Glo. Ambitious churchman, leave to afflict my heart! Sorrow and grief have vanquish'd all my powers: And, vanquish'd as I am, I yield to thee," Or to the meanest groom.

[ones:

K. Hen. O God, what mischiefs work the wicked Heaping confusion on their own heads thereby ! Q. Mar. Gloster, see here the tainture of thy nest; And, look, thyself be faultless, thou wert best.

Glo. Madam, for myself, to heaven I do appeal, How I have lov'd my king, and commonweal: And, for my wife, I know not how it stands; Sorry I am to hear what I have heard: Noble she is; but, if she have forgot Honour and virtue, and convers'd with such As, like to pitch, defile nobility,

I banish her, my bed, and company;

And give her, as a prey, to law, and shame,
That hath dishonour'd Gloster's honest name.

[here:

K. Hen. Well, for this night, we will repose us To-morrow, toward London, back again, To look into this business thoroughly, And call these foul offenders to their answers; And poise the cause in justice' equal scales, Whose beam stands sure, whose rightful cause prevails. [Flourish. Exeunt. SCENE II. London. The Duke of York's Garden. Enter York, Salisbury, and Warwick.

York. Now, my good lords of Salisbury and WarOur simple supper ended, give me leave, In this close walk, to satisfy myself,

In craving your opinion of my title,

Which is infallible, to England's crown.

[wick,

Sal. My lord, I long to hear it at full.
War. Sweet York, begin: and, if thy claim be good,
The Nevils are thy subjects to command.
York. Then thus:-

Edward the third, my lords, had seven sons:
The first, Edward the Black Prince, prince of Wales;
The second, William of Hatfield; and the third,
Lionel, duke of Clarence; next to whom,
Was John of Gaunt, the duke of Lancaster:
The fifth, was Edmund Langley, duke of York;
The sixth, was Thomas of Woodstock, duke of Glos-
William of Windsor was the seventh, and last. [ter;
Edward, the Black Prince, died before his father;
And left behind him Richard, his only son,
Who, after Edward the third's death, reign'd as king;
Till Henry Bolingbroke, duke of Lancaster,
The eldest son and heir of John of Gaunt,
Crown'd by the name of Henry the fourth,
Seiz'd on the realm; depos'd the rightful king;
Sent his poor queen to France, from whence she came,
And him to Pomfret; where, as all you know,
Harmless Richard was murder'd traitorously.

War. Father, the duke hath told the truth;
Thus got the house of Lancaster the crown.
York. Which now they hold by force, and not by
For Richard, the first son's heir, being dead, [right,
The issue of the next son should have reign'd.

Sal. But William of Hatfield died without an heir. York. The third son, duke of Clarence (from whose line

I claim the crown), had issue-Philippe, a daughter,
Who married Edmund Mortimer, earl of March.
Edmund had issue-Roger, earl of March:
Roger had issue-Edmund, Anne, and Eleanor.
Sal. This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke,
As I have read, laid claim unto the crown;
And, but for Owen Glendower, had been king,
Who kept him in captivity, till he died.
But, to the rest.
York.

His eldest sister, Anne,
My mother, being heir unto the crown,
Married Richard, earl of Cambridge; who was son
To Edmund Langley, Edward the third's fifth son.
By her I claim the kingdom: she was heir
To Roger, earl of March; who was the son
Of Edmund Mortimer; who married Philippe,
Sole daughter unto Lionel, duke of Clarence :
So, if the issue of the elder son
Succeed before the younger, I am king.
War. What plain proceedings are more plain than
Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt,
The fourth son; York claims it from the third.
Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign:
It fails not yet; but flourishes in thee,
And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock.-
Then, father Salisbury, kneel we both together;
And, in this private plot, be we the first,

[this?

