepastime;where’stheplace>
CAMBRIDGE。
Perusethiswriting;itwillshewyouall,Andwhatoccasionwehaveforthesport。
[Hereads。]
COBHAM。
Callyethishunting,mylords?IsthisthestagYoufainwouldchase——Harryourdreadking?
Sowemaymakeabanquetforthedevil,Andinthesteadofwholesomemeat,prepareAdishofpoisontoconfoundourselves。
CAMBRIDGE。
Whyso,lordCobham?Seeyounotourclaim?
Andhowimperiouslyheholdsthecrown?
SCROOP。
Besides,youknowyourselfisindisgrace,Heldasarecreant,andpursuedtodeath。
Thiswilldefendyoufromyourenemies,Andstablishyourreligionthroughtheland。
COBHAM。
Notorioustreason!yetIwillconceal[Aside。]
Mysecretthoughts,tosoundthedepthofit。
MylordofCambridge,Idoseeyourclaim,AndwhatgoodmayredounduntothelandByprosecutingofthisenterprise。
Butwherearethemen?where’spowerandfurnitureToordersuchanaction?Weareweak;
Harry,youknow’samightypotentate。
CAMBRIDGE。
Tut,wearestrongenough:youarebeloved,Andmanywillbegladtofollowyou;
Wearethelike,andsomewillfollowus。
Besides,thereishopefromFrance:here’sanambassadorThatpromisethbothmenandmoneytoo。
Thecommonslikewise(aswehear)pretendAsuddentumult;wewilljoinwiththem。
COBHAM。
Somelikelihood,Imustconfess,tospeed;
ButhowshallIbelievethisisplaintruth?
Youare,mylords,suchmenasliveinCourt,Andhighlyhavebeenfavouredoftheking,EspeciallylordScroop,whomoftentimesHemakethchoiceofforhisbedfellow;
Andyou,lordGray,areofhisprivycounsel:
Isnotthisatraintoentrapmylife?
CAMBRIDGE。
Thenperishmaymysoul!What,thinkyouso?
SCROOP。
We’llsweartoyou。
GRAY。
Ortakethesacrament。
COBHAM。
Nay,youarenoblemen,andIimagine,Asyouarehonorablebybirthandblood,Soyouwillbeinheart,inthought,inword。
Icravenoothertestimonybutthis:
Thatyouwouldallsubscribe,andsetyourhandsUntothiswritingwhichyougavetome。
CAMBRIDGE。
Withallourhearts。Whohathanypenandink?
SCROOP。
Mypocketshouldhaveone:yea,hereitis。
CAMBRIDGE。
Giveitme,lordScroop。——Thereismyname。
SCROOP。
Andthereismyname。
GRAY。
Andmine。
COBHAM。
Sir,letmecrave,Thatyouwouldlikewisewriteyournamewiththeirs,Forconfirmationofyourmaster’sword,ThekingofFrance。
CHARTRES。
ThatwillI,nobleLord。
COBHAM。
Sonowthisactioniswellknittogether,AndIamforyou。Where’sourmeeting,lords?
CAMBRIDGE。
Here,ifyouplease,thetenthofJulynext。
COBHAM。
InKent?agreed:nowletusintosupper。
Ihopeyourhonorswillnotawaytonight。
CAMBRIDGE。
Yes,presently;forIhavefartoride,Aboutsolicitingofotherfriends。
SCROOP。
Andwewouldnotbeabsentfromthecourt,Lesttherebygrowsuspicionintheking。
COBHAM。
Yettasteacupofwinebeforeyego。
CAMBRIDGE。
Notnow,mylord,wethankyou:sofarewell。
[ExeuntallbutCobham。]
COBHAM。
Farewell,mynoblelords。——Mynoblelords?
Mynoblevillains,baseconspirators。
HowcantheylookhisHighnessintheface,Whomtheysocloselystudytobetray?
ButI’llnotsleepuntilImakeitknown。
Thisheadshallnotbeburdenedwithsuchthoughts,NorinthisheartwillIconcealadeedOfsuchimpietyagainstmyking。
Madam,hownow?
[EnterHarpooleandtherest。]
LADYCOBHAM。
Youarewelcomehome,myLord。
Whyseemyesodisquietinyourlooks?
Whathathbefallenyouthatdisquietsyourmind?
LADYPOWIS。
Badnews,Iamafraid,touchingmyhusband。
COBHAM。
Madam,notso:thereisyourhusband’spardon。
Longmayyelive,eachjoyuntotheother。
POWIS。
SogreatakindnessasiknownothowTomakereply;mysenseisquiteconfounded。
COBHAM。
Letthatalone:andmadam,staymenot,ForImustbackuntothecourtagainWithallthespeedIcan。Harpoole,myhorse。
LADYCOBHAM。
Sosoon,myLord?what,willyourideallnight?
COBHAM。
Allnightorday;itmustbeso,sweetwife。
Urgemenotwhyorwhatmybusinessis,Butgetyouin。LordPowis,bearwithme,Andmadam,thinkyourwelcomene’ertheworse:
Myhouseisatyouruse。Harpoole,away。
HARPOOLE。
ShallIattendyourlordshiptothecourt?
