CROAMER。
Amerry,mad,conceitedknave,mylord。
HARPOOLE。
ThatknavewassimplyputupontheBishop。
BISHOP。
Well,GodforgivehimandIpardonhim。
LethimattendhismasterintheTower,ForIincharitywishhissoulnohurt。
COBHAM。
Godblessmysoulfromsuchcoldcharity!
BISHOP。
Tooth’Towerwithhim,andwhenmyleisureserves,IwillexaminehimofArticles。
Look,mylordWarden,asyouhaveincharge,TheShriveperformhisoffice。
LORDWARDEN。
Yes,mylord。
[EntertheSumnerwithbooks。]
BISHOP。
Whatbringstthouthere?what,booksofheresy?
SUMNER。
Yea,mylord,here’snotalatinbook,no,notsomuchasourlady’sPsalter。Here’stheBible,thetestament,thePsalmsinmeter,thesickman’ssalve,thetreasureofgladness,andallinEnglish,notsomuchbuttheAlmanac’sEnglish。
BISHOP。
Awaywiththem,tothefirewiththem,Clun!
Nowfieupontheseupstartheretics。
AllEnglish!burnthem,burnthemquickly,Clun!
HARPOOLE。
Butdonot,Sumner,asyou’llanswerit,forIhavethereEnglishbooks,mylord,thatI’llnotpartwithforyourBishopric:BevisofHampton,Owlglass,theFriarandtheBoy,EleanorRumming,Robinhood,andothersuchgodlystories,whichifyeburn,bythisflesh,I’llmakeyedrinktheirashesinSaintMarget’sale。
[Exeunt。]
ACTIV。SCENEIV。TheentranceoftheTower。
[EnterBishopofRochesterwithhismeninliverycoats。]
FIRSTSERVANT。
Isityourhonor’spleasureweshallstay,Orcomebackintheafternoontofetchyou?
BISHOP。
NowyouhavebroughtmehereintotheTower,YoumaygobackuntothePortersLodge,Andsendfordrinkorsuchthingsasyouwant,WhereifIhaveoccasiontoemployyou,I’llsendsomeofficertocallyoutome。
Intothecitygonot,Icommandyou:
PerhapsImayhavepresentneedtouseyou。
SECONDSERVANT。
Wewillattendyourworshipherewithout。
BISHOP。
Doso,Iprayyou。
THIRDSERVANT。
Come,wemayhaveaquartofwineattheRoseatBarking,Iwarrantyou,andcomebackanhourbeforehebereadytogo。
FIRSTSERVANT。
Wemusthieusthen。
THIRDSERVANT。
Let’saway。
[Exeunt。]
BISHOP。
Ho,MasterLieutenant。
LIEUTENANT。
Whocallsthere?
BISHOP。
Afriendofyours。
LIEUTENANT。
MylordofRochester!yourhonor’swelcome。
BISHOP。
Sir,here’smywarrantfromtheCounsel,ForconferencewithsirJohnOld—castle,Uponsomematterofgreatconsequence。
LIEUTENANT。
Ho,sirJohn!
HARPOOLE。
Whocallsthere?
LIEUTENANT。
Harpoole,tellSirJohn,thatmylordofRochesterComesfromthecounseltoconferwithhim。
HARPOOLE。
Iwill,sir。
LIEUTENANT。
Ithinkyoumayassafewithoutsuspicion,AsanymaninEngland,asIhear,Foritwasyoumostlaboredhiscommitment。
BISHOP。
Idid,sir,andnothingrepentit,Iassureyou。
[EntersirJohnOld—castleandHarpoole。]
MasterLeiftenant,Iprayyougiveusleave,ImustconferherewithsirJohnalittle。
LIEUTENANT。
Withallmyheart,mylord。
HARPOOLE。
[Aside。]Mylord,beruledbyme:takethisoccasionwhiletisoffered,andonmylifeyourlordshipshallescape。
COBHAM。
Nomore,Isay;peace,lestheshouldsuspectit。
BISHOP。
SirJohn,Iamcomeuntoyoufromthelordsofhishighness’mosthonorablecounsel,toknowifyetyoudorecantyourerrors,conformingyouuntotheholychurch。
COBHAM。
MylordofRochester,ongoodadvise,Iseemyerror,butyet,understandme,ImeannoterrorinthefaithIhold,Buterrorinsubmittingtoyourpleasure;
Therefore,yourlordship,withoutmoretodo,Mustbeameanstohelpmetoescape。
BISHOP。
Whatmeans,thouheretic?
Darstthoubutliftthyhandagainstmycalling?
