The Second part OF CRAFTY CRVMWELL OR OLIVER IN HIS GLORY AS KING.
A Trage Commedie Wherein is presented, the late treasonable undertakings, and proceedings, of the Rebells, their murthering of Capt. Burley, with their underhand workings to betray their KING.
VVritten by Marcurius Pragmaticus.
Non ego pro nihilo, Carcere clausus ero.
LONDON, Printed in the yeare, 1648.
THE PROLOGVE.
Dramatis Persone.
- Cromwell, Fairfax,
- Ismeno an Independent,
- Solon a Royalist,
- The 3 Furies Megara, Tysiphone, Alecto.
- Capt. Burleigh, a Iudge, a Iurie.
- Harry Martin, Col. Pride,
- Ireton, Ioice, Col. Raignsborough,
- 2 Sailors, Servants, Muley, Chorus:
To the Readers of my former peece.
CRAFTY CROMWEL Or OLJVER in his Glorie.; Secunda pars.
(ACTVS PRIMVS)
VVEll be it as you said concerning King, and that our Charles; is free from those great crimes, the Houses charge him with, yet doe you think we cannot without him live, and thrive.
surely no; hee is the head, and we the members be, he is our Father, and wee are his Children, Kings of their Kingdomes as the Centers are, to which each weightie thing it selfe exposes for as all mighty Rivers, flowing streames, the liquid powers what ere they be, do seek in sundry parts by severall currents, great Neptunes bosome who as a Steward of the tumid deeps, doth send them back by many secret windings, and as fame tell us, when the moisture needs, send forth her humed treasurs to refresh the Sun-burnt parched plains, so are Kings breasts, the depths where daily slow clear streams of knowledge, for he that hath Intelligence over all, doth commonly communicate to Kings, all accidents of weight perchance may happen, no doubt great Iove since they supply his place, so with their charge to make their vertues even, doth give them supernaturall prescience, and were not our State-mongers grosly blinded, they would perceive the [Page 5] vertues of their Soveraigne, and bow to CHARLES their King, as best of Princes, but their black soules are so orewhelm'd with guilt, they dare not to be reconcild unto him, and rather then they'l meet deserved Desteny, they will be perjurd, both to God and man, which while they do, England sweats blood, bathing it selfe in teares, yet thus twill bee
The King did trust to much unto himselfe, which made him fal into so many snares of all men else, great Monnarks have most need, to square their actions, and to weigh their words, Just▪ as the Inferior sphears of force do move, as the first framer, doth their course allot, so doth the peoples manners still attend, on what their Prince, most usually doth do, Kings for the use of many are ordaind, not for to feed themselves luxuriously, keepe Rioters, and Roisters, to attend them, whose pride for to maintaine how oftentimes, have we oth Communalty been rackt and torne? how many Gavestons K. Charles once kept, whose words were orders, and whose wills were Lawes, then Shipmoney, and Polemoney together; Subsities, six at once were not enough, for to maintaine▪ those Epicures at Court, Kings like the Sun, should quite exhale all mists, which often dimme the eyes of the rude vulgar, as precious stones, are the ornament of Rings, the Stone decores the Ring, the Ring the hand, so Kings decore the Court, the Court the Kingdome, and as one drop of poison spent alone, infected fountaines doth with venom fill, even so the greatest states by one mans meanes, may be corrupted, tainted above thought.
Thou art Ismeno, all for Anarchy since CHARLES did ebe, thy fortunes have sweld high, tis wealth and honour that your gang adore, and yet that your wild course might darkned be, your care doth seeme, all for your Country bent, then maskt with Zeale, your Crimes are counted pure▪ A shew of [Page 6] good, doth vulgar minds content, yet this Ile give, as your due Eulogie in all your plots▪ there's courage Ioynd with art, a slow advice, but quick dispatch, us'd nought but successe, your ends doth justifie who must command, or come to be accus'd what hainous thing so odious is by nature, that hath not been committed for a crown.
Well Royallist, thou hast now showne thy Zeale, in vindication of thy faulty King, but you, and all your Gang, may talk, not doe, for all the power is our's by Sea and Land, and maugre all your hopes of Jockey's ayde, supplies from France, and Spaine, and Denmark too, Oliver, shall be Rector of the Land. what think'st will Jocky come,
No trust is to be given unto them, for Gold they'l sell their God, for silver pawne their soules.
