Glo. But you have done more miracles than I;| You made, in a day, my lord, whole towns to fly. Enter Buckingham.

K. Henry. What tidings with our coufin Buckingham?

I

Buck. Such as my heart doth tremble to unfold.
A fort of naughty perfons, lewdly bent,
Under the countenance and confederacy
Of lady Eleanor, the protector's wife,
The ring-leader and head of all this rout,-
Have practis'd dangerously against your state,
Dealing with witches, and with conjurers:
Whom we have apprehended in the fact;
Raifing up wicked fpirits from under ground,
Demanding of king Henry's life and death,
And other of your highnefs' privy council,
As more at large your grace thall understand.

Car. And fo, my lord protector, by this means
Your lady is forth-coming yet at London 2.
This news, I think, hath turn'd your weapon's edge;
"Tis like, my lord, you will not keep your hour.
[Afide to Glifter.

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.

[ed ones;

|The first, Edward the Black Prince, prince of
Wales;

The fecond, William of Hatfield; and the third,
Lionel, duke of Clarence; next to whom

5 Was John of Gaunt, the duke of Lancaster:
The fifth was Edmund Langley, duke of York;
The fixth was Thomas of Woodstock, duke of
Glofter;

William of Windfor was the feventh, and laft.
10 Edward, the Black Prince, dy'd before his father;
And left behind him Richard, his only fon,
Who, after Edward the third's death, reign'd king;
'Till Henry Bolingbroke, duke of Lancaster,
The eldeft fon and heir of John of Gaunt,

15 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 the

K. Henry. O God, what mifchiefs work the wick-
Heaping confufion on their own heads thereby !
Queen. Glofter, fee here the tainture of thy neft; 3
And, look, thyfelf be faultlefs, thou wert beft.

Glo. Madam, for myself, to heaven I do appeal,
How I have lov'd my king, and common-weal:
And, for my wife, I know not how it stands;
Sorry I am to hear what I have heard:
Noble fhe is; but, if the 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 Glofter's honeft name.
K. Henry. Well, for this night, we will repofe
us here:

To-morrow, toward London, back again,
To look into this bufinefs thoroughly,
And call these foul offenders to their answers;
And poife the cause in juftice' equal fcales,
Whose beam ftands fure, whofe rightful caufe
prevails.
[Flourish. Excunt.

came,

And him to Pomfret; where, as both you know, 20 Harmless Richard was murder'd traitorously.

War. Father, the duke hath told the truth;
Thus got the houfe of Lancafter the crown.
York. Which now they hold by force, and not
by right;

25 For Richard, the firft fon's heir, being dead,
The iffue of the next fon fhould have reign'd.
Sal. But William of Hatfield died without an

heir.
[whofe line
York. The third fon, duke of Clarence, (from
I claim the crown) had iffue-Philippe, a daughter,
Who married Edmund Mortimer, earl of March.
Edmund had iffue-Roger, earl of March:
Roger had iffue-Edmund, Anne, and Eleanor.

Sal. This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke,
35 As I have read, laid claim unto the crown;
And, but for Owen Glendower, had been king,
Who kept him in captivity, 'till he dy`d.
But, to the rest.

York. His eldest fifter, Anne,

40 My mother, being heir unto the crown,
Married Richard earl of Cambridge; who was fon
To Edmund Langley, Edward the third's fifth fon
By her I claim the kingdom: She then was heir
To Roger, earl of March; who was the fon
Of Edmund Mortimer; who married Philippe,
Sole daughter unto Lionel, duke of Clarence:
So, if the iffue of the elder fon

45

[this?

Succeed before the younger, I am king. War. What plain proceeding is more plain than 50 Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt, The fourth fon; York claimeth it from the third. "Till Lionel's iffue fails, his fhould not reign: It fails not yet; but flourishes in thee, And in thy fons, fair flips of fuch a stock.55 Then, father Salisbury, kneel we both together; And, in this private plot, be we the first, That fhall falute our rightful fovereign With honour of his birth-right to the crown. Both. Long live our fovereign Richard, England's king! [king

War. Sweet York, begin: and if thy claim be 60
The Nevils are thy fubjects to command.
York. Then thus:--

Edward the third, my lords, had feven fons:

Yerk. We thank you, lords. But I am not your 'Till I be crown'd; and that my sword be ftain'd With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster:

i. e. wickedly. 2 That is, your lady is in cuftody.

