1863Bish. What is this Forrest call'd?

1864Hast. 'Tis Gualtree Forrest, and't shall please your

1865Grace.

1866Bish. Here stand (my Lords) and send discouerers forth,

1867To know the numbers of our Enemies.

1868Hast. Wee haue sent forth alreadie.

1869Bish. 'Tis well done.

1870My Friends, and Brethren (in these great Affaires)

1871I must acquaint you, that I haue receiu'd

1872New-dated Letters from Northumberland:

1873Their cold intent, tenure, and substance thus.

1874Here doth hee wish his Person, with such Powers

1875As might hold sortance with his Qualitie,

1876The which hee could not leuie: whereupon

1877Hee is retyr'd, to ripe his growing Fortunes,

1878To Scotland; and concludes in heartie prayers,

1879That your Attempts may ouer-liue the hazard,

1880And fearefull meeting of their Opposite.

1881Mow. Thus do the hopes we haue in him, touch ground,

1882And dash themselues to pieces.

1884Hast. Now? what newes?

1885Mess. West of this Forrest, scarcely off a mile,

1886In goodly forme, comes on the Enemie:

1887And by the ground they hide, I iudge their number

1888Vpon, or neere, the rate of thirtie thousand.

1889Mow. The iust proportion that we gaue them out.

1890Let vs sway-on, and face them in the field.

1892Bish. What well-appointed Leader fronts vs here?

1893Mow. I thinke it is my Lord of Westmerland.

1894West. Health, and faire greeting from our Generall,

1895The Prince, Lord Iohn, and Duke of Lancaster.

1896Bish. Say on (my Lord of Westmerland) in peace:

1897What doth concerne your comming?

1898West. Then (my Lord)

1899Vnto your Grace doe I in chiefe addresse

1900The substance of my Speech. If that Rebellion

1901Came like it selfe, in base and abiect Routs,

1902Led on by bloodie Youth, guarded with Rage,

1903And countenanc'd by Boyes, and Beggerie:

1904I say, if damn'd Commotion so appeare,

1905In his true, natiue, and most proper shape,

1906You (Reuerend Father, and these Noble Lords)

1907Had not beene here, to dresse the ougly forme

1908Of base, and bloodie Insurrection,

1909With your faire Honors. You, Lord Arch-bishop,

1910Whose Sea is by a Ciuill Peace maintain'd,

1911Whose Beard, the Siluer Hand of Peace hath touch'd,

1912Whose Learning, and good Letters, Peace hath tutor'd,

1913Whose white Inuestments figure Innocence,

1914The Doue, and very blessed Spirit of Peace.

1915Wherefore doe you so ill translate your selfe,

1916Out of the Speech of Peace, that beares such grace,

1917Into the harsh and boystrous Tongue of Warre?

1918Turning your Bookes to Graues, your Inke to Blood,

1919Your Pennes to Launces, and your Tongue diuine

1920To a lowd Trumpet, and a Point of Warre.

1921Bish. Wherefore doe I this? so the Question stands.

1922Briefely to this end: Wee are all diseas'd,

1923And with our surfetting, and wanton howres,

1924Haue brought our selues into a burning Feuer,

1925And wee must bleede for it: of which Disease,

1926Our late King Richard (being infected) dy'd.

1927But (my most Noble Lord of Westmerland)

1928I take not on me here as a Physician,

1929Nor doe I, as an Enemie to Peace,

1930Troope in the Throngs of Militarie men:

1931But rather shew a while like fearefull Warre,

1932To dyet ranke Mindes, sicke of happinesse,

1933And purge th'obstructions, which begin to stop

1934Our very Veines of Life: heare me more plainely.

1935I haue in equall ballance iustly weigh'd,

1936What wrongs our Arms may do, what wrongs we suffer,

1937And finde our Griefes heauier then our Offences.

1938Wee see which way the streame of Time doth runne,

1939And are enforc'd from our most quiet there,

1940By the rough Torrent of Occasion,

1941And haue the summarie of all our Griefes

1942(When time shall serue) to shew in Articles;

1943Which long ere this, wee offer'd to the King,

1944And might, by no Suit, gayne our Audience:

1945When wee are wrong'd, and would vnfold our Griefes,

1946Wee are deny'd accesse vnto his Person,

1947Euen by those men, that most haue done vs wrong.

1948The dangers of the dayes but newly gone,

1949Whose memorie is written on the Earth

1950With yet appearing blood; and the examples

1951Of euery Minutes instance (present now)

1952Hath put vs in these ill-beseeming Armes:

1953Not to breake Peace, or any Branch of it,

1954But to establish here a Peace indeede,

1955Concurring both in Name and Qualitie.

