The Life of Sir John Oldcastle [24]
a means to help me to escape.
BISHOP.
What means, thou heretic?
Darst thou but lift thy hand against my calling?
COBHAM.
No, not to hurt you for a thousand pound.
HARPOOLE.
Nothing but to borrow your upper garments a little;
not a word more, for if you do, you die: peace, for
waking the children. There; put them on; dispatch, my
lord. The window that goes out into the leads is sure
enough, I told you that before: there, make you ready;
I'll convey him after, and bind him surely in the inner
room.
[Carries the bishop into the Tower, and returns.]
COBHAM.
This is well begun; God send us happy speed,
Hard shift you see men make in time of need, Harpoole.
[Puts on the bishop's cloak.]
HARPOOLE.
Here my Lord; come, come away.
[Enter serving men again.]
FIRST SERVANT.
I marvel that my lord should stay so long.
SECOND SERVANT.
He hath sent to seek us, I dare lay my life.
THIRD SERVANT.
We come in good time; see, where he is coming.
HARPOOLE.
I beseech you, good my lord of Rochester, be favourable
to my lord and master.
COBHAM.
The inner rooms be very hot and close,
I do not like this air here in the Tower.
HARPOOLE.
His case is hard my lord.--You shall safely get out of the
Tower; but I will down upon them, in which time get
you away.
COBHAM.
Fellow, thou troublest me.
HARPOOLE.
Hear me, my Lord!--Hard under Islington wait you my
coming; I will bring my Lady, ready with horses to convey
you hence.
COBHAM.
Fellow, go back again unto thy Lord and counsel him.
HARPOOLE.
Nay, my good lord of Rochester, I'll bring you to Saint
Albans through the woods, I warrant you.
COBHAM.
Villain, away.
HARPOOLE.
Nay, since I am past the Tower's liberty, thou part'st not so.
[He draws.]
COBHAM.
Clubs, clubs, clubs!
FIRST SERVANT.
Murther, murther, murther!
SECOND SERVANT.
Down with him!
[They fight.]
THIRD SERVANT.
A villain traitor!
HARPOOLE.
You cowardly rogues!
[Sir John escapes.]
[Enter Lieutenant and his men.]
LIEUTENANT.
Who is so bold as dare to draw a sword,
So near unto the entrance of the Tower?
FIRST SERVANT.
This ruffian, servant to sir John Old-castle,
Was like to have slain my Lord.
LIEUTENANT.
Lay hold on him.
HARPOOLE.
Stand off, if you love your puddings.
[Rochester calls within.]
BISHOP.
Help, help, help! Master Lieutenant, help!
LIEUTENANT.
Who's that within? some treason in the Tower
Upon my life. Look in; who's that which calls?
[Enter Rochester bound.]
LIEUTENANT.
Without your cloak, my lord of Rochester?
HARPOOLE.
There, now it works, then let me speed, for now
Is the fittest time for me to scape away.
[Exit.]
LIEUTENANT.
Why do you look so ghastly and affrighted?
BISHOP.
Old-castle, that traitor, and his man,
When you had left me to confer with him,
Took, bound, and stript me, as you see,
And left me lying in his inner chamber,
And so departed, and I--
LIEUTENANT.
And you? ne'er say that the Lord Cobham's man
Did here set upon you like to murther you.
FIRST SERVANT.
And so he did.
BISHOP.
It was upon his master then he did,
That in the brawl the traitor might escape.
LIEUTENANT.
Where is this Harpoole?
SECOND SERVANT.
Here he was even now.
LIEUTENANT.
Where? can you tell?
SECOND SERVANT.
They are both escaped.
LIEUTENANT.
Since it so happens that he is escaped,
I am glad you are a witness of the same,
It might have else been laid unto my charge,
That I had been consenting to the fact.
BISHOP.
Come, search shall be made for him with expedition,
The havens laid that he shall not escape,
And hue and cry continue through England,
To find this damned, dangerous heretic.
[Exeunt.]
ACT V. SCENE I. A room in lord Cobham's house
in Kent.
[Enter Cambridge, Scroop, and Gray, as in a chamber, and
set down at a table, consulting about their treason: King
Harry and Suffolk listening at the door.]
CAMBRIDGE.
