The Life of Sir John Oldcastle [23]
schismatic,
Had not the King prayed us to pardon ye,
Ye had fried for it, ye grizzled heretic.
HARPOOLE.
Sblood, my lord Bishop, ye do me wrong. I am
neither heretic nor puritan, but of the old church:
I'll swear, drink ale, kiss a wench, go to mass, eat
fish all Lent, and fast Fridays with cakes and wine,
fruit and spicery, shrive me of my old sins afore
Easter, and begin new afore whitsontide.
CROAMER.
A merry, mad, conceited knave, my lord.
HARPOOLE.
That knave was simply put upon the Bishop.
BISHOP.
Well, God forgive him and I pardon him.
Let him attend his master in the Tower,
For I in charity wish his soul no hurt.
COBHAM.
God bless my soul from such cold charity!
BISHOP.
Too th' Tower with him, and when my leisure serves,
I will examine him of Articles.
Look, my lord Warden, as you have in charge,
The Shrive perform his office.
LORD WARDEN.
Yes, my lord.
[Enter the Sumner with books.]
BISHOP.
What bringst thou there? what, books of heresy?
SUMNER.
Yea, my lord, here's not a latin book, no, not so much
as our lady's Psalter. Here's the Bible, the testament,
the Psalms in meter, the sickman's salve, the treasure of
gladness, and all in English, not so much but the Almanac's
English.
BISHOP.
Away with them, to the fire with them, Clun!
Now fie upon these upstart heretics.
All English! burn them, burn them quickly, Clun!
HARPOOLE.
But do not, Sumner, as you'll answer it, for I have there
English books, my lord, that I'll not part with for your
Bishopric: Bevis of Hampton, Owlglass, the Friar and
the Boy, Eleanor Rumming, Robin hood, and other such
godly stories, which if ye burn, by this flesh, I'll make ye
drink their ashes in Saint Marget's ale.
[Exeunt.]
ACT IV. SCENE IV. The entrance of the Tower.
[Enter Bishop of Rochester with his men in livery coats.]
FIRST SERVANT.
Is it your honor's pleasure we shall stay,
Or come back in the afternoon to fetch you?
BISHOP.
Now you have brought me here into the Tower,
You may go back unto the Porters Lodge,
And send for drink or such things as you want,
Where if I have occasion to employ you,
I'll send some officer to call you to me.
Into the city go not, I command you:
Perhaps I may have present need to use you.
SECOND SERVANT.
We will attend your worship here without.
BISHOP.
Do so, I pray you.
THIRD SERVANT.
Come, we may have a quart of wine at the Rose at
Barking, I warrant you, and come back an hour before
he be ready to go.
FIRST SERVANT.
We must hie us then.
THIRD SERVANT.
Let's away.
[Exeunt.]
BISHOP.
Ho, Master Lieutenant.
LIEUTENANT.
Who calls there?
BISHOP.
A friend of yours.
LIEUTENANT.
My lord of Rochester! your honor's welcome.
BISHOP.
Sir, here's my warrant from the Counsel,
For conference with sir John Old-castle,
Upon some matter of great consequence.
LIEUTENANT.
Ho, sir John!
HARPOOLE.
Who calls there?
LIEUTENANT.
Harpoole, tell Sir John, that my lord of Rochester
Comes from the counsel to confer with him.
HARPOOLE.
I will, sir.
LIEUTENANT.
I think you may as safe without suspicion,
As any man in England, as I hear,
For it was you most labored his commitment.
BISHOP.
I did, sir, and nothing repent it, I assure you.
[Enter sir John Old-castle and Harpoole.]
Master Leiftenant, I pray you give us leave,
I must confer here with sir John a little.
LIEUTENANT.
With all my heart, my lord.
HARPOOLE.
[Aside.] My lord, be ruled by me: take this occasion
while tis offered, and on my life your lordship shall
escape.
COBHAM.
No more, I say; peace, lest he should suspect it.
BISHOP.
Sir John, I am come unto you from the lords of his
highness' most honorable counsel, to know if yet you
do recant your errors, conforming you unto the holy
church.
COBHAM.
My lord of Rochester, on good advise,
I see my error, but yet, understand me,
I mean not error in the faith I hold,
But error in submitting to your pleasure;
Therefore, your lordship, without more to do,
Must be
Had not the King prayed us to pardon ye,
Ye had fried for it, ye grizzled heretic.
