Left I the court to see this quarrel tried.

K. Hen. O' God's name, see the lists and all things fit:

Here let them end it; aud God defend the right!

York. I never saw a fellow worse bested, Or more afraid to fight, than is the appellant, The servant of this armourer, my lords.

Enter, on one side, HORNER, and his Neighbours drinking to him so much that he is drunk; and he enters bearing his staff with a sand-bag fastened to it; a drum before him: at the other side, PETER, with a drum and sand-bag; and Prentices drinking to him.

First Neigh. Here, neighbour Horner, I drink to you in a cup of sack: and fear not, neighbour, you shall do well enough.

61

Second Pren. Be merry, Peter, and fear not thy master: fight for credit of the prentices.

Peter. I thank you all: drink, and pray for me, I pray you; for I think I have taken my last draught in this world. Here, Robin, an if I die, I give thee my apron ; and, Will, thou shalt 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 master, he hath learnt so much fence already.

80

Sal. Come, leave your drinking and fall to blows. Sirrah, what's thy name?

Peter. Peter, forsooth.

Sal. Peter! what more?
Peter. Thump.

Sal. Thump then see thou thump thy master well.

Hor. Masters, I am come hither, as it were, upon my man's instigation, to prove him a knave, and myself an honest 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. 94

York. Dispatch: this knave's tongue begins to double. Sound, trumpets, alarum to the combatants. Alarum. They fight, and PETER strikes down his Master. Hor. Hold, Peter, hold! I confess, I confess treason. Dies. York. Take away his weapon. Fellow, thank God, and the good wine in thy master's 102 Peter. O God! have I overcome mine enemies in this presence? O Peter! thou hast prevailed in right.

way.

K. Hen. Go, take hence that traitor from our sight;

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,

fully.

110

Come, fellow, follow us for thy reward.
Sound a flourish. Exeunt.

Glou. Ten is the hour that was appointed me To watch the coming of my punish'd duchess : Uneath may she endure the flinty streets, To tread them with her tender-feeling feet. Sweet Nell, ill can thy noble mind abrook The abject people gazing on thy face With envious looks, laughing at thy shame, That erst did follow thy proud chariot wheels When thou didst ride in triumph through the

streets.

But soft! I think she comes; and I'll prepare My tear-stain'd eyes to see her miseries.

Now thou dost penance too. Look how they

gaze.

See how the giddy multitude do point,
And nod their heads, and throw their eyes on thee.
Ah! Gloucester, hide thee from their hateful
looks,

And, in thy closet pent up, rue my shame,
And ban thine enemies, both mine and thine.
Glou. Be patient, gentle Nell; forget this grief.
Duch. Ah! Gloucester, teach me to forget
myself;

For whilst I think I am thy married wife,
And thou a prince, protector of this land,
Methinks I should not thus be led along,
Mail'd up in shame, with papers on my back,
And follow'd with a rabble that rejoice
To see my tears and hear my deep-fet groans.
The ruthless flint doth cut my tender feet,
And when I start, the envious people laugh,
And bid me be advised how I tread.
Ah! Humphrey, can I bear this shameful yoke!
Trow'st thou that e'er I'll look upon the world,
Or count them happy that enjoy the sun?
No; dark shall be my light, and night my day;
To think upon my pomp shall be my hell.
Sometime I'll say, I am Duke Humphrey's wife,
And he a prince and ruler of the land:
Yet so he rul'd and such a prince he was
As he stood by whilst I, his forlorn duchess,
Was made a wonder and a pointing-stock
To every idle rascal follower.

But be thou mild and blush not at my shame;

41

50

Nor stir at nothing till the axe of death
Hang over thee, as, sure, it shortly will;
For Suffolk, he that can do all in all
With her that hateth thee, and hates us all,
And York, and impious Beaufort, that false priest,
Have all lim'd bushes to betray thy wings;
And, fly thou how thou canst, they'll tangle thee:
But fear not thou, until thy foot be snar'd,
Nor never seek prevention of thy foes.

60

Glou. Ah! Nell, forbear: thou aimest all awry; I must offend before I be attainted; And had I twenty times so many foes, And each of them had twenty times their power, All these could not procure me any scath, So long as I am loyal, true, and crimeless. Would'st 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, sort thy heart to patience; These few days' wonder will be quickly worn. Enter a Herald.

Iler. I summon your grace to his majesty's parliament, holden at Bury the first of this next month. 72

Glou. And my consent ne'er ask'd herein before!

