Had grac'd the tender Temples of my 'Child,
And both the Princes had been breathing here,
Which now two tender Bed-fellows for duft,
Thy broken Faith hath made the prey for Worms.
What canft thou fwear by now?
K. Rich. The Time to come.
Queen. That thou haft wronged in the time o'er-paft:
For 1 my felf have many Tears to wash
Hereafter Time, for time-paft, wrong'd by thee.
The Children live, whofe Fathers thou haft flaughter'd,
Ungovern'd Youth, to wail it with their Age.
The Parents live, whofe Children thou haft butcher'd,
Old barren Plants, to wail it with their Age.
Swear not by Time to come, for that thou haft
Mifus'd e'er us'd, by times ill-us'd o'erpaft.
K. Rich. As I intend to profper, and repent;
So thrive I in my dangerous Affairs
Of hoftile Arms; My felf, my felf confound,
Heaven and Fortune bar me happy Hours,
Day yield me not thy Light, nor Night thy Reft,
Be oppofite all Planets of good Luck
To my proceeding, if with dear Hearts Love,
Immaculate Devotion, 'holy Thoughts,
I tend not thy beauteous Princely Daughter.
In her confifts my Happinefs and thine;
Without her, follows to my felf and thee,
Her felf, the Land, and many a Chriftian Soul,
Death, Defolation, Ruin, and Decay :
It cannot be avoided, but by this;
It will not be avoided, but by this:
Therefore, dear Mother, I must call you so,
Be the Attorney of my Love to her;
Plead what I will be, not what I have been;
Not my Defires, but what I will deferve:
Urge the neceffity and Rate of Times;
And be not peevish found in great Defigns.
Queen. Shall I be tempted of the Devil thus?
K. Rich. Ay, if the Devil tempt you to do good.
Queen. Shall I forget my felf to be my felf?
K. Rich. Ay, if your felf's remembrance wrong your felf.
Queen. Yet thou didst kill
K. Rich. But in your Daughter's Womb I bury them;
Where in that Neft of Spicery they will breed
Selves of themselves, to your recomforture.
Queen. Shall I go win my Daughter to thy Will?
K. Rich. And be a happy Mother by the Deed.
Queen. I go, write to me very shortly,
And you shall understand from me her mind. [Exit Queen. ·
K. Rich. Bear her my true Love's kifs, and fo farewel
Relenting Fool, and fhallow-changing Woman.
How now, what News?
Rats Moft mighty Soveraign, on the Western Coaft
Rides a puiffant Navy: To our Shores
Throng many doubtful hollow-hearted Friends,
Unarm'd, and unrefolv'd to beat them back.
'Tis thought, that Richmond is their Admiral:
And there they hull, expecting but the aid
Of Buckingham, to welcome them afhore.
K. Rich. Some light-foot Friend poft to the Duke of NorRatcliff, thy felf, or Catesby, where is he?
Catef. Here, my good Lord.
K. Rich. Catesby, fly to the Duke.
Cates. I will, my Lord, with all convenient hafte.
K. Rich. Ratcliff, come hither, poft to Salisbury.
When thou comeft thither- Dull unmindful Villain,
[To Catesby. Why ftay'ft thou here, and go'ft not to the Duke?
Catef. First, mighty Liege, tell me your Highness pleasure, What from your Grace I fhall deliver to him.
K. Rich. O true, good Catesbybid him levy ftraight The greatest Strength and Power that he can make, And meet me fuddenly at Salisbury.
Rat. What, may it please you, fhall I do at Salisbury?
K. Rich. Why, what would'ft thou do there before I go?
Rat. Your highnefs told me I should poft before.
K. Rich. My mind is chang'd.
Enter Lord Stanley.
Stanley, what News with you?
Stan. None good, my Liege, to please you with the hearNor none fo bad, but well may be reported.
K. Rich. Hyday, Riddle, neither good nor bad:
W at need it thou run fo many Miles abour,
When thou may't tell thy Tale the nearest way?
Oc more, what News?
Stan. Richmond is on the Seas.
K Rich. Ter let him fink, and be the Seas on him,
White-liver'd Run-a-gate, what doth he there?
Stan. I know not, mighty Sovereign, but by guess.
K. Rich. Well, as you guess.
Stan. Su'd up by Dorset, Buckingham, and Morton,
He makes tor England, here to claim the Crown.
K. Rich. Is the Chair empty? is the Sword unfway'd?
I the King dead? the Empire unpoffefs'd?
What Heir of York is there alive, but we?