COBHAM。
No,nottohurtyouforathousandpound。
HARPOOLE。
Nothingbuttoborrowyouruppergarmentsalittle;
notawordmore,forifyoudo,youdie:peace,forwakingthechildren。There;putthemon;dispatch,mylord。Thewindowthatgoesoutintotheleadsissureenough,Itoldyouthatbefore:there,makeyouready;
I’llconveyhimafter,andbindhimsurelyintheinnerroom。
[CarriesthebishopintotheTower,andreturns。]
COBHAM。
Thisiswellbegun;Godsendushappyspeed,Hardshiftyouseemenmakeintimeofneed,Harpoole。
[Putsonthebishop’scloak。]
HARPOOLE。
HeremyLord;come,comeaway。
[Enterservingmenagain。]
FIRSTSERVANT。
Imarvelthatmylordshouldstaysolong。
SECONDSERVANT。
Hehathsenttoseekus,Idarelaymylife。
THIRDSERVANT。
Wecomeingoodtime;see,whereheiscoming。
HARPOOLE。
Ibeseechyou,goodmylordofRochester,befavourabletomylordandmaster。
COBHAM。
Theinnerroomsbeveryhotandclose,IdonotlikethisairhereintheTower。
HARPOOLE。
Hiscaseishardmylord。——YoushallsafelygetoutoftheTower;butIwilldownuponthem,inwhichtimegetyouaway。
COBHAM。
Fellow,thoutroublestme。
HARPOOLE。
Hearme,myLord!——HardunderIslingtonwaityoumycoming;IwillbringmyLady,readywithhorsestoconveyyouhence。
COBHAM。
Fellow,gobackagainuntothyLordandcounselhim。
HARPOOLE。
Nay,mygoodlordofRochester,I’llbringyoutoSaintAlbansthroughthewoods,Iwarrantyou。
COBHAM。
Villain,away。
HARPOOLE。
Nay,sinceIampasttheTower’sliberty,thoupart’stnotso。
[Hedraws。]
COBHAM。
Clubs,clubs,clubs!
FIRSTSERVANT。
Murther,murther,murther!
SECONDSERVANT。
Downwithhim!
[Theyfight。]
THIRDSERVANT。
Avillaintraitor!
HARPOOLE。
Youcowardlyrogues!
[SirJohnescapes。]
[EnterLieutenantandhismen。]
LIEUTENANT。
Whoissoboldasdaretodrawasword,SonearuntotheentranceoftheTower?
FIRSTSERVANT。
Thisruffian,servanttosirJohnOld—castle,WasliketohaveslainmyLord。
LIEUTENANT。
Layholdonhim。
HARPOOLE。
Standoff,ifyouloveyourpuddings。
[Rochestercallswithin。]
BISHOP。
Help,help,help!MasterLieutenant,help!
LIEUTENANT。
Who’sthatwithin?sometreasonintheTowerUponmylife。Lookin;who’sthatwhichcalls?
[EnterRochesterbound。]
LIEUTENANT。
Withoutyourcloak,mylordofRochester?
HARPOOLE。
There,nowitworks,thenletmespeed,fornowIsthefittesttimeformetoscapeaway。
[Exit。]
LIEUTENANT。
Whydoyoulooksoghastlyandaffrighted?
BISHOP。
Old—castle,thattraitor,andhisman,Whenyouhadleftmetoconferwithhim,Took,bound,andstriptme,asyousee,Andleftmelyinginhisinnerchamber,Andsodeparted,andI——
LIEUTENANT。
Andyou?ne’ersaythattheLordCobham’smanDidheresetuponyouliketomurtheryou。
FIRSTSERVANT。
Andsohedid。
BISHOP。
Itwasuponhismasterthenhedid,Thatinthebrawlthetraitormightescape。
LIEUTENANT。
WhereisthisHarpoole?
SECONDSERVANT。
Herehewasevennow。
LIEUTENANT。
Where?canyoutell?
SECONDSERVANT。
Theyarebothescaped。
LIEUTENANT。
Sinceitsohappensthatheisescaped,Iamgladyouareawitnessofthesame,Itmighthaveelsebeenlaiduntomycharge,ThatIhadbeenconsentingtothefact。
BISHOP。
Come,searchshallbemadeforhimwithexpedition,Thehavenslaidthatheshallnotescape,AndhueandcrycontinuethroughEngland,Tofindthisdamned,dangerousheretic。
[Exeunt。]
ACTV。SCENEI。AroominlordCobham’shouseinKent。
[EnterCambridge,Scroop,andGray,asinachamber,andsetdownatatable,consultingabouttheirtreason:KingHarryandSuffolklisteningatthedoor。]
CAMBRIDGE。
Inmineopinion,Scroophathwelladvised,Poisonwillbetheonlyaptestmean,Andfittestforourpurposetodispatchhim。
GRAY。
Butyettheremaybedoubtintheirdelivery。
Harryiswise;therefore,EarlofCambridge,Ijudgethatwaynotsoconvenient。
SCROOP。
Whatthinkyethenofthis?Iamhisbedfellow,Andunsuspectednightlysleepwithhim。
WhatifIventureinthosesilenthours,Whensleephathsealedupallmortaleyes,Tomurderhiminbed?howlikeyethat?
CAMBRIDGE。
Hereinconsistsnosafetyforyourself,And,youdisclosed,whatshallbecomeofus?
Butthisday(asyeknow)hewillaboard——
Thewindssofair——andsetawayforFrance。
If,ashegoes,orenteringintheship,Itmightbedone,thenitwereexcellent。
GRAY。
Whyanyofthese,or,ifyouwill,I’llcauseApresentsittingoftheCounsel,whereinIwillpretendsomematterofsuchweightAsneedsmusthavehisroyalcompany,AndsodispatchhimintheCounselchamber。
CAMBRIDGE。
Tush,yetIhearnotanythingtopurpose。
IwonderthatlordCobhamstayssolong;
Hiscounselinthiscasewouldmuchavailus。
[Theyrisefromthetable,andtheKingstepsintothem,withhisLords。]
SCROOP。
What,shallwerisethus,anddeterminenothing?
