The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 5 of 9] · William Shakespeare
SCENE VIII.
Enter Duke _Humphrey_ and his men, in mourning cloakes. _Humph._ Sirrha, whats a clocke? [dah001] _Seruing._ Almost ten my Lord. _Humph._ Then is that wofull houre hard at hand, That my poore Lady should come by this way, In shamefull penance wandring in the streetes, ·dah005· Sweete Nell, ill can thy noble minde abrooke, The abiect people gazing on thy face, With enuious lookes laughing at thy shame, That earst did follow thy proud Chariot wheeles, When thou didst ride in tryumph through the streetes. ·dah010· Enter Dame _Elnor Cobham_, bare-foote, and a white sheete about her, with a waxe candle in her hand, and verses written on her backe and pind on, and accompanied with the Sheriffes of London, and Sir _Iohn Standly_, and Officers, with billes and holbards. _Seruing._ My gratious Lord, see where my Lady comes, Please it your grace, weele take her from the Sheriffes? _Humph._ I charge you for your liues stir not a foote, Nor offer once to draw a weapon here, But let them do their office as they should. ·dah015· _Elnor._ Come you my Lord to see my open shame? Ah Gloster, now thou doest penance too, [dah017] See how the giddie people looke at thee, Shaking their heads, and pointing at thee heere, Go get thee gone, and hide thee from their sights, ·dah020· And in thy pent vp studie rue my shame, And ban thine enemies. Ah mine and thine.
Enter a Herald of Armes. _Herald._ I summon your Grace, vnto his highnesse Parlament holden at saint Edmunds-Bury, the first of the next month. [dah053] _Humphrey._ A Parlament and our consent neuer craude Therein before. This is sodeine. [dah055] Well, we will be there. _Exet. Herald._ Maister Sheriffe, I pray proceede no further against my Lady, then the course of law extendes. _Sheriffe._ Please it your grace, my office here doth end, And I must deliuer her to sir Iohn Standly, [dah060] To be conducted into the Ile of Man. _Humphrey._ Must you sir Iohn conduct my Lady? _Standly._ _I_ my gratious Lord, for so it is decreede, [dah063] And _I_ am so commanded by the King. _Humph._ _I_ pray you sir Iohn, vse her neare the worse, [dah065] In that _I_ intreat you to vse her well. The world may smile againe and I may liue, To do you fauour if you do it her, And so sir Iohn farewell. _Elnor._ What gone my Lord, and bid me not farwell? [dah070] _Humph._ Witnesse my bleeding heart, I cannot stay to speake. _Exet Hnmphrey_ and his men. _Elnor._ Then is he gone, is noble Gloster gone, And doth Duke Humphrey now forsake me too? Then let me haste from out faire Englands boundes, Come Standly come, and let vs haste away. ·dah075· _Standly._ Madam lets go vnto some house hereby, [dah076] Where you may shift your selfe before we go. _Elnor._ Ah good sir Iohn, my shame cannot be hid, Nor put away with casting off my sheete: But come let vs go, maister Sheriffe farewell, ·dah080· Thou hast but done thy office as thou shoulst. [dah081] _Exet omnes._
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.