&mast;1 Pet.

&mast;Here 'a comes, methinks, and the queen with him: I'll be the first, sure.&mast;

&mlquo;2 Pet.

&mlquo;Come back, fool; this is the duke of Suffolk, and not my lord protector.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Suf.

&mlquo;How now, fellow? would'st any thing with me?&mrquo;

&mlquo;1 Pet.

&mlquo;I pray, my lord, pardon me! I took ye for my lord protector.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Q. Mar. [Reading the superscription.]

&mlquo;To my lord protector! are your supplications to his lordship? Let me see them: What is thine?&mrquo;

&mlquo;1 Pet.

&mlquo;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.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Suf.

&mlquo;Thy wife too? that is some wrong, indeed^{2 note}. —What's your's?—What's here! [Reads.]

Against the duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the commons of Melford.—How now, sir knave?&mrquo;

&mlquo;2 Pet.

&mlquo;Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Peter. [Presenting his petition.]

&mlquo;Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying, That the duke of York was rightful heir to the crown.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Q. Mar.

&mlquo;What say'st thou? Did the duke of York say, he was rightful heir to the crown.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Pet.

&mlquo;That my master was^{3 note}

&mlquo;Suf.

&mlquo;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 king.&mrquo;

&mlquo;Q. Mar.
&mlquo;And as for you, that love to be protected
&mlquo;Under the wings of our protector's grace,
&mlquo;Begin your suits anew, and sue to him. [Tears the Petition.
&mlquo;Away, base cullions!—Suffolk, let them go.

&mast;All.
&mast;Come, let's be gone. [Exeunt Petitioners.

&mast;Q. Mar.
&mast;My lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
&mast;Is this the fashion in the court of England?
&mast;Is this the government of Britain's isle,
&mast;And this the royalty of Albion's king?
&mast;What, shall king Henry be a pupil still,
&mast;Under the surly Gloster's governance?
&mast;Am I a queen in title and in style,
&mast;And must be made a subject to a duke?
&mlquo;I tell thee, Poole, when in the city Tours
&mlquo;Thou ran'st a tilt in honour of my love,
&mlquo;And stol'st away the ladies' hearts of France;
&mlquo;I thought king Henry had resembled thee,
&mlquo;In courage, courtship, and proportion:
&mlquo;But all his mind is bent to holiness,
&mast;To number Ave-Maries on his beads:
&mast;His champions are—the prophets and apostles;
&mast;His weapons, holy saws of sacred writ;
&mast;His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves
&mast;Are brazen images of canoniz'd saints.
&mast;I would, the college of cardinals
&mast;Would choose him pope, and carry him to Rome,
&mast;And set the triple crown upon his head;
&mast;That were a state fit for his holiness.

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

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

&mast;Suf.
&mast;And he of these, that can do most of all,
&mast;Cannot do more in England than the Nevils:

&mast;Salisbury, and Warwick, are no simple peers.

&mlquo;Q. Mar.
&mlquo;Not all these lords do vex me half so much,
&mlquo;As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife,
&mlquo;She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies,
&mlquo;More like an empress than duke Humphrey's wife:
Strangers in court do take her for the queen:
&mast;She bears a duke's revenues on her back^{3 note},
&mast;And in her heart she scorns our poverty:
&mast;Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her?
&mast;Contemptuous base-born callat as she is,
&mlquo;She vaunted 'mongst her minions t'other day,
&mlquo;The very train of her worst wearing-gown
&mlquo;Was better worth than all my father's lands,
&mast;Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms^{4 note} for his daughter.

&mlquo;Suf.
&mlquo;Madam, myself have lim'd a bush for her^{5 note}

&mast;Will make but little for his benefit:
&mast;So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last,
&mast;And you yourself shall steer the happy helm. Enter King Henry, York, and Somerset, conversing with him; Duke and Duchess of Gloster, Cardinal Beaufort, Buckingham, Salisbury, and Warwick.

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

&mlquo;York.
&mlquo;If York have ill demean'd himself in France,
&mlquo;Then let him be denay'd^{7 note}

&mlquo;Som.
&mlquo;If Somerset be unworthy of the place,
&mlquo;Let York be regent, I will yield to him.