This is close dealing. Well, I will be there. Exit Herald. My Nell, I take my leave: and, Master sheriff, Let not her penance exceed the king's commission.

Sher. An't please your grace, here my commission stays,

And Sir John Stanley is appointed now
To take her with him to the Isle of Man.
Glou. Must you, Sir John, protect my lady
here?

80

Stan. So am I given in charge, may 't please your grace.

Glou. Entreat her not the worse in that I pray You use her well. The world may laugh again; And I may live to do you kindness if You do it her: and so, Sir John, farewell. Duch. What gone, my lord, and bid me not farewell.

Glou. Witness my tears, I cannot stay to speak.
Exeunt GLOUCESTER and Servingmen.
Duch. Art thou gone too? All comfort go
with thee!

For none abides with me: my joy is death;
Death, at whose name I oft have been afeard, 90
Because I wish'd this world's eternity.
Stanley, I prithee, go, and take me hence;
I care not whither, for I beg no favour,
Only convey me where thou art commanded.
Stan. Why, madam, that is to the Isle of Man :
There to be us'd according to your state.

Duch. That's bad enough, for I am but reproach:

And shall I then be us'd reproachfully?

Stan. Like to a duchess, and Duke Humphrey's lady:

"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 ye not observe The strangeness of his alter'd countenance ? With what a majesty he bears himself, How insolent of late he is become,

10

How proud, how peremptory, and unlike himself?
We know the time since he was mild and affable,
An if we did but glance a far-off look,
Immediately he was upon his knee,
That all 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 duty 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;

20

30

Suf. 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,

170

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 traitors' rage
Be thus upbraided, chid, and rated at,
And the offender granted scope of speech,
"Twill make them cool in zeal unto your grace.
Suf. 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?

180

Q. Mar. But I can give the loser leave to chide. Glou. 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 day.

Lord cardinal, he is your prisoner.

Car. Sirs, take away the duke, and guard him

sure.

Glou. Ah! thus King Henry throws away his crutch

190

Before his legs be firm to bear his body:
Thus is the shepherd beaten from thy side,
And wolves are gnarling who shall guaw thee first.
Ah! that my fear were false; ah! that it were;
For, good King Henry, thy decay I fear.

Exeunt Attendants with GLOUCESTER. K. Hen. My lords, what to your wisdoms seemeth best,

Do or undo, as if ourself were here.

Q. Mar. What! will your highness leave the parliament ?

K. Hen. Ay, Margaret; my heart is drown'd with grief,

Whose flood begins to flow within mine eyes,
My body round engirt with misery,

200

210

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 Gloucester'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? Gloucester he is none.'

220

Exit.

Q. Mar. Fair lords, cold snow melts with the sun's hot beams.

Henry my lord is cold in great affairs,
Too full of foolish pity; and Gloucester's show
Beguiles him as the mournful crocodile
With sorrow snares relenting passengers;

230

Or as the snake, roll'd in a flowering bank,
With shining checker'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 Gloucester 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.
Suf. 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 mistrust, that shows him worthy death.
York. So that, by this, you would not have
him die.

240

Q. Mar. So the poor chicken should be sure of death.

Suf. Madam, 'tis true; and were 't not madness then

To make the fox surveyor of the fold?
Who, being accus'd a crafty murderer,
His guilt should be but idly posted over
Because his purpose is not executed.
No; let him die, in that he is a fox,
By nature prov'd an enemy to the flock,
Before his chaps be stain'd with crimson blood,
As Humphrey, prov'd by reasons, to my liege.
And do not stand on quillets how to slay him:
Be it by gins, by snares, by subtilty,
Sleeping or waking, 'tis no matter how,
So he be dead; for that is good deceit
Which mates him first that first intends deceit.
Q. Mar. Thrice noble Suffolk, 'tis resolutely
spoke.

263

Suf. Not resolute, except so much were done; For things are often spoke and seldom meant: But that my heart accordeth with my tongue, Seeing the deed is meritorious,

270

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
Suffolk,

Ere you can take due orders for a priest :
Say you consent and censure well the deed,
And I'll provide his executioner;
I tender so the safety of my liege.

Suf. 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. 281 Enter a Messenger.

Mess. Great lords, from Ireland am I come amain,

To signify that rebels there are up,
And put the Englishmen unto the sword.
Send succours, lords, and stop the rage betime,
Before the wound do grow incurable;