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Sir Thomas More
by William Shakespeare ＇Apocrypha＇
DRAMATIS PERSONAE。
Earl of SHREWSBURY。
Earl of SURREY。
Sir THOMAS PALMER。
Sir ROGER CHOMLEY。
Sir THOMAS MORE。
Lord Mayor。
Aldermen。
SURESBY； a Justice。
Other Justices。
Sheriffs。
Recorder。
Sergeant at Arms。
Clerk of the Council。
ERASMUS。
Bishop of Rochester。
ROPER； son…in…law to MORE。
JOHN LINCOLN； a broker。
GEORGE BETTS。
His brother （the 'Clown'）。
WILLIAMSON； a carpenter。
SHERWIN； a goldsmith。
FRANCIS DE BARDE； Lombard。
CAVELER； Lombard。
LIFTER； a cut…purse。
SMART； plaintiff against him。
HARRY； ROBIN； KIT； and others； Prentices。
MORRIS。
FAULKNER； his servant。
Players。
GOUGH。
CATESBY。
RANDALL。
Butler。
Brewer。
Porter。
Horsekeeper。
CROFTS。
DOWNES。
Lieutenant of the Tower。
Warders of the Tower。
Gentleman Porter of the Tower。
Hangman。
Lords； Gentlemen； Officers； Messengers； Guard； Attendants。
Lady MORE。
Lady Mayoress。
Mistress ROPER； daughter to MORE。
Another daughter to MORE。
DOLL； wife to WILLIAMSON。
A Poor Woman。
Ladies。
ACT I。
SCENE I。 London。 A Street。
＇Enter； at one end； John Lincoln； with the two Bettses together； at
the other end； enters Francis de Barde and Doll a lusty woman； he
haling her by the arm。＇
DOLL。
Whether wilt thou hale me？
BARDE。
Whether I please； thou art my prize； and I plead purchase of thee。
DOLL。
Purchase of me！ away； ye rascal！ I am an honest plain carpenters
wife； and though I have no beauty to like a husband； yet
whatsoever is mine scorns to stoop to a stranger： hand off； then；
when I bid thee！
BARDE。
Go with me quietly； or I'll compel thee。
DOLL。
Compel me； ye dog's face！ thou thinkst thou hast the goldsmith's
wife in hand； whom thou enticedst from her husband with all his
plate； and when thou turndst her home to him again； madst him；
like an ass； pay for his wife's board。
BARDE。
So will I make thy husband too； if please me。
＇Enter Caveler with a pair of doves； Williamson the carpenter； and
Sherwin following him。＇
DOLL。
Here he comes himself； tell him so； if thou darst。
CAVELER。
Follow me no further； I say thou shalt not have them。
WILLIAMSON。
I bought them in Cheapside； and paid my money for them。
SHERWIN。
He did； sir； indeed； and you offer him wrong； both to take them
from him； and not restore him his money neither。
CAVELER。
If he paid for them； let it suffice that I possess them： beefs and
brews may serve such hinds； are pigeons meat for a coarse
carpenter？
LINCOLN。
It is hard when Englishmen's patience must be thus jetted on by
strangers； and they not dare to revenge their own wrongs。
GEORGE。
Lincoln； let's beat them down； and bear no more of these abuses。
LINCOLN。
We may not； Betts： be patient； and hear more。
DOLL。
How now； husband！ what； one stranger take they food from thee；
and another thy wife！ by our Lady； flesh and blood； I think； can
hardly brook that。
LINCOLN。
Will this gear never be otherwise？ must these wrongs be thus
endured？
GEORGE。
Let us step in； and help to revenge their injury。
BARDE。
What art thou that talkest of revenge？ my lord ambassador shall
once more make your Major have a check； if he punish thee for this
saucy presumption。
WILLIAMSON。
Indeed； my lord Mayor； on the ambassador's complaint； sent me to
Newgate one day； because （against my will） I took the wall of a
stranger： you may do any thing； the goldsmith's wife and mine
now must be at your commandment。
GEORGE。
The more patient fools are ye both； to suffer it。
BARDE。
Suffer it！ mend it thou or he； if ye can or dare。 I tell thee； fellows；
and she were the Mayor of London's wife； had I her once in my
possession； I would keep her in spite of him that durst say nay。
GEORGE。
I tell thee； Lombard； these words should cost thy best cape； were I
not curbed by duty and obedience： the Mayor of London's wife！
Oh God； shall it be thus？
DOLL。
Why； Betts； am not I as dear t m husband as my lord Mayor's wife
to him？ and wilt thou so neglectly suffer thine own shame？Hands
off； proud stranger！ or； by him that bought me； if men's milky
hearts dare not strike a stranger； yet women beat them down； ere
they bear these abuses。
BARDE。
Mistress； I say you shall along with me。
DOLL。
Touch not Doll Williamson； least she lay thee along on God's dear
earth。And you； sir ＇To Caveler＇； that allow such coarse cates to
carpenters； whilst pigeons； which they pay for； must serve your
dainty appetite； deliver them back to my husband again； or I'll call
so many women to mine assistance as will not leave one inch
untorn of thee： if our husbands must be bridled by law； and forced
to bear your wrongs； their wives will be a little lawless； and
soundly beat ye。
CAVELER。
Come away； De Barde； and let us go complain to my lord
ambassador。
＇Exeunt Ambo。＇
DOLL。
Aye； go； and send him among us； and we'll give him his welcome
too。I am ashamed that freeborn Englishmen； having beaten
strangers within their own homes； should thus be braved and
abused by them at home。
SHERWIN。
It is not our lack of courage in the cause； but the strict obedience
that we are bound to。 I am the goldsmith whose wrongs you talked
of； but how to redress yours or mine own is a matter beyond our
abilities。
LINCOLN。
Not so； not so； my good friends： I； though a mean man； a broker
by profession； and named John Lincoln； have long time winked at
these wild enormities with mighty impatience； and； as these two
brethren here （Betts by name） can witness； with loss of mine own
life would gladly remedy them。
GEORGE。
And he is in a good forwardness； I tell ye； if all hit right。
DOLL。
As how； I prithee？ tell it to Doll Williamson。
LINCOLN。
You know the Spittle sermons begin the next week： I have drawn a
bill of our wrongs and the strangers' insolences。
GEORGE。
Which he means the preachers shall there openly publish in the
pulpit。
WILLIAMSON。
Oh； but that they would！ yfaith； it would tickle our strangers
thoroughly。
DOLL。
Aye； and if you men durst not undertake it； before God； we women
would。 Take an honest woman from her husband！ why； it is
intolerable。
SHERWIN。
But how find ye the preachers affected to our proceeding？
LINCOLN。
Master Doctor Standish hath answered that it becomes not him to
move any such thing in his sermon； and tells us we must move the
Mayor and aldermen to reform it； and doubts not but happy success
will ensue on statement of our wrongs。 You shall perceive there's
no hurt in the bill： here's a couple of it； I pray ye； hear it。
ALL。
With all our hearts； for God's sake； read it。
LINCOLN。
＇Reads。＇ To you all； the worshipful lords and masters of this city；
that will take compassion over the poor people your neighbors； and
also of the great importable hurts； losses； and hinderances； whereof
proceedeth extreme poverty to all the king's subjects that inhabit
within this city and suburbs of the same： for so it is that aliens and
strangers eat the bread from the fatherless children； and take the
living from all the artificers and the intercourse from all the
merchants； whereby poverty is so much increased； that every man
bewaileth t