Murder not, then, the fruit within my womb,
Although ye hale me to a violent death.

York. Now, heaven forfend! the holy maid with child!
War. The greatest miracle that c'cr ye wrought:
Is all your strict preciseness come to this?

York. She and the Dauphin have been juggling: I did imagine what would be her refuge.

War. Well, go to; we will have no bastards live; Especially since Charles must father it.

Puc. You are deceived; my child is none of his : It was Alençon that enjoy'd my love.

York. Alençon, that notorious Machiavel! It dies, an if it had a thousand lives.

Puc. O, give me leave, I have deluded you; 'Twas neither Charles nor yet the duke I named, But Reignier, king of Naples, that prevail'd.

War. A married man! that's most intolerable. York. Why, here's a girl! I think she knows not well, There were so many, whom she may accuse.

War. It's sign she hath been liberal and free. York. And yet, forsooth, she is a virgin pure.Strumpet, thy words condemn thy brat and thee: Use no entreaty, for it is in vain.

[curse:

Puc. Then lead me hence; -with whom I leave my
May never glorious sun reflex his beams
Upon the country where you make abode!
But darkness and the gloomy shade of death
Environ you, till mischief and despair
Drive you to break your necks, or hang yourselves!
[Exit, guarded.
York. Break thou in pieces, and consume to ashes,
Thou foul accursed mi ister of hell!

Enter CARDINAL BEAUFORT, attended.
Car. Lord regent, I do greet your excellence
With letters of commission from the king.
For know, my lords, the states of Christendom,
Moved with remorse of these outrageous broils,
Have earnestly implored a general peace
Betwixt our nation and the aspiring French;
And here at hand the Dauphin and his train
Approacheth, to confer about some matter.

York. Is all our travail turn'd to this effect?
After the slaughter of so many peers,
So many captains, gentlemen, and soldiers,
That in this quarrel have been overthrown,
And sold their bodies for their country's benefit,
Shall we at last conclude effeminate peace?
Have we not lost most part of all the towns,
By treason, falsehood, and by treachery,
Our great progenitors had conquered?-
O, Warwick, Warwick! I foresee with grief
The utter loss of all the realm of France.

War. Be patient, York: if we conclude a peace,
It shall be with such strict and severe covenants,
As little shall the Frenchmen gain thereby.
Enter CHARLES, attended; ALENÇON, Bastard, REIGNIER,
and others.

Char. Since, lords of England, it is thus agreed, That peaceful truce shall be proclaim'd in France, We come to be informed by yourselves

What the conditions of that league must be.

York. Speak, Winchester; for boiling choler chokes The hollow passage of my prison'd voice,

By sight of these our baleful enemies.

Win. Charles, and the rest, it is enacted thus:-
That-in regard king Henry gives consent,
Of mere compassion and of lenity,
To ease your country of distressful war,
And suffer you to breathe in fruitful peace-
You shall become true liegemen to his crown:
And, Charles, upon condition thou wilt swear
To pay him tribute, and submit thyself,
Thou shalt be placed as viceroy under him,
And still enjoy thy regal dignity.

Alen. Must he be, then, as shadow of himself?
Adorn his temples with a coronet,
And yet, in substance and authority,
Retain but privilege of a private man?
This proffer is absurd and reasonless.

Char. 'Tis known already that I am possess'd
With more than half the Gallian territories,
And therein reverenced for their lawful king:
Shall I, for lucre of the rest unvanquish'd,
Detract so much from that prerogative,
As to be call'd but viceroy of the whole?
No, lord ambassador; I'll rather keep
That which I have, than, coveting for more,

Be cast from possibility of all.

York. Insulting Charles! hast thou by secret means Used intercession to obtain a league;

SCENE V.-LONDON. A Room in the Palace. Enter KING HENRY, in conference with SUFFOLK; GLOSTER and EXETER following.