And

And that's not fuddenly to be perform'd;
But with advice, and filent fecrecy.
Do you, as I do, in thefe dangerous days,
Wink at the duke of Suffolk's infolence,
At Beaufort's pride, at Somerset's ambition,
At Buckingham, and all the crew of them,
"Till they have fnar'd the fhepherd of the flock,
That virtuous" prince, the good duke Humphrey :
'Tis that they feek; and they, in feeking that,
Shall find their deaths, if York can prophefy.
Sal. My lord, break we off; we know your
mind at full.
[wick

War. My heart affures me, that the earl of War-
Shall one day make the duke of York a king.

York. And, Nevil, this I do affure myself,Richard hall live to make the earl of Warwick The greatest man in England, but the king.

In fight of God, and us, your guilt is great;
Receive the fentence of the law, for fins
Such as by God's book are adjudg'd to death.-30
You four, from hence to prifon back again;
[To the other prifoners.
From thence, unto the place of execution:
The witch in Smithfield fhall be burnt to afhes,
And you three shall be strangled on the gallows.-35
You, madam, for you are more nobly born,
Defpoiled of your honour in your life,
Shall, after three days open penance done,
Live in your country here, in banishment,
With Sir John Stanley, in the ifle of Man.
Elean. Welcome is banishment, welcome were
my death.
[thee;

Gla. Eleanor, the law, thou feeft, hath judged
I cannot justify whom the law condemns.-

This ftaff of honour raught :-There let it ftand,
Where beft it fits to be, in Henry's hand. [fprays;
Suf. Thus droops this lofty pine, and hangs his
Thus Eleanor's pride dies in her youngest days.
York. Lords,let him go 3.-Please it your majefty,
This is the day appointed for the combat;
And ready are the appellant and defendant,
The armourer and his man, to enter the lifts,
So pleafe your highness to behold the fight.

[fore

2. Mar. Ay, good my lord; for purpofely thereLeft I the court, to fee this quarrel try'd.

K. Henry. O' God's name, fee the lifts and all

things fit;

Here let them end it, and God defend the right!
York. I never faw a fellow worse bested 4,
Or more afraid to fight, than is the appellant,
The fervant of this armourer, my lords.
Enter at one door the Armourer and his Neighbours,
drinking to bim fo much that he is drunk; and he
enters with a drum before him, and his staff with
fand-bagfuftened to it; and at the other door
enters bis Man, with a drum and fand-bag, and
Prentices drinking to him.

a

I Neigh. Here, neighbour Horner, I drink to 40 you in a cup of fack; And, fear not, neighbour, you fhall do well enough.

2 Neigh. And here, neighbour, here's a cup of charneco 6.

3 Neigh. And here's a pot of good double beer,

[Exeunt Eleanor, and the others, guarded. 45 neighbour: drink, and fear not your man.

Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief.
Ah, Humphrey, this dishonour in thine age
Will bring thy head with forrow to the ground!--
I beseech your majefty, give me leave to go;
Sorrow would folace, and mine age would eafe 1.
K. Henry. Stay, Humphrey duke of Glofter:
ere thou go,

Give up thy staff; Henry will to himself
Protector be; and God fhall be my hope,
My stay, my guide, and lanthorn to my feet:
And go in peace, Humphrey; no less belov'd,
Than when thou wert protector to thy king.

2. Mar. I fee no reason, why a king of years Should be to be protected like a child.

1501

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 maf ter: 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 55 give thee my apron ;-and, Will, thou shalt have my hammer;-and here, Tom, take all the money that I have.-O Lord, blefs me, I pray God! for I am never able to deal with my mafter, he hath learn'd fo much fence already.

That is, forrow requires folace, and age requires cafe. 2 Raught is the ancient preterite of the verb reach. 3 i. e. let him pafs out of your thoughts. 4 i. e. in a worfe plight, perhaps worfe

betyd. 5 As, according to the old laws of duels, knights were to fight with the lance and sword; so thofe of inferior rank fought with an ebon staff or battoon, to the farther end of which was fixed a bag "cramm'd hard with fand. • A name for a fort of fweet wine, probably much in ufe in our author's

time.

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 thau thump thy mafter well.

5

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, Glofter, hide thee from their hateful looks;
And, in thy closet pent up, rue my shame,
And ban thine enemies, both mine and thine.
Glo. Be patient, gentle Nell; forget this grief.
Elean. Ah, Glofter, teach me to forget myself:
For, whilft I think I am thy marry'd wife,
10 And thou a prince, protector of this land,
Methinks, Ihould not thus be led along,
Mail'd up 5 in fhame, with papers on my back;
And follow'd with a rabble, that rejoice
To fee my tears, and hear my deep-fet groans.