KING。
Thatwereashameindeed;no,sitagain,Andyoushallhavemycounselinthiscase。
IfyoucanfindnowaytokillthisKing,ThenyoushallseehowIcanfurtherye:
Scroop’swayofpoisonwasindifferent,Butyet,beingbed—fellowuntotheKing,Andunsuspectedsleepinginhisbosom,Inmineopinion,that’sthelikelierway,Forsuchfalsefriendsareabletodomuch,AndsilentnightisTreason’sfittestfriend。
Now,Cambridge,inhissettinghenceforFrance,Orbytheway,orashegoesabroad,Todothedeed,whatwasindifferenttoo,Yetsomewhatdoubtful,mightIspeakmymind。
Formanyreasonsneedlessnowtourge。
Mary,LordGraycamesomethingnearthepoint:
TohavetheKingatcounsel,andtheremurderhim,AsCaesarwas,amongsthisdearestfriends:
Noneliketothat,ifallwereofhismind。
Tellme,ohtellme,you,brighthonor’sstains,Forwhichofallmykindnessestoyou,Areyebecomethustraitorstoyourking,AndFrancemusthavethespoilofharry’slife?
ALL。
Ohpardonus,dreadlord。
[Allkneeling。]
KING。
How,pardonye?thatwereasinindeed。
Dragthemtodeath,whichjustlytheydeserve,[Theyleadthemaway。]
AndFranceshalldearlybuythisvillainy,Sosoonaswesetfootingonherbreast。
Godhavethepraiseforourdeliverance;
Andnext,ourthanks,LordCobham,istothee,Trueperfectmirrorofnobility。
[Exeunt。]
ACTV。SCENEII。AhighroadnearSt。Albans。
[EnterPriestandDoll。]
SIRJOHN。
Come,Doll,come;bemerry,wench。
Farewell,Kent,wearenotfondforthee。
Belusty,mylass,come,forLancashire,WemustniptheBoungforthesecrowns。
DOLL。
Why,isallthegoldspentalreadythatyouhadtheotherday?
SIRJOHN。
Gone,Doll,gone;flown,spent,vanished:thedevil,drinkandthedicehasdevouredall。
DOLL。
YoumighthaveleftmeinKent,thatyoumight,untilyouhadbeenbetterprovided,IcouldhavestayedatCobham。
SIRJOHN。
No,Doll,no,I’llnoneofthat;Kent’stoohot,Doll,Kent’stoohot。TheweathercockofWrothamwillcrownolonger:wehavepluckthim,hehaslosthisfeathers;Ihaveprunedhimbare,lefthimthrice;
ismoulted,ismoulted,wench。
DOLL。
Faith,sirJohn,Imighthavegonetoserviceagain;
oldmasterHarpooletoldmehewouldprovidemeamistress。
SIRJOHN。
Peace,Doll,peace。Come,madwench,I’llmaketheeanhonestwoman;we’llintoLancashiretoourfriends:
thetrothis,I’llmarrythee。Wewantbutalittlemoneytobuyusahorse,andtospendbytheway;thenextsheepthatcomesshalllosehisfleece,we’llhavethesecrowns,wench,Iwarrantthee。
[EntertheIrishmanwithhismasterslain。]
Stay,whocomeshere?someIrishvillain,methinks,thathasslainaman,anddrawshimoutofthewaytoriflehim。Standclose,Doll,we’llseetheend。
[TheIrishmanfallstoriflehismaster。]
IRISHMAN。
Alas,poemester,SirRishardLee,besaintPatrickisrobandcutthytrotefordeeshaine,anddymoney,anddeegoldringbemetruly:islovetheewell,butnowdowbekill,theebeeshittenkanave。
SIRJOHN。
Stand,sirra;whatartthou?
IRISHMAN。
BesaintPatrick,mester,isporeIrisman,isaleufter。
SIRJOHN。
Sirra,sirra,youareadamnedrogue;youhavekilledamanhere,andrifledhimofallthathehas。Sblood,yourogue,deliver,orI’llnotleaveyousomuchasanIrishhairaboveyourshoulders,youwhoresonIrishdog。
Sirra,untrusspresently;come,offanddispatch,orbythiscrossI’llfetchyourheadoffascleanasabark。
IRISHMAN。
Wee’sme,saintPatrick!Isekillmemesterforchainandhisring,andnowsberobofall:mee’sundoo。
[Priestrobshim。]
SIRJOHN。
Avant,yourascal!Go,sirra,bewalking。Come,Doll,thedevillaughs,whenonethiefrobsanother:come,madwench,we’lltosaintAlbans,andrevelinourbower;hey,mybravegirl。
DOLL。
OthouartoldsirJohnwhenall’sdone,yfaith。
[Exeunt。]
ACTV。SCENEIII。St。Albans。Theentranceofacarrier’sinn。
[EnterthehostoftheBellwiththeIrishman。]
IRISHMAN。
Bemetro,mester,isporeIrisman,iswantludging,ishavenomoney,isstarveandcold:goodmester,givehersomemeat;isfamiseandtie。
HOST。
Yfaith,myfellow,Ihavenolodging,butwhatIkeepformyguess,thatImaynotdisappoint:asformeatthoushalthavesuchasthereis,&ifthouwiltlieinthebarn,there’sfairstraw,androomenough。
IRISHMAN。
Isthankmymesterhartily,destrawisgoodbedforme。
HOST。
Ho,Robin!
ROBIN。
Whocalls?
HOST。
ShewthispoorIrishmanintothebarn;go,sirra。
[Exeunt。]
[EntercarrierandKate。]
CLUB。
Ho,who’swithinhere?wholookstothehorses?
God’shat!here’sfinework:thehensinthemanger,andthehogsinthelitter。Abotsfoundyouall;here’sahousewelllookedto,yvaith。
KATE。
Mas,goffeClub,I’severycawd。
CLUB。
Getin,Kate,getintofireandwarmthee。Ho!JohnHostler。
[EnterHostler。]
HOSTLER。
What,gafferClub?welcometosaintAlbans。HowdoesallourfriendsinLancashire?