HARPOOLE.
Sblood, my lord Bishop, ye do me wrong. I am
neither heretic nor puritan, but of the old church:
I'll swear, drink ale, kiss a wench, go to mass, eat
fish all Lent, and fast Fridays with cakes and wine,
fruit and spicery, shrive me of my old sins afore
Easter, and begin new afore whitsontide.
CROAMER.
A merry, mad, conceited knave, my lord.
HARPOOLE.
That knave was simply put upon the Bishop.
BISHOP.
Well, God forgive him and I pardon him.
Let him attend his master in the Tower,
For I in charity wish his soul no hurt.
COBHAM.
God bless my soul from such cold charity!
BISHOP.
Too th' Tower with him, and when my leisure serves,
I will examine him of Articles.
Look, my lord Warden, as you have in charge,
The Shrive perform his office.
LORD WARDEN.
Yes, my lord.
[Enter the Sumner with books.]
BISHOP.
What bringst thou there? what, books of heresy?
SUMNER.
Yea, my lord, here's not a latin book, no, not so much
as our lady's Psalter. Here's the Bible, the testament,
the Psalms in meter, the sickman's salve, the treasure of
gladness, and all in English, not so much but the Almanac's
English.
BISHOP.
Away with them, to the fire with them, Clun!
Now fie upon these upstart heretics.
All English! burn them, burn them quickly, Clun!
HARPOOLE.
But do not, Sumner, as you'll answer it, for I have there
English books, my lord, that I'll not part with for your
Bishopric: Bevis of Hampton, Owlglass, the Friar and
the Boy, Eleanor Rumming, Robin hood, and other such
godly stories, which if ye burn, by this flesh, I'll make ye
drink their ashes in Saint Marget's ale.
[Exeunt.]
ACT IV. SCENE IV. The entrance of the Tower.
[Enter Bishop of Rochester with his men in livery coats.]
FIRST SERVANT.
Is it your honor's pleasure we shall stay,
Or come back in the afternoon to fetch you?
BISHOP.
Now you have brought me here into the Tower,
You may go back unto the Porters Lodge,
And send for drink or such things as you want,
Where if I have occasion to employ you,
I'll send some officer to call you to me.
Into the city go not, I command you:
Perhaps I may have present need to use you.
SECOND SERVANT.
We will attend your worship here without.
BISHOP.
Do so, I pray you.
THIRD SERVANT.
Come, we may have a quart of wine at the Rose at
Barking, I warrant you, and come back an hour before
he be ready to go.
FIRST SERVANT.
We must hie us then.
THIRD SERVANT.
Let's away.
[Exeunt.]
BISHOP.
Ho, Master Lieutenant.
LIEUTENANT.
Who calls there?
BISHOP.
A friend of yours.
LIEUTENANT.
My lord of Rochester! your honor's welcome.
BISHOP.
Sir, here's my warrant from the Counsel,
For conference with sir John Old-castle,
Upon some matter of great consequence.
LIEUTENANT.
Ho, sir John!
HARPOOLE.
Who calls there?
LIEUTENANT.
Harpoole, tell Sir John, that my lord of Rochester
Comes from the counsel to confer with him.
HARPOOLE.
I will, sir.
LIEUTENANT.
I think you may as safe without suspicion,
As any man in England, as I hear,
For it was you most labored his commitment.
BISHOP.
I did, sir, and nothing repent it, I assure you.
[Enter sir John Old-castle and Harpoole.]
Master Leiftenant, I pray you give us leave,
I must confer here with sir John a little.
LIEUTENANT.
With all my heart, my lord.
HARPOOLE.
[Aside.] My lord, be ruled by me: take this occasion
while tis offered, and on my life your lordship shall
escape.
COBHAM.
No more, I say; peace, lest he should suspect it.
BISHOP.
Sir John, I am come unto you from the lords of his
highness' most honorable counsel, to know if yet you
do recant your errors, conforming you unto the holy
church.
COBHAM.
My lord of Rochester, on good advise,
I see my error, but yet, understand me,
I mean not error in the faith I hold,
But error in submitting to your pleasure;
Therefore, your lordship, without more to do,
Must be