ESSEX

My Lords of Pembroke and of Salisbury, We must be careful in our policy, To undermine the keepers of this place, Else shall we never find the Princes graven. Leave childish tears brave Lords of England, If water-floods could fetch his life again, My eyes should conduit forth a sea of tears. If sobs would help, or sorrows serve the turn, My heart should volley out deep piercing plaints. But bootless were't to breath as many sighs As might eclipse the brightest Summers sun, Here rests the help, a service to his ghost. Let not the tyrant causer of this dole, Live to triumph in ruthful massacres, Give hand and heart, and Englishmen to arms, 'Tis Gods decree to wreak us of these harms. In health base villain, were't not I leave the crime To Gods revenge, to whom revenge belongs, Here shouldst thou perish on my rapiers point. Callest thou this health? such health betide thy friends, And all that are of thy condition, How say you Lords, shall we with speed dispatch Under our hands a packet into France, To bid the Dolphin enter with his force, To claim the kingdom for his proper right, His title makes lawful strength thereto. Beside, the Pope, on peril of his curse, Hath barred us of obedience unto John, This hateful murder, Lewis his true descent, The holy charge that we received from Room, Are weighty reasons, if you Like my reed, To make us all persever in this deed. Then each of us send straight to his allies, To win them to this famous enterprise: And let us all clad in Palmer's weed, The tenth of April at S. Edmunds Bury Meet to confer, and on the altar there Swear secrecy and aid to this advise. Mean while, let us convey this body hence, And give him burial, as befits his state, Keeping his months mind, and his obsequies With solemn intercession for his soul. How say you Lordings, are you all agreed? Then let us all convey the body hence. Under the cloak of holy pilgrimage, By that same hour on warrant of their faith, Philip Plantagenet, a bird of swiftest wing, Lord Eustauce, Vescy, Lord Cressy, and Lord Mowbrey, Appointed meeting at S. Edmunds shrine. Now wants but the rest to end this work, In Pilgrimss habit comes our holy troop A furlong hence, with swift unwonted pace, May be they are the persons you expect. Cheerly replied brave branch of Kingly stocko, A right Plantagenet should reason so. But silence Lords, attend our comings cause: The servile yoke that pained us with toil, On strong instinct hath framed this conventicle, To ease our necks of servitudes contempt. Should I not name the foeman of our rest, Which of you all so barren in conceit, As cannot level at the man I mean? But lest Enigma's shadow shining truth, Plainly to paint, as truth requires no art. Effect of this resort imports this, To root and clean extirpate tyrant John, Tyrant I say, appealing to the man, If any here that loves him, and I ask, What kindship, lenity, or Christian reign, Rules in the man, to bar this soul impeach? First I infer the Chesters banishment: For reprehending him in most unchristian crimes Was special notice of a tyrants will. But were this all, the devil should be saved, But this the least of many thousand faults, That circumstance with leisure might display. Our private wrongs, no parcel of my tale Which now in presence, but for some great cause Might wish to him as to a mortal foe. But shall I close the perjod with and act Abhorring in the ears of Christian men, His cousin's death, that sweet unguilty child, Untimely butchered by the tyrants means, Here are my proofs, as clear as gravel brook, And on the same I further must infer, That who upholds a tyrant in his course, Is culpable of all his damned gilded. To show the which, is yet to be described. My Lord of Pembroke, show what is behind, Only I say, that were there nothing else To move us, but the Popes most dreadful curse, Whereof we are assured, if we fail, It were enough to instigate us all, With earnestness ofsprite, to seek a mean To dispossess John of his regiment.