CLUB。
Well,Godhavemercy,John;howdoesTom;where’she?
HOSTLER。
O,Tomisgonefromhence;he’satthethreehorse—lovesatStony—stratford。HowdoesoldDickDunne?
CLUB。
God’shat,oldDunnehasbeenmoyerdinasloughinBrickhill—lane,aplaguefoundit;yonderissuchabominationweatherasneverwasseen。
HOSTLER。
God’shat,thief,haveonehalfpeckofpeasandoatsmoreforthat:asIamJohnOstler,hehasbeeneverasgoodajadeasevertravelled。
CLUB。
Faith,wellsaid,oldJack;thouarttheoldladstill。
HOSTLER。
Come,GafferClub,unload,unload,andgettosupper,andI’llrubdunthewhile。Come。
[Exeunt。]
ACTV。SCENEIV。Thesame。Aroominthecarrier’sinn。
[Enterthehost,sirJohnOld—castle,andHarpoole。]
HOST。
Sir,youarewelcometothishouse,tosuchashereiswithallmyheart,but,bythemass,Ifearyourlodgingwillbetheworst。Ihavebuttwobeds,andtheyarebothinachamber,andthecarrierandhisdaughterliesintheone,andyouandyourwifemustlieintheother。
COBHAM。
Infaith,sir,formyselfIdonotgreatlypass。
Mywifeisweary,andwouldbeatrest,Forwehavetravelledveryfartoday;
Wemustbecontentwithsuchasyouhave。
HOST。
ButIcannottellhowtodowithyourman。
HARPOOLE。
What,hastthouneveranemptyroominthyhouseforme?
HOST。
Notabed,bymytroth:therecameapoorIrishman,andIlodgedhiminthebarn,wherehehasfairstraw,thoughhehavenothingelse。
HARPOOLE。
Well,minehost,Ipraytheehelpmetoapairoffairsheets,andI’llgolodgewithhim。
HOST。
Bythemass,thatthoushalt;agoodpairofhempensheets,wereneverlainin:Come。
[Exeunt。]
ACTV。SCENEV。Thesame。Astreet。
[EnterConstable,Mayor,andWatch。]
MAYOR。
What?haveyousearchedthetown?
CONSTABLE。
Allthetown,sir;wehavenotleftahouseunsearchedthatusestolodge。
MAYOR。
Surely,mylordofRochesterwasthendeceived,OrillinformedofsirJohnOld—castle,Orifhecamethiswayhe’spastthetown。
Hecouldnotelsehavescapedyouinthesearch。
CONSTABLE。
Theprivywatchhathbeenabroadallnight,AndnotastrangerlodgethinthetownButheisknown;onlyalustypriestWefoundinbedwithaprettywench,Thatsayssheishiswife——yonderatthesheeres;
ButwehavechargedthehostwithhisforthcomingTomorrowmorning。
MAYOR。
Whatthinkyoubesttodo?
CONSTABLE。
Faith,mastermayor,here’safewstragglinghousesbeyondthebridge,andalittleInnwherecarriersusetolodge,thoughIthinksurehewouldne’erlodgethere:butwe’llgosearch,&therather,becausetherecamenoticetothetownthelastnightofanIrishman,thathaddoneamurder,whomwearetomakesearchfor。
MAYOR。
Come,Iprayyou,andbecircumspect。
[Exeunt。]
ACTV。SCENEVI。Thesame。BeforetheCarrier’sInn。
EnterWatch。
FIRSTWATCH。
Firstbesetthehouse,beforeyoubeginthesearch。
SECONDWATCH。
Content;everymantakeaseveralplace。
[Hereisheardagreatnoisewithin。Keep,keep,strikehimdownthere,downwithhim]]
[EnterConstablewiththeIrishmaninHarpoole’sapparel。]
CONSTABLE。
Come,youvillainousheretic,confesswhereyourmasteris。
IRISHMAN。
Vatmester?
MAYOR。
Vatmester,youcounterfeitrebel?thisshallnotserveyourturn。
IRISHMAN。
BesentPatrickIhanomester。
CONSTABLE。
Where’sthelordCobham,sirJohnOld—castle,thatlatelyisescapedoutoftheTower?
IRISHMAN。
VatlortCobham?
MAYOR。
Youcounterfeit,thisshallnotserveyou;we’lltortureyou,we’llmakeyoutoconfesswherethatarch—heretic,LordCobham,is:come,bindhimfast。
IRISHMAN。
Ahone,ahone,ahone,aCree!
CONSTABLE。
Ahone,youcraftyrascal!
[Exeunt。]
ACTV。SCENEVII。Thesame。TheyardoftheInn。
[LordCobhamcomesoutinhisgownstealing。]
COBHAM。
Harpoole,Harpoole,Ihearamarvelousnoiseaboutthehouse:Godwarrantus,Ifearwearepursued:
what,Harpoole。
HARPOOLE。
[Within。]Whocallsthere?
COBHAM。
TisI;dostthounothearanoiseaboutthehouse?