&mlquo;War.
&mlquo;Whether your grace be worthy, yea, or no,
&mlquo;Dispute not that: York is the worthier.

&mlquo;Car.
&mlquo;Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.

War.
The cardinal's not my better in the field.

&mlquo;Buck.
&mlquo;All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.

War.
Warwick may live to be the best of all.

&mast;Sal.
&mast;Peace, son;—and show some reason, Buckingham,
&mast;Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this.

&mast;Q. Mar.
&mast;Because the king, forsooth, will have it so.

&mlquo;Glo.
&mlquo;Madam, the king is old enough himself

&mlquo;To give his censure^{8 note}

Q. Mar.
If he be old enough, what needs your grace
&mlquo;To be protector of his excellence?

&mlquo;Glo.
&mlquo;Madam, I am protector of the realm;
&mlquo;And, at his pleasure, will resign my place.

Suf.
Resign it then, and leave thine insolence.
&mlquo;Since thou wert king, (as who is king, but thou?)
&mlquo;The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck:
&mast;The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas;
&mast;And all the peers and nobles of the realm
&mast;Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.

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

&mast;Som.
&mast;Thy sumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire,
&mast;Have cost a mass of publick treasury.

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

&mast;Q. Mar.
&mast;Thy sale of offices, and towns in France,—
&mast;If they were known, as the suspect is great,—
&mast;Would make thee quickly hop without thy head. [Exit Gloster. The Queen drops her Fan.

&mlquo;Give me my fan^{9 note}
: What, minion! can you not? [Gives the Duchess a box on the ear.
&mlquo;I cry you mercy, madam; Was it you?

&mlquo;Duch.
&mlquo;Was't I? yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman:
&mlquo;Could I come near your beauty with my nails,
I'd set my ten commandments in your face^{1 note}

K. Hen.
Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will.

&mlquo;Duch.
&mlquo;Against her will! Good king, look to't in time;
&mlquo;She'll hamper thee, and dandle thee like a baby:
&mast;Though in this place most master wear no breeches,
She shall not strike dame Eleanor unreveng'd. [Exit Duchess^{2 note}



.

&mast;Buck.
&mast;Lord Cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,
&mast;And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds:
&mast;She's tickled now^{3 note}

&mast;She'll gallop fast enough^{4 note} to her destruction. [Exit Buckingham. Re-enter Gloster.

&mast;Glo.
&mast;Now, lords, my choler being over-blown,
&mast;With walking once about the quadrangle,
&mast;I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
&mast;As for your spiteful false objections,
&mast;Prove them, and I lie open to the law:
&mast;But God in mercy so deal with my soul,
&mast;As I in duty love my king and country!
&mast;But, to the matter that we have in hand:—
&mast;I say, my sovereign, York is meetest man
&mast;To be your regent in the realm of France.

&mast;Suf.
&mast;Before we make election, give me leave
&mlquo;To show some reason, of no little force,
&mlquo;That York is most unmeet of any man.

&mlquo;York.
&mlquo;I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet.
&mlquo;First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride:
&mast;Next, if I be appointed for the place,
&mast;My lord of Somerset will keep me here,

&mast;Without discharge, money, or furniture,
&mast;Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands.
&mast;Last time, I danc'd attendance on his will,
&mast;Till Paris was besieg'd, famish'd, and lost.

&mast;War.
&mast;That I can witness; and a fouler fact
&mast;Did never traitor in the land commit.

Suf.
Peace, head-strong Warwick!

War.
Image of pride, why should I hold my peace? Enter Servants of Suffolk, bringing in Horner and Peter.

Suf.
Because here is a man accus'd of treason;
Pray God, the duke of York excuse himself!

&mast;York.
&mast;Doth any one accuse York for a traitor?

&mast;K. Hen.
&mast;What mean'st thou, Suffolk? tell me: What are these?

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

&mlquo;K. Hen.

&mlquo;Say, man, were these thy words?&mrquo;

Hor.

An't shall please your majesty, I never said nor thought any such matter: God is my witness, I am falsely accused by the villain.

&mlquo;Pet.

&mlquo;By these ten bones^{5 note}