1956West. When euer yet was your Appeale deny'd?

1957Wherein haue you beene galled by the King?

1958What Peere hath beene suborn'd, to grate on you,

1959That you should seale this lawlesse bloody Booke

1960Of forg'd Rebellion, with a Seale diuine?

1961Bish. My Brother generall, the Common-wealth,

1962I make my Quarrell, in particular.

1963West. There is no neede of any such redresse:

1964Or if there were, it not belongs to you.

1965Mow. Why not to him in part, and to vs all,

1966That feele the bruizes of the dayes before,

1967And suffer the Condition of these Times

1968To lay a heauie and vnequall Hand vpon our Honors?

1969West. O my good Lord Mowbray,

1970Construe the Times to their Necessities,

1971And you shall say (indeede) it is the Time,

1972And not the King, that doth you iniuries.

1973Yet for your part, it not appeares to me,

1974Either from the King, or in the present Time,

1975That you should haue an ynch of any ground

1976To build a Griefe on: were you not restor'd

1977To all the Duke of Norfolkes Seignories,

1978Your Noble, and right well-remembred Fathers?

1979Mow. What thing, in Honor, had my Father lost,

1980That need to be reuiu'd, and breath'd in me?

1981The King that lou'd him, as the State stood then,

1982Was forc'd, perforce compell'd to banish him:

1983And then, that Henry Bullingbrooke and hee

1984Being mounted, and both rowsed in their Seates,

1985Their neighing Coursers daring of the Spurre,

1986Their armed Staues in charge, their Beauers downe,

1987Their eyes of fire, sparkling through sights of Steele,

1988And the lowd Trumpet blowing them together:

1989Then, then, when there was nothing could haue stay'd

1990My Father from the Breast of Bullingbrooke;

1991O, when the King did throw his Warder downe,

1992(His owne Life hung vpon the Staffe hee threw)

1993Then threw hee downe himselfe, and all their Liues,

1994That by Indictment, and by dint of Sword,

1995Haue since mis-carryed vnder Bullingbrooke.

gg2 West. You

1996West. You speak (Lord Mowbray) now you know not what.

1997The Earle of Hereford was reputed then

1998In England the most valiant Gentleman.

1999Who knowes, on whom Fortune would then haue smil'd?

2000But if your Father had beene Victor there,

2001Hee ne're had borne it out of Couentry.

2002For all the Countrey, in a generall voyce,

2003Cry'd hate vpon him: and all their prayers, and loue,

2004Were set on Herford, whom they doted on,

2005And bless'd, and grac'd, and did more then the King.

2006But this is meere digression from my purpose.

2007Here come I from our Princely Generall,

2008To know your Griefes; to tell you, from his Grace,

2009That hee will giue you Audience: and wherein

2010It shall appeare, that your demands are iust,

2011You shall enioy them, euery thing set off,

2012That might so much as thinke you Enemies.

2013Mow. But hee hath forc'd vs to compell this Offer,

2014And it proceedes from Pollicy, not Loue.

2015West. Mowbray, you ouer-weene to take it so:

2016This Offer comes from Mercy, not from Feare.

2017For loe, within a Ken our Army lyes,

2018Vpon mine Honor, all too confident

2019To giue admittance to a thought of feare.

2020Our Battaile is more full of Names then yours,

2021Our Men more perfect in the vse of Armes,

2022Our Armor all as strong, our Cause the best;

2023Then Reason will, our hearts should be as good.

2024Say you not then, our Offer is compell'd.

2025Mow. Well, by my will, wee shall admit no Parley.

2026West. That argues but the shame of your offence:

2027A rotten Case abides no handling.

2028Hast. Hath the Prince Iohn a full Commission,

2029In very ample vertue of his Father,

2030To heare, and absolutely to determine

2031Of what Conditions wee shall stand vpon?

2032West. That is intended in the Generals Name:

2033I muse you make so slight a Question.

2034Bish. Then take (my Lord of Westmerland) this Schedule,

2035For this containes our generall Grieuances:

2036Each seuerall Article herein redress'd,

2037All members of our Cause, both here, and hence,

2038That are insinewed to this Action,

2039Acquitted by a true substantiall forme,

2040And present execution of our wills,

2041To vs, and to our purposes confin'd,

2042Wee come within our awfull Banks againe,

2043And knit our Powers to the Arme of Peace.

2044West. This will I shew the Generall. Please you Lords,

2045In sight of both our Battailes, wee may meete

2046At either end in peace: which Heauen so frame,

2047Or to the place of difference call the Swords,

2048Which must decide it.

