The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 5 of 9] · William Shakespeare
SCENE III. _The palace_.
_Enter three or four Petitioners,_ PETER, _the Armourer’s man, being one_. _First Petit._ My masters, let’s stand close: my lord [bac001] protector will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our supplications in the quill. [bac003] _Sec. Petit._ Marry, the Lord protect him, for he’s a good man! Jesu bless him! ·bac005· _Enter_ SUFFOLK _and_ QUEEN. _Peter._ Here a’ comes, methinks, and the queen with [bac006] him. I’ll be the first, sure. _Sec. Petit._ Come back, fool; this is the Duke of Suffolk, and not my lord protector. _Suf._ How now, fellow! wouldst any thing with me? ·bac010· _First Petit._ I pray, my lord, pardon me; I took ye for my lord protector. _Queen._ [_Reading_] ‘To my Lord Protector!’ Are your [bac013] supplications to his lordship? Let me see them: what is thine? ·bac015· _First Petit._ Mine is, an’t please your grace, against [bac016] John Goodman, my lord cardinal’s man, for keeping my house, and lands, and wife and all, from me. _Suf._ Thy wife too! that’s some wrong, indeed. What’s yours? What’s here! [_Reads_] ‘Against the Duke [bac020] of Suffolk, for enclosing the commons of Melford.’ How [bac021] now, sir knave! _Sec. Petit._ Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township. _Peter_ [_giving his petition_]. Against my master, Thomas [bac025] Horner, for saying that the Duke of York was rightful heir to the crown.
_Queen._ What say’st thou? did the Duke of York say [bac028] he was rightful heir to the crown? _Peter._ That my master was? no, forsooth: my master [bac030] said that he was, and that the king was an usurper. _Suf._ Who is there? [_Enter Servant._] Take this fellow [bac032] in, and send for his master with a pursuivant presently: we’ll hear more of your matter before the king. [_Exit Servant with Peter._ [bac034] _Queen._ And as for you, that love to be protected ·bac035· Under the wings of our protector’s grace, Begin your suits anew, and sue to him. [_Tears the supplications._ [bac037] Away, base cullions! Suffolk, let them go. _All._ Come, let’s be gone. [_Exeunt._ [bac039] _Queen._ My Lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise, ·bac040· Is this the fashion in the court of England? [bac041] 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 Gloucester’s governance? ·bac045· Am I a queen in title and in style, And must be made a subject to a duke? I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours Thou ran’st a tilt in honour of my love [bac049] And stolest away the ladies’ hearts of France, ·bac050· 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, ·bac055· His weapons holy saws of sacred writ, His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves Are brazen images of canonized saints. [bac058] I would the college of the cardinals [bac059] Would choose him pope and carry him to Rome, ·bac060· And set the triple crown upon his head: That were a state fit for his holiness.
_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 public treasury. [bac129] _Buck._ Thy cruelty in execution ·bac130· Upon offenders hath exceeded law And left thee to the mercy of the law. _Queen._ 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. [bac135] [_Exit Gloucester. The Queen drops her fan._ Give me my fan: what, minion! can ye not? [_She gives the Duchess a box on the ear._ I cry you mercy, madam; was it you? _Duch._ Was’t I! yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman: Could I come near your beauty with my nails, I’ld set my ten commandments in your face. [bac140] _King._ Sweet aunt, be quiet; ’twas against her will. _Duch._ 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 wear no breeches, [bac144] She shall not strike Dame Eleanor unrevenged. [_Exit._ ·bac145· _Buck._ Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor, [bac146] And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds: She’s tickled now; her fume needs no spurs, [bac148] She’ll gallop far enough to her destruction. [bac149] [_Exit._ _Re-enter_ GLOUCESTER.
_Glou._ Now, lords, my choler being over-blown [bac150] With walking once about the quadrangle, I come to talk of commonwealth affairs. As for your spiteful false objections, Prove them, and I lie open to the law: But God in mercy so deal with my soul, [bac155] 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 ·bac160· To show 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, ·bac165· My Lord of Somerset will keep me here, [bac166] Without discharge, money, or furniture, Till France be won into the Dauphin’s hands: Last time, I danced attendance on his will Till Paris was besieged, famish’d, and lost. ·bac170· _War._ That can I witness; and a fouler fact Did never traitor in the land commit. _Suf._ Peace, headstrong Warwick! _War._ Image of pride, why should I hold my peace? [bac174] _Enter_ HORNER, _the Armourer, and his man_ PETER, _guarded_. _Suf._ Because here is a man accused of treason: ·bac175· Pray God the Duke of York excuse himself!
_York._ Doth any one accuse York for a traitor? _King._ 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: ·bac180· His words were these: that Richard Duke of York Was rightful heir unto the English crown And that your majesty was an usurper. _King._ Say, man, were these thy words? _Hor._ An’t shall please your majesty, I never said nor [bac185] thought any such matter: God is my witness, I am falsely accused by the villain. _Pet._ By these ten bones, my lords, he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were scouring my Lord of York’s armour. ·bac190· _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. _Hor._ Alas, my lord, hang me, if ever I spake the ·bac195· 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. ·bac200· _King._ Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?
_Glou._ This doom, my lord, if I may judge: [bac202] Let Somerset be regent o’er the French, Because in York this breeds suspicion: And let these have a day appointed them ·bac205· 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. [bac208] _Som._ I humbly thank your royal majesty. _Hor._ And I accept the combat willingly. ·bac210· _Pet._ Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God’s sake, pity my case. The spite of man prevaileth against me. O [bac212] Lord, have mercy upon me! I shall never be able to fight a blow. O Lord, my heart! _Glou._ Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang’d. ·bac215· _King._ Away with them to prison; and the day of [bac216] combat shall be the last of the next month. Come, Somerset, we’ll see thee sent away. [_Flourish. Exeunt._
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.