COBHAM。
Yes,sir;yourgelding!mountyoupresently。
[Exeunt。]
LADYCOBHAM。
Iprithee,Harpoole,lookuntothyLord。
Idonotlikethissuddenpostingback。
POWIS。
Someearnestbusinessisafootbelike;
Whate’eritbe,prayGodbehisgoodguide。
LADYPOWIS。
Amen!thathathsohighlyusbested。
LADYCOBHAM。
Come,madam,andmylord,we’llhopethebest;
YoushallnotintoWalestillhereturn。
POWIS。
Thoughgreatoccasionbeweshoulddepart,YetmadamwillwestaytoberesolvedOfthisunlookedfor,doubtfulaccident。
[Exeunt。]
ACTIII。SCENEII。AroadnearHighgate。
[EnterMurleyandhismen,preparedinsomefilthyorderforwar。]
MURLEY。
Come,myheartsofflint,modestly,decently,soberly,andhandsomely,nomanaforehisLeader;followyourmaster,yourCaptain,yourKnightthatshallbe,forthehonorofMeal—men,Millers,andMalt—men。Dunneisthemouse。Dickandtom,forthecreditofDunstable,dingdowntheenemytomorrow;yeshallnotcomeintothefieldlikebeggars。WherebeLeonardandLaurence,mytwoloaders?Lordhavemercyuponus,whataworldisthis?Iwouldgiveacoupleofshillingsforadozenofgoodfeathersforye,andfortypenceforasmanyscarfstosetyeoutwithal。Frostandsnow!amanhasnohearttofighttillhebebrave。
DICK。
Master,Ihopewebenobabes。Forourmanhood,ourbucklersandourtownfoot—ballscanbearwitness:andthislightparrelwehaveshalloff,andwe’llfightnakedaforewerunaway。
TOM。
Nay,IamofLaurencemindforthat,forhemeanstoleavehislifebehindhim;heandLeonard,yourtwoloaders,aremakingtheirwillsbecausetheyhavewives。
NowweBachelorsbidourfriendsscrambleforourgoodsifwedie:but,master,prayye,letmerideuponCutte。
MURLEY。
Mealandsalt,wheatandmalt,fireandtow,frostandsnow!why,Tom,thoushalt。Letmesee:hereareyou,WilliamandGeorgearewithmycart,andRobinandHodgeholdingmyowntwohorses:propermen,handsomemen,tallmen,truemen。
DICK。
But,master,master,methinksyouareamadmantohazardyourownpersonandacartloadofmoneytoo。
TOM。
Yea,and,master,there’saworsematterin’t。IfitbeasI
heardsay,wegotofightagainstallthelearnedBishops,thatshouldgiveustheirblessing;andiftheycurseus,weshallspeedne’erthebetter。
DICK。
Nay,birlady,somesaytheKingtakestheirpart;and,master,dareyoufightagainsttheKing?
MURLEY。
Fie,paltry,paltry!inandout,toandfro,uponoccasion;iftheKingbesounwisetocomethere,we’llfightwithhimtoo。
TOM。
What,ifyeshouldkilltheKing?
MURLEY。
Thenwe’llmakeanother。
DICK。
Isthatall?doyenotspeaktreason?
MURLEY。
Ifwedo,whodaretripus?wecometofightforourconscience,andforhonor。Littleknowyouwhatisinmybosom;lookhere,madknaves,apairofgiltspurs。
TOM。
Apairofgoldenspurs?Whydoyounotputthemonyourheels?Yourbosom’snoplaceforspurs。
MURLEY。
Be’tmoreorlessuponoccasion,Lordhavemercyuponus,Tom,th’artafool,andthouspeakesttreasontoknighthood。
Dareanyweargoldenorsilverspurstillhebeaknight?No,Ishallbeknightedtomorrow,andthentheyshallon。Sirs,wasiteverreadinthechurchbookofDunstable,thatevermaltmanwasmadeknight?
TOM。
No,butyouaremore:youaremeal—man,maltman,miller,corn—masterandall。
DICK。
Yea,andhalfabrewertoo,andthedevilandallforwealth。
Youbringmoremoneywithyou,thanalltherest。
MURLEY。
Themore’smyhonor。Ishallbeaknighttomorrow!Letmesposemymen:Tomuponcut,Dickuponhob,HodgeuponBall,RaphuponSorell,andRobinupontheforehorse。
[EnterActon,Bourne,andBeverly。]
TOM。
Stand,whocomesthere?
ACTON。
Allfriends,goodfellow。
MURLEY。
Friendsandfellows,indeed,sirRoger。
ACTON。
Why,thusyoushewyourselfaGentleman,Tokeepyourday,andcomesowellprepared。
Yourcartstandsyonder,guardedbyyourmen,Whotellmeitisloadenwithcoin。
Whatsumisthere?
MURLEY。
Tenthousandpound,sirRoger:andmodestly,decently,soberly,andhandsomely,seewhatI
havehereagainstIbeknighted。
ACTON。
Giltspurs?tiswell。
MURLEY。
Butwhere’syourarmy,sir?
ACTON。
Dispersedinsundryvillagesabout:
SomeherewithusinHighgate,someatFinchley,Totnam,Enfield,Edmunton,Newington,Islington,Hogsdon,Pancredge,Kensington;
SomenearerThames,Ratcliffe,BlackwallandBow;
ButourchiefstrengthmustbetheLondoners,Which,eretheSuntomorrowshine,Willbenearfiftythousandinthefield。
MURLEY。
Mary,Goddildye,daintymydear!butuponoccasion,sirRogerActon,dothnottheKingknowofit,andgatherhispoweragainstus?
ACTON。
No,he’ssecureatEltham。
MURLEY。
WhatdotheClergy?
ACTON。
Fearextremely,yetpreparenoforce。
MURLEY。
Inandout,toandfro,Bullymyboikin,weshallcarrytheworldaforeus!Ivowbymyworship,whenIamknighted,we’lltaketheKingnapping,ifhestandontheirpart。
ACTON。
ThisnightwefewinHighgatewillrepose。
Withthefirstcockwe’llriseandarmourselves,TobeinFicketfieldbybreakofday,AndthereexpectourGeneral。
MURLEY。
SirJohnOld—castle?whatifhecomenot?
BOURNE。
Yetouractionstands。
SirRogerActonmaysupplyhisplace。
MURLEY。
True,MasterBourne,butwhoshallmakemeknight?
