Scenes from Old Playbooks

Before your eyes, in presence of your peers,
A subject of the rarest kind of pity
That hath in any age touched noble hearts,
The vulgar story of a prince's ruin

Hath made it too apparent: Europe knows,
And all the western world, what persecution
Hath raged in malice against us, sole heir
To the great throne of old Plantagenets.
How from our nursery we have been hurried
Unto the sanctuary, from the sanctuary
Forced to the prison, from the prison haled
By cruel hands to the tormentor's fury,
Is regist'red already in the volume

ΙΟ

Of all men's tongues: but our misfortunes since
Have ranged a larger progress through strange lands,
Protected in our innocence by heaven.

Edward the Fifth, our brother, in his tragedy
Quenched their hot thirst of blood, whose hire to murder
Paid them their wages of despair and horror;
The softness of my childhood smiled upon

The roughness of their task, and robbed them further Of hearts to dare or hands to execute.

Great king, they spared my life-the butchers spared it—
Returned the tyrant, my unnatural uncle,
A truth of my dispatch: I was conveyed
With secrecy and speed to Tournay, fostered
By obscure means, taught to unlearn myself:
But, as I grew in years, I grew in sense
Of fear and of disdain ;-fear of the tyrant

Whose power swayed the throne :-then, when disdain Of living so unknown in such a servile

And abject lowness prompted me to thoughts

Of recollecting who I was, I shook off

My bondage and made haste to let my Aunt

Of Burgundy acknowledge me her kinsman,
Heir to the crown of England, snatched by Henry
From Richard's head-a thing scarce known i' the world!
King James. My lord, it stands not with your counsel

now

To fly upon invectives: if you can

Make this apparent, what you have discoursed,
In every circumstance, we will not study
An answer, but are ready in your cause.

Warbeck. You are a wise and just king, by the Powers Above reserved beyond all other aids

To plant me in mine own inheritance,
To marry these two kingdoms in a love
Never to be divorced while time is time.
As for the manner, first of my escape,
Of my conveyance next, of my life since,
The means, the persons who were instruments,
Great sir, 'tis fit I overpass in silence,
Reserving the relation to the secrecy

Of your own princely ear, since it concerns

Some great ones living yet, and others dead

Whose issue might be questioned. For your bounty, Royal magnificence to him that seeks it,

We vow hereafter to demean ourself

As if we were your own and natural brother,
Omitting no occasion in our person

To express a gratitude beyond example.

King James. He must be more than subject who can

utter

The language of a king, and such is thine.

Take this for answer: be whate'er thou art,
Thou never shalt repent that thou hast put
Thy cause and person into my protection.
Cousin of York, thus once more we embrace thee;
Welcome to James of Scotland! For thy safety,
Know such as love thee not shall never wrong thee.
Come, we will taste awhile our court delights,
Dream hence afflictions past, and then proceed
To high attempts of honour. On, lead on!
Both thou and thine are ours, and we will guard ye,
Lead on!
[Exeunt all but the Ladies above.
Countess of Crawford. I have not seen a gentleman
Of a more brave aspèct or goodlier carriage;
His fortunes move him not. [To Lady Katherine, noticing
tears in her eyes.] Madam, you're passionate.
Lady Katherine. Beshrew me, but his words have
touched me home,

As if his cause concerned me. I should pity him
If a' should prove another than he seems.

SCENE II. THE DEPARTURE FROM SCOTLAND. Fox, Bishop of Durham, makes peace between James and Henry, so Perkin has to leave Scotland. James has married him to Lady Katherine Gordon.

Enter King James and Perkin, the latter attended by his Wife and his Followers.

ΤΟ

King James. Cousin, our bounty, favours, gentleness, Our benefits, the hazard of our person, Our people's lives, our land, hath evidenced How much we have engaged on your behalf : How trivial and how dangerous our hopes Appear, how fruitless our attempts in war, How windy-rather, smoky-your assurance Of party shows, we might in vain repeat. But now obedience to the mother church, A father's care upon his country's weal. The dignity of state, directs our wisdom To seal an oath of peace through Christendom, To which we are sworn already: it is you Must only seek new fortunes in the world And find an harbour elsewhere. As I promised On your arrival, you have met no usage Deserves repentance in your being here; But yet I must live master of mine own. However, what is necessary for you At your departure, I am well content You be accommodated with, provided Delay prove not my enemy.