HARPOOLE。
Yes,mary,doI:——zwounds,Icannotfindmyhose;
thisIrishrascalthatwaslodgedwithmeallnighthathstolenmyapparel,andhasleftmenothingbutalowsymantle,andapairofbrogues。Getup,getup,andifthecarrierandhiswenchbeasleep,changeyouwiththemashehathdonewithme,andseeifwecanescape。
[ExitlordCobham。]
[Ahoiseagainheardaboutthehouse,aprettywhile;
thenentertheConstable,meetingHarpooleintheIrishman’sapparel。]
CONSTABLE。
Standclose,herecomestheIrishmanthatdidthemurther;byalltokens,thisishe。
MAYOR。
Andperceivingthehousebeset,wouldgetaway。
Stand,sirra。
HARPOOLE。
Whatarethouthatbidstmestand?
CONSTABLE。
IamtheOfficer,andamcometosearchforanIrishman,suchavillainasthyself,thathastmurtheredamanthislastnightbythehighway。
HARPOOLE。
Sblood,Constable,artthoumad?amIanIrishman?
MAYOR。
Sirra,we’llfindyouanIrishmanbeforewepart:layholduponhim。
CONSTABLE。
Makehimfast。Othoubloodyrogue!
[EnterLordCobhamandhisladyinthecarrierandwenchesapparel。]
COBHAM。
What,willtheseOstlerssleepallday?
Goodmorrow,goodmorrow。Come,wench,come。
Saddle!saddle!NowaforeGodtoofairdays,ha?
CONSTABLE。
Whocomesthere?
MAYOR。
Oh,tisLancashirecarrier;lethimpass。
COBHAM。
What,willnobodyopenthegateshere?
Come,let’sintstabletolooktoourcapons。
[ExeuntCobhamandhisLady。]
[Thecarriercalling。]
CLUB。
[Calling。]Host!whyostler!zwooks,here’ssuchabominationcompanyofboys。Apoxofthispigstyatthehouseend:itfillsallthehousefulloffleas。
Ostler!ostler!
[EnterOstler。]
OSTLER。
Whocallsthere?whatwouldyouhave?
CLUB。
Zwooks,doyourobyourguests?doyoulodgeroguesandslaves,andscoundrels,ha?theyhastolenourclotheshere:why,ostler!
OSTLER。
Amurreinchokeyou,whatabawlinyoukeep。
[EnterHost。]
HOST。
Hownow,whatwouldthecarrierhave?lookupthere。
OSTLER。
Theysaythatthemanandwomanthatlaybythemhavestolentheirclothes。
HOST。
What,arethestrangefolksupyetthatcomeinyesternight?
CONSTABLE。
What,minehost,upsoearly?
HOST。
What,masterMayor,andmasterConstable!
MAYOR。
Wearecometoseekforsomesuspectedpersons,Andsuchasherewefound,haveapprehended。
[EntertheCarrierandKateinlordCobhamandladiesapparel。]
CONSTABLE。
Whocomeshere?
CLUB。
Whocomeshere?aplaguefoundome!youbawl,quotha!
odshat,I’llforzwearyourhouse:youlodgedafellowandhiswifebythatharunawaywithourparrel,andleftussuchgew—gawshere!——ComeKate,cometome,thowsedizeard,yfaith。
MAYOR。
Minehost,knowyouthisman?
HOST。
Yes,masterMayor,I’llgivemywordforhim。Why,neighborClub,howcomesthisgearabout?
KATE。
Now,afowlont,Icannotmakethisgew—gawstandonmyhead:nowtheladsandthelasseswonfloutmetootoo——
CONSTABLE。
Howcamethismanandwomanthusattired?
HOST。
Herecameamanandwomanhitherthislastnight,whichIdidtakeforsubstantialpeople,andlodgedallinonechamberbythesefolks,methinks,havebeensoboldtochangeapparel,andgoneawaythismorningeretheyrose。
MAYOR。
Thatwasthatvillaintraitor,Old—castle,thatthusescapedus:
makeouthueandcryyetafterhim,keepfastthattraitorousrebel,hisservant,there:farewell,minehost。
CARRIER。
Come,KateOwdham,thouandIsetrimlydizard。
[Exeunt。]
ACTV。SCENEVIII。AwoodnearSt。Albans。
[EntersirJohnOld—castle,andhisLadydisguised。]
COBHAM。
Come,Madam,happilyescaped;hereletussit。
Thisplaceisfarremotefromanypath,Andhereawhileourwearylimbsmayrest,Totakerefreshing,freefromthepursuitOfenviousRochester。
LADYCOBHAM。
Butwhere,myLord,Shallwefindrestforourdisquietminds?
Theredwelluntamedthoughtsthathardlystop,Tosuchabasementofdisdainedrags。
Wewerenotwonttotravelthusbynight,Especiallyonfoot。
COBHAM。
Nomatter,love;
Extremitiesadmitnobetterchoice,Andwereitnotforthee,sayfrowardtimeImposedagreatertask,IwouldesteemitAslightlyasthewindthatblowsuponus;
ButinthysufferenceIamdoublytasked。
Thouwastnotwonttohavetheearththystool,Northemoistdewygrassthypillow,norThychambertobethewidehorizon。
LADYCOBHAM。
Howcanitseematrouble,havingyouApartnerwithmeintheworstIfeel?
No,gentleLord,yourpresencewouldgiveeaseTodeathitself,shouldhenowseizeuponme。
Beholdwhatmyforesighthathunderta’en[Here’sbreadandcheese&abottle。]
Forfearwefaint;theyarebuthomelycates,Yetsaucedwithhunger,theymayseemassweetAsgreaterdaintieswewerewonttotaste。
COBHAM。
PraisebetohimwhoseplentysendsboththisAndallthingselseourmortalbodiesneed;
Norscornwethispoorfeeding,northestateWenowarein,forwhatisitonearth,Nay,underheaven,continuesatastay?