And who is England's King, but great York's Heir?
Then tell me, what makes he upon the Seas?
Stan. Unless for that, my Liege, I cannot guefs.
K. Rich. Unlefs for that he comes to be your Liege,
You cannot guefs, wherefore the Welch-man comes.
Thou wilt revolt, and fly to him, I fear.
Stan. No, my good Lord, therefore mistruft me not.
K. Rich. Where is thy Power then to beat him back?
Where be thy Tenants, and thy Followers?
Are they not now upon the Western Shore,
Saf. conducting the Rebels from their Ships?
Stan No, my good Lord, my Friends are in the North.
K. Rich, Cold Friends to me: what do they in the North,
When they fhouid ferve their Sovereign in the W«ft?
Stan. Thy have not been commanded, mighty King;
Fleateth your Majefty to give me leave,
I'm fter up my Friends, and meet your Grace,
Where, and what time your Majefty fhall pleafe.
K. Rich. Ay, thou would't be gone, to join with RichBut I'd not truft thee.
Stan Moft mighty Sovereign,
You have no caule to h ld my Friendship doubtful,
I never was, not never will be falfe.
K. Rich. Go then, and mufter Men; but leave behind
Your S George Stanley: Look your Heart be firm,
Or elfe his Head's affurance is but frail.
Stan. So deal with him, as I prove true to you.
Mef. My gracious Sovereign, now in Devonshire,
As I by Friends am well advertised,
Sir Edward Courtney, and the haughty Prelate,
Bishop of Exeter, his elder Brother,
With many more Confederates are in Arms.
Enter another Messenger.
Mef. In Kent, my Liege, the Guilfords are in Arms,
And every hour Competitors
Flock to the Rebels, and their Power grows ftrong.
Enter another Messenger.
Mef. My Lord, the Army of great Buckingham
K. Rich. Out on ye, Owls, nothing but Songs of Death. [He ftrikes him. There take thou that, 'till thou bring better News. Mef. The News I have to tell your Majefty, Is, that by fudden Flood, and fall of Waters, Buckingham's Army is difpers'd and scatter'd, And he himself wandred away alone, No Man knows whither.
K. Rich. I cry thee Mercy;
There is my Purfe, to cure that Blow of thine.
Hath any well advifed Friend proclaim'd
Reward to him that brings the Traitor in?
Mef. Such Proclamation hath been made, my Lord.
Enter another Messenger.
Mef. Sir Thomas Lovel, and Lord Marquels Dorfet,
'Tis faid, my Liege, in Yorkshire are in Arms:
But this good comfort bring I to your Highness,
The Britain Na, y is difpers'd by Tempeft.
Richmond in Dorfet fhire fent out a Boat
Unto the Shore, to ask those on the Banks,
If they were his Affiftants, yea, or no?
Who anfwer'd him, they came from Buckingham
Upon his Party; he mistrusting them,
Hois'd Sail, and made his Courf again for Britain.
K. Rich. March on, march on, fince we are up in Arms,
If not to fight with Foreign E emies,
Yet to beat down thefe Rebels here at Home.
Catef. My Liege, the Duke of Buckingham is taken,
That is the beft News ; that the Earl of Richmond
Is with a mighty Power landed at Milford,
Is colder News, but yet it must be told.
K. Rich. Away towards Salisbury; while we reafon here, A Royal Battel might be won and loft:
Some one take order that Buckingham be brought
To Salisbury, the reft march on with me.
Enter Derby, and Sir Chriftopher.
Derby. Sir Chriftopher, tell Richmond this from me,
That in the Sty of the moft deadly Boar,
My Son George Stanley is frankt up in hold:
If I revolt, off goes young George's Head,
The fear of that holds off my prefent Aid.
So get thee gone; commend me to thy Lord.
Withal fay, that the Queen hath heartily confented
He should efpoufe Elizabeth her Daughter.
But tell me, where is Princely Richmond now?
Chrif. At Pembrook, or at Hertford Weft in Wales.
Derby. What Men of Name refort to him?
Chrif. Sir Walter Herbert, a renowned Soldier,
Sir Gilbert Talbot, Sir William Stanley,
Oxford, redoubted Pembrook, Sir James Blunt,
And Rice ap Thomas, with a valiant Crew,
And many other of great Name and Worth:
And towards London do they bend their Power,
If by the way they be not fought withal.
Derby. Well, hye thee to thy Lord: I kifs his Hand,
My Letter will refolve him of my Mind..
Farewel.
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