K. Hen. Your wondrous rare description, noble earl, Of beauteous Margaret hath astonish'd me: Her virtues, graced with external gifts, Do breed love's settled passions in my heart: And like as rigour in tempestuous gusts Provokes the mightiest hulk against the tide, So am I driven, by breath of her renown, Either to suffer shipwreck, or arrive Where I may have fruition of her love. Suff. Tush! my good lord! this superficial tale Is but a preface of her worthy praise: The chief perfections of that lovely dame (Had I sufficient skill to utter them) Would make a volume of enticing lines, Able to ravish any dull conceit. And, which is more, she is not so divine, So full replete with choice of all delights, But, with as humble lowliness of mind, She is content to be at your command; Command, I mean, of virtuous chaste intents, To love and honour Henry as her lord.

K. Hen. And otherwise will Henry ne'er presume. Therefore, my lord protector, give consent, That Margaret may be England's royal queen.

Glo. So should I give consent to flatter sin.
You know, my lord, your highness is betroth'd
Unto another lady of esteem;

How shall we, then, dispense with that contract,
And not deface your honour with reproach?

Suff. As doth a ruler with unlawful oaths;
Or one that, at a triumph having vow'd
To try his strength, forsaketh yet the lists
By reason of his adversary's odds:

A poor earl's daughter is unequal odds,

And therefore may be broke without offence.

Glo. Why, what, I pray, is Margaret more than that! Her father is no better than an earl,

Although in glorious titles he excel.

Suff. Yes, my good lord, her father is a king,
The king of Naples and Jerusalem;
And of such great authority in France,
As his alliance will confirm our peace,
And keep the Frenchmen in allegiance.

Glo. And so the earl of Armagnac may do,
Because he is near kinsman unto Charles.

Ere. Beside, his wealth doth warrant liberal dower *. While Reignier sooner will receive than give.

Suff. A dower, my lords! disgrace not so your king,
That he should be so abject, base, and poor,
To choose for wealth, and not for perfect love.
Henry is able to enrich his queen,

And not to seek a queen to make him rich:
So worthless peasants bargain for their wives,
As market-men for oxen, sheep, or Lorse.
Marriage is a matter of more worth,
Than to be dealt in by attorneyship;

Not whom we will, but whom his grace affects,
Must be companion of his nuptial bed:

And therefore, lords, since he affects her most,
It most of all these reasons bindeth us,
In our opinions she should be preferr'd.
For what is wedlock forced, but a hell,
An age of discord and continual strife?
Whereas the contrary bringeth bliss,
And is a pattern of celestial peace.

Whom should we match with Henry, being a king,
But Margaret, that is daughter to a king?
Her peerless feature, joined with her birth,
Approves her fit for none but for a king:
Her valiant courage and undaunted spirit.
(More than in women commonly is seen)
Will answer our hope in issue of a king;
For Henry, son unto a conqueror,
Is likely to beget more conquerors,
If with a lady of so high resolve

As is fair Margaret he be link'd in love.

Then yield, my lords; and here conclude with me
That Margaret shall be queen, and none but she.

K. Hen. Whether it be through force of your report, My noble lord of Suffolk, or for that

My tender youth was never yet attaint
With any passion of inflaming love,

I cannot tell; but this I am assured,

I feel such sharp dissension in my breast,

Such fierce alarums both of hope and fear,
As I am sick with working of my thoughts.
Take, therefore, shipping; post, my lord, to France;
Agree to any covenants, and procure

That lady Margaret do vouchsafe to come
To cross the seas to England, and be crown'd
King Henry's faithful and anointed queen:
For your expenses and sufficient charge,
Among the people gather up a tenth.
Begone, I say; for, till you do return,
I rest perplexed with a thousand cares.-
And you, good uncle, banish all offence:
If you do censure me by what you were,
Not what you are, I know it will excuse
This sudden execution of my will.
And so conduct me where, from company,

I may revolve and ruminate my grief.

[Exit.