Actus secundus
CAn Heaven behold one stand to staine these times, yet to the Stigian streams, not headlong hurled, and can the earth beare him, whose crims are such, that to himselfe he seems a monster fell, why sends not Heaven to have my course confind, a death denounceing flash of rumbling thunder, else [roaring terror] clouds of circkling Wind by violence, to teare me limb from limb, what corner yet unknown remains for me both burnd with rage, and freezing in dispaire where none but monsters live, thither Ile goe whom all the world detests, and barbarise amongst the brutish beasts, where Tigers rage, roads spew and Serpents hisses: But though in scorne vast zone I find a field, where Malencholy might a monarch be, while silent desarts not a man inhabits, to shrinke for horrer, all my strange approch, yet of my deeds when all the World doth talke, this cannot raze the still proclamed scrole, since in my breast, I beare my Hell [Page 8] about mee, and cannot scape those terrers hemb me round, those fearfull monsters of confused aspects Chimera, Gorgon, Hidra, Plutoes Apes, which now at midnight fearfull mortalls fright, their divelish forms which doe the VVorld confound, not halfe so horrid as my selfe I deeme, when on my owne deformities I gaze, amidst black depth, of a polluted mind, yet whether it was Fortune, or my Fate, or some Hell Hag, that did so cause my spleen to rise in arms against my gratious King, and having him subdued, to shut him up, close prisoner, under a dire restraint, O Plague abhord, I have undone the land, and am the Instru—ment of all their harms, then Mountains a vault opens. fall, and bruse me, by your rounds, with my offence, no torment can be even.
O rigorous Judgment, O outragious fate, must I survive, the Funeralls of my fame, some waile for want of friends, but I of foes, to wound this breast, where all hells host doe raigne, what man not wondering, can by deeds behold, the providence of all commanding Jove, whose Brasen edicts cannot be repulst, when sleep, the Brother most resembling death, locks up all others eyes, I am disturbed, with horrid Dreams, and dreadfull Visions, sometime me thinks my King Plast on his throne, haz past his doom and I must die.
Actus Tertius:
THus like great Caesar▪ when hee did triumph, over the severall Nations of the World, that was lately but a Skippers Boy now Reigne, as King, on froathije Neptunes brime, prosper mee Saturne, and those wicked starres, whose Influence makes Villaines fortunate, the Navy that was lately stild the Kings, is now to be commanded by my will, CHARLES is immund, within a Cage of stone, despis'd, contemn'd, and stinted of his fare, while we his Conquerors, live in height of glory Revell Luxuriously, extort even what we please, from those we trample on,
A mutuall band, must made amongst us be, to make one fortune common to us all, and from henceforth, we must be surely fixt, to fall together, or together rise, and now since CHARLES, is dead unto his Crowne, weel take his state, yea and his Title too, we must be crown'd, yea and be knowne for Kings, the diadem of greatnesse, is the tower all vulgar Judgements leane on, yet of my thoughts some doubt new counsell claimes, and with [Page 29] huge horror, aggravate disgrace, the staine of Treason, still attends our fate, and with our error, burthens, our Posteritie, and we though pompe a space appease our soules shall find afflictions to disturb our Reigne, the sacred title of a Soveraigne doth work a terror, more then can be thought, but how dare my fond thoughts, thus rashly chide mee,
GOd save your Excellencie, and send you temperat weather on the Seas.
Thanks my kind Subjects, be you true to mee, and weel not feare, Grim Neptunes enmitie, let Spaine now load the Seas with lazie Hulkes, the Dutch with their broad shallops, yet Maugre all will so guard the Maine, no forraigne force shall land on English ground, yea Gods of Seas, and all you watrie powers, be you propitious, let your aid be given, and weel not feare his power that sits in Heaven.
Why beares a noble Gods-head
a water Rat in folio doth the Foole think for ever thus to Lord it.
Yes if our Parliament prove everlasting, but they have mortall hearts, and steele can peirce them, peirce um untill they groane. But lets away, my Cabins are not cleansed, yet I sweare
nor have I hanged the Halsers,
Actus Quartus,
BRing forth the Prisoner, Officer, roome for the Prisoner, beare back those fellowes beare back there,
Why comes he not forward?
