首页 >出版文学> The Life of Thomas Telford>第3章
  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。