SHORE

Oh Fortune, wherefore Wertenberg thou called Fortune? But that thou art fortunate? Those whom thou fauourest be famous, Meriting mere mercy, And fraught with mirrors of magnanimity, And Fortune I would thou hadst never favoured me. I as she hath advanced me, So may she throw me down: But Hursly, dost not hear the King is sick? Lodwicke thou reuiuest me. His life, ah me unhappy woman, Now is misery at hand, Now will my foes triumph at this my fallen, Those whom I have done most good, will now forsake me. Ah Hursly, when I entertained thee first, I was far from change, so was I Lodwicke, When I restored thee thy lands. Ah sweet Edward, farewell my gracious Lord and sovereign, For now shall Shores wife be a mirror and looking glass, To all her enemies. Thus shall I find Lodwicke, and have cause to say, That all men are unconstant. Indeed Lodwicke to condemn his honour I cannot, For he hath always be my good Lord, For as the world is fickle, so changes the minds of men. Thanks good Lodwicke. Ah Hursly, my mind presages Some great mishaps unto me, For last time I saw the King, me thought Ghastly death approached in his face, For thou knowest this Hursly, I have be good to all, And still ready to prefer my friends, To what preferment I could, For what was it his grace would deny Shores wife? Of any thing, yea were it half his revenues, I know his grace would not see me want, And if his grace should die, As heavens forfend it should be so, I have left me nothing now to comfort me withal, And then those that are my foes will triumph at my fallen, But if the King escape, as I hope he will, Then will I feather my nest, That blow the stormy winter never so cold, I will be thoroughly provided for one: But here comes Lodwicke, servant to Lord Hastings, How now Lodwicke, what news? I will Lodwicke. But tell me what news, is the King recovered? Lodwicke, how long is it since He began to mend? But are the nobles agreed to the contentment of the Prince? Why Lodwicke is he dead. Ah Lodwicke I must, for when the tree decays Whose fruitful branch have flourished many a year, Then farewell those joyful days and osspring of my heart, But say Lodwicke, who hath the King made Protector During the innormitie of the young Prince. Ah me, then comes my ruin and decay, For he could never abide me to the death, No he always hated me whom his brother loved so well, Thus must I lament and say, all the world is unconstant. Well Morton, but not so well as thou hast known me, For I think I shall be driven to try my friends one day. Gramercy good father, But how does thy son, is he well? Thanks father, I am glad of it, But come master Lodwicke shall we go? And you Morton, yowl bear us company. A gods what a grief is it for me to ask, where I have given. Yes sir I had many friends, but when my chiefest friend of all died, the rest then forsook me. A Lodowick, tell thee the truth, why half this intrea tie served thee, when thy lands had be clean gone had it not be for Shores wife, and dost thou make me so long to beg for a little. I Lodowick, I am she that begged thy lands of King Edward the fourth, therefore I pray thee bestow something on me. Yes sir I had friends, but they are all dead as you are. I mean they are dead in charity. But I pray sir, had not you the life of your son saved in the time of king Edward the fourth, by one Shores wife? Nay then know, that I am she that saved the life of thy condemned son. Alas thus am I become and open shame to the world, here shall I die in the streets for want of sustenance, alas is my fact so heinous that none will pity me? Yet here comes anon there to whom I have done good, who is least able to pleasure me, yet I will try him, to see if he will give me any thing. A Shores wife, so near driven, to beg of a servingman, I, necessity hath no law, I must needs. Good sir relieve me, and give me something. In brief Morton, I am Shores wife, that have done good to all. Good Morton relieve me. Why thou promised thou wouldst. No none will relieve her, that hath be good to all. If I be fulsome shun my company, for none but thy Lord sought my misery, and he hath undone me. Nay villain, I have done open penance, and am sorry for my sins that are passed. Why hang thee, if thy faults were so written in thy forehead as mine is, it would be as wrong with thee. But I pre thie leave me, and get thee from me. And all such usurping kings as thy Lord is, may come to a shameful end, which no doubt I may live yet to see. There before sweet God forgive all my foul offence: And though I have done wickedly in this world, Into hell fire, let not my soul be hurled. Ah unfortunate Shores wife, dishonour to the King, a shame to thy country, and the only blot of defame to all thy kindred: Ay why was I made fair that a King should favour me? But my friends should have preferred discipline before affec cion: for they know of my folly, yea my own husband knew of my breach of disloyalty, and yet suffered me, by reason he knew it bootless to kick against the prick. A sweet King Ed ward, little didst thou think Shores wife should have be so hardly used, thy unnatural brother not concent with my goods which are yet confiscate in his custody, but yet more to add to my present misery, hath proclaimed upon great penalty, that none whatsoever, shall either aid or succour me, but here be king comfortless to die in the streets with hunger. I am constrai ned to beg, but I fear 'tis in vain, for none will pity me. Yet here come one to whom I have done good, in restoring his lands that were lost, now will I try him to see if he will give me any thing. A Lodowick if thou wilt give me nothing, yet stay and talk with me. A no he shuns my company, all my friends now forsake me: In prosperity I had many, but in adversity none. A gods have I this for my good I have done, for when I was in my chiefest pomp, I thought that day well spent where in I might pleasure my friend by suits to the King, for if I had spoken, he would not have said nay. For though he was King, yet Shores wife swayed the sword. I where need was, there was I bountiful, and mindful I was still upon the poor to relieve them and now none will know me nor succour me: therefore here shall I die for want of sustenance. Yet here comes another whom I have done good unto in saving the life of his son, well I will try him, to see if he will give me any thing. A good sir relieve me, and bestow something upon me. Good sir take pity upon me, and relieve me.