BEVERLY。
HethathathpowertobeourGeneral。
ACTON。
Talknotoftrifles;come,let’saway。
OurfriendsofLondonlongtillitbeday。
[Exeunt。]
ACTIII。SCENEIII。AhighroadinKent。
[EntersirJohnofWrothamandDoll。]
DOLL。
Bymytroth,thouartasjealousamanaslives。
PRIEST。
Canstthoublameme,Doll?thouartmylands,mygoods,myjewels,mywealth,mypurse。Nonewalkswithinxl。
milesofLondon,butapliestheeastrulyastheparishdoesthepoorman’sbox。
DOLL。
Iamastruetotheeasthestoneisinthewall;andthouknowestwellenough,sirJohn,Iwasinasgooddoing,whenIcametothee,asanywenchneedtobe;andthereforethouhasttriedme,thatthouhast:byGod’sbody,IwillnotbekeptasIhavebeen,thatIwillnot。
PRIEST。
Doll,ifthisbladehold,there’snotapeddlarwalkswithapack,butthoushaltasboldlychooseofhiswares,aswiththyreadymoneyinaMerchant’sshop。We’llhaveasgoodsilverastheKingcoinsany。
DOLL。
What,isallthegoldspentyoutookthelastdayfromtheCourtier?
PRIEST。
Tisgone,Doll,tisflown;merelycome,merelygone:hecomesahorsebackthatmuchpayforall。We’llhaveasgoodmeatasmoneycanget,andasgoodgownsascanbeboughtforgold。Bemerry,wench,themalt—mancomesonMonday。
DOLL。
YoumighthaveleftmeatCobham,untilyouhadbeenbetterprovidedfor。
PRIEST。
No,sweetDoll,no:Idonotlikethat。Yondoldruffianisnotforthepriest:Idonotlikeanewclerkshouldcomeintheoldbelfry。
DOLL。
Ah,thouartamadpriest,yfaith。
PRIEST。
Come,Doll;I’llseetheesafeatsomealehousehereatCray,andthenextsheepthatcomesshallleavehisfleece。
[Exeunt。]
ACTIII。SCENEIV。Blackheath。
[EntertheKing,SuffolkandButler。]
KING。
[Ingreathaste。]MylordofSuffolk,postawayforlife,Andletourforcesofsuchhorseandfoot,Ascanbegatheredupbyanymeans,MakespeedyrendezvousinTuttlefields。
Itmustbedonethisevening,myLord;
ThisnighttherebelsmeantodrawtoheadNearIslington,whichifyourspeedpreventnot,Ifoncetheyshouldunitetheirseveralforces,Theirpowerisalmostthoughtinvincible。
Away,myLord;Iwillbewithyousoon。
SUFFOLK。
Igo,mySovereign,withallhappyspeed。
[Exit。]
KING。
Makehaste,mylordofSuffolk,asyouloveus。
Butler,postyoutoLondonwithallspeed;
CommandtheMayorandshrieves,ontheirallegiance,ThecitygatesbepresentlyshutupAndguardedwithastrongsufficientwatch,AndnotamanbesufferedtopassWithoutaspecialwarrantfromourself。
CommandthePosternbytheTowerbekept,Andproclamation,onthepainofdeath,Thatnotacitizenstirfromhisdoors,ExceptsuchastheMayorandShrievesshallchooseFortheirownguardandsafetyoftheirpersons。
Butler,away;havecareuntomycharge。
BUTLER。
Igo,mySovereign。
KING。
Butler!
BUTLER。
MyLord。
KING。
GodownbyGreenwich,andcommandaboatAttheFriar’sbridgeattendmycomingdown。
BUTLER。
Iwill,myLord。
[Exit。]
KING。
It’stime,Ithink,tolookuntorebellion,WhenActondothexpectuntohisaidNolessthanfiftythousandLondoners。
Well,I’lltoWestminsterinthisdisguise,Tohearwhatnewsisstirringinthesebrawls。
[EntersirJohnandDoll。]
SIRJOHN。
Stand,true—man!saysathief。
KING。
Stand,thief!saysatrueman。Howifathief?
SIRJOHN。
Stand,thief,too。
KING。
Then,thiefortrue—man,IseeImuststand。Isee,howsoevertheworldwags,thetradeofthievingyetwillneverdown。Whatartthou?
SIRJOHN。
Agoodfellow。
KING。
SoamItoo。Iseethoudostknowme。
SIRJOHN。
Ifthoubeagoodfellow,playthegoodfellow’spart:
deliverthypursewithoutmoreado。
KING。
Ihavenomoney。
SIRJOHN。
Imustmakeyoufindsomebeforewepart。Ifyouhavenomoney,youshallhavewar:asmanysounddryblowsasyourskincancarry。
KING。
Isthattheplaintruth?
SIRJOHN。
Sirra,nomoreado;come,come,givemethemoneyyouhave。Dispatch,Icannotstandallday。
KING。
Well,ifthouwiltneedshaveit,theretis:justtheproverb,onethiefrobsanother。Wherethedevilareallmyoldthieves,thatwerewonttokeepthiswalk?Falstaff,thevillain,issofat,hecannotgeton’shorse,butmethinksPoinesandPetoshouldbestirringhereabout。
SIRJOHN。
Howmuchisthereon’t,ofthyword?
KING。
AhundredpoundinAngels,onmyword。
ThetimehasbeenIwouldhavedoneasmuchForthee,ifthouhadstpastthisway,asIhavenow。
SIRJOHN。
Sirra,whatartthou?thouseem’stagentleman。
KING。
Iamnoless;yetapooronenow,forthouhastallmymoney。
SIRJOHN。
>Fromwhencecam’stthou?
KING。
>FromthecourtatEltham。
SIRJOHN。
ArtthouoneoftheKing’sservants?