Ebbsnotthesea,whenithathoverflown?
Followsnotdarknesswhenthedayisgone?
AndseewenotsometimetheeyeofheavenDimmedwithoverflyingclouds:there’snotthatworkOfcarefulnature,orofcunningart,(Howstrong,howbeauteous,orhowrichitbe)
Butfallsintimetoruin。Here,gentleMadame,InthisonedraughtIwashmysorrowdown。
[Drinks。]
LADYCOBHAM。
AndI,encouragedwithyourcheerfulspeech,Willdothelike。
COBHAM。
PrayGodpoorHarpoolecome。
IfheshouldfallintotheBishop’shands,Ornotrememberwherewebadehimmeetus,Itwerethethingofallthingselse,thatnowCouldbreedrevoltinthisnewpeaceofmind。
LADYCOBHAM。
Fearnot,myLord,he’swittytodevise,Andstrongtoexecuteapresentshift。
COBHAM。
Thatpowerbestillhisguidehathguidedus!
Mydrowsyeyeswaxheavy:earlyrising,Togetherwiththetravelwehavehad,MakemethatIcouldgladlytakeanap,WereIpersuadedwemightbesecure。
LADYCOBHAM。
Letthatdependonme:whilstyoudosleep,I’llwatchthatnomisfortunehappenus。
Laythenyourheaduponmylap,sweetLord,Andboldlytakeyourrest。
COBHAM。
Ishall,dearwife,Betoomuchtroubletothee。
LADYCOBHAM。
Urgenotthat;
Mydutybindsme,andyourlovecommands。
IwouldIhadtheskillwithtunedvoiceTodrawonsleepwithsomesweetmelody,Butimperfection,andunaptnesstoo,Arebothrepugnant:fearinserttheone,Theothernaturehathdeniedmeuse。
ButwhattalkIofmeanstopurchasethat,Isfreelyhappened?sleepwithgentlehandHathshuthiseye—lids。Ohvictoriouslabour,Howsoonthypowercancharmthebodiessense?
Andnowthoulikewiseclimbstuntomybrain,Makingmyheavytemplesstooptothee。
GreatGodofheavenfromdangerkeepusfree。
[Bothsleep。]
[EntersirRichardLee,andhismen。]
LEE。
Amurdercloselydone,andinmyground?
Searchcarefully,ifanywhereitwere,Thisobscurethicketisthelikeliestplace。
SERVANT。
Sir,Ihavefoundthebodystiffwithcold,Andmangledcruellywithmanywounds。
LEE。
Lookifthouknowesthim,turnhisbodyup。——
Alack,itismyson,mysonandheir,WhomtwoyearssinceIsenttoIreland,Topracticetherethedisciplineofwar,Andcominghome(forsohewrotetome)
Somesavageheart,somebloodydevilishhand,Eitherinhate,orthirstingforhiscoin,Hathheresluicedouthisblood。Unhappyhour,Accursedplace,butmostinconstantfate,Thathadstreservedhimfromthebullet’sfire,Andsufferedhimtoscapethewood—karn’sfury,Didsthereordainthetreasureofhislife,(Evenherewithinthearmsoftenderpeace,Andwheresecuritygavegreatesthope)
Tobeconsumedbytreason’swastefulhand!
Andwhatismostafflictingtomysoul,ThatthishisdeathandmurthershouldbewroughtWithouttheknowledgebywhosemeanstwasdone。
SECONDSERVANT。
Notso,sir;Ihavefoundtheauthorsofit。
Seewheretheysit,andintheirbloodyfists,Thefatalinstrumentsofdeathandsin。
LEE。
Justjudgementofthatpower,whosegraciouseye,Loathingthesightofsuchaheinousfact,Dazzledtheirsenseswithbenumbingsleep,Tilltheirunhallowedtreacherywereknown!
Awake,yemonsters;murderers,awake;
Trembleforhorror;blush,youcannotchoose,Beholdingthisinhumanedeedofyours。
COBHAM。
Whatmeanyou,sir,totroublewearysouls,Andinterruptusofourquietsleep?
LEE。
Ohdevilish!canyouboastuntoyourselvesOfquietsleep,havingwithinyourheartsTheguiltofmurderwaking,thatwithcriesDeafstheloudthunder,andsolicitsheavenWithmorethanMandrake’sshrieksforyouroffence?
LADYCOBHAM。
Whatmurder?youupbraiduswrongfully。
LEE。
Canyoudenythefact?seeyounothereThebodyofmysonbyyoumis—done?
Lookonhiswounds,lookonhispurplehue:
Dowenotfindyouwherethedeedwasdone?
Werenotyourknivesfastclosedinyourhands?
Isnotthisclothanargumentbeside,Thusstainedandspottedwithhisinnocentblood?
Thesespeakingcharacters,werenothingelseTopleadagainstye,wouldconvictyouboth。
Bringthemaway,bereaversofmyjoy。
AtHartford,wheretheSizesnowarekept,Theirlivesshallanswerformyson’slostlife。
COBHAM。
Asweareinnocent,somaywespeed。
LEE。
AsIamwronged,somaythelawproceed。
[Exeunt。]
ACTV。SCENEIX。St。Albans。
[EnterbishopofRochester,constableofSt。Albans,withsirJohnofWrotham,Dollhiswench,andtheIrishmaninHarpoole’sapparel。]
BISHOP。
Whatintricateconfusionhavewehere?