Glo. Ay, grief, I fear me, both at first and last. [Exeunt GLOSTER and EXETER. Suff. Thus Suffolk hath prevail'd; and thus he goes, As did the youthful Paris once to Greece, With hope to find the like event in love, But prosper better than the Trojan did. Margaret shall now be queen, and rule the king; But I will rule both her, the king, and realm.

[Exit.

SCENE I.-LONDON.

BOLINGBROKE, a Conjurer.

A Spirit raised by BOLINGBROKE,
THOMAS HORNER, an Armourer.
PETER, his Man.

Clerk of Chatham.
Mayor of St Albans.

SIMPCOX, an Impostor.
Two Murderers.

JACK CADE, a Rebel.

GEORGE, JOHN, DICK, SMITH, the Weaver, MICHAEL,

dc., his Followers.

ALEXANDER IDEN, a Kentish Gentleman,

MARGARET, Queen to KING HENRY. ELEANOR, DUCHESS OF GLOSTER. MARGERY JOURDAIN, a Witch.

Wife to SIMPCOX.

Lords, Ladies, and Attendants; Petitioners, Aldermen, a Beadle, Sheriff, and Officers; Citizens, Prentices, Falconers, Guards, Soldiers, Messengers, &c.

ACT I.

A Room of State in the Palace. Flourish of Trumpets: then Hautboys. Enter, on one side, KING HENRY, DUKE OF GLOSTER, SALISBURY, WARWICK, and CARDINAL BEAUFORT; on the other, QUEEN MARGARET, led in by SUFFOLK; YORK, SOMERSET, BUCKINGHAM, and others, following. Suff. As by your high imperial majesty

I had in charge at my depart for France,

As procurator to your excellence,

To marry princess Margaret for your grace;

So, in the famous ancient city, Tours,

In presence of the kings of France and Sicil,

The dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Bretaigne, and Alençon,
Seven earls, twelve barons, twenty reverend bishops,

I have perform'd my task, and was espoused:
And humbly now upon my bended knee,
In sight of England and her lordly peers,
Deliver up my title in the queen

To your most gracious hands, that are the substance

Of that great shadow I did represent;

The happiest gift that ever marquis gave,

The fairest queen that ever king received.

K. Hen. Suffolk, arise.-Welcome, queen Margaret: I can express no kinder sign of love Than this kind kiss.--O Lord, that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness! For thou hast given me, in this beauteous face, A world of earthly blessings to my soul, If sympathy of love unite our thoughts.

Q. Mar. Great king of England, and my gracious lord, The mutual conference that my mind hath had, By day, by night; waking, and in my dreams;"

In courtly company, or at my beads,

With you, mine alder-liefest sovereign,
Makes me the bolder to salute my king
With ruder terms; such as my wit affords,

And over-joy of heart doth minister.

K. Hen. Her sight did ravish; but her grace in speech, Her words y-clad with wisdom's majesty, Makes me, from wondering, fall to weeping joys; Such is the fulness of my heart's content.Lords, with one cheerful voice welcome my love. All. Long live queen Margaret, England's happiness! Q. Mar. We thank you all. [Flourish

Suf. My lord protector, so it please your grace, Here are the articles of contracted peace, Between our sovereign and the French king Charles,

For eighteen months concluded by consent.

Glo. [Reads.] "Imprimis, It is agreed between the French king, Charles, and William de la Poole, marquis of Suffolk, ambassador for Henry king of England, that the said Henry shall espouse the lady Margaret, daughter unto Reiguier king of Naples, Sicilia, and Jerusalem; and crown her queen of England ere the thirtieth of May next ensuing.-Item, That the duchy of Anjou and the county of Maine shall be released and delivered to the king her father"-K. Hen. Uncle, how now?

Glo. Pardon me, gracious lord;

Some sudden qualm hath struck me at the heart, And dimm'd mine eyes, that I can read no further. K. Hen. Uncle of Winchester, I pray, read on. Win. [Reads.] "Item, It is further agreed between them, that the duchies of Anjou and Maine shall be released and delivered over to the king her father; and she sent over of the king of England's own proper cost and charges, without having dowry."