KING。
Yes,thatIam,andoneofhischamber。
SIRJOHN。
Iamgladthouartnoworse;thoumayestthebettersparethymoney:&thinkstthouthoumightstgetapoorthiefhispardon,ifheshouldhaveneed。
KING。
Yes,thatIcan。
SIRJOHN。
Wiltthoudosomuchforme,whenIshallhaveoccasion?
KING。
Yes,faithwillI,soitbefornomurther。
SIRJOHN。
Nay,Iamapitifulthief;allthehurtIdoaman,Itakebuthispurse;I’llkillnoman。
KING。
Then,ofmyword,I’lldoit。
SIRJOHN。
Givemethyhandofthesame。
KING。
Theretis。
SIRJOHN。
MethinkstheKingshouldbegoodtothieves,becausehehasbeenathiefhimself,thoughIthinknowhebeturnedtrue—man。
KING。
Faith,Ihaveheardindeedhehashadanillnamethatwayinhisyouth;buthowcanstthoutellhehasbeenathief?
SIRJOHN。
How?BecauseheoncerobbedmebeforeIfelltothetrademyself;whenthatfoulvillainousguts,thatledhimtoallthatrogery,wasin’scompanythere,thatFalstaff。
KING。
[Aside。]Well,ifhedidrobtheethen,thouartbutevenwithhimnow,I’llbesworn。——Thouknowestnotthekingnow,I
think,ifthousawesthim?
SIRJOHN。
NotI,yfaith。
KING。
[Aside。]Soitshouldseem。
SIRJOHN。
Well,ifoldKingHenryhadlived,thisKingthatisnowhadmadethievingthebesttradeinEngland。
KING。
Whyso?
SIRJOHN。
Becausehewasthechiefwardenofourcompany。It’spitythate’erheshouldhavebeenaKing;hewassobraveathief。But,sirra,wiltremembermypardonifneedbe?
KING。
Yes,faith,willI。
SIRJOHN。
Wiltthou?wellthen,becausethoushaltgosafe——forthoumayesthap(beingsoearly)bemetwithagainbeforethoucometoSouthwark——ifanyman,whenheshouldbidtheegoodmorrow,bidtheestand,saythoubutSirJohn,andhewilllettheepass。
KING。
Isthattheword?well,then,letmealone。
SIRJOHN。
Nay,sirra,becauseIthinkindeedIshallhavesomeoccasiontousethee,&asthoucomestoftthisway,Imaylightontheeanothertimenotknowingthee,here!I’llbreakthisAngel。
Takethouhalfofit;thisisatokenbetwixttheeandme。
KING。
Godhavemercy;farewell。
[Exit。]
SIRJOHN。
Omyfinegoldenslaves!here’sforthee,wench,yfaith。Now,Doll,wewillrevelinourbower!thisisatithepigofmyvicarage。Godhavemercy,neighbourShootershill;youpaidyourtithehonestly。Well,IhearthereisacompanyofrebelsupagainsttheKing,gottogetherinFicketfieldnearHolborne,andasitisthoughthereinKent,theKingwillbetheretonightin’sownperson;well,I’lltotheKing’scamp,anditshallgohard,but,iftherebeanydoings,I’llmakesomegoodbootamongstthem。
[Exit。]
ACTIV。SCENEI。AfieldnearLondon。KingHenry’scamp。
[EnterKingHenry,Suffolk,Huntington,andtwowithlights。]
KING。
MylordsofSuffolkandofHuntington,Whoscoutsitnow?orwhostandsSentinels?
Whatmenofworth?whatLordsdowalktheround?
SUFFOLK。
MayitpleaseyourHighness——
KING。
Peace,nomoreofthat。
TheKing’sasleep;wakenothismajestyWithtermsnortitles;he’satrestinbed。
Kingsdonotusetowatchthemselves;theysleep,AndletrebellionandconspiracyRevelandhavocinthecommonwealth。——
IsLondonlookedunto?
HUNTINGTON。
Itis,myLord:
YournobleUncleExeteristhere,YourbrotherGloucesterandmyLordofWarwick,Who,withthemayorandtheAldermen,Doguardthegates,andkeepgoodrulewithin;
TheEarlofCambridgeandsirThomasGrayDowalktheRound;LordScroopandButlerscout。
So,thoughitpleaseyourmajestytojest,Wereyouinbed,wellmightyoutakeyourrest。
KING。
Ithankye,Lords,butyoudoknowofold,ThatIhavebeenaperfectnight—walker。
London,yousay,issafelylookedunto——
Alas,poorrebels,thereyouraidmustfail——
AndtheLordCobham,sirJohnOld—castle,He’squietinKent。Acton,yearedeceived;
Reckonagain,youcountwithoutyourhost;
Tomorrowyoushallgiveaccounttous。
Tilwhen,myfriends,thislongcoldwinter’snightHowcanwespend?KingHarryisasleepAndallhisLords,thesegarmentstellusso;
Allfriendsatfootball,fellowsallinfield,Harry,andDick,andGeorge。Bringusadrum;
Giveussquaredice,we’llkeepthiscourtofguardForallgoodfellowscompaniesthatcome。
Where’sthatmadpriestyetoldmewasinArms,Tofight,aswellaspray,ifneedrequired?
SUFFOLK。
He’sintheCamp,andifheknowofthis,Iundertakehewouldnotbelonghence。
KING。
Trip,Dick;trip,George。
[Theytrip。]
HUNTINGTON。
Imusthavethedice。
Whatdoweplayat?
