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Authors: Anonymous, Michael Drayton, Richard Hathway, Antony Munday, William Shakespeare, Robert Wilson
Editor: Michael Best
Not Peer Reviewed

The History of Sir John Oldcastle (Folio 3, 1664)

Enter Rochester, Constable of S. Albans, with Priest,
Doll, and the Irishman in Harpool's apparel.
2525Bish. What intricate confusion have we here?
Not two hours since, we apprehended one
In habit Irish, but in speech not so;
And now you bring another, that in speech is Irish,
But in habit English : yea, and more then so,
2530The servant of that heretick Lord Cobham.
Irish. Fait me be no servant of de Lort Cobham,
Me be Mack Chane of Ulster.
Bish. Otherwise call'd Harpool of Kent, go too, sir,
You cannot blind us with your broken Irish.
2535Pri. Trust me, Lord Bishop, whether Irish or English.
Harpool or not Harpool, that I leave to the trial:
But sure I am, this man by face and speech,
Is he that murdred young Sir Richard Lee:
I met him presently upon the fact,
2540And that he slew his Master for that gold,
Those Jewels, and that chain I took from him.
Bish. Well, our affairs do call us back to London,
So that we cannot prosecute the cause
As we desire to do, therefore we leave
2545The charge with you, to see they be convey'd
To Hartford Size: both this counterfeit,
And you Sir John of Wrotham, and your wench,
For you are culpable as well as they,
Though not for murther, yet for fellony.
2550But since you are the means to bring to light
This graceless murther, ye shall bear with you
Our Letters to the Judges of the Bench,
To be your friends in what they lawfull may.
Priest. I thank you Lordship.
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