K. Hen. They please us well.-Lord marquis, kneel We here create thee the first duke of Suffolk, And girt thee with the sword.

[down;

Cousin of York, we here discharge your grace From being regent in the parts of France,

Till term of eighteen months be full expired.

Thanks, uncle Winchester, Gloster, York, and BuckingSomerset, Salisbury, and Warwick;

We thank you all for this great favour done,

In entertainment to my princely queen. Come, let us in; and with all speed provide To see her coronation be perform'd.

[ham,

[Exeunt KING, QUEEN, and SUFFOLK.
Glo. Brave peers of England, pillars of the state,
To you duke Humphrey must unload his grief,-
Your grief, the common grief of all the land.
What! did my brother Henry spend his youth,
His valour, coin, and people in the wars?
Did he so often lodge in open field,

In winter's cold, and summer's parching heat,
To conquer France, his true inheritance?
And did my brother Bedford toil his wits,
To keep by policy what Henry got?
Have you yourselves, Somerset, Buckingham,
Brave York, Salisbury, and victorious Warwick,
Received deep scars in France and Normandy?"
Or hath my uncle Beaufort and myself,
With all the learned council of the realm,
Studied so long, sat in the council-house

Early and late, debating to and fro

How France and Frenchmen might be kept in awe?
And hath his highness in his infancy
Been crown'd in Paris, in despite of foes?
And shall these labours and these honours die?
Shall Henry's conquest, Bedford's vigilance,
Your deeds of war, and all our counsel die?
O peers of England, shameful is this league!
Fatal this marriage, cancelling your fame:
Blotting your names from books of memory:
Razing the characters of your renown;
Defacing monuments of conquer'd France;
Undoing all, as all had never been!

Car. Nephew, what means this passionate discourse?

This peroration with such circumstance?

For France, 'tis ours; and we will keep it still.

Glo. Ay, uncle, we will keep it if we can;
But now it is impossible we should.

Suffolk, the new-made duke that rules the roast,
Hath given the duchies of Anjou and Maine
Unto the poor king Reignier, whose large style
Agrees not with the leanness of his purse.

Sal. Now, by the death of Him that died for all,
These counties were the keys of Normandy:--
But wherefore weeps Warwick, my valiant son?
War. For grief that they are past recovery:
For, were there hope to conquer them again,
My sword should shed hot blood, mine eyes no tears.
Anjou and Maine! myself did win them both;
Those provinces these arms of mine did conquer:
And are the cities that I got with wounds
Deliver'd up again with peaceful words?
Mort Dieu!

York. For Suffolk's duke, may he be suffocate,
That dims the honour of this warlike isle !
France should have torn and rent my very heart,
Before I would have yielded to this league.
I never read but England's kings have had
Large sums of gold and dowries with their wives;
And our king Henry gives away his own,
To match with her that brings no vantages.
Glo. A proper jest, and never heard before,

That Suffolk should demand a whole fifteenth,
For costs and charges in transporting her!
She should have stay'd in France, and starved in France,
Before-

Car. My lord of Gloster, now you grow too hot;
It was the pleasure of my lord the king.

[Exit.

Glo. My lord of Winchester, I know your mind;
'Tis not my speeches that you do mislike,
But 'tis my presence that doth trouble you.
Rancour will out: proud prelate, in thy face
I see thy fury: if I longer stay,
We shall begin our ancient bickerings.-
Lordings, farewell; and say, when I am gone,
I prophesied France will be lost ere long.
Car. So, there goes our protector in a rage.
'Tis known to you he is mine enemy;
Nay, more, an enemy unto you all;
And no great friend, I fear me, to the king.
Consider, lords, he is the next of blood,
And heir-apparent to the English crown;
Had Henry got an empire by his marriage,
And all the wealthy kingdoms of the west,
There's reason he should be displeased at it.
Look to it, lords; let not his smoothing words
Bewitch your hearts; be wise and circumspect.
What though the common people favour him,
Calling him "Humphrey, the good duke of Gloster;"
Clapping their hands, and crying with loud voice-
"Jesu maintain your royal excellence!"