Nottwohourssinceweapprehendedone,InhabitIrish,butinspeechnotso:
Andnowyoubringanother,thatinspeechIsaltogetherIrish,butinhabitSeemstobeEnglish:yeaandmorethanso,TheservantofthathereticLordCobham。
IRISHMAN。
Fait,mebenoservantofthelordCobham,MebeMackChaneofVister。
BISHOP。
OtherwisecalledHarpooleofKent;goto,sir,YoucannotblinduswithyourbrokenIrish。
SIRJOHN。
Trustme,myLordBishop,whetherIrish,OrEnglish,HarpooleornotHarpoole,thatIleavetobedecidedbythetrial:
ButsureIamthismanbyfaceandspeechIshethatmurderedyoungsirRichardLee——
Imethimpresentlyuponthefact——
Andthatheslewhismasterforthatgold;
Thosejewels,andthatchainItookfromhim。
BISHOP。
Well,ouraffairsdocallusbacktoLondon,Sothatwecannotprosecutethecause,Aswedesiretodo;thereforeweleaveThechargewithyou,toseetheybeconveyedToHartfordSise:boththiscounterfeitAndyou,sirJohnofWrotham,andyourwench,Foryouareculpableaswellasthey,Thoughnotformurder,yetforfelony。
ButsinceyouarethemeanstobringtolightThisgracelessmurder,youshallbearwithyouOurletterstotheJudgesofthebench,Tobeyourfriendsinwhattheylawfulmay。
BISHOP。
So,awaywiththem。
[Exeunt。]
ACTV。SCENEX。Hertford。AHallofJustice。
[EnterGaolerandhisman,bringingforthOld—castle。]
GAOLER。
Bringforththeprisoners,seethecourtprepared;
TheJusticesarecomingtothebench。
So,lethimstand;away,andfetchtherest。
[Exeunt。]
COBHAM。
Oh,givemepatiencetoendurethisscourge,Thouthatartfountainofthatvirtuousstream,Andthoughcontempt,falsewitness,andreproachHangontheseirongyves,topressmylifeAslowasearth,yetstrengthenmewithfaith,ThatImaymountinspiritabovetheclouds。
[EnterGaoler,bringinginLadyOld—castleandHarpoole。]
Herecomesmylady:sorrow,tisforherThywoundisgrievous;elseIscoffatthee。
What,andpoorHarpoole!artthouithbryarstoo?
HARPOOLE。
Ifaith,myLord,Iamin,getouthowIcan。
LADYCOBHAM。
Say,gentleLord,fornowwearealone,Andmayconfer,shallweconfessinbrief,Ofwhence,andwhatweare,andsopreventTheaccusationiscommencedagainstus?
COBHAM。
Whatwillthathelpus?beingknown,sweetlove,Weshallforheresybeputtodeath,Forsotheytermthereligionweprofess。
No,ifitbeordainedwemustdie,Andatthisinstant,thisourcomfortbe,Thatoftheguiltimposed,oursoulsarefree。
HARPOOLE。
Yea,yea,mylord,Harpooleissoresolved。
Iwreakofdeaththeless,inthatIdieNotbythesentenceofthatenviouspriestTheBishopofRochester:oh,wereithe,OrbyhismeansthatIshouldsufferhere,Itwouldbedoubletormenttomysoul。
LADYCOBHAM。
Well,beitthenaccordingasheavenplease。
[EnterlordJudge,twoJustices,MayorofSaintAlbans,lordPowesseandhislady,andoldsirRichardLee:theJudgeandJusticestaketheirplaces。]
JUDGE。
Now,MasterMayor,whatgentlemanisthat,Youbringwithyoubeforeusandthebench?
MAYOR。
TheLordPowis,ifitlikeyourhonor,AndthishisLady,travellingtowardWales,Who,fortheylodgedlastnightwithinmyhouse,AndmyLordBishopdidlaysearchforsuch,Wereverywillingtocomeonwithme,Lestfortheirsakessuspicionmemightwrong。
JUDGE。
Wecryyourhonormercy,goodmyLord,Wiltpleaseyetakeyourplace。Madame,yourladyshipMayhereorwhereyouwillreposeyourself,Untilthisbusinessnowinhandbepast。
LADYPOWIS。
Iwillwithdrawintosomeotherroom,SothatyourLordshipandtherestbepleased。
JUDGE。
Withallourhearts:attendtheLadythere。
LORDPOWIS。
Wife,Ihaveeyedyondprisonersallthiswhile,Andmyconceitdothtellme,tisourfriend,ThenobleCobham,andhisvirtuousLady。
LADYPOWIS。
Ithinknoless:aretheysuspected,trowye,Fordoingofthismurder?
LORDPOWIS。
WhatismeansIcannottell,butweshallknowanon。
Meanspaceasyoupassbythem,askthequestion,Butdoitsecretly,youbenotseen,AndmakesomesignthatImayknowyourmind。
LADYPOWIS。
MyLordCobham?madam?
[Asshepassethoverthestagebythem。]
COBHAM。
NoCobhamnow,normadam,asyouloveus,ButJohnofLancashire,andIonehiswife。
LADYPOWIS。
Ohtell,whatisitthatourlovecando,Topleasureyou?forweareboundtoyou。
COBHAM。
Nothingbutthis,thatyouconcealournames;
So,gentlelady,passforbeingspied。
LADYPOWIS。
MyheartIleave,tobearpartofyourgrief。
[Exit。]
JUDGE。
Calltheprisonerstothebar。SirRichardLee,Whatevidencecanyoubringagainstthesepeople,Toprovethemguiltyofthemurderdone?