That shall salute our rightful sovereign
With honour of his birthright to the crown. [king!
Both. Long live our sovereign Richard, England's
York. We thank yon, lords. But I am not your king
Till I be crown'd; and that my sword be stain'd
With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster:
And that's not suddenly to be perform'd;
But with advice, and silent secrecy.
Do you, as I do, in these dangerous days,
Wink at the duke of Suffolk's insolence,
At Beaufort's pride, at Somerset's ambition,
At Buckingham, and all the crew of them,
Till they have snar'd the shepherd of the flock,
That virtuous prince, the good duke Humphrey :
'Tis that they seek; and they, in seeking that,
Shall find their deaths, if York can prophesy. [full.
Sal. My lord, break we off; we know your mind at
War. My heart assures me, that the earl of Warwick
Shall one day make the duke of York a king.
York. And, Nevil, this do I assure myself,-
Richard shall live to make the earl of Warwick
The greatest man in England but the king. [Exeunt.
SCENE III. The same. A Hall of Justice.
Trumpets sounded. Enter King Henry, Queen Mar-
garet, Gloster, York, Suffolk, and Salisbury; the
Duchess of Gloster, Margery Jourdain, Southwell,
Hume, and Bolingbroke, under guard.

K. Hen. Stand forth, dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloster's wife:

In sight of God, and us, your guilt is great;
Receive the sentence of the law, for sins
Such as by God's book are adjudg'd to death.-
You four, from hence to prison back again;

[To Jourdain, &c.

From thence, unto the place of execution:
The witch in Smithfield shall be burn'd to ashes,
And you three shall be strangled on the gallows.-
You, madam, for you are more nobly born,
[To the Duchess.
Despoiled of your honour in your life,
Shail, after three days' open penance done,
Live in your country here, in banishment,
With sir John Stanley, in the Isle of Man. [death.
Duch. Welcome is banishment, welcome were my
Glo. Eleanor, the law, thou seest, hath judged thee;
I cannot justify whom the law condemns.-

[Exeunt the Duchess, and the other Prisoners,
guarded.

Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief.
Ah, Humphrey, this dishonour in thine age
Will bring thy head with sorrow to the ground!-
I beseech your majesty, give me leave to go;
Sorrow would solace, and mine age would ease.
K.Hen. Stay, Humphrey, duke of Gloster: ere thou
Give up thy staff; Henry will to himself
Protector be: and God shall be my hope,
My stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet;
And go in peace, Humphrey; no less belov'd,
Than when thou wert protector to thy king.

[go,

Q. Mar. I see no reason, why a king of years
Should be to be protected like a child.
God and king Henry govern England's helm :
Give up your staff, sir, and the king his realm.
Glo. My staff?-here, noble Henry, is my staff:
As willingly do I the same resign,

As e'er thy father, Henry, made it mine;
And even as willingly at thy feet I leave it,
As others would ambitiously receive it.
Farewell, good king: When I am dead and gone.
May honourable peace attend thy throne! Exit.

Q. Mar. Why, now is Henry king, and Margaret

queen;

And Humphrey, duke of Gloster, scarce himself,
That bears so shrewd a main; two pulls at once,-
His lady banish'd, and a limb lopp'd off;
This staff of honour raught: There let it stand,
Where it best fits to be, in Henry's hand. [sprays;
Suff. Thus droops this lofty pine, and hangs his
Thus Eleanor's pride dies in her youngest days.
York. Lords, let him go.-Please it your majesty,
This is the day appointed for the combat;
And ready are the appellant and defendant,
The armourer and his man, to enter the lists,
So please your highness to behold the fight.
Q. Mar. Ay, good, my lord; for purposely therefore
Left I the court, to see this quarrel tried.
K. Hen. O'God's name, see the lists and all things
Here let them end it, and God defend the right!
York. I never saw a fellow worse bested,

[fit:

No, it will hang upon my richest robes,
And show itself, attire me how I can.
Go, lead the way; I long to see my prison. [Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE I. The Abbey at Bury. Enter to the Parliament, King Henry, Queen Margaret, Cardinal Beaufort, Suffolk, York, Buckingham, and others.

K. Hen. I muse, my lord of Gloster is not come : "Tis not his wont to be the hindmost man, Whate'er occasion keeps him from us now.

Q. Mar. Can you not see? or will you not observe The strangeness of his alter'd countenance? With what a majesty he bears himself; How insolent of late he is become,

How proud, peremptory, and unlike himself?

We know the time, since he was mild and affable;
And, if we did but glance a far-off look,
Immediately he was upon his knee,

That ail the court admir'd him for submission:
But meet him now, and, be it in the morn,
When every one will give the time of day,
He knits his brow, and shows an angry eye,
And passeth by with stiff unbowed knee,
Disdaining duly that to us belongs.

