K. Henry.
I muse, my Lord of Glo'ster is not come;
'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 you not observe
The strangeness of his alter'd countenance,
With what a majesty he bears himself,
How insolent of late he is become,
How peremptory and unlike himself?
We know the time, since 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 ev'ry one will give the time of day,
He knits his brow and shews 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 Humphry 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.
^{1 note}Me seemeth then, it is no policy,

Respecting what a ranc'rous 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 flatt'ry hath he won the common hearts:
And when he'll please to make commotion,
'Tis to be fear'd, they all will follow him.
Now 'tis the spring, 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,
Made me collect these dangers in the Duke.
If it be fond, call it a woman's fear,
Which fear if better reasons can supplant
I will subscribe, and say, I wrong'd the Duke.
My Lords of Suffolk, Buckingham, and York,
Reprove my allegation, if you can,
Or else 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 should have told your Grace's tale.^{2 note}
The Dutchess, by his subornation,
Upon my life, began her devilish practices,
Or if he were not privy to those faults,
Yet, by repeating of his high descent,
As next the King he was successive heir,
And such high vaunts of his nobility,
Did instigate the bedlam brain-sick Dutchess
By wicked means to frame our sov'reign's fall.
Smooth runs the water, where the brook is deep;
And in his simple shew he harbours treason.
The fox barks not when he would steal the lamb.
No, no, my sov'reign; Glo'ster is a man
Unsounded yet, and full of deep deceit.

Car.
Did he not, contrary to form of law,
Devise strange deaths for small offences done?

York.
And did he not in his protectorship
Levy great sums of mony through the realm
For soldiers' pay in France, and never sent it?
By means whereof the towns each day revolted.

Buck.
Tut, these are petty faults to faults unknown;
Which time will bring to light in smooth Duke Humphry.

K. Henry.
My Lords, at once. The care you have of us,
To mow down thorns that would annoy our foot,
Is worthy praise; but shall I speak my conscience?
Our kinsman Glo'ster is as innocent
From meaning treason to our royal person
As is the sucking lamb or harmless dove.
The Duke is virtuous, mild, and too well given
To dream on evil, or to work my downfal.

Q. Mar.
Ah! what's more dang'rous than this fond affiance?
Seems he a dove? his feathers are but borrow'd;
For he's disposed as the hateful Raven.
Is he a lamb? his skin is, surely, lent him;
For he's inclin'd as is the ravenous wolf.
Who cannot steal a shape that means deceit?
Take heed, my Lord; the welfare of us all
Hangs on the cutting short that fraudful man. Enter Somerset.

Som.
All health unto my gracious Sovereign!

K. Henry.
Welcome, Lord Somerset; what news from France?

Som.
That all your int'rest in those territories
Is utterly bereft you; all is lost.

K. Henry.
Cold news, Lord Somerset. But God's will be done!

York.
Cold news for me; for I had hope of France,
As firmly as I hope for fertile England.

Thus are my blossoms blasted in the bud,
And caterpillars eat my leaves away.
But I will remedy ^{3 note}this gear ere long,
Or sell my title for a glorious grave. [Aside.

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