[Theyplayatdice。]
SUFFOLK。
Passage,ifyeplease。
HUNTINGTON。
Setroundthen;so,atall。
KING。
George,youareout。
Givemethedice。Ipassfortwentypound。
Here’stoourluckypassageintoFrance。
HUNTINGTON。
Harry,youpassindeed,foryousweepall。
SUFFOLK。
AsignkingHarryshallsweepallinFrance。
[EnterSirJohn。]
SIRJOHN。
Edgeye,goodfellows;takeafreshgamesterin。
KING。
MasterParson?Weplaynothingbutgold。
SIRJOHN。
And,fellow,Itelltheethatthepriesthathgold。Gold?
sblood,yearebutbeggarlysoldierstome。IthinkIhavemoregoldthanallyouthree。
HUNTINGTON。
Itmaybeso,butwebelieveitnot。
KING。
Set,priest,set。Ipassforallthatgold。
SIRJOHN。
Yepass,indeed。
KING。
Priest,hastthouanymore?
SIRJOHN。
Zounds,whataquestion’sthat?
ItelltheeIhavemorethanallyouthree。
AtthesetenAngels!
KING。
Iwonderhowthoucomestbyallthisgold;
Howmanybeneficeshastthou,priest?
SIRJOHN。
Yfaith,butone。DostwonderhowIcomebygold?I
wonderratherhowpoorsoldiersshouldhavegold;forI’lltellthee,goodfellow:wehaveeverydaytithes,offerings,christenings,weddings,burials;andyoupoorsnakescomeseldomtoabooty。I’llspeakaproudword:
Ihavebutoneparsonage,Wrotham;tisbetterthantheBishopricofRochester。There’sne’erahill,heath,nordowninallKent,buttisinmyparish:Barhamdown,Chobhamdown,Gad’sHill,Wrothamhill,Blackheath,Cock’sheath,Birchenwood,allpaymetithe。Gold,quotha?yepassnotforthat。
SUFFOLK。
Harry,yeareout;now,parson,shakethedice。
SIRJOHN。
Set,set;I’llcoveryeatall。Aplagueon’t,Iamout:thedevil,anddice,andawench,whowilltrustthem?
SUFFOLK。
Sayestthouso,priest?Setfair;atallforonce。
KING。
Out,sir;payall。
SIRJOHN。
Sblood,paymeangelgold。
I’llnoneofyourcrackedFrenchcrownsnorpistolets。
Paymefairangelgold,asIpayyou。
KING。
NocrackedFrenchcrowns?IhopetoseemorecrackedFrenchcrownserelong。
SIRJOHN。
ThoumeanestofFrenchmen’scrowns,whentheKingisinFrance。
HUNTINGTON。
Setround,atall。
SIRJOHN。
Payall:thisissomeluck。
KING。
Givemethedice,tisImustshredthepriest:
Atall,sirJohn。
SIRJOHN。
Thedevilandallisyours。Atthat!Sdeath,whatcastingisthis?
SUFFOLK。
Wellthrown,Harry,yfaith。
KING。
I’llcastbetteryet。
SIRJOHN。
ThenI’llbehanged。Sirra,hastthounotgiventhysoultothedevilforcasting?
KING。
Ipassforall。
SIRJOHN。
Thoupassestallthate’erIplayedwithal。
Sirra,dostthounotcog,norfoist,norslur?
KING。
Set,parson,set;thedicedieinmyhand:
Whenparson,when?what,canyefindnomore?
Alreadydry?wastyoubraggedofyourstore?
SIRJOHN。
All’sgonebutthat。
HUNTINGTON。
What?halfabrokenangel?
SIRJOHN。
Whysir,tisgold。
KING。
Yea,andI’llcoverit。
SIRJOHN。
Thedevildoyegoodon’t,Iamblind,yehaveblownmeup。
KING。
Nay,tarry,priest;yeshallnotleaveusyet。
Donotthesepiecesfiteachotherwell?
SIRJOHN。
Whatiftheydo?
KING。
Therebybeginsatale:
Therewasathief,infacemuchlikeSirJohn——
Buttwasnothe,thatthiefwasallingreen——
MetmelastdayatBlackHeath,nearthepark,Withhimawoman。IwasallaloneAndweaponless,myboyhadallmytools,Andwasbeforeprovidingmeaboat。
Shorttaletomake,sirJohn——thethief,Imean——
Tookajusthundrethpoundingoldfromme。
Istormedatit,andsworetoberevengedIfe’erwemet。He,likealustythief,BrakewithhisteeththisAngeljustintwoTobeatokenatourmeetingnext,ProvidedIshouldchargenoOfficerToapprehendhim,butatweapon’spointRecoverthatandwhathehadbeside。
Wellmet,sirJohn;betakeyetoyourtoolsBytorchlight,for,masterparson,youareheThathadmygold。
SIRJOHN。
Zounds,Iwon’tinplay,infairsquareplay,ofthekeeperofElthampark;andthatIwillmaintainwiththispoorwhinyard,beyoutwohonestmentostandandlookupon’s,andlet’salone,andtakeneitherpart。
KING。
Agreed!Ichargeyedonotbudgetafoot。
SirJohn,haveatye。
SIRJOHN。
Soldier,wareyoursconce。
[Here,astheyarereadytostrike,enterButleranddrawshisweaponandstepsbetwixtthem。]
BUTLER。
Hold,villains,hold!myLords,whatdoyoumean,ToseeatraitordrawagainsttheKing?
SIRJOHN。
TheKing!God’swill,Iaminaproperpickle。
KING。
Butler,whatnews?whydostthoutroubleus?
BUTLER。
PleaseityourHighness,itisbreakofday,AndasIscoutedneartoIslington,ThegrayeyedmorninggavemeglimmeringOfarmedmencomingdownHighgatehill,Whobytheircoursearecoastinghitherward。
KING。
Letuswithdraw,myLords。PrepareourtroopsTochargetherebels,iftherebesuchcause。
Forthislewdpriest,thisdevilishhypocrite,Thatisathief,agamester,andwhatnot,Lethimbehangedupforexamplesake。
SIRJOHN。
Notsomygracioussovereign。IconfessthatIamafrailman,fleshandbloodasotherare:but,setmyimperfectionsaside,bythislight,yehavenotatallerman,noratruersubjecttotheCrownandState,thanSirJohnofWrotham。
KING。
WillatruesubjectrobhisKing?
