Beggars Bush: A Comedy: From the Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (Volume 2 of 10) — John Shaqi
Beggars Bush: A Comedy: From the Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (Volume 2 of 10)Fletcher, John
History
Beggars Bush: A Comedy: From the Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (Volume 2 of 10)
Fletcher, John
Comedy plays; English drama -- 17th century
_Wol_. And in all this wisdom,
Had I not reason? when by _Gerrards_ plots
I should have first been call'd to a strict accompt
How, and which way I had consum'd that mass
Of money, as they term it, in the War,
Who underhand had by his Ministers
Detracted my great action, made my faith
And loyalty suspected, in which failing
He sought my life by practice.
_Hub_. With what fore-head
Do you speak this to me? who (as I know't)
Must, and will say 'tis false.
_Wol_. My Guard there.
_Hub_. Sir, you bad me sit, and promis'd you would hear,
Which I now say you shall; not a sound more,
For I that am contemner of mine own,
Am Master of your life; then here's a Sword
Between you, and all aids, Sir, though you blind
The credulous beast, the multitude, you pass not
These gross untruths on me.
_Wol_. How? gross untruths?
_Hub_. I, and it is favourable language,
They had been in a mean man lyes, and foul ones.
_Wol_. You take strange Licence.
_Hub_. Yes, were not those rumours
Of being called unto your answer, spread
By your own followers? and weak _Gerrard_ wrought
(But by your cunning practice) to believe
That you were dangerous; yet not to be
Punish'd by any formal course of Law,
But first to be made sure, and have your crimes
Laid open after, which your quaint train taking
You fled unto the Camp, and [there] crav'd humbly
Protection for your innocent life, and that,
Since you had scap'd the fury of the War,
You might not fall by treason: and for proof,
You did not for your own ends make this danger;
Some that had been before by you suborn'd,
Came forth and took their Oaths they had been hir'd
By _Gerrard_ to your Murther. This once heard,
And easily believ'd, th'inraged Souldier
Seeing no further than the outward-man,
Snatch'd hastily his Arms, ran to the Court,
Kill'd all that made resistance, cut in pieces
Such as were Servants, or thought friends to _Gerrard_,
Vowing the like to him.
_Wol_. Will you yet end?
_Hub_. Which he foreseeing, with his Son, the Earl,
Forsook the City; and by secret wayes
As you give out, and we would gladly have it,
Escap'd their fury: though 'tis more than fear'd
They fell amongst the rest; Nor stand you there
To let us only mourn the impious means
By which you got it, but your cruelties since
So far transcend your former bloody ills,
As if compar'd, they only would appear
Essays of mischief; do not stop your ears,
More are behind yet.
_Wol_. O repeat them not,
'Tis Hell to hear them nam'd.
_Hub_. You should have thought,
That Hell would be your punishment when you did them,
A Prince in nothing but your princely lusts,
And boundless rapines.
_Wol_. No more I beseech you.
_Hub_. Who was the Lord of house or land, that stood
Within the prospect of your covetous eye?
_Wol_. You are in this to me a greater Tyrant,
Than e're I was to any.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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