With "God preserve the good duke Humphrey!"
I fear me, lords, for all this flattering gloss,
He will be found a dangerous protector.

Buck. Why should he then protect our sovereign,
He being of age to govern of himself?-
Cousin of Somerset, join you with me,
And all together, with the duke of Suffolk,
We'll quickly hoise duke Humphrey from his seat.

Car. This weighty business will not brook delay; I'll to the duke of Suffolk presently.

Exit.

Som. Cousin of Buckingham, though Humphrey's And greatness of his place be grief to us, Yet let us watch the haughty cardinal; His insolence is more intolerable

[pride

Than all the princes in the land beside;
If Gloster be displaced, he'll be protector.
Buck. Or thou, or I, Somerset, will be protector,
Despite duke Humphrey or the cardinal.

[Exeunt BUCKINGHAM and SOMERSET.
Sal. Pride went before, ambition follows him.
While these do labour for their own preferment,
Behoves it us to labour for the realm.

I never saw but Humphrey duke of Gloster
Did bear him like a noble gentleman.
Oft have I seen the haughty cardinal—
More like a soldier than a man o' the church,
As stout and proud as he were lord of all—-
Swear like a ruffian, and demean himself
Unlike the ruler of a commonweal.-
Warwick, my son, the comfort of my age!
Thy deeds, thy plainness, and thy house-keeping,
Hath won the greatest favour of the commons,
Excepting none but good duke Humphrey.-
And, brother York, thy acts in Ireland,

In bringing them to civil discipline;

Thy late exploits, done in the heart of France,
When thou wert regent for our sovereign,

Have made thee fear'd and honour'd of the people:-
Join we together for the public good;
In what we can to bridle and suppress
The pride of Suffolk and the cardinal, .
With Somerset's and Buckingham's ambition;
And, as we may, cherish duke Humphrey's deeds,
While they do tend the profit of the land.

War. So God help Warwick, as he loves the land
And common profit of his country!

York. And so says York, for he hath greatest cause. Sal. Then let's make haste away, and look unto the main.

War. Unto the main! O father, Maine is lost; That Maine, which by main force Warwick did win, And would have kept so long as breath did last : Main chance, father, you meant; but I meant Maine; Which I will win from France, or else be slain.

[Exeunt WARWICK and SALISBURY.
York. Anjou and Maine are given to the French;
Paris is lost; the state of Normandy
Stands on a tickle point, now they are gone:
Suffolk concluded on the articles;

The peers agreed; and Henry was well pleased
To change two dukedoms for a duke's fair daughter.
I cannot blame them all; what is 't to them?

'Tis thine they give away, and not their own.
Pirates may make cheap pennyworths of their pillage,
And purchase friends, and give to courtezans,
Still revelling, like lords, till all be gone:
Whileas the silly owner of the goods
Weeps over them, and wrings his hapless hands,
And shakes his head, and trembling stands aloof,
While all is shared, and all is borne away;
Ready to starve, and dare not touch his own.
So York must sit, and fret, and bite his tongue,
While his own lands are bargain'd for and sold.
Methinks the realms of England, France, and Ireland,
Bear that proportion to my flesh and blood,
As did the fatal brand Althea burn'd,

Unto the prince's heart of Calydon.

Anjou and Maine, both given unto the French!
Cold news for me; for I had hope of France,
Even as I have of fertile England's soil.

