Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
England: Vols. I–IV. 1876–79. | | | | London Tower | | The Murder of the Young Princes | | William Shakespeare (1564–1616) |
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THE TYRANNOUS and bloody act is done; | |
| The most arch deed of piteous massacre | |
| That ever yet this land was guilty of. | |
| Dighton and Forrest whom I did suborn | |
| To do this piece of ruthless butchery, | 5 |
| Albeit they were fleshéd villains, bloody dogs, | |
| Melting with tenderness and mild compassion, | |
| Wept like to children, in their death’s sad story. | |
| “O thus,” quoth Dighton, “lay the gentle babes.— | |
| “Thus, thus,” quoth Forrest, “girdling one another | 10 |
| Within their alabaster innocent arms; | |
| Their lips were four red roses on a stalk, | |
| Which, in their summer beauty, kissed each other. | |
| A book of prayers on their pillow lay; | |
| Which once,” quoth Forrest, “almost changed my mind; | 15 |
| But, oh! the Devil—“there the villain stopped; | |
| When Dighton thus told on,—“We smotheréd | |
| The most replenished sweet work of Nature, | |
| That, from the prime creation, e’er she framed.” | |
| Hence both are gone with conscience and remorse; | 20 |
| They could not speak; and so I left them both, | |
| To bear this tidings to the bloody King. | | | | |
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