Captaine Burley, hold up thy hand, thou art indicted by the Name of—Burley for that thou the said—Burley, didst tumultuously and trayterously attempt to raise a party to destroy the parliament of England, upon pretence of rescuing their Prisoner King Charles out of their hands, Speake art thou guilty or not guilty?
Not guilty, yee Hell-hounds.
art thou sure these men have open [Page 13] soules: who dare do any thing bee't ne're so wicked
Do you doubt um Sir, why these are Plutoes Eldest Sonnes, who had they breasts transparant, would frighten all Mortality to Monsters, I have already told them what to doe, and the reward proposed them by the state.
Let us proceed then,
What canst thou vile Burley to excuse thy late most treasonable action.
to you who are on purpose chosen to receive my innocent life, I am no Traytor, he a Traytor is that doth oppose his [...] not he that serves him, those, whose sworn servants you are, the men whom by all Law, I Traytors call, they that under a pretence of purging errors cleane from out Gods Worshp have op't a gap to all licenciousnesse, Blasphemies and Prophanenesse. those whose pretences, once were for the King, and made their boast to elevate his Throne: above the cheifest of his Auncestors, and yet Imprison him within a Castle, not suffering those that love him to come neere him, those who would seeme to maintaine the power of Parliaments, and yet will suffer none to sit amongst um, that dare but speake one word for an agreement, or stipulation with the King. Those who impose each day, new Cessements and taxations on the people, for to maintaine their own vile Luxurie, awing them daily with Committee Lawes, who give to those are of their creation, an Ordinance of Indempnity, for Murthers, Treasons, Rapes and Robberies, or whatsoever else, they dare to act, those are the men deserve the Name of Traytors, Grand, Famous, Glorious Traytors.
Proud foole, thou shalt repent this sawcie Language:
Repent, do thou repent vile man who darst bee partiall, and urgent against him nere did thee wrong, only to currie favour with my Murtherers, but doe I repeate my thoughts to you, since private hopes your Judgements do bewitch, but yet for such a cause as I maintain, he that would faint at the conceit of death, is trebly damd, not worthy to survive, except mongst Furies, pound me like Anacharsis in a morter', precipitate mee from some pinacle heat Phalaris, his Bull, untill it, and throw [Page 13] mee in, to bellow out my woes, yet Ile not flinch, nor shall feare force my tongue, for to recant the least that I have done.
Well Sir, your large oration, cannot save your Life, Nor, no nor the King whom you seeme so to love, was't not enough you durst oppose the State; and rise in armes against them but must now revile them before us, who really adore their virtuall power, O thou incorrigible hatefull Traytor.
Proceed unto the Sentence, Jury, bring in your Verdict?
So cordiall we are unto the states, that had we each of us his Father here, standing in this mans stead, we would proclaime him guilty, right or wrong, we need not go aside for to confer, we did agree amongst our selves before to find him guilty of high, were he as innocent, as is the light.
Then take him hence, as a pernicious traytor, to be hang'd, drawne, and quartered for high treason, and that on
Thursday next, returne him back to Prison
Actus quintus
SONG.
THanks to you all, my faithfull Coadjutors you that resolve to live and die with mee this glorious wreath, that circles, [Page 16] now my temples doth Hierogliphically shew our * Love, that my true care shall still * run in a Ring for all our preservations how Harry why are thou so sad,
me thoughts Sir, I heard one sing but now behind the arras, prophetically appointing at our fall,
thou art too superstitious, our deare Harry, it is not puffes must shake our resolutions, come sit downe
What shall we do now to confirme our Kingdome? what Lawes shall we invent meet for our purpose.
The people ever hunger after change, and theirfore tis not heard their lawes to alter.
VVe must be sure by some queint wilie traine, to send King Charles to the invissible land, which may be brought to pass and yet the vulger not Imagin it, no not in twelve moneths after.
I doe applaude thy councell.
Then next we must dissolve this parliament, they have a name of power which, should they once combind against us, might much obstruct our hops:
Thou speakest all Oracle, come no more of this at present, wee'l now unto our pallace;