2049Bish. My Lord, wee will doe so.

2050Mow. There is a thing within my Bosome tells me,

2051That no Conditions of our Peace can stand.

2052Hast. Feare you not, that if wee can make our Peace

2053Vpon such large termes, and so absolute,

2054As our Conditions shall consist vpon,

2055Our Peace shall stand as firme as Rockie Mountaines.

2056Mow. I, but our valuation shall be such,

2057That euery slight, and false-deriued Cause,

2058Yea, euery idle, nice, and wanton Reason,

2059Shall, to the King, taste of this Action:

2060That were our Royall faiths, Martyrs in Loue,

2061Wee shall be winnowed with so rough a winde,

2062That euen our Corne shall seeme as light as Chaffe,

2063And good from bad finde no partition.

2064Bish. No, no (my Lord) note this: the King is wearie

2065Of daintie, and such picking Grieuances:

2066For hee hath found, to end one doubt by Death,

2067Reuiues two greater in the Heires of Life.

2068And therefore will hee wipe his Tables cleane,

2069And keepe no Tell-tale to his Memorie,

2070That may repeat, and Historie his losse,

2071To new remembrance. For full well hee knowes,

2072Hee cannot so precisely weede this Land,

2073As his mis-doubts present occasion:

2074His foes are so en-rooted with his friends,

2075That plucking to vnfixe an Enemie,

2076Hee doth vnfasten so, and shake a friend.

2077So that this Land, like an offensiue wife,

2078That hath enrag'd him on, to offer strokes,

2079As he is striking, holds his Infant vp,

2080And hangs resolu'd Correction in the Arme,

2081That was vprear'd to execution.

2082Hast. Besides, the King hath wasted all his Rods,

2083On late Offenders, that he now doth lacke

2084The very Instruments of Chasticement:

2085So that his power, like to a Fanglesse Lion

2086May offer, but not hold.

2087Bish. 'Tis very true:

2088And therefore be assur'd (my good Lord Marshal)

2089If we do now make our attonement well,

2090Our Peace, will (like a broken Limbe vnited)

2091Grow stronger, for the breaking.

2092Mow. Be it so:

2093Heere is return'd my Lord of Westmerland.

2095West. The Prince is here at hand: pleaseth your Lordship

2096To meet his Grace, iust distance 'tweene our Armies?

2097Mow. Your Grace of Yorke, in heauen's name then

2098forward.

2099Bish. Before, and greet his Grace (my Lord) we come.

2101Iohn. You are wel encountred here (my cosin Mowbray)

2102Good day to you, gentle Lord Archbishop,

2103And so to you Lord Hastings, and to all.

2104My Lord of Yorke, it better shew'd with you,

2105When that your Flocke (assembled by the Bell)

2106Encircled you, to heare with reuerence

2107Your exposition on the holy Text,

2108Then now to see you heere an Iron man

2109Chearing a rowt of Rebels with your Drumme,

2110Turning the Word, to Sword; and Life to death:

2111That man that sits within a Monarches heart,

2112And ripens in the Sunne-shine of his fauor,

2113Would hee abuse the Countenance of the King,

2114Alack, what Mischiefes might hee set abroach,

2115In shadow of such Greatnesse? With you, Lord Bishop,

2116It is euen so. Who hath not heard it spoken,

2117How deepe you were within the Bookes of Heauen?

2118To vs, the Speaker in his Parliament;

2119To vs, th'imagine Voyce of Heauen it selfe:

2120The very Opener, and Intelligencer,

2121Betweene the Grace, the Sanctities of Heauen,

2122And our dull workings. O, who shall beleeue,

2123But you mis-vse the reuerence of your Place,

2124Employ the Countenance, and Grace of Heauen,

2125As a false Fauorite doth his Princes Name,

2126In deedes dis-honorable? You haue taken vp,

2127Vnder the counterfeited Zeale of Heauen,

2128The Subiects of Heauens Substitute, my Father,

2129And both against the Peace of Heauen, and him,

2130Haue here vp-swarmed them.

2131Bish. Good my Lord of Lancaster,

2132I am not here against your Fathers Peace:

2133But (as I told my Lord of Westmerland)

2134The Time (mis-order'd) doth in common sence

2135Crowd vs, and crush vs, to this monstrous Forme,

2136To hold our safetie vp. I sent your Grace

2137The parcels, and particulars of our Griefe,

2138The which hath been with scorne shou'd from the Court:

2139Whereon this Hydra-Sonne of Warre is borne,

2140Whose dangerous eyes may well be charm'd asleepe,

2141With graunt of our most iust and right desires;

2142And true Obedience, of this Madnesse cur'd,

2143Stoope tamely to the foot of Maiestie.

