Great Britain -- History -- Poetry; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Sources
Of which, when tidings to the tyrant came,
As one depriued of his wished pray,
His wits best engines he begins to frame,
And if they faile, he doth resolue t’assay
With hands prophane to fetch me thence away:
While from his reach I there did safely won,
He could not finish what he had begun.
30.
Which our queene mother did presage before,
And thought by force of sanctuarie’s right,
Safely to shield vs from the cruell bore,
Who with his tuskes the elder durst not smite,
While I the yonger liu’d in such safe plight:
By death of th’one, the crowne how could he gaine,
If th’other after liuing did remaine?
31.
The subtill tyrant to effect his will,
This faire pretence vnto the peeres doth frame,
That for th’auoiding of a generall ill,
Since to the prince and them it was a shame,
That causelesse I should sanctuarie claime,
Vnto the place he thought it no offence,
If not by peace, by force to fetch me thence.
32.
Yet to obtaine our mother queene’s consent,
Vnto the place before he offer wrong,
The cardinall of Yorke for that intent,
A man graue, sober, subtill, wise, and strong,
To charme an eare with his inchanting tongue,
He doth select to further this affaire,
And to his vnknowne plots way to prepare.
33.
When he with many more in presence came,
He with faire speech begins to greet our mother:
Then tels, how to the prince it was a shame,
That she should keepe me there, as if one brother
Did liue in dread of danger by the other,
What griefe my absence was vnto the king,
What comfort by my presence I should bring.
34.
Proceeding on vnto the future ill,
Which might ensue by ouer much distrust,
The strengthning of her inconsiderate will,
With sanctuarie’s gift by claime vniust,
The priuiledge of the place by them discust,
Found not of force to her to yeeld the same,
Who did not truly want, what she did clame.
35.
The queene effectually doth answere all,
He turnes replie, she doth reioyne againe,
And puts such questions to the cardinall,
That at a _non plus_ set, he doth remaine
In silent pause, till chaft in tearmes more plaine,
He threatfully declares the peeres pretence,
Who had decreed by force to fetch me thence.
36.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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