第2章

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。