ACT III. SCENE I.

Westminster.-The Palace.

Enter King HENRY, with his Gorget on, his Sword, Plume of Feathers, and leading-staff, (truncheon) followed by URSWICK.

K. Hen. How runs the time of day?
Urs. Past ten, my lord.

K. Hen. A bloody hour will it prove to some,
Whose disobedience, like the sons o' th' earth,
Throws a defiance 'gainst the face of heaven.
Oxford, with Essex, and stout De la Poole,
Have quieted the Londoners, I hope,
And set them safe from fear.

Urs. They are all silent.

K. Hen. From their own battlements, they may behold

Saint George's fields o'erspread with armed men ;
Amongst whom our own royal standard threatens
Confusion to opposers: we must learn

To practise war again in time of peace,
Or lay our crown before our subjects' feet;
Ha, Urswick, must we not?

Urs. The powers, who seated

King Henry on his lawful throne, will ever
Rise up in his defence.

K. Hen. Rage shall not fright

The bosom of our confidence; in Kent
Our Cornish rebels, cozen'd of their hopes.

Met brave resistance by that country's earl,

George Abergeny, Cobham, Poynings, Guilford, And other loyal hearts; now, if Blackheath Must be reserv'd the fatal tomb to swallow

Such stiff-neck'd abjects, as with weary marches Have travell'd from their homes, their wives, and children,

To pay, instead of subsidies, their lives,
We may continue sovereign! Yet, Urswick,
We'll not abate one penny, what in parliament
Hath freely been contributed; we must not;
Money gives soul to action. Our competitor,
The Flemish counterfeit, with James of Scotland,
Will prove what courage need and want can nou-
rish,

Without the food of fit supplies:-but, Urswick,
I have a charm in secret, that shall loose

The witchcraft, wherewith young King James is bound,

And free it at my pleasure without bloodshed. Urs. Your majesty's a wise king, sent from heaven,

Protector of the just.

K. Hen. Let dinner cheerfully

Be serv'd in; this day of the week is ours,
Our day of providence; for Saturday

Yet never fail'd, in all my undertakings,

To yield me rest at night.-[A Flourish.]—What means this warning?

Good fate, speak peace to Henry!

Yet never fail'd me, &c.] The king's predilection for Saturday is noticed by Lord Bacon. Henry had taken great pains to

Enter DAWBENEY, OXFORD, and Attendants.

Daw. Live the king,

Triumphant in the ruin of his enemies!

Orf. The head of strong rebellion is cut off, The body hew'd in pieces.

K. Hen. Dawbeney, Oxford,

Minions to noblest fortunes, how yet stands
The comfort of your wishes?

Daw. Briefly thus:

The Cornish under Audley, disappointed
Of flatter'd expectation, from the Kentish
(Your majesty's right trusty liegemen) flew,
Feather'd by rage, and hearten'd by presumption,
To take the field even at your palace-gates,
And face you in your chamber-royal: arrogance
Improv'd their ignorance; for they supposing,
Misled by rumour, that the day of battle
Should fall on Monday, rather brav'd your
Than doubted any onset; yet this morning,
When in the dawning I, by your direction,
Strove to get Deptford-Strand-bridge, there I
found

forces,

Such a resistance, as might shew what strength Could make here arrows hail'd in showers upon

us,

A full yard long at least; but we prevail'd.
My lord of Oxford with his fellow peers,

induce the insurgents to believe that he intended to put off the action till the succeeding Monday: they fell into the snare, and were accordingly unprepared for the attack, which took place on Saturday, the 22d of June.

Environing the hill, fell fiercely on them

On the one side, I on the other, till, great sir,
(Pardon the oversight,) eager of doing
Some memorable act, I was engaged
Almost a prisoner, but was freed as soon
As sensible of danger: now the fight

Began in heat, which, quenched in the blood of
Two thousand rebels, and as many more

Reserv'd to try your mercy, have return'd

A victory with safety.

K. Hen. Have we lost

An equal number with them?

Orf. In the total

Scarcely four hundred. Audley, Flammock, Joseph,

The ringleaders of this commotion,"

8

Railed in ropes, fit ornaments for traitors,
Wait your determinations.

7

Audley, Flammock, Joseph,

The ringleaders, &c.] Lord Audley had been for some time in communication with the leaders of the Cornish men, but did not join them till they reached Wells, in Somersetshire. "He was," the historian says, "of an ancient family, but unquiet and popular, and aspiring to ruin. He was immediately, and with great cries of joy, accepted as their general; they being proud to be led by a nobleman.' Thomas Flammock, a common name in Cornwall, was a lawyer, who by various artifices had obtained great sway among them; and Michael Joseph, a blacksmith or farrier, of Bodmin, a notable talking fellow, and no less desirous to be talked of."

It should be added, that Ford is indebted to Lord Bacon for most of the incidents in Daubeney's narrative.

8 Railed in ropes.] The 4to is imperfect, and reads, Raled in ropes. As the R is very indistinct, I should have been inclined, perhaps, to make Haled out of it, had I not found the expression

K. Hen. We must pay

Our thanks where they are only due: Oh, lords!
Here is no victory, nor shall our people
Conceive that we can triumph in their falls.
Alas, poor souls! let such as are escaped
Steal to the country back without pursuit:
There's not a drop of blood spilt, but hath drawn
As much of mine; their swords could have
wrought wonders

On their king's part, who faintly were unsheath'd
Against their prince, but wounded their own

breasts.

Lords, we are debtors to your care; our payment Shall be both sure, and fitting your deserts.

Daw. Sir, will you please to see those rebels, heads

Of this wild monster multitude?

K. Hen. Dear friend,

My faithful Dawbeney, no; on them our justice
Must frown in terror, I will not vouchsafe
An eye of pity to them: let false Audley
Be drawn upon an hurdle from the Newgate
To Tower-hill in his own coat of arms
Painted on paper, with the arms revers'd,
Defaced, and torn; there let him lose his head.
The lawyer and the blacksmith shall be hang'd,

in Bacon.

They were brought to London, all railed in ropes, like a team of horses in a cart.'

Flammock and Joseph were hanged at Tyburn. "The lord Audley was led from Newgate to Tower-hill, in a paper coat, painted with his own arms, the arms reversed, the coat torn, and there beheaded."