Arm. Masters, 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, as Bevis of Southampton fell upon Afcapart.
York. Dispatch :—this knave's tongue begins to 15 The ruthless flint doth cut my tender feet;

double.

Sound, trumpets, alarum to the combatants.

[They fight, and Peter ftrikes him down, Arm, Hold, Peter, hold! I confefs, I confefs treafon.

And, when I ftart, the envious people laugh,
And bid me be advised how I tread.

Ah, Humphrey, can I bear this shameful yoke ? Trow'ft thou, that e'er I'll look upon the world; [Dies. 20 Or count them happy, that enjoy the sun ?

York. Take away his weapon:-Fellow, thank
God, and the good wine in thy master's way.
Peter. O God! have I overcome mine enemy
in this presence?

O Peter, thou haft prevailed in right!

[fight; 25

K. Henry, Go, take hence that traiter from our
For, by his death, we do perceive his guilt2:
And God, in justice, hath reveal'd to us
The truth and innocence of this poor fellow,
Which he had thought to have murder'd wrong-30
fully.

Come, fellow, follow us for thy reward. [Exeunt.
SCENE IV.
The Street.
Enter Duke Humphrey, and bis men, in mourning 35

cloaks.

Gl. Thus, fometimes, hath the brightest day a
And, after fummer, evermore fucceeds [cloud;
Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold:
So cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet 3.-
Sirs, what's o'clock?

Serv. Ten, my lord.

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 Humphrey's wife;
And he a prince, and ruler of the land:
Yet fo he rul'd, and such a prince he was,
That he ftood by, whilft I, his forlorn dutchess,
Was made a wonder, and a pointing-stock,
To every idle rascal follower.

But be thou mild, and blush not at my shame;
Nor ftir at nothing, 'till the axe of death
Hang over thee, as, fure, 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 canft, they'll tangle thee:
But fear not thou, until thy foot be snar'd,
Nor never seek prevention of thy foes.

Glo. Ah, Nell, forbear; thou aimest all awry;
40I must offend, before I be attainted:
And had I twenty times fo many foes,
And each of them had twenty times their power,
All thefe could not procure me any scathe",
So long as I am loyal, true, and crimeless.
45 Would't have me refcue thee from this reproach?
Why, yet thy fcandal 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;
50 Thefe few-days' wonder will be quickly worn.
Enter a Herald.

Glo. Ten is the hour that was appointed me,
To watch the coming of my punish'd dutchess;
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 ftill laughing at thy shame;
That erft did follow thy proud chariot-wheels,
When thou didst ride in triumph through the streets.
But, foft! I think, he comes; and I'll prepare
My tear-ftain'd eyes to fee her miferies,
Enter the Dutchess in a white sheet, ber feet bare, and
a taper burning in ber band, with Sir John Stanley, 55
a Sheriff, and Officers.

Serv. So please your grace, we'll take her from
the sheriff.

Glo. No, ftir not for your lives; let her pafs by.
Elean. Come you, my lord, to see my open shame ? [60]

Her. I fummon your grace to his majesty's par liament, holden at Bury the first of this next month. Glo. And my consent ne`er ask'd herein before! This is clofe 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 commiffion.
Sher. An't please your grace, here my com-
miffion stays:

• Afcapart-the giant of the ftory-was a name familiar to our ancestors. The figures of thefe combatants are still preferved on the gates of Southampton. 2 According to the ancient ufage of the duel, the vanquished person not only loft his life but his reputation, and his death was always regarded as a certain evidence of his guilt. 3 To fleet is to change. 4 Eath is the antient word for cafe. Uncath, therefore, implies uneafly or painfully. 5 i. e. wrapped up in difgrace; alluding to the feet of penance, • Think't. 7 Scatbe is barm ọt mifciief.

And

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.
Elean. That's bad enough, for I am but reproach:
And fhall I then be us'd reproachfully? [lady,
Stan. Like to a dutchess, and duke Humphrey's
According to that state you shall be us'd.

Elean. Sheriff, farewel, and better than I fare;
Although thou hast been conduct of my shame.
Sher. It is my office; and, madam, pardon me.
Elean. Ay, ay, farewel; thy office is discharg'd.—
Come, Stanley, shall we go?
[this fheet,

Stan. Madam, your penance done, throw off
And go we to attire you for our journey.

Elean. My fhame will not be shifted with my

sheet :

No, it will hang upon my richest robes,

And fhew itfelf, attire me how I can.
Go, lead the way; I long to fee my prifon.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I

The Abbey at Bury.