SIRJOHN。
Alas,twasignoranceandwant,mygraciousliege。
KING。
Twaswantofgrace。Why,youshouldbeassaltToseasonotherswithgooddocument,Yourlivesaslampstogivethepeoplelight,Asshepherds,notaswolvestospoiltheflock。
Gohanghim,Butler。
BUTLER。
Didstthounotrobme?
SIRJOHN。
ImustconfessIsawsomeofyourgold。But,mydreadLord,Iaminnohumorfordeath;therefore,savemylife。
Godwillthatsinnerslive;donotyoucausemedie。Onceintheirlivesthebestmaygoastray,andiftheworldsaytrue,yourself(myliege)havebeenathief。
KING。
IconfessIhave,ButIrepentandhavereclaimedmyself。
SIRJOHN。
SowillIdo,ifyouwillgivemetime。
KING。
Wiltthou?Mylords,willyoubehissureties?
HUNTINGTON。
Thatwhenherobsagain,heshallbehanged。
SIRJOHN。
Iasknomore。
KING。
Andwewillgranttheethat。
Liveandrepent,andproveanhonestman,WhichwhenIhear,andsafereturnfromFrance,I’llgivetheeliving:tillthentakethygold;
Butspenditbetterthanatcardsorwine,Forbettervirtuesfitthatcoatofthine。
SIRJOHN。
VivatRex&curatlex!Myliege,ifyehavecauseofbattle,yeshallseeSirJohnofWrothambestirhimselfinyourquarrel。
[Exeunt。]
ACTIV。SCENEII。AfieldofBattlenearLondon。
[AfteranalarumenterHarry,Suffolk,Huntington,SirJohn,bringingforthActon,Beverley,andMurleyprisoners。]
KING。
Bringinthosetraitors,whoseaspiringmindsThoughttohavetriumphtinouroverthrow。
Butnowyesee,basevillains,whatsuccessAttendsillactionswrongfullyattempted。
SirRogerActon,thouretainstthenameOfknight,andshouldstbemorediscreetlytempered,Thanjoinwithpeasants:gentryisdivine,Butthouhastmadeitmorethanpopular。
ACTON。
Pardon,myLord;myconscienceurgedmetoit。
KING。
Thyconscience?thenthyconscienceiscorrupt,Forinthyconsciencethouartboundtous,Andinthyconsciencethoushouldstlovethycountry;
Elsewhat’sthedifferencetwixtaChristianAndtheuncivilmannersoftheTurk?
BEVERLEY。
Wemeantnohurtuntoyourmajesty,ButreformationofReligion。
KING。
ReformReligion?wasitthatyesought?
Ipraywhogaveyouthatauthority?
Belike,then,wedoholdthescepterupAndsitwithinthethronebutforacipher。
Timewas,goodsubjectswouldmakeknowntheirgriefAndprayamendment,notenforcethesame,UnlesstheirKingweretyrant,whichIhopeYoucannotjustlysaythatHarryis。
Whatisthatother?
SUFFOLK。
Amalt—man,myLord,AnddwellinginDunstableashesays。
KING。
Sirra,whatmadeyouleaveyourbarleybroth,TocomeinarmourthusagainstyourKing?
MURLEY。
Fie,paltry,paltry;toandfro,inandoutuponoccasion;
whataworld’sthis!Knight—hood(myliege)twasknight—hoodbroughtmehither。TheytoldmeIhadwealthenoughtomakemywifealady。
KING。
Andsoyoubroughtthosehorseswhichwesaw,Trappedallincostlyfurniture,andmeantTowearthesespurswhenyouwereknightedonce?
MURLEY。
Inandoutuponoccasion,Idid。
KING。
Inandoutuponoccasion,therefore,Youshallbehanded,andinthesteadofwearingThesespursuponyourheels,aboutyourneckTheyshallbewrayyourfollytotheworld。
SIRJOHN。
Inandoutuponoccasion,thatgoeshard。
MURLEY。
Fie,paltry,paltry,toandfro;goodmyliege,apardon。Iamsorryformyfault。
KING。
Thatcomestoolate:buttellme,wenttherenoneBesidesirRogerActon,uponwhomYoudiddependtobeyourgovernour?
MURLEY。
None,none,myLord,butsirJohnOld—castle。
KING。
Bearshepartinthisconspiracy?
[EnterBishop。]
ACTON。
Welooked,myLord,thathewouldmeetushere。
KING。
Butdidhepromiseyouthathewouldcome?
ACTON。
SuchletterswereceivedforthofKent。
BISHOP。
WhereismyLordtheKing?——Healthtoyourgrace。
Examining,myLord,someofthesecaitiverebels,Itisageneralvoiceamongstthemall,Thattheyhadnevercomeuntothisplace,Buttohavemettheirvaliantgeneral,ThegoodLordCobham,astheytitlehim:
Whereby,myLord,yourgracemaynowperceive,Histreasonisapparent,whichbeforeHesoughttocolourbyhisflattery。
KING。
Now,bymyroyalty,IwouldhaveswornButforhisconscience,whichIbearwithal,Therehadnotlivedamoretrueheartedsubject。
BISHOP。
Itisbutcounterfeit,mygraciouslord,Andtherefore,mayitpleaseyourmajestyTosetyourhanduntothisprecepthere,Bywhichwe’llcausehimforthwithtoappear,Andanswerthisbyorderofthelaw。
KING。
Bishop,notonlythat,buttakecommissionTosearch,attach,imprison,andcondemnThismostnotorioustraitorasyouplease。
BISHOP。
Itshallbedone,myLord,withoutdelay。——
SonowIhold,LordCobham,inmyhand,Thatwhichshallfinishthydisdainedlife。
KING。
Ithinktheironagebeginsbutnow,(Whichlearnedpoetshavesooftentaught)
Whereinthereisnocredittobegiven,Toeitherwords,orlooks,orsolemnoaths。
Foriftherewere,howoftenhathhesworn,Howgentlytunedthemusicofhistongue,Andwithwhatamiablefacebeheldheme,Whenall,Godknows,wasbuthypocricy。
[EnterCobham。]
COBHAM。
Longlifeandprosperousreignuntomylord。
KING。
Ah,villain,canstthouwishprosperity,Whoseheartincludethnaughtbuttreachery?