LEE。
Thisbloodytowelandthesenakedknives,Besidewefoundthemsittingbytheplace,Wherethedeadbodylay,withinabush。
JUDGE。
Whatansweryouwhylawshouldnotproceed,Accordingtotheevidencegivenin,Totaxyewiththepenaltyofdeath?
COBHAM。
Thatwearefreefrommurder’sverythoughts,Andknownothowthegentlemanwasslain。
FIRSTJUSTICE。
Howcamethislinenclothsobloodythen?
LADYCOBHAM。
Myhusbandhotwithtravelling,mylord,Hisnosegushedoutableeding,thatwasit。
SECONDJUSTICE。
Butwhereforewereyoursharpedgedknivesunsheathed?
LADYCOBHAM。
Tocutsuchsimplevictualaswehad。
JUDGE。
Sayweadmitthisanswertothosearticles,Whatmadeyeinsoprivateadarknook,Sofarremotefromanycommonpath,Aswasthethickwherethedeadcorpsewasthrown?
COBHAM。
Journeying,mylord,fromLondonfromtheterm,DownintoLancashirewherewedodwell,Andwhatwithageandtravelbeingfaint,Wegladlysoughtaplacewherewemightrest,Freefromresortofotherpassengers,Andsowestrayedintothatsecretcorner。
JUDGE。
Thesearebutambagestodriveoftime,AndlingerJusticefromherpurposedend。
Butwhoarethese?
[EntertheConstable,bringingintheIrishman,sirJohnofWrotham,andDoll。]
CONSTABLE。
StayJudgement,andreleasethoseinnocents,Forhereishe,whosehandhathdonethedeed,Forwhichtheystandindictedatthebar,——
Thissavagevillain,thisrudeIrishslave。
Histonguealreadyhathconfessedthefact,Andhereiswitnesstoconfirmasmuch。
SIRJOHN。
Yes,mygoodLords,nosoonerhadheslainHislovingmasterforthewealthhehad,ButIupontheinstantmetwithhim,Andwhathepurchasedwiththelossofblood:
WithstrokesIpresentlybereavedhimof;
Someofthewhichisspent,therestremainingIwillinglysurrendertothehandsOfoldsirRichardLee,asbeinghis。
Beside,myLordJudge,IgreetyourhonorWithlettersfrommyLordofRochester。
[Deliversaletter。]
LEE。
IsthisthewolfwhosethirstythroatdiddrinkMydearson’sblood?artthouthesnakeHecherished,yetwithenviouspiercingstingAssailedhimmortally?foulstigmatic,Thouvenomofthecountrywherethoulivedst,Andpestilenceofthis:wereitnotthatlawStandsreadytorevengethycruelty,TraitortoGod,thymaster,andtome,Thesehandsshouldbethyexecutioner。
JUDGE。
Patience,sirRichardLee,youshallhavejustice,Andhetheguerdonofhisbasedesert。
Thefactisodious;therefore,takehimhence,Andbeinghangeduntilthewretchbedead,HisbodyaftershallbehandedinchainsNeartotheplacewherehedidactthemurder。
IRISHMAN。
Prethee,Lordshudge,letmehavemineownclothes,mystroucesthere,andletmebehangedinawithaftermycuntry——theIrish——fashion。
[Exit。]
JUDGE。
Goto;awaywithhim。Andnow,sirJohn,Althoughbyyouthismurthercametolight,Andthereinyouhavewelldeserved,yetuprightlaw,Sowillnothaveyoubeexcusedandquit,ForyoudidrobtheIrishman,bywhichYoustandattaintedhereoffelony。
Beside,youhavebeenlewd,andmanyyearsLedalascivious,unbeseeminglife。
SIRJOHN。
Ohbut,myLord,herepents,sirJohnrepents,andhewillmend。
JUDGE。
Inhopethereof,togetherwiththefavour,MyLordofRochesterentreatsforyou,Wearecontentyoushallbeproved。
SIRJOHN。
IthankyougoodLordship。
JUDGE。
Theseotherfalselyhereaccused,andbroughtInperilwrongfully,weinlikesortDosetatliberty,payingtheirfees。
LORDPOWIS。
Thatoffice,ifitpleaseye,Iwilldo,Forcountriessake,becauseIknowthemwell。
Theyaremyneighbours,thereforeofmycostTheirchargesshallbepaid。
LEE。
Andforamends,TouchingthewrongunwittinglyIhavedone,Thereareafewcrownsmoreforthemtodrink。
[Givesthemapurse。]
JUDGE。
Yourkindnessmeritspraise,sirRichardLee:
Soletushence。
[ExeuntallbutLordPowisandOld—castle。]
LORDPOWIS。
ButPowisstillmuststay。
ThereyetremainsapartofthattrueloveHeoweshisnoblefriendunsatisfied,Andunperformed,whichfirstofalldothbindmeTogratulateyourlordship’ssafedelivery,Andthenentreat,thatsinceunlookedforthusWeherearemet,yourhonorwouldvouchsafe,ToridewithmetoWales,wheretomypower,(Thoughnottoquittancethosegreatbenefits,Ihavereceivedofyou)yetbothmyhouse,Mypurse,myservants,andwhatelseIhave,Areallatyourcommand。Denymenot;
IknowtheBishop’shatepursuesyeso,Asthere’snosafetyinabidinghere。
COBHAM。
Tistrue,myLord,andGodforgivehimforit。
LORDPOWIS。
Then,letushence:youshallbestraightprovidedOflustygeldings,andonceenteredWales,WellmaytheBishophunt,but,spitehisface,Henevermoreshallhavethegameinchase。
[Exeunt。]
FINIS。