Small curs are not regarded, when they grin
But great men tremble, when the lion roars;
And Humphrey is no little man in England.
First, note, that he is near you in descent;
And, should you fall, he is the next will mount.
Me seemeth then, it is no policy,-,
Respecting what a rancorous mind he bears,
And his advantage following your decease,--
That he should come about your royal person,
Or be admitted to your highness' council.
By flattery hath he won the commons' hearts;
And, when he please to make commotion,
"Tis to be fear'd, they all will follow him.
Now 'tis the spring, and weeds are shallow-rooted;
Suffer them now, and they'll o'ergrow the garden,
And choke the herbs for want of husbandry.
The reverent care, I bear unto my lord,
Made me collect these dangers in the duke.
If it be fond, call it a woman's fear;
Which fear if better reasons can supplant,

I will subscribe, and say-I wrong'd the duke.
My lord of Suffolk,-Buckingham, and York,-
Reprove my allegation, if you can;

Or else conclude my words effectual.

Suff. Well hath your highness seen into this duke;
And, had I first been put to speak my mind,
I think, I should have told your grace's tale.
The duchess, by his subornation,

Upon my life, began her devilish practices:
Or if he were not privy to those faults,
Yet, by reputing of his high descent
(As next the king he was successive heir),
And such high vaunts of his nobility,

Did instigate the bedlam brainsick duchess,
By wicked means to frame our sovereign's fall.
Smooth runs the water, where the brook is deep;
And in his simple show he harbours treason.
The fox barks not, when he would steal the lamb.
No, no, my sovereign; Gloster is a man
Unsounded yet, and full of deep deceit.

Car. Did he not, contrary to form of law,
Devise strange deaths for small offences done?
York. And did he not, in his protectorship,
Levy great sums of money through the realm,
For soldiers' pay in France, and never sent it?
By means whereof, the towns each day revolted.
Buck. Tut! these are petty faults to faults un-
known,
[Humphrey.
Which time will bring to light in smooth duke
K.Hen. My lords, at once: The care you have of us,
To mow down thorns that would annoy our foot,
Is worthy praise: But shall I speak my conscience?
Our kinsman Gloster is as innocent
From meaning treason to our royal person,
As is the sucking lamb, or harmless dove:
The duke is virtuous, mild; and too well given,
To dream on evil, or to work my downfal."

Q. Mar. Ah, what's more dangerous than this fond affiance ?

Seems be a dove? his feathers are but borrow'd,
For he's disposed as the hateful raven.

Is he a lamb? his skin is surely lent him,
For he's inclin'd as are the ravenous wolves.

Who cannot steal a shape, that means deceit ?
Take heed, my lord; the welfare of us all
Hangs on the cutting short that fraudful man.
Enter Somerset.

Som. All health unto my gracious sovereign!
K. Hen. Welcome, lord Somerset. What news
from France?

Som. That all your interest in those territories [be done! Is utterly bereft you; all is lost.

K. Hen. Cold news, lord Somerset: but God's will York. Cold news for me; for I had hopes of France, As firmly as I hope for fertile England. Thus are my blossoms blasted in the bud, And caterpillars eat my leaves away: But I will remedy this gear ere long, Or sell my title for a glorious grave. Enter Gloster.

[Aside.

Glo. All happiness unto my lord the king! Pardon, my liege, that I have staid so long. Suff. Nay, Gloster, know, that thou art come too Unless thou wert more loyal than thou art :

I do arrest thee of high treason here.

[soon,

Glo. Well, Suffolk, yet thou shalt not see me blush,
Nor change my countenance for this arrest;
A heart unspotted is not easily daunted.
The purest spring is not so free from mud,
As I am clear from treason to my sovereign:
Who can accuse me? wherein am I guilty?
York. "Tis thought, my lord, that you took bribes
of France,

And, being protector, stay'd the soldiers' pay:
By means whereof, his highness hath lost France.
Glo. Is it but thought so? What are they that
I never robb'd the soldiers of their pay: [think it?
Nor never had one penny bribe from France.
So help me God, as I have watch'd the night,-
Ay, night by night,-in studying good for England!
That doit that e'er I wrested from the king,
Or any groat I hoarded to my use,
Be brought against me at my trial day!
No! many a pound of mine own proper store,
Because I would not tax the needy commons,
Have I dispersed to the garrisons,

And never ask'd for restitution.

