God and King Henry govern England's realm:
Give up your staff, Sir, and the king his realm.
Glo. My ftaff? here, noble Henry, is my ftaff:
As willingly do I the fame refign,

As e'er thy father Henry made it mine;
And even as willing at thy feet I leave it,
As others would ambitiously receive it.

Farewel, good King; when I am dead and gone,
May honourable peace attend thy throne. [Exit Glo'fter.
Q.Mar. Why, now is Henry King, and Margret Queen.
And Humphry, Duke of Glofter, fcarce himself,
That bears fo fhrew'd a maim; two pulls at once;
His lady banish'd, and a limb lopt off:

This ftaff of honour raught, there let it stand,
Where beft it fits to be, in Henry's hand.

Suf. Thus droops this lofty pine, and hangs his sprays;
Thus Eleanor's pride dies in her younger days.
York. Lords, let him go. Please it your Majefty,
This is the day appointed for the combat,
And ready are th' appellant and defendant,
The armourer and his man, to enter the lifts,
So please your Highness to behold the fight.

Q. Mar. Ay, good my Lord; for purposely therefore Left I the court, to fee this quarrel try'd.

K. Henry. A'God's name, fee the lifts and all things fit;, Here let them end it, and God guard the right!

York. I never saw a fellow worse bestead,

Or more afraid to fight, than is th' appellant,
The fervant of the armourer, my Lords.

Enter at one door the armourer and his neighbours, drinking
to him fo much, that he is drunk; and he enters with a
drum before him, and his ftaff with a fand-bag faftened
to it (6); and at the other door his man, with
and fand-bag, and 'prentices drinking to him.

a drum

1 Neigh. Here, neighbour Horner, I drink to you

in

a cup

(6) With a Sand-bag faftened to it.] As, according to the old Laws of Duels, Knights were to fight with the Lance and Sword;

fo

a cup of fack; and fear not, neighbour, you shall do well enough.

2 Neigh. And here, neighbour, here's a cup of

charneco.

3 Neigh. And here's a pot of good double beer, neighbour; drink, and fear not your man.

Arm. Let it come, i'faith, and I'll pledge you all; and a fig for Peter.

1 Pren. Here, Peter, I drink to thee, and be not afraid.

2 Pren. Be merry, Peter, and fear not thy mafter ; fight for the credit of the 'prentices.

Peter. I thank you all; drink, and pray for me, I pray you; for, I think, I have taken my laft draught in this world. Here, Robin: if I die, I give thee my apron; and, Will, thou fhalt have my hammer; and here, Tom, take all the money that I have. O Lord, bless me I pray God; for I am never able to deal with my mafter, he hath learn'd so much fence already. Sal. Come, leave your drinking, and fall to blows. Sirrah, what's thy name?

Peter. Peter, forfooth.

Sal. Peter? what more?
Peter. Thump.

Sal. Thump? Then fee thou thump thy mafter well. Arm. Mafters, I am come hither as it were upon my man's inftigation, to prove him a knave, and myself an honeft man and touching the Duke of York, I will take my death I never meant him any ill, nor the King, nor the Queen; and therefore, Peter, have at thee with a downright blow.

York. Difpatch: this knave's tongue begins to double. Sound trumpets; alarum to the combatants.

[They fight, and Peter ftrikes him down.

fo thofe of inferior Rank fought with an Ebon Staff or Battoon, to the farther End of which was fixed a Bag crammed hard with Sand. To this Cuffom Hudibras has alluded in thefe humorous Lines:

Engag'd with Money-bags, as bold
As Men with Sand-bags did of old.

Mr. Warburton.

Arm.

Arm. Hold, Peter, hold; I confefs, I confefs treafon. [Dies. York. Take away his weapon; fellow, thank God, and the good wine in thy mafter's way.

Peter. O God, have I overcome mine enemy in this prefence ?

O Peter, thou haft prevail'd in right.

K. Henry. Go, take hence that traitor from our fight, For by his death we do perceive his guilt, And God in justice hath reveal'd to us The truth and innocence of this poor fellow, Which he had thought to murder wrongfully. Come, fellow, follow us for thy reward.

SCENE, the STREET.

[Exeunt.

Enter Duke Humphry and his Men, in mourning Cloaks.

Glo.

