Page images
PDF
EPUB

War. Let me embrace thee, hug thee! thou'st

reviv'd

My comforts; if my cousin king will fail,
Our cause will never-

Enter JOHN A-WATER, HERON, ASTLEY, SKETON.
Welcome, my tried friends,

You keep your brains awake in our defence.
Frion, advise with them of these affairs,

In which be wondrous secret; I will listen
What else concerns us here: be quick and wary.

[Exit.

Ast. Ah, sweet young prince! Secretary, my fellow-counsellors and I have consulted, and jump all in one opinion directly, and if these Scotch garboils do not fadge to our minds, we will pellmell run amongst the Cornish choughs presently, and in a trice.

Sket. "Tis but going to sea and leaping ashore, cut ten or twelve thousand unnecessary throats, fire seven or eight towns, take half a dozen cities, get into the market-place, crown him Richard the Fourth, and the business is finished.

J. a-Wat. I grant you, quoth I, so far forth, as men may do, no more than men may do; for it is good to consider, when consideration may be to the purpose, otherwise - still - still you shall pardon

me-" little said is soon amended."

Fri. Then you conclude the Cornish action

surest?

Her. We do so; and doubt not but to thrive abundantly. Ho, my masters, had we known of

the commotion when we set sail out of Ireland, the land had been ours ere this time.

Sket. Pish, pish! 'tis but forbearing being an earl or a duke a month or two longer. I say, and say it again, if the work go not on apace, let me never see new fashion more. I warrant you, I warrant you; we will have it so, and so it shall be.

Ast. This is but a cold phlegmatic country; not stirring enough for men of spirit. Give me the heart of England for my money!

Sket. A man may batten there in a week only, with hot loaves and butter,+ and a lusty cup of muscadine and sugar at breakfast, though he make never a meal all the month after.

J. a-Wat. Surely, when I bore office, I found by experience, that to be much troublesome, was to be much wise and busy: I have observed, how filching and bragging has been the best service in these last wars; and therefore conclude peremptorily on the design in England. If things and things may fall out, as who can tell what or howbut the end will shew it.

Fri. Resolved like men of judgment! Here to

linger

More time, is but to lose it; cheer the prince,
And haste him on to this; on this depends,
Fame in success, or glory in our ends.

[Exeunt.

4 With hot loaves and butter] Our ancestors must have found something peculiarly amusing in a taylor's breakfast, to justify the comic writers in these eternal references to it. It is more than once noticed by Jonson; and see Massinger, vol. iii. p. 457.

SCENE III.

Another Part of the same.

Enter King JAMES, DURHAM, and HIALAS.

Hial. France, Spain, and Germany combine a
league

Of amity with England; nothing wants
For settling peace through Christendom, but love
Between the British monarchs, James, and Henry.
Dur. The English merchants, sir, have been re-
ceived

With general procession into Antwerp;
The emperor confirms the combination.

Hial. The king of Spain resolves a marriage For Katherine his daughter, with prince Arthur. Dur. France courts this holy contract.

Hial. What can hinder

A quietness in England?-

Dur. But your suffrage

To such a silly creature, mighty sir,

As is but in effect an apparition,

A shadow, a mere trifle?

Hial. To this union

The good of both the church and commonwealth Invite you.

Dur. To this unity, a mystery

Of providence points out a greater blessing

For both these nations, than our human reason
Can search into. King Henry hath a daughter,
The princess Margaret; I need not urge,
What honour, what felicity can follow
On such affinity 'twixt two Christian kings,
Inleagued by ties of blood; but sure I am,
If you, sir, ratify the peace proposed,

I dare both motion and effect this marriage
For weal of both the kingdoms.

K. Ja. Dar'st thou, lord bishop?

Dur. Put it to trial, royal James, by sending Some noble personage to the English court By way of embassy.

Hial. Part of the business

Shall suit my mediation.

K. Ja. Well; what Heaven

Hath pointed out to be, must be; you two
Are ministers, I hope, of blessed fate.
But herein only I will stand acquitted,
No blood of innocents shall buy my peace.
For Warbeck, as you nick him, came to me,
Commended by the states of Christendom,
A prince, tho' in distress; his fair demeanour,
Lovely behaviour, unappalled spirit,

Spoke him not base in blood, however clouded.
The brute beasts have their rocks and caves to

fly to,

And men the altars of the church; to us

[ocr errors]

He came for refuge: Kings come near in na

ture

Unto the gods, in being touch'd with pity."

Yet, noble friends, his mixture with our blood,
Even with our own, shall no way interrupt
A general peace; only I will dismiss him
From my protection, throughout my dominions,
In safety; but not ever to return.

Hial. You are a just king.

Dur. Wise, and herein happy.

K. Ja. Nor will we dally in affairs of weight: Huntley, lord bishop, shall with you to England Ambassador from us; we will throw down Our weapons; peace on all sides! now, repair Unto our council; we will soon be with you. Hial. Delay shall question no dispatch; Heaven crown it!

[Exeunt DURHAM and HIALAs.
K. Ja. A league with Ferdinand! a marriage
With English Margaret! a free release
From restitution for the late affronts!
Cessation from hostility, and all

For Warbeck, not deliver'd, but dismiss'd!
We could not wish it better.-Dalyell!—

Dal. Here, sir.

Enter DALYELL.

K. Ja. Are Huntley and his daughter sent for?

Dal. Sent for,

And come, my lord.

K. Ja. Say to the English prince,

We want his company.

Dal. He is at hand, sir.

« PreviousContinue »