Car. It serves you well, my lord, to say so much. Glo. I say no more than truth, so help me God! York. In your protectorship you did devise Strange tortures for offenders, never heard of, That England was defam'd by tyranny.

[tector,

Glo. Why, 'tis well known, that whiles I was proPity was all the fault that was in me; For I should melt at an offender's tears, And lowly words were ransom for their fault. Unless it were a bloody murderer,

Or foul felonious thief, that fleec'd poor passengers,

I never gave them condign punishment:

Murder, indeed, that bloody sin, I tortur'd
Above the felon, or what trespass else.

[swer'd:

Suff. My lord, these faults are easy, quickly anBut mightier crimes are laid unto your charge, Whereof you cannot easily purge yourself.

I do arrest you in his highness' name;
And here commit you to my lord cardinal
To keep, until your further time of trial.

K. Hen. My lord of Gloster, 'tis my special hope,
That you will clear yourself from all suspects;
My conscience tells me, you are innocent.

Glo. Ah, gracious lord, these days are dangerous! Virtue is chok'd with foul ambition,

And charity chas'd hence by rancour's hand;
Foul subornation is predominant,

And equity exil'd your highness' land,

I know, their complot is to have my life;
And, if my death might make this island happy,
And prove the period of their tyranny,
I would expend it with all willingness:
But mine is made the prologue to their play;
For thousands more, that yet suspect no peril,
Will not conclude their plotted tragedy.
Beaufort's red sparkling eyes blab his heart's malice,
And Suffolk's cloudy brow his stormy hate;
Sharp Buckingham unburdens with his tongue
The envious load that lies upon his heart;
And dogged York, that reaches at the moon,
Whose overweening arm I have pluck'd back,
By false accuse doth level at my life :-
And you, my sovereign lady, with the rest,
Causeless have laid disgraces on my head;
And, with your best endeavour, have stirr'd up
My liefest liege to be mine enemy :-

Ay, all of you have laid your heads together,
Myself had notice of your conventicles,
And all to make away my guiltless life:

I shall not want false witness to condemn me,
Nor store of treasons to augment my guilt:
The ancient proverb will be well effected,-
A staff is quickly found to beat a dog.

Car. My liege, his railing is intolerable :
If those, that care to keep your royal person
From treason's secret knife, and traitor's rage,
Be thus upbraided, chid, and rated at,
And the offender granted scope of speech,
"Twill make them cool in zeal unto your grace.

Suff. Hath he not twit our sovereign lady here,
With ignominious words, though clerkly couch'd,
As if she had suborned some to swear
False allegations to o'erthrow his state?

Q. Mar. But I can give the loser leave to chide. Glo. Far truer spoke than meant: I lose, indeed Beshrew the winners, for they play'd me false !And well such losers may have leave to speak. Buck. He'll wrest the sense, and hold us here all Lord cardinal, he is your prisoner. [day:

Car. Sirs, take away the duke, and guard him sure. Glo. Ah, thus king Henry throws away his crutch, Before his legs be firm to bear his body: Thus is the shepherd beaten from thy side, And wolves are gnarling who shall gnaw thee first. Ah, that my fear were false! ah, that it were! For, good king Henry, thy decay I fear.

[Exeunt Attendants, with Gloster. K. Hen. My lords, what to your wisdoms seemeth Do, or undo, as if ourself were here.

[best,

And to preserve my sovereign from his foe,-
Say but the word, and I will be his priest.
Car. But I would have him dead, my lord of Suf-
Ere you can take due orders for a priest: [folk,
Say, you consent, and censure well the deed,
And I'll provide his executioner,

I tender so the safety of my liege.

Suff. Here is my hand, the deed is worthy doing. Q. Mar. And so say I.

York. And I and now we three have spoke it, It skills not greatly who impugns our doom.

Enter a Messenger.

[grief,

K. Hen. Ay, Margaret; my heart is drown'd with Whose flood begins to flow within mine eyes; My body round engirt with misery; For what's more miserable than discontent?