2144Mow. If not, wee readie are to trye our fortunes,

2145To the last man.

2146Hast. And though wee here fall downe,

2147Wee haue Supplyes, to second our Attempt:

2148If they mis-carry, theirs shall second them.

2149And so, successe of Mischiefe shall be borne,

2150And Heire from Heire shall hold this Quarrell vp,

2151Whiles England shall haue generation.

2152Iohn. You are too shallow (Hastings)

2153Much too shallow,

2154To sound the bottome of the after-Times.

2155West. Pleaseth your Grace, to answere them directly,

2156How farre-forth you doe like their Articles.

2157Iohn. I like them all, and doe allow them well:

2158And sweare here, by the honor of my blood,

2159My Fathers purposes haue beene mistooke,

2160And some, about him, haue too lauishly

2161Wrested his meaning, and Authoritie.

2162My Lord, these Griefes shall be with speed redrest:

2163Vpon my Life, they shall. If this may please you,

2164Discharge your Powers vnto their seuerall Counties,

2165As wee will ours: and here, betweene the Armies,

2166Let's drinke together friendly, and embrace,

2167That all their eyes may beare those Tokens home,

2168Of our restored Loue, and Amitie.

2169Bish. I take your Princely word, for these redresses.

2170Iohn. I giue it you, and will maintaine my word:

2171And thereupon I drinke vnto your Grace.

2172Hast. Goe Captaine, and deliuer to the Armie

2173This newes of Peace: let them haue pay, and part:

2174I know, it will well please them.

2175High thee Captaine. Exit.

2176Bish. To you, my Noble Lord of Westmerland.

2177West. I pledge your Grace:

2178And if you knew what paines I haue bestow'd,

2179To breede this present Peace,

2180You would drinke freely: but my loue to ye,

2181Shall shew it selfe more openly hereafter.

2182Bish. I doe not doubt you.

2183West. I am glad of it.

2184Health to my Lord, and gentle Cousin Mowbray.

2185Mow. You wish me health in very happy season,

2186For I am, on the sodaine, something ill.

2187Bish. Against ill Chances, men are euer merry,

2188But heauinesse fore-runnes the good euent.

2189West. Therefore be merry (Cooze) since sodaine sorrow

2190Serues to say thus: some good thing comes to morrow.

2191Bish. Beleeue me, I am passing light in spirit.

2192Mow. So much the worse, if your owne Rule be true.

2193Iohn. The word of Peace is render'd: hearke how

2194they showt.

2195Mow. This had been chearefull, after Victorie.

2196Bish. A Peace is of the nature of a Conquest:

2197For then both parties nobly are subdu'd,

2198And neither partie looser.

2199Iohn. Goe (my Lord)

2200And let our Army be discharged too:

2201And good my Lord (so please you) let our Traines

2202March by vs, that wee may peruse the men

2203Wee should haue coap'd withall.

2204Bish. Goe, good Lord Hastings:

2205And ere they be dismiss'd, let them march by. Exit.

2206Iohn. I trust (Lords) wee shall lye to night together.

2208Now Cousin, wherefore stands our Army still?

2209West. The Leaders hauing charge from you to stand,

2210Will not goe off, vntill they heare you speake.

2211Iohn. They know their duties. Enter Hastings.

2212Hast. Our Army is dispers'd:

2213Like youthfull Steeres, vnyoak'd, they tooke their course

2214East, West, North, South: or like a Schoole, broke vp,

2215Each hurryes towards his home, and sporting place.

2216West. Good tidings (my Lord Hastings) for the which,

2217I doe arrest thee (Traytor) of high Treason:

2218And you Lord Arch-bishop, and you Lord Mowbray,

2219Of Capitall Treason, I attach you both.

2220Mow. Is this proceeding iust, and honorable?

2221West. Is your Assembly so?

2222Bish. Will you thus breake your faith?

2223Iohn. I pawn'd thee none:

2224I promis'd you redresse of these same Grieuances

2225Whereof you did complaine; which, by mine Honor,

2226I will performe, with a most Christian care.

2227But for you (Rebels) looke to taste the due

2228Meet for Rebellion, and such Acts as yours.

2229Most shallowly did you these Armes commence,

2230Fondly brought here, and foolishly sent hence.

2231Strike vp our Drummes, pursue the scatter'd stray,

2232Heauen, and not wee, haue safely fought to day.

2233Some guard these Traitors to the Block of Death,

2234Treasons true Bed, and yeelder vp of breath. Exeunt.