It shall not,

Warbeck.
Most glorious prince; the fame of my designs
Soars higher than report of ease and sloth
Can aim at. I acknowledge all your favours
Boundless and singular, am only wretched
In words as well as means to thank the grace
That flowed so liberally. Two empires firmly

You're lord of-Scotland, and Duke Richard's heart!
My claim to mine inheritance shall sooner
Fail than my life to serve you, best of kings!
And (witness Edward's blood in me!) I am
More loath to part with such a great example
Of virtue than all other mere respects.
But, sir, my last suit is, you will not force

From me what you have given, this chaste lady,
Resolved on all extremes.

Lady Katherine.

No human power can or shall divorce

My faith from duty.
Warbeck.

I am your wife.

Such another treasure

I gave her, cousin,

The earth is bankrupt of.

King James.

And must avow the gift, will add withal

A furniture becoming her high birth

And unsuspected constancy. Provide

For your attendance; we will part good friends.

[Exit with Dalyell.
Warbeck. The Tudor hath been cunning in his plots;
His Fox of Durham would not fail at last.
But what? our cause and courage are our own:
Be men, my friends, and let our cousin-king
See how we follow fate as willingly

As malice follows us. You're all resolved
For the west parts of England?

All.

Cornwall, Cornwall!

Frion. The inhabitants expect you daily.
Warbeck.

Cheerfully

Draw all our ships out of the harbour, friends;
Our time of stay doth seem too long, we must
Prevent intelligence; about it suddenly!
All. A prince, a prince, a prince !

SCENE III.

Perkin has lost and has fled.

FACE TO FACE.

[Exeunt.

The King is at Salisbury, preparing to march back to London.

Enter King Henry, the Earl of Surrey, the King's Chaplain Urswick, and a Guard of Soldiers.

King Henry. The counterfeit, King Perkin, is escaped ; Escaped! so let him; he is hedged too fast Within the circuit of our English pale

To steal out of our ports or leap the walls

Which guard our land; the seas are rough, and wider
Than his weak arms can tug with. Surrey, henceforth
The King may reign in quiet; turmoils past,
Like some unquiet dream, have rather busied
Our fancy than affrighted rest of state.

Enter Lord Dawbeney with a Guard, leading in Perkin Warbeck, and his followers Heron, John a-Water, Astley, and Skelton, chained.

Dawbeney. Life to the King, and safety fix his throne! I here present you, royal sir, a shadow Of majesty, but in effect a substance Of pity; a young man in nothing grown To ripeness but the ambition of your mercy— Perkin, the Christian world's strange wonder. King Henry.

Dawbeney,

We observe no wonder: I behold, 'tis true,
An ornament of nature, fine and polished,
A handsome youth indeed, but not admire him.
How came he to thy hands?

Dawbeney.

From sanctuary

At Bewley near Southampton, regist❜red

With these few followers for persons privileged.

King Henry. I must not thank you, sir; you were to blame

To infringe the liberty of houses sacred:

Dare we be irreligious?

Dawbeney.

Gracious lord,

They voluntarily resigned themselves

Without compulsion.

King Henry.

So: 'twas very well,

'Twas very, very well. Turn now thine eyes,
Young man, upon thyself and thy past actions;
What revels in combustion through our kingdom
A frenzy of aspiring youth hath danced

Till, wanting breath, thy feet of pride have slipt
To break thy neck.
Warbeck.

But not my heart! my heart

Will mount till every drop of blood be frozen

By death's perpetual winter: if the sun

Of majesty be darkenèd, let the sun

Of life be hid from me in an eclipse
Lasting and universal. Sir, remember

There was a shooting-in of light when Richmond,
Not aiming at a crown, retired, and gladly,
For comfort to the Duke of Bretaine's court.
Richard, who swayed the sceptre, was reputed
A tyrant then; yet then a dawning glimmered

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