Idoarresttheeheremyself,falseknight,Oftreasoncapitalagainstthestate。
COBHAM。
Oftreason,mightyprince?yourgracemistakes。
Ihopeitisbutinthewayofmirth。
KING。
Thyneckshallfeelitisinearnestshortly。
Darstthouintrudeintoourpresence,knowingHowheinouslythouhastoffendedus?
Butthisisthyaccustomeddeceit;
Nowthouperceivestthypurposeisinvain,Withsomeexcuseorotherthouwiltcome,Toclearthyselfofthisrebellion。
COBHAM。
Rebellion,goodmyLord?Iknowofnone。
KING。
Ifyoudenyit,hereisevidence。
Seeyouthesemen?younevercounseled,Norofferedthemassistanceintheirwars?
COBHAM。
Speak,sirs。Notonebutall;Icravenofavour。
HaveeverIbeenconversantwithyou,Orwrittenletterstoencourageyou,OrkindledbuttheleastorsmallestpartOfthisyourlateunnaturalrebellion?
Speak,forIdaretheuttermostyoucan。
MURLEY。
Inandoutuponoccasion,Iknowyounot。
KING。
No?didstnotsaythatsirJohnOld—castleWasonewithwhomyoupurposedtohavemet?
MURLEY。
True,Ididsayso,butinwhatrespect?
BecauseIhearditwasreportedso。
KING。
Wastherenootherargumentbutthat?
ACTON。
ToclearmyconscienceereIdie,mylord,Imustconfess,wehavenoothergroundButonlyRumor,toaccusethislord,WhichnowIseewasmerelyfabulous。
KING。
Themorepernitiousyoutotainthimthen,Whomyouknewnotwasfaulty,yeaorno。
COBHAM。
Letthis,myLord,whichIpresentyourgrace,Speakformyloyalty:readthesearticles,Andthengivesentenceofmylifeordeath。
KING。
EarlCambridge,Scroop,andGraycorruptedWithbribesfromCharlesofFrance,eithertowinMyCrownfromme,orsecretlycontriveMydeathbytreason?Isthispossible?
COBHAM。
Thereistheplatform,andtheirhands,mylord,Eachseverallysubscribedtothesame。
KING。
Ohneverheardof,baseingratitude!
EventhoseIhugwithinmybosommostArereadiestevermoretostingmyheart。
Pardonme,Cobham,Ihavedonetheewrong;
HereafterIwilllivetomakeamends。
Is,then,theirtimeofmeetingnonearhand?
We’llmeetwiththem,butlittlefortheirease,IfGodpermit。Go,taketheserebelshence;
Letthemhavemartiallaw:butasforthee,Friendtothykingandcountry,stillbefree。
[Exeunt。]
MURLEY。
Beitmoreorless,whataworldisthis?
WouldIhadcontinuedstilloftheorderofknaves,Andneversoughtknighthood,sinceitcostssodear。
SirRoger,Imaythankyouforall。
ACTON。
Nowtistoolatetohaveitremedied,Iprithee,Murley,donoturgemewithit。
HUNTINGTON。
Willyouaway,andmakenomoretodo?
MURLEY。
Fie,paltry,paltry!toandfro,asoccasionserves;
Ifyoubesohasty,takemyplace。
HUNTINGTON。
No,goodsirknight,youshallbegininyourhand。
MURLEY。
Icouldbegladtogivemybettersplace。
[Exeunt。]
ACTIV。SCENEIII。Kent。CourtbeforelordCobham’shouse。
[EnterBishop,lordWarden,CromertheShrieve,LadyCob,andattendants。]
BISHOP。
Itellye,Lady,it’snotpossibleButyoushouldknowwhereheconveyshimself,Andyouhavehidhiminsomesecretplace。
LADYCOBHAM。
MyLord,believeme,asIhaveasoul,Iknownotwheremylordmyhusbandis。
BISHOP。
Goto,goto,yeareanheretic,Andwillbeforcedbytorturetoconfess,Iffairmeanswillnotservetomakeyetell。
LADYCOBHAM。
Myhusbandisanoblegentleman,AndneednothidehimselfforanyfactThatereIheardof;thereforewronghimnot。
BISHOP。
Yourhusbandisadangerousschismatic,TraitortoGod,theKing,andcommonwealth:
Andtherefore,masterCroamer,shrieveofKent,Ichargeyoutakehertoyourcustody,AndseizethegoodsofSirJohnOld—castleTotheKing’suse。Lethergoinnomore,Tofetchsomuchasherapparelout。
Thereisyourwarrantfromhismajesty。
LORDWARDEN。
GoodmyLordBishop,pacifyyourwrathAgainsttheLady。
BISHOP。
ThenletherconfessWhereOld—castleherhusbandisconcealed。
LORDWARDEN。
Idareengageminehonorandmylife,Poorgentlewoman,sheisignorantAndinnocentofallhispractises,Ifanyevilbyhimbepractised。
BISHOP。
If,myLordWarden?nay,thenIchargeyou,ThatallthecinquePorts,whereofyouarechief,Belaidforthwith,thatheescapeusnot。
Shewhimhishighness’warrant,MasterShrieve。
LORDWARDEN。
Iamsorryforthenoblegentleman——
[EnterOld—castleandHarpoole。]
BISHOP。
Peace,hecomeshere;nowdoyouroffice。
COBHAM。
Harpoole,whatbusinesshavewehereinhand?