Ah, uncle Humphrey in thy face I see

The map of honour, truth, and loyalty;
And yet, good Humphrey, is the hour to come,
That e'er I prov'd thee false, or fear'd thy faith.
What low'ring star now envies thy estate,
That these great lords, and Margaret our queen,
Do seek subversion of thy harmless life?
Thou never didst them wrong, nor no man wrong;
And as the butcher takes away the calf,
And binds the wretch, and beats it when it strays,
Bearing it to the bloody slaughter-house;
Even so, remorseless, have they borne him hence.
And as the dam runs lowing up and down,
Looking the way her harmless young one went,
And can do nought but wail her darling's loss;
Even so myself bewails good Gloster's case,
With sad unhelpful tears; and with dimm'd eyes
Look after him, and cannot do him good;
So mighty are his vowed enemies.
His fortunes I will weep; and, 'twixt each groan,
Say-Who's a traitor? Gloster he is none.

[Exit.

Q. Mar. Free lords, cold snow melts with the sun's Henry, my lord, is cold in great affairs, [hot beams, Too full of foolish pity: and Gloster's show Beguiles him, as the mournful crocodile With sorrow snares relenting passengers; Or as the snake, roll'd in a flowering bank, With shining chequer'd slough, doth sting a child, That, for the beauty, thinks it excellent. Believe me, lords, were none more wise than I (And yet, herein, I judge mine own wit good), This Gloster should be quickly rid the world, To rid us from the fear we have of him.

Car. That he should die, is worthy policy: But yet we want a colour for his death: "Tis meet, he be condemn'd by course of law. Suff. But, in my mind, that were no policy: The king will labour still to save his life, The commons haply rise to save his life; And yet we have but trivial argument, More than mistrnst, that shows him worthy death. York. So that, by this, you would not have him die. Suff. Ah, York, no man alive so fain as I.

York. "Tis York that hath more reason for his death.

But, my lord cardinal, and you, my lord of Suffolk,
Say as you think, and speak it from your souls,
Wer't not all one, an empty eagle were set

To guard the chicken from a hungry kite,
As place duke Humphrey for the king's protector?
Q. Mar. So the poor chicken should be sure of

death.

And put the Englishmen unto the sword:
Send succours, lords, and stop the rage betime,
Before the wound do grow incurable;
For, being green, there is great hope of help.
Car. A breach, that craves a quick expedient stop!
What counsel give you in this weighty cause?
York. That Somerset be sent as regent thither:
"Tis meet, that lucky ruler be employ'd;
Witness the fortune he hath had in France.

Som. If York, with all his far-fet policy,
Had been the regent there instead of me,
He never would have staid in France so long.
York. No, not to lose it all, as thou hast done:
I rather would have lost my life betimes,,
Than bring a burden of dishonour home,
By staying there so long, till all were lost.
Show me one scar character'd on thy skin:
Men's flesh preserv'd so whole, do seldom win.

Q.Mar. Nay then, this spark will prove a raging fire, If wind and fuel be brought to feed it with:No more, good York;-sweet Somerset, be still;Thy fortune, York, hadst thou been regent there, Might happily have prov'd far worse than his. York. What, worse than naught? nay, then a shame

take all !

Som. And, in the number, thee, that wishest shame! Car. My lord of York, try what your fortune is. The uncivil kerns of Ireland are in arms, And temper clay with blood of Englishmen : To Ireland will you lead a band of men, Collected choicely, from each county some, And try your hap against the Irishmen?

York. I will, my lord, so please his majesty. Suff. Why, our authority is his consent; And, what we do establish, he confirms: Then, noble York, take thou this task in hand. York. I am content: Provide me soldiers, lords, Whiles I take order for mine own affairs.

Suff. A charge, lord York, that I will see perform'd:
But now return we to the false duke Humphrey.
Car. No more of him; for I will deal with him,
That, henceforth, he shall trouble us no more.
And so break off; the day is almost spent:
Lord Suffolk, you and I must talk of that event.
York. My lord of Suffolk, within fourteen days,
At Bristol I expect my soldiers;

For there I'll ship them all for Ireland.
Suff. I'll see it truly done, my lord of York.
[Exeunt all but York.
York. Now, York, or never, steel thy fearful
And change misdoubt to resolution: [thoughts,
Be that thou hop'st to be; or what thou art
Resign to death, it is not worth the enjoying:
Let pale-fac'd fear keep with the mean-born man,
And find no harbour in a royal heart. [thought;
Faster than spring-time showers, comes thought on
And not a thought, but thinks on dignity.