A CT

Enter King Henry, Queen, Cardinal, Suffolk, York, and Buckingham, &c. to the Parliament.

MUSE, my lord of Glofter is not come :

K. Hen. Tis not his wont to be the hindmoft

man,

Whate'er occafion keeps him from us now. [ferve
2. Mar. Can you not fee? or will you not ob-
The strangeness of his alter'd countenance ?
With what a majesty he bears himself;
How infolent of late he is become,
How proud, how peremptory, and unlike himself!
We know the time, fince he was mild and affable;
And, 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 fhews an angry eye,
And paffeth by with stiff unbowed knee,
Difdaining 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 feemeth then, it is no policy,
Refpecting 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.

III.

By flattery hath he won the commons' hearts;
And, when he please to make commotion,
30Tis to be fear'd, they all will follow him.
Now, 'tis the fpring, and weeds are shallow-rooted;
Suffer them now, and they'll o'er-grow the garden,
And choak the herbs for want of husbandry.
The reverent care I bear unto my lord,
35 Made me collect these dangers in the duke.
If it be fond, call it a woman's fear;
Which fear if better reafons can fupplant,

I will fubfcribe, and fay-I wrong'd the duke. My lords of Suffolk,-Buckingham,—and York,40 Reprove my allegation if you can;

Or clfe conclude my words effectual.
Suf.Well hath your highness seen into this duke ;
And, had I first been put to speak my mind,
I think, I fhould have told your grace's 3 tale.
45 The dutchefs, by his fubornation,

Upon my life, began her devilish practices:
Or, if he were not privy to those faults,
Yet, by reputing 4 of his high defcent,
(As, next the king, he was fucceffive heir)
50 And fuch high vaunts of his nobility,

Did inftigate the bedlam brain-fick dutchess,
By wicked means to frame our fovereign's fall.
Smooth runs the water, where the brook is deepest;
And in his fimple fhew he harbours treason.
51 The fox barks not, when he would steal the lamb.
No, no, my fovereign; Gloster is a man
Unfounded yet, and full of deep deceit.

Car. Did he not, contrary to form of law, Devife ftrange deaths for small offences done? |60|_ York, And did he not, in his protectorship,

3 Suffolk

i. e. the world may look again favourably upon me. 2 i. e. it feemeth to me. ufes bigbnefs and grace promifcuoufly to the queen. Majefty was not the fettled title till the time of king James the First. 4 Reputing of bis bigb descent, means, valuing bimself upon it.

PP4

Levy

Levy great fums of money through the realm,
For foldiers' pay in France, and never fent it?
By means whereof, the towns each day revolted.
Buck. Tut! these are petty faults to faults un-
known,
[Humphrey. 5
Which time will bring to light in smooth duke
K. Henry. My lords, at once: the care you have
of us,

To mow down thorns, that would annoy our foot,

Is worthy praife: but fhall I fpeak my confcience? 10 Strange tortures for offenders, never heard of, Our kinfman Glofter is as innocent

Enter Glofter.
Glo. All happiness unto my lord the king!
Pardon, my lege, that I have ftaid fo long.
Suf. Nay, Glofter, know, that thou art come
too foon,

Unless thou weit more loyal than thou art:
I do arreft thee of high treason here.

Pity was all the fault that was in me;

15 For I fhould melt at an offender's tears,
And lowly words were ranfom for their fault.
Unless it were a bloody murderer,

Or foul felonious thief, that fleec'd poor paffengers,
I never gave them condign punishment:
20 Murder, indeed, that bloody fin, I tortur'd
Above the felon, or what trespass else.

Suf. My lord, these faults are easy 2, quickly

[blush, 45

Glo. Well, Suffolk, yet thou shalt not fee me
Nor change my countenance for this arreft;
A heart unspotted is not easily daunted.
The pureft fpring is not fo free from mud,
As I am clear from treafon to my fovereign:
Who can accufe me? wherein am I guilty?
York. 'Tis thought, my lord, that you took
bribes of France,

And, being protector, ftay'd the foldiers' pay;
By means whereof, his highnefs hath loft France. 55
Glo. Is it but thought fo? What are they, that
think it?

I never robb'd the foldiers of their pay,
Nor ever had one penny bribe from France.
So help me Cod, as I have watch'd the night,
Ay, night by night,-in ftudying good for England!
That doit that e'er I wrefted from the king,

Gear was a general word for things or matters. 3 i. c. dearest liege.