第2章
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  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。

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