MORE

My lord, for to deny my sovereign’s bounty

Were to drop precious stones into the heaps

Whence first they came.

To urge my imperfections in excuse

Were all as stale as custom. No, my lord,

My service is my king’s. Good reason why,

Since life or death hangs on our sovereign’s eye.

LORD MAYOR

His majesty hath honoured much the city

In this his princely choice.

MORE My lord and brethren,

Though I depart for court, my love shall rest

〈 〉

I now must sleep in court, sound sleeps forbear.

The chamberlain to state is public care.

Yet in this rising of my private blood

My studious thoughts shall tend the city’s good.

Enter Croft

Enter Crofts

SHREWSBURY

How now, Crofts? What news?

CROFTS

My lord, his highness sends express command

That a record be entered of this riot,

And that the chief and capital offenders

Be thereon straight arraigned; for himself intends

To sit in person on the rest tomorrow

At Westminster.

SHREWSBURY

Lord Mayor, you hear your charge.

Come, good Sir Thomas More, to court let’s hie.

You are th’appeaser of this mutiny.

MORE

My lord, farewell. New days begets new tides.

Life whirls ’bout fate, then to a grave it slides.

Exeunt severally

Sc. 7 Enter Master Sheriff, and meet a Messenger

SHERIFF

Messenger, what news?

MESSENGER Is execution yet performed?

SHERIFF

Not yet. The carts stand ready at the stairs,

And they shall presently away to Tyburn.

MESSENGER

Stay, Master Sheriff. It is the Council’s pleasure,

For more example in so bad a case,

A gibbet be erected in Cheapside

Hard by the Standard, whither you must bring

Lincoln, and those that were the chief with him,

To suffer death, and that immediately.

Enter Officers

SHERIFF

It shall be done, sir. Exit Messenger

Officers, be speedy.

Call for a gibbet, see it be erected.

Others make haste to Newgate; bid them bring

The prisoners hither, for they here must die.

Away, I say, and see no time be slacked.

OFFICERS We go, sir.

SHERIFF That’s well said, fellows. Now you do your duty. Exeunt some ⌈Officers⌉ severally. Others set up the gibbet

God for his pity help these troublous times!

The street’s stopped up with gazing multitudes.

Command our armed officers with halberds

Make way for entrance of the prisoners.

Let proclamation once again be made

That every householder, on pain of death,

Keep in his prentices, and every man

Stand with a weapon ready at his door,

As he will answer to the contrary.

FIRST OFFICER I’ll see it done, sir. Exit

Enter another Offices

SHERIFF

Bring them away to execution.

The writ is come above two hours since.

The city will be fined for this neglect.

SECOND OFFICER

There’s such a press and multitude at Newgate

They cannot bring the carts unto the stairs

To take the prisoners in.

SHERIFF Then let them come on foot.

We may not dally time with great command.

SECOND OFFICER

Some of the Bench, sir, think it very fit

That stay be made, and give it out abroad

The execution is deferred till morning;

And when the streets shall be a little cleared

To chain them up, and suddenly dispatch it.

The prisoners are brought in, ⌈amongst them Lincoln,

Doll, Williamson, Clown Betts, and Sherwin,⌉ well

guarded, ⌈and the Executioner⌉

SHERIFF

Stay, in meantime methinks they come along.

See, they are coming. So, ’tis very well.

Bring Lincoln there the first unto the tree.

CLOWN BETTS Ay, for I cry lag, sir.

LINCOLN

I knew the first, sir, did belong to me.

This the old proverb now complete doth make:

That ‘Lincoln should be hanged for London’s sake’.

I’ God’s name, let’s to work. ⌈To Executioner⌉ Fellow, dispatch.

He goes up

I was the foremost man in this rebellion,

And I the foremost that must die for it.

DOLL

Bravely, John Lincoln, let thy death express

That, as thou lived‘st a man, thou died’st no less.

LINCOLN

Doll Williamson, thine eyes shall witness it.

Then to all you that come to view mine end

I must confess I had no ill intent

But against such as wronged us overmuch.

And now I can perceive it was not fit

That private men should carve out their redress

Which way they list. No, learn it now by me:

Obedience is the best in each degree.

And, asking mercy meekly of my king,

I patiently submit me to the law.

But God forgive them that were cause of it;

And, as a Christian, truly from my heart,

I likewise crave they would forgive me too,

〈 〉

That others by example of the same

Henceforth be warned to attempt the like

’Gainst any alien that repaireth hither.

Fare ye well all. The next time that we meet

I trust in heaven we shall each other greet. He leaps off

DOLL

Farewell, John Lincoln. Say all what they can,

Thou lived‘st a good fellow, and died’st an honest man.