Hus fometimes hath the brightest day a cloud;
Tland, after fummer, evermore fucceeds

The barren winter with his nipping cold;
So cares and joys abound, as feafons fleet.
Sirs, what's a-clock ?

Serv. Ten, my Lord.

Glo. Ten is the hour that was appointed me,
To watch the coming of my punish'd Dutchess
Unneath may fhe endure the flinty streets,
To tread them with her tender-feeling feet.
Sweet Nell, ill can thy noble mind a-brook
The abject people gazing on thy face,
With envious looks ftill laughing at thy fhame;
That erft did follow thy proud chariot-wheels.
When thou didst ride in triumph thro' the ftreets.
But foft! I think, fhe comes; and I'll prepare
My tear-ftain'd eyes to fee her miferies.

Enter

Enter the Dutchefs in a white Sheet, and a Taper burning in her hand, with Sir John Stanley, a Sheriff and Officers.

Ser. So please your Grace, we'll take her from the Sheriff.

Glo. No, ftir not for your lives, let her pass by.

Elean. Come you, my Lord, to fee my open fhame ? Now thou doft penance too. Look, how they gaze! See, how the giddy multitude do point,

And nod their heads, and throw their eyes on thee!
Ah, Glofter, hide thee from their hateful looks;
And in thy closet pent up, rue my fhame,
And ban our enemies, both mine and thine.
Glo. Be patient, gentle Nell; forget this grief.
Elean. Ah! Gio'fter, teach me to forget myself:
For whilst I think I am thy marry'd wife,
And thou a Prince, Protector of this land;
Methinks, I fhould not thus be led along,
Mail'd up in fhame, with papers on my
back;
And follow'd with a rabble, that rejoice
To fee my tears, and hear my deep-fetch'd groans.
The ruthless flint doth cut my tender feet ;
And when I start, the cruel people laugh:
And bid me be advised how I tread.

Ah! Humphry, can I bear this shameful yoak?
Trow'ft thou, that e'er I'll look upon the world,
Or count them happy, that enjoy the fun?
No dark fhall be my light, and night my day.
To think upon my pomp, shall be my hell.
Sometime I'll fay, I am Duke Humphry's wife,
And he a Prince, and ruler of the land:
Yet fo he rul'd, and fuch a Prince he was,
That he ftood by, whilft I, his forlorn Dutchefs,
Was made a wonder and a pointing-stock
To every idle, rafcal follower.

But be thou mild, and blufh not at my fhame,
Nor ftir at nothing, till the ax of death
Hang over thee, as, fure, it fhortly will.
For Suffolk, (he that can do all in all

With her, that hateth thee and hates us all)
And York, and impious Beauford, that falfe priest,
Have all lim❜d bushes to betray thy wings;
And fly thou, how thou canft, they'll tangle thee:
But fear not thou, until thy foot be fnar'd,
Nor never seek prevention of thy foes.

Glo. Ah, Nell, forbear; thou aimeft all awry.
I must offend, before I be attainted:
And, had I twenty times fo many foes,
And each of them had twenty times their power,
All these could not procure me any scathe,
So long as I am loyal, true, and crimeless.
Wouldnt have me rescue thee from this reproach?
Why, yet thy scandal were not wip'd away;
But I in danger for the breach of law.
Thy greatest help is quiet, gentle Nell:
I pray thee, fort thy heart to patience;
Thefe few days' wonder will be quickly worn.

Enter a Herald.

Her. I fummon your Grace to his Majesty's parliament holden at Bury, the firft of this next month.

Glo. And my consent ne'er ask'd herein before?
Well, I will be there ;

This is clofe dealing.

[Exit Herald.

My Nell, I take my leave: and, mafter Sheriff,
Let not her penance exceed the King's commiffion.
Sher. An't please your Grace, here my commiffion ftays:
And Sir John Stanley is appointed now,

To take her with him to the Isle of Man.

Glo. Muft you, Sir John, protect my lady here? Stan. So am I giv'n in charge, may't please your Grace. Glo. Entreat her not the worfe, in that I pray You ufe her well; the world may laugh again; And I may live to do you kindnefs, if

You do it her and fo, Sir John, farewel.

Elean. What gone, my Lord, and bid me not farewel?
Glo. Witness my tears, I cannot stay to speak.

[Exit Gloucefter.

Elean.