A day will come when York shall claim his own;
And therefore I will take the Nevils' parts,

And make a show of love to proud duke Humphrey,

And, when I spy advantage, claim the crown,

For that's the golden mark I seek to hit:
Nor shall proud Lancaster usurp my right,
Nor hold the sceptre in his childish fist,
Nor wear the diadem upon his head,

Whose church-like humours fit not for a crown.
Then, York, be still a while, till time do serve:
Watch thou and wake, when others be asleep,
To pry into the secrets of the state;

Till Henry, surfeiting in joys of love

With his new bride and England's dear-bought queen,
And Humphrey with the peers be fall'n at jars :
Then will I raise aloft the milk-white rose,
With whose sweet smell the air shall be perfumed;
And in my standard bear the arms of York,
To grapple with the house of Lancaster;
And, force perforce, I'll make him yield the crown,
Whose bookish rule hath pull'd fair England down.

[Exit. SCENE II-The same. A Room in the DUKE OF GLOSTER'S House.

Enter GLOSTER and the DUCHESS.
Duch. Why droops my lord, like over-ripen'd corn,
Hanging the head at Ceres' plenteous load?
Why doth the great duke Humphrey knit his brows,
As frowning at the favours of the world?
Why are thine eyes fix'd to the sullen earth,
Gazing on that which seems to dim thy sight?
What see'st thou there? king Henry's diadem,
Enchased with all the honours of the world?
If so, gaze on, and grovel on thy face,
Until thy head be circled with the same.
Put forth thy hand, reach at the glorious gold:-
What, is't too short? I'll lengthen it with mine:
And having both together heaved it up,
We'll both together lift our heads to heaven;
And never more abase our sight so low,
As to vouchsafe one glance unto the ground.

Glo. O Nell, sweet Nell, if thou dost love thy lord,
Banish the canker of ambitious thoughts:
And may that thought, when I imagine ill
Against my king and nephew, virtuous Henry,
Be my last breathing in this mortal world!

My troublous dream this night doth make me sad. Duch. What dream'd my lord? tell me, and I'll requite it

With sweet rehearsal of my morning's dream.

Glo. Methought this staff, mine office-badge in court,
Was broke in twain; by whom, I have forgot,
But, as I think, it was by the cardinal;
And on the pieces of the broken wand

Were placed the heads of Edmund duke of Somerset,
And William de la Poole first duke of Suffolk.
This was my dream; what it doth bode, God knows.
Duch. Tut, this was nothing but an argument,
That he that breaks a stick of Gloster's grove,
Shall lose his head for his presumption.
But list to me, my Humphrey, my Sweet duke:
Methought I sat in seat of majesty,

In the cathedral church of Westminster,

And in that chair where kings and queens are crown'd;
Where Henry and dame Margaret kneel'd to me,
And on my head did set the diadem.

Glo. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright:
Presumptuous dame, ill-nurtured Eleanor!
Art thou not second woman in the realm;
And the protector's wife, beloved of him?
Hast thou not worldly pleasure at command,

Above the reach or compass of thy thought?
And wilt thou still be hammering treachery,
To tumble down thy husband and thyself
From top of honour to disgrace's feet?
Away from me, and let me hear no more.

Duch. What, what, my lord! are you so cholerie
With Eleanor, for telling but her dream?
Next time I'll keep my dreams unto myself,
And not be check'd.

Glo. Nay, be not angry, I am pleased again.
Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My lord protector, 'tis his highness' pleasure,
You do prepare to ride unto Saint Albans,
Whereas the king and queen do mean to hawk.
Glo. I go.-Come, Nell, thou wilt ride with us?
Duch. Yes, good my lord, I'll follow presently.
[Exeunt GLOSTER and Messenger.

Follow I must; I cannot go before,
While Gloster bears this base and humble mind.
Were I a man, a duke, and next of blood,

I would remove these tedious stumbling-blocks,
And smooth my way upon their headless necks:
And, being a woman, I will not be slack

To play my part in Fortune's pageant.-
Where are you there? Sir John! nay, fear not, man,
We are alone; here's none but thee and I.

[Exit DUCHESS.

