[Enter Lord Herbert, Lord Powis, Owen, Gough, Davy,
and several other followers of the lords Herbert and Powis;
they fight. In the fight, enter the Sheriff and two of his men.]
SHERIFF.
My Lords, I charge ye in his Highness' name,
To keep the peace, you, and your followers.
HERBERT.
Good Master Sheriff, look unto your self.
POWIS.
Do so, for we have other business.
[Profer to fight again.]
SHERIFF.
Will ye disturb the Judges, and the Assize?
Hear the King's proclamation, ye were best.
POWIS.
Hold then, let's hear it.
HERBERT.
But be brief, ye were best.
BAILIFF.
Oyes!
DAVY.
Cousin, make shorter O, or shall mar your Yes.
BAILIFF.
Oyes!
OWEN.
What, has her nothing to say but O yes?
BAILIFF.
Oyes!
DAVY.
O nay! pye Cosse plut down with her, down with her!
A Pawesse! a Pawesse!
GOUGH.
A Herbert! a Herbert! and down with Powis!
[Helter skelter again.]
SHERIFF.
Hold, in the King's name, hold.
OWEN.
Down i' tha knave's name, down.
[In this fight, the Bailiff is knocked down, and the Sheriff
and the other run away.]
HERBERT.
Powesse, I think thy Welsh and thou do smart.
POWIS.
Herbert, I think my sword came near thy heart.
HERBERT.
Thy heart's best blood shall pay the loss of mine.
GOUGH.
A Herbert! a Herbert!
DAVY.
A Pawesse! a Pawesse!
[As they are lifting their weapons, enter the Mayor of
Hereford, and his Officers and Towns-men with clubs.]
MAYOR.
My Lords, as you are liege men to the Crown,
True noblemen, and subjects to the King,
Attend his Highness' proclamation,
Commanded by the Judges of Assize,
For keeping peace at this assembly.
HERBERT.
Good Master Mayor of Hereford be brief.
MAYOR.
Sergeant, without the ceremony of Oyes,
Pronounce aloud the proclamation.
SERVANT.
The King's Justices, perceiving what public mischief may ensue
this private quarrel, in his majesty's name do straightly charge
and command all persons, of what degree soever, to depart this
city of Hereford, except such as are bound to give attendance at
this Assize, and that no man presume to wear any weapon,
especially welsh-hooks, forest bills--
OWEN.
Haw, no pill nor wells hoog? ha?
MAYOR.
Peace, and hear the proclamation.
SERVANT.
And that the Lord Powesse do presently disperse and discharge
his retinue, and depart the city in the King's peace, he and his
followers, on pain of imprisonment.
DAVY.
Haw? pud her Lord Pawesse in prison? A Pawes!
A Pawesse! cossone live and tie with her Lord.
GOUGH.
A Herbert! a Herbert!
[In this fight the Lord Herbert is wounded, and falls to the
ground; the Mayor and his company go away, crying clubs;
Powesse runs away; Gough and other of Herbert's faction
busy themselves about Herbert; enter the two Judges in
their robes, the Sheriff and his Bailiffs afore them, c.]
FIRST JUDGE.
Where's the Lord Herbert? is he hurt or slain?
SHERIFF.
He's here, my Lord.
SECOND JUDGE.
How fares his Lordship, friends?
GOUGH.
Mortally wounded, speechless; he cannot live.
FIRST JUDGE.
Convey him hence; let not his wounds take air,
And get him dressed with expedition.
[Ex. Herbert Gough.]
Master Mayor of Hereford, Master Shrieve o' the shire,
Commit Lord Powesse to safe custody,
To answer the disturbance of the peace,
Lord Herbert's peril, and his high contempt
Of us, and you the King's commissioners.
See it be done with care and diligence.
SHERIFF.
Please it your Lordship, my Lord Powesse is gone
Past all recovery.
SECOND JUDGE.
Yet let search be made,
To apprehend his followers that are left.
SHERIFF.
There are some of them. Sirs, lay hold of them.
OWEN.
Of us? and why? what has her done, I pray you?
SHERIFF.
Disarm them, Bailiffs.
MAYOR.
Officers, assist.
DAVY.
Hear you, Lor shudge, what resson is for this?
OWEN.
Cosson pe puse for fighting for our Lord?
FIRST JUDGE.
Away with them.
DAVY.
Harg you, my Lord.
OWEN.
Gough my Lord Herbert's man's a shitten kanave.
DAVY.
Ise live and tie in good quarrel.
OWEN.
Pray you do shustice; let all be preson.
DAVY.
Prison! no.
Lord shudge, I wool give you pale, good suerty.
SECOND JUDGE.
What Bail? what sureties?
DAVY.
Her coozin ap Ries, ap Evan, ap Morris, ap Morgan, ap
Lluellyn, ap Madoc, ap Meredith, ap Griffen, ap Davy, ap
Owen, ap Shinken Shones.
SECOND JUDGE.
Two of the most sufficient are ynow.
SHERIFF.
And 't please your Lordship, these are all but one.
FIRST JUDGE.
To Jail with them, and the Lord Herbert's men;
We'll talk with them, when the Assize is done.
[Exeunt.]
Riotous, audacious, and unruly Grooms,
Must we be forced to come from the Bench,
To quiet brawls, which every Constable
In other civil places can suppress?
SECOND JUDGE.
What was the quarrel that caused all this stir?
SHERIFF.
About religion, as I heard, my Lord.
Lord Powesse detracted from the power of Rome,
Affirming Wickliffe's doctrine to be true,
And Rome's erroneous. Hot reply was made
By the lord Herbert, they were traitors all
That would maintain it: Powesse answered,
They were as true, as noble, and as wise
As he, that would defend it with their lives;
He named for instance sir John Old-castle
The Lord Cobham: Herbert replied again,
"He, thou, and all are traitors that so hold."
The lie was given, the several factions drawn,
And so enraged, that we could not appease it.
FIRST JUDGE.
This case concerns the King's prerogative,
And's dangerous to the State and common wealth.
Gentlemen, Justices, master Mayor, and master Shrieve,
It doth behoove us all, and each of us
In general and particular, to have care
For suppressing of all mutinies,
And all assemblies, except soldiers' musters
For the King's preparation into France.
We hear of secret conventicles made,
And there is doubt of some conspiracies,
Which may break out into rebellious arms
When the King's gone, perchance before he go:
Note as an instance, this one perilous fray;
What factions might have grown on either part,
To the destruction of the King and Realm.
Yet, in my conscience, sir John Old-castle,
Innocent of it, only his name was used.
We, therefore, from his Highness give this charge:
You, master Mayor, look to your citizens;
You, master Sheriff, unto your shire; and you
As Justices, in every one's precinct,
There be no meetings. When the vulgar sort
Sit on their Ale-bench, with their cups and cans,
Matters of state be not their common talk,
Nor pure religion by their lips profaned.
Let us return unto the Bench again,
And there examine further of this fray.
[Enter a Bailiff and a Servant.]
SHERIFF.
Sirs, have ye taken the lord Powesse yet?
BAILIFF.
No, nor heard of him.
SERVANT.
No, he's gone far enough.
SECOND JUDGE.
They that are left behind shall answer all.
[Exeunt.]
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