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 ^{9 note}

2 Pet.

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

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.

Suf.

How now, fellow? wouldst any thing with me?

1 Pet.

I pray, my lord, pardon me! I took ye for my lord protector.

Q. Mar.

For 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.

Suf.

Thy wife too? that is some wrong, indeed. What's your's? 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.

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 mistress was? No, forsooth: my master said, That he was; and that the king was an usurper.

Suf.

Who is there?—Take this fellow in, and send

for his master with a pursuivant presently:—we'll hear more of your matter before the king.

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 ran'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 Ave-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 canoniz'd saints.
I would, the college of the cardinals
Would chuse him pope, and carry him to Rome,
And set the triple crown upon his head;
That were a state fit for his holiness.

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

Q. Mar.
Beside the haught protector, have we Beaufort,
The imperious churchman; Somerset, Buckingham,

And grumbling York: and not the least of these,
But can do more in England than the king.

Suf.
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 revenues on her back,
And in her heart she scorns our poverty:
Shall I not live to be aveng'd 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.

Suf.
Madam, myself have lim'd a bush for her^{1 note}

To them enter king Henry, duke Humphery, Cardinal Beaufort, Buckingham, York, Salisbury, Warwick, and the dutchess of Gloster.

K. Henry.
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 ^{3 note}be deny'd the regentship.

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 better 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 ^{4 note}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.

Suf.
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 publick 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 great,—
Would 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 Dutchess a box on the ear.
I cry you mercy, madam; Was it you?

Elean.
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^{5 note}

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

Elean.
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 wears no breeches,
She shall not strike dame Eleanor unreveng'd. ^{6 note}



[Exit Eleanor.

Buck.
Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,
And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds:
She's tickled now; her fume can need no spurs,
She'll gallop fast enough to her destruction. [Exit Buckingham. Re-enter duke Humphrey.

Glo.
Now, lords, my choler being over-blown
With walking once about the quadrangle,
I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
As for your spightful false objections,
Prove them, and I lie open to the law:
But God in mercy deal so 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.

Suf.
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 danc'd attendance on his will,

'Till Paris was besieg'd, famish'd, and lost.

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

Suf.
Peace, head-strong Warwick!

War.
Image of pride, why should I hold my peace? Enter Horner the armourer, and his man Peter, guarded.

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

York.
Doth any one accuse York for a traitor?

K. Henry.
What mean'st thou, Suffolk? tell me: What are these?

Suf.
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 an usurper.

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

Arm.

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

Peter.

^{7 note}

York.
Base dunghill villain, and mechanical,

I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech:—
I do beseech your royal majesty,
Let him have all the rigour of the law.

Arm.

Alas, my lord, hang me, if ever I spake the words. My accuser is my prentice; and when I did correct him for his fault the other day, he did vow upon his knees he would be even with me: I have good witness of this; therefore, I beseech your majesty, do not cast away an honest man for a villain's accusation.

K. Henry.
Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?

Glo.
This doom, my lord, if I may judge.
Let Somerset be regent o'er the French,
Because in York this breeds suspicion:
And let these have a day appointed them
For single combat, in convenient place;
For he hath witness of his servant's malice:
This is the law, and this duke Humphrey's doom.

^{8 note}

Then be it so. My lord of Somerset, We make your grace lord regent o'er the French.

Som.

I humbly thank your royal majesty.

Arm.

And I accept the combat willingly.

Peter.

Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God's sake, pity my case! the spight of ^{9 note}a man prevaileth against me. O, Lord have mercy upon me! I shall never be able to fight a blow: O Lord, my heart!—

Glo.
Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd.

K. Henry.
Away with them to prison: and the day
Of combat shall be the last of the next month.—
Come, Somerset, we'll see thee sent away. [Flourish. Exeunt.

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