Hume. Hume must make merry with the duchess' gold; Marry, and shall. But how now, Sir John Hume? Seal up your lips, and give no words but mum: The business asketh silent secrecy. Dame Eleanor gives gold to bring the witch: Gold cannot come amiss, were she a devil. Yet have I gold flies from another coast:

I dare not say, from the rich cardinal,

And from the great and new-made duke of Suffolk;
Yet I do find it so: for, to be plain,
They, knowing dame Eleanor's aspiring humour,
Have hired me to undermine the duchess,
And buz these conjurations in her brain.
They say, A crafty knave does need no broker;
Yet am I Suffolk and the cardinal's broker.
Hume, if you take not heed, you shall go near
To call them both a pair of crafty knaves.
Well, so it stands: and thus, I fear, at last,
Hume's knavery will be the duchess' wreck;
And her attainture will be Humphrey's fall:
Sort how it will, I shall have gold for all.

[Exit.

SCENE III.-The same. A Room in the Palace.
Enter PETER and others, with Petitions.

1 Pet. My masters, let's stand close; my lord protector will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our supplications in the quill.

2 Pet. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man! Jesu bless him!

Enter SUFFOLK and QUEEN MARGARET.

1 Pet. Here 'a comes, methinks, and the queen with him. I'll be the first, sure.

2 Pet. Come back, fool! this is the duke of Suffolk, and not my lord protector.

Suff. How now, fellow? wouldst anything with me? 1 Pet. I pray, my lord, pardon me! I took ye for my lord protector.

Q. Mar. [Reading the superscription.] "To my lord protector!" are your supplications to his lordship? Let me see them: what is thine?

1 Pet. Mine is, an't please your grace, against John Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my house and lands, and wife and all, from me.

Suff. Thy wife too! that is some wrong indeed.

What's yours?-What's here? [Reads.] "Against the duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the commons of Melford."--How now, sir knave?

2 Pet. Alas, Sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.

Peter. [Presenting his petition.] Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying that the duke of York was rightful heir to the crown.

Q. Mar. What say'st thou? Did the duke of York say he was rightful heir to the crown?

Peter. That my master was? No, forsooth: my master said that he was, and that the king was a usurper.

king.

Suff. Who is there? [Enter Servants.]-Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a pursuivant presently-we'll hear more of your matter before the [Exeunt Servants with PETER. Q. Mar. And as for you, that love to be protected Under the wings of our protector's grace, Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.

[Tears the Petitions. Away, base cullions -Suffolk, let them go. All. Come, let's be gone.

[Exeunt Petitioners.

Q. Mar. My lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
Is this the fashion in the court of England?
Is this the government of Britain's isle,
And this the royalty of Albion's king?
What, shall king Henry be a pupil still,
Under the surly Gloster's governance?
Am I a queen in title and in style,
And must be made a subject to a duke?
I tell thee, Poole, when in the city Tours
Thou rann'st a tilt in honour of my love,
And stol'st away the ladies' hearts of France;

I thought King Henry had resembled thee
In courage, courtship, and proportion;
But all his mind is bent to holiness,
To number Are-Maries on his beads:

His champions are the prophets and apostles;
His weapons, holy saws of sacred writ;
His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves
Are brazen images of canonised saints.

I would the college of cardinals

Would choose him pope, and carry him to Rome,
And set the triple crown upon his head ;-
That were a state fit for his holiness.

Suff Madam, be patient: as I was cause
Your highness came to England, so will I
In England work your grace's full content.

Som. If Somerset be unworthy of the place,
Let York be regent, I will yield to him.
War. Whether your grace be worthy, yea or no,
Dispute not that: York is the worthier.

Car. Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.
War. The cardinal 's not my belter in the field.
Buck. All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.
War. Warwick may live to be the best of all.
Sal. Peace, son; and shew some reason, Buckingham,
Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this.

Q. Mar. Because the king, forsooth, will have it so.
Glo. Madam, the king is old enough himself
To give his censure: these are no women's matters.
Q. Mar. If he be old enough, what needs your grace
To be protector of his excellence?

