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nor thou, nor these thy flattering minions,

with all your strengths had wronged plain Woodstock

thus. but use your wills. your uncles Gaunt and

York will give you thanks for this; and the poor commons,

when they shall hear of these your unjust proceedings.

King

stop his mouth, I say, we will hear no more.

Woodstock

good heaven, forgive me, pray ye forbear awhile

I will speak but one word more, indeed I will.

some man commend me to my virtuous wife

tell her her dreams have taken effect indeed:

by wolves and lions now must Woodstock bleed.

King

deliver him to Lapoole. the ship lies ready.

convey him over to calais speedily,

there use him as we gave directions.

sound up your drums, our hunting sports are done,

and when you are past the house, cast by your habits

and mount your horses with all swiftest haste.

the boar is taken, and our fears are past.

Exeunt

Act IV, Scene 3: Sheen House.]

Enter Crosby, Fleming, and Nimble Crosby

come sirs, attend, my lord is coming forth.

the high Shrieves of Kent and Northumberland

with twenty gentlemen are all arrested

for privy whisperers against the state;

in which I know my lord will find some trick

to seize their goods, and then there is work for us.

Nimble

nay, there will be work for the hangman first; then

we rifle the goods, and my lord seizes the lands.

if these seven hundred whisperers that are taken come off

lustily, he will have the devil and all shortly.

Enter Tresilian, with the Shrieves of Kent and Northumberland, with Officers.

Fleming

see, see, they are coming.

Tresilian

call for a marshal there! commit the traitors.

Shrieve of Kent

we do beseech your honour hear us speak.

Tresilian

sir, we will not hear ye. the proof is too plain

against ye. becomes it you, sir, being Shrieve of

Kent, to stay the blanks King Richard sent abroad,

revile our messengers, refuse the charters,

and spurn like traitors against the King's decrees?

Shrieve of Kent

my lord: I plead our ancient liberties

recorded and enrolled in the King's crown office,

wherein the men of Kent are clear discharged

of fines, fifteens, or any other taxes:

forever given them by the conqueror.

Tresilian

you are still deceived: those charters were not sent

to abrogate your ancient privilege,

but for his highness' use they were devised

to gather and collect amongst his subjects

such sums of money as they well might spare,

and he in their defence must hourly spend.

is not the subjects' wealth at the King's will?

what, is he lord of lives and not of lands?

is not his high displeasure present death?

and dare ye stir his indignation so?

Shrieve of Northumberland

we are free-born, my lord, yet do confess

our lives and goods, are at the King's dispose:

but how, my lord, like to a gentle prince

to take or borrow what we best may spare;

and not, like bondslaves, force it from our hands.

Tresilian

presumptuous traitors, that will we try on you.

will you set limits to the King's high pleasure?

away to prison! seize their goods and lands.

Shrieve of Kent

much good may it do ye, my lord. the care is

taken; as good die there as here abroad be slain.

Shrieve of Northumberland

well, god forgive both you and us, my lord:

your hard oppressions have undone the state

and made all England poor and desolate.

Tresilian

why suffer ye their speech? to prison hie!

there let them perish, rot, consume, and die!

Exeunt [Officers] with the Shrieves

art thou there, Nimble?

Nimble

I am here, my lord. and since your lordship is now

employed to punish traitors, I am come to present myself unto you.

Tresilian

what, for a traitor?

Nimble

no, my lord, but for a discoverer of the strangest

traitor that was ever heard of, for by the plain

arithmetic of my capacity, I have found out the

very words a traitor spoke that has whistled treason.

Tresilian

how is that, whistle treason?

Nimble

most certain, my lord, I have a trick for it: if a

carman do but whistle, I will find treason in it,

I warrant ye.

Tresilian