Bolingbroke, under guard.
K. Hen.
Stand forth, dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloster's wife.
In sight of God, and us, your guilt is great:
Receive the sentence of the law, for sins
Such as by God's book are adjudg'd to death.—
You four, from hence to prison back again;
[To Jourd., &c.
From thence, unto the place of execution:
The witch in Smithfield shall be burn'd to ashes,
And you three shall be strangled on the gallows.—
You, madam, for you are more nobly born,
Despoiled 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 Isle of Man.
Duch.
Welcome is banishment; welcome were my death.
Glo.
Eleanor, the law, thou seest, hath judged thee:
I cannot justify whom the law condemns.—
[Exeunt the Duchess, and the other Prisoners, guarded.
Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief.
Ah, Humphrey! this dishonour in thine age
Will bring thy head with sorrow to the ground.—
I beseech your majesty, give me leave to go;
Sorrow would solace, and mine age would ease.
K. Hen.
Stay, Humphrey duke of Gloster. Ere thou go,
Give up thy staff: Henry will to himself
-- 144 --
Protector be; and God shall be my hope,
My stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet.
And go in peace, Humphrey; no less belov'd,
Than when thou wert protector to thy king.
Q. Mar.
I see no reason why a king of years
Should be to be protected like a child.—
God and king Henry govern England's realm4 note.
Give up you staff, sir, and the king his realm.
Glo.
My staff?—here, noble Henry, is my staff;
As willingly do I the same resign,
As e'er thy father Henry made it mine: 11Q0724
And even as willingly at thy feet I leave it,
As others would ambitiously receive it.
Farewell, good king: when I am dead and gone,
May honourable peace attend thy throne.
[Exit.
Q. Mar.
Why, now is Henry king, and Margaret queen;
And Humphrey, duke of Gloster, scarce himself,
That bears so shrew'd a maim: two pulls at once,—
His lady banish'd, and a limb lopp'd off;
This staff of honour raught5 note:—there let it stand,
Where it best fits to be, in Henry's hand.
Suf.
Thus droops this lofty pine, and hangs his sprays;
Thus Eleanor's pride dies in her youngest days.
York.
Lords, let him go6 note.—Please it your majesty,
This is the day appointed for the combat;
And ready are the appellant and defendant,
The armourer and his man, to enter the lists,
-- 145 --
So please your highness to behold the fight.
Q. Mar.
Ay, good my lord; for purposely, therefore,
Left I the court to see this quarrel tried.
K. Hen.
O' God's name, see the lists and all things fit:
Here let them end it, and God defend the right!
York.
I never saw a fellow worse bestead,
Or more afraid to fight, than is the appellant,
The servant of this armourer, my lords.
Enter, on one side, Horner, and his Neighbours, drinking
to him so much that he is drunk; and he enters
bearing his staff with a sand-bag fastened to it; a drum
before him: at the other side, Peter, with a drum and
a similar staff; accompanied by Prentices drinking to him.
1 Neigh.
Here, neighbour Horner, I drink to you in
a cup of sack. And fear not, neighbour, you shall do
well enough.
2 Neigh.
And here, neighbour, here's a cup of charneco7 note.
3 Neigh.
And here's a pot of good double beer,
neighbour: drink, and fear not your man.
Hor.
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 master:
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 give thee my
apron; and, Will, thou shalt have my hammer:—and
here, Tom, take all the money that I have.—O Lord,
-- 146 --
bless me! I pray God, for I am never able to deal
with my master, he hath learnt so much fence already.
Sal.
Come, leave your drinking, and fall to blows.—
Sirrah, what's thy name?
Peter.
Peter, forsooth.
Sal.
Peter! what more?
Peter.
Thump.
Sal.
Thump! then see thou thump thy master well.
Hor.
Masters, I am come hither, as it were, upon
my man's instigation, to prove him a knave, and myself
an honest 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 blow8 note.
York.
Despatch: this knave's tongue begins to double.
Sound, trumpets, alarum to the combatants.
[Alarum, They fight, and Peter strikes down his Master.
Hor.
Hold, Peter, hold! I confess, I confess treason.
[Dies.
York.
Take away his weapon.—Fellow, thank God,
and the good wine in thy master's way.
Peter.
O God! have I overcome mine enemies in
this presence? O Peter! thou hast prevailed in right.
K. Hen.
Go, take hence that traitor from our sight;
For, by his death, we do perceive his guilt:
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 wrongfully.—
Come, fellow; follow us for thy reward.
[Exeunt.
-- 147 --
J. Payne Collier [1842–1844], The works of William Shakespeare. The text formed from an entirely new collation of the old editions: with the various readings, notes, a life of the poet, and a history of the Early English stage. By J. Payne Collier, Esq. F.S.A. In eight volumes (Whittaker & Co. [etc.], London) [word count] [S10101].