Glo. Madam, I am protector of the realm;
And, at his pleasure, will resign my place.
Suff. Resign it then, and leave thine insolence.
Since thou wert king, (as who is king but thou?)
The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck;
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas;
And all the peers and nobles of the realm
Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.

Car. The commons hast thou rack'd; the clergy's bags Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Som. Thy sumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire, Have cost a mass of public treasury.

Buck. Thy cruelty in execution Upon offenders, hath exceeded law, And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Q. Mar. Thy sale of offices and towns in France--If they were known, as the suspect is greatWould make thee quickly hop without thy head.

[Exit GLOSTER. The QUEEN drops her fan. Give me my fan: what, minion! can you not? [Gives the DucCHESS a box on the ear.

I cry you mercy, Madam; was it you?
Duch. Was 't I? yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman:
Could I come near your beauty with my nails,

I'd set my ten commandments in your face.

K. Hen. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will. Duch. Against her will! Good king, look to't in time; She'll hamper thee, and dandle thee like a baby: Though in this place most master wear no breeches, She shall not strike dame Eleanor unrevenged.

[Exit DUCHESS.

[fort,

Q. Mar. Beside the haught protector, have we The imperious churchman; Somerset, Buckingham, And grumbling York: and not the least of these, But can do more in England than the king.

Suff. And he of these that can do most of all, Cannot do more in England than the Nevils: Salisbury and Warwick are no simple peers.

Q. Mar. Not all these lords do vex me half so much As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife. She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies, More like an empress than duke Humphrey's wife; Strangers in court do take her for the queen: She bears a duke's revénues on her back, And in her heart she scorns our poverty: Shall I not live to be avenged on her? Contemptuous base-born callat as she is, She vaunted 'mongst her minions t' other day, The very train of her worst wearing-gown Was better worth than all my father's lands, Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter. Suff. Madam, myself hath limed a bush for her, And placed a quire of such enticing birds, That she will light to listen to the lays, And never mount to trouble you again.

So, let her rest: and, Madam, list to me;

For I am bold to counsel you in this.

Although we fancy not the cardinal,

Yet must we join with him and with the lords,
Till we have brought duke Humphrey in disgrace.
As for the duke of York, this late complaint

Will make but little for his benefit.
So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last,
And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.

Enter KING HENRY, YORK, and SOMERSET, conversing
with him; DUKE and DUCHESS OF GLOSTER, CAR-
DINAL BEAUFORT, BUCKINGHAM, SALISBURY, and
WARWICK.

K. Hen. For my part, noble lords, I care not which; Or Somerset, or York, all's one to me.

York. If York have ill demean'd himself in France, Then let him be denay'd the regentship.

Re-enter GLOSTER.

Glo. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown With walking once about the quadrangle,

I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.

As for your spiteful false objections,
Prove them, and I lie open to the law:
But God in mercy so deal with my soul,
As I in duty love my king and country!
But, to the matter that we have in hand :-
I say, my sovereign, York is meetest man
To be your regent in the realm of France.
Suff. Before we make election, give me leave
To shew some reason, of no little force,
That York is most unmeet of any man.
York. I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet.
First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride;
Next, if I be appointed for the place,
My lord of Somerset will keep me here,
Without discharge, money, or furniture,
Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands.
Last time I danced attendance on his will,
Till Paris was besieged, famish'd, and lost.
War. That I can witness; and a fouler fact
Did never traitor in the land commit.

Suff. Peace, headstrong Warwick!

War. Image of pride, why should I hold my peace? Enter Servants of SUFFOLK, bringing in HORNER and

PETER

Suff. Because here is a man accused of treason: Pray God the duke of York excuse himself! York. Doth any one accuse York for a traitor? K. Hen. What mean'st thou, Suffolk? tell me what are these?

Suff. Please it your majesty, this is the man That doth accuse his master of high treason: His words were these,-that Richard, duke of York, Was rightful heir unto the English crown, And that your majesty was a usurper.

K. Hen. Say, man, were these thy words?