In mine opinion, Scroop hath well advised,
Poison will be the only aptest mean,
BISHOP.
What means, thou heretic?
Darst thou but lift thy hand against my calling?
COBHAM.
No, not to hurt you for a thousand pound.
HARPOOLE.
Nothing but to borrow your upper garments a little;
not a word more, for if you do, you die: peace, for
waking the children. There; put them on; dispatch, my
lord. The window that goes out into the leads is sure
enough, I told you that before: there, make you ready;
I'll convey him after, and bind him surely in the inner
room.
[Carries the bishop into the Tower, and returns.]
COBHAM.
This is well begun; God send us happy speed,
Hard shift you see men make in time of need, Harpoole.
[Puts on the bishop's cloak.]
HARPOOLE.
Here my Lord; come, come away.
[Enter serving men again.]
FIRST SERVANT.
I marvel that my lord should stay so long.
SECOND SERVANT.
He hath sent to seek us, I dare lay my life.
THIRD SERVANT.
We come in good time; see, where he is coming.
HARPOOLE.
I beseech you, good my lord of Rochester, be favourable
to my lord and master.
COBHAM.
The inner rooms be very hot and close,
I do not like this air here in the Tower.
HARPOOLE.
His case is hard my lord.--You shall safely get out of the
Tower; but I will down upon them, in which time get
you away.
COBHAM.
Fellow, thou troublest me.
HARPOOLE.
Hear me, my Lord!--Hard under Islington wait you my
coming; I will bring my Lady, ready with horses to convey
you hence.
COBHAM.
Fellow, go back again unto thy Lord and counsel him.
HARPOOLE.
Nay, my good lord of Rochester, I'll bring you to Saint
Albans through the woods, I warrant you.
COBHAM.
Villain, away.
HARPOOLE.
Nay, since I am past the Tower's liberty, thou part'st not so.
[He draws.]
COBHAM.
Clubs, clubs, clubs!
FIRST SERVANT.
Murther, murther, murther!
SECOND SERVANT.
Down with him!
[They fight.]
THIRD SERVANT.
A villain traitor!
HARPOOLE.
You cowardly rogues!
[Sir John escapes.]
[Enter Lieutenant and his men.]
LIEUTENANT.
Who is so bold as dare to draw a sword,
So near unto the entrance of the Tower?
FIRST SERVANT.
This ruffian, servant to sir John Old-castle,
Was like to have slain my Lord.
LIEUTENANT.
Lay hold on him.
HARPOOLE.
Stand off, if you love your puddings.
[Rochester calls within.]
BISHOP.
Help, help, help! Master Lieutenant, help!
LIEUTENANT.
Who's that within? some treason in the Tower
Upon my life. Look in; who's that which calls?
[Enter Rochester bound.]
LIEUTENANT.
Without your cloak, my lord of Rochester?
HARPOOLE.
There, now it works, then let me speed, for now
Is the fittest time for me to scape away.
[Exit.]
LIEUTENANT.
Why do you look so ghastly and affrighted?
BISHOP.
Old-castle, that traitor, and his man,
When you had left me to confer with him,
Took, bound, and stript me, as you see,
And left me lying in his inner chamber,
And so departed, and I--
LIEUTENANT.
And you? ne'er say that the Lord Cobham's man
Did here set upon you like to murther you.
FIRST SERVANT.
And so he did.
BISHOP.
It was upon his master then he did,
That in the brawl the traitor might escape.
LIEUTENANT.
Where is this Harpoole?
SECOND SERVANT.
Here he was even now.
LIEUTENANT.
Where? can you tell?
SECOND SERVANT.
They are both escaped.
LIEUTENANT.
Since it so happens that he is escaped,
I am glad you are a witness of the same,
It might have else been laid unto my charge,
That I had been consenting to the fact.
BISHOP.
Come, search shall be made for him with expedition,
The havens laid that he shall not escape,
And hue and cry continue through England,
To find this damned, dangerous heretic.
[Exeunt.]
ACT V. SCENE I. A room in lord Cobham's house
in Kent.
[Enter Cambridge, Scroop, and Gray, as in a chamber, and
set down at a table, consulting about their treason: King
Harry and Suffolk listening at the door.]
CAMBRIDGE.
In mine opinion, Scroop hath well advised,
Poison will be the only aptest mean,