WhatmakestheBishopandtheSheriffhere?
Ifearmycominghomeisdangerous,IwouldIhadnotmadesuchhastetoCobham。
HARPOOLE。
Beofgoodcheer,myLord:iftheybefoes,we’llscrambleshrewdlywiththem:iftheybefriends,theyarewelcome。Oneofthem(myLordWarden)
isyourfriend;butmethinksmyladyweeps;Ilikenotthat。
CROAMER。
SirJohnOld—castle,LordCobham,intheKing’smajesty’sname,Iarrestyeofhightreason。
COBHAM。
Treason,MasterCroamer?
HARPOOLE。
Treason,MasterShrieve?sblood,whattreason?
COBHAM。
Harpoole,Ichargethee,stirnot,butbequietstill。
Doyearrestme,MasterShrieve,fortreason?
BISHOP。
Yea,ofhightreason,traitor,heretic。
COBHAM。
Defianceinhisfacethatcallsmeso。
IamastruealoyalgentlemanUntohishighnessasmyproudestenemy。
TheKingshallwitnessmylatefaithfulservice,Forsafetyofhissacredmajesty。
BISHOP。
Whatthouarttheking’shandshalltestify:
Shewthim,LordWarden。
COBHAM。
Jesudefendme!
Is’tpossibleyourcunningcouldsotemperTheprincelydispositionofhismind,Tosignthedamageofaloyalsubject?
Well,thebestis,itbearsanantedate,Procuredbymyabsence,andyourmalice,ButI,sincethat,haveshewdmyselfastrueAsanychurchmanthatdarechallengeme。
Letmebebroughtbeforehismajesty;
Ifheacquitmenot,thendoyourworst。
BISHOP。
WearenotboundtodokingofficesForanytraitor,schismatic,norheretic。
Theking’shandisourwarrantforourwork,WhoisdepartedonhiswayforFrance,AndatSouthhamptondothreposethisnight。
HARPOOLE。
OthatitweretheblessedwillofGod,thatthouandIwerewithintwentymileofit,onSalisburyplan!Iwouldlosemyheadifeverthoubroughtstthyheadhitheragain。
[Aside。]
COBHAM。
MyLordWardeno’thecinquePorts,&myLordofRochester,yearejointCommissioners:favormesomuch,Onmyexpencetobringmetotheking。
BISHOP。
What,toSouthhampton?
COBHAM。
Thither,mygoodLord,Andifhedonotclearmeofallguilt,Andallsuspicionofconspiracy,Pawninghisprincelywarrantformytruth:
Iasknofavour,butextremesttorture。
Bringme,orsendmetohim,goodmyLord:
GoodmyLordWarden,MasterShrieve,entreat。
[HeretheLordWarden,andCroameruncovertheBishop,andsecretlywhisperswithhim。]
Comehither,lady——nay,sweetwife,forbearToheaponesorrowonanother’sneck:
Tisgriefenoughfalselytobeaccused,Andnotpermittedtoacquitmyself;
Donotthouwiththykindrespectivetears,Tormentthyhusband’sheartthatbleedsforthee,Butbeofcomfort。GodhathhelpinstoreForthosethatputassuredtrustinhim。
Dearwife,iftheycommitmetotheTower,ComeuptoLondontoyoursister’shouse:
Thatbeingnearme,youmaycomfortme。
OnesolacefindIsettledinmysoul,ThatIamfreefromtreason’sverythought:
OnlymyconsciencefortheGospel’ssakeIscauseofallthetroublesIsustain。
LADYCOBHAM。
OmydearLord,whatshallbetideofus?
YoutotheTower,andIturnedoutofdoors,Oursubstanceseizeduntohishighness’use,Eventothegarmentslongingtoourbacks。
HARPOOLE。
Patience,goodmadame,thingsatworstwillmend,Andiftheydonot,yetourlivesmayend。
BISHOP。
Urgeitnomore,forifanAngelspake,IswearbysweetsaintPeter’sblessedkeys,FirstgoeshetotheTower,thentothestake。
CROAMER。
Butbyyourleave,thiswarrantdothnotstretchToimprisonher。
BISHOP。
No,turnheroutofdoors,[LordWardenandOld—castlewhisper。]
Evenassheis,andleadhimtotheTower,Withguardenoughforfearofrescuing。
LADYCOBHAM。
O,Godrequitethee,thoublood—thirstyman。
COBHAM。
Mayitnotbe,myLordofRochester?
WhereinhaveIincurredyourhatesofar,ThatmyappealuntotheKing’sdenied?
BISHOP。
Nohateofmine,butpowerofholychurch,Forbidsallfavortofalseheretics。
COBHAM。
Yourprivatemalice,morethanpublicpower,Strikesmostatme,butwithmylifeitends。
HARPOOLE。
OthatIhadtheBishopinthatfear,[Aside。]
ThatonceIhadhisSumnerbyourselves!
CROAMER。
MyLord,yetgrantonesuituntousall,ThatthissameancientservingmanmaywaitUponmylordhismasterintheTower。
BISHOP。
Thisoldiniquity,thisheretic?
That,incontemptofourchurchdiscipline,CompelledmySumnertodevourhisprocess!
OldRuffianpast—grace,upstartschismatic,HadnottheKingprayedustopardonye,Yehadfriedforit,yegrizzledheretic。
HARPOOLE。
Sblood,mylordBishop,yedomewrong。Iamneitherhereticnorpuritan,butoftheoldchurch:
I’llswear,drinkale,kissawench,gotomass,eatfishallLent,andfastFridayswithcakesandwine,fruitandspicery,shrivemeofmyoldsinsaforeEaster,andbeginnewaforewhitsontide。