Enter three or four Petitioners, ⌜Peter,⌝ the
Armorer’s man, being one.FIRST PETITIONER My masters, let’s stand close. My Lord Protector will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our supplications in the quill.SECOND PETITIONER Marry, the Lord protect him, for5 he’s a good man! Jesu bless him!Enter Suffolk, ⌜wearing the red rose,⌝
and Queen ⌜Margaret.⌝⌜FIRST PETITIONER⌝ Here he comes, methinks, and the Queen with him. I’ll be the first, sure.⌜He steps forward.⌝SECOND PETITIONER Come back, fool! This is the Duke of Suffolk, and not my Lord Protector.SUFFOLK 10How now, fellow? Wouldst anything with me?FIRST PETITIONER I pray, my lord, pardon me. I took you for my Lord Protector.QUEEN MARGARET ⌜takes a petition and reads.⌝ To my
15 Lord Protector. Are your supplications to his Lordship? Let me see them.—What is thine?FIRST PETITIONER 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,20 from me.SUFFOLK Thy wife too? That’s some wrong indeed.— What’s yours? ⌜Taking a petition.⌝ What’s here? ⌜(Reads.)⌝ Against the Duke of Suffolk for enclosing
the commons of Melford. How now, sir knave?SECOND PETITIONER 25Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.PETER, ⌜showing his petition⌝ Against my master,
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Thomas Horner, for saying that the Duke of York was rightful heir to the crown.QUEEN MARGARET 30What sayst thou? Did the Duke of York say he was rightful heir to the crown?PETER That my ⌜master⌝ was? No, forsooth. My master said that he was and that the King was an usurper.SUFFOLK, ⌜calling⌝ 35Who is there?Enter Servant. Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a pursuivant presently.—We’ll hear more of your matter before the King.⌜Peter⌝ exits ⌜with Servant.⌝QUEEN MARGARET And as for you that love to be protected40 Under the wings of our Protector’s grace, Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.Tear the supplication. Away, base cullions.—Suffolk, let them go.ALL Come, let’s be gone.⌜They⌝ exit.QUEEN MARGARET My lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,45 Is this the fashions 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 Gloucester’s governance?50 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 rann’st atilt in honor of my love And stol’st away the ladies’ hearts of France,55 I thought King Henry had resembled thee In courage, courtship, and proportion. But all his mind is bent to holiness,
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To number Ave Marys on his beads; His champions are the prophets and apostles,60 His weapons holy saws of sacred writ, His study is his tiltyard, and his loves Are brazen images of canonized saints. I would the College of the Cardinals Would choose him pope and carry him to Rome65 And set the triple crown upon his head! That were a state fit for his holiness.SUFFOLK Madam, be patient. As I was cause Your Highness came to England, so will I In England work your Grace’s full content.QUEEN MARGARET 70 Besides the haughty 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.SUFFOLK And he of these that can do most of all75 Cannot do more in England than the Nevilles; Salisbury and Warwick are no simple peers.QUEEN MARGARET 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 of80 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.85 Shall I not live to be avenged on her? Contemptuous baseborn callet as she is, She vaunted ’mongst her minions t’ other day The very train of her worst wearing gown
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Was better worth than all my father’s lands90 Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter.SUFFOLK Madam, myself have limed a bush for her And placed a choir of such enticing birds That she will light to listen to the lays And never mount to trouble you again.95 So let her rest. And, madam, list to me, For I am bold to counsel you in this: Although we fancy not the Cardinal, Yet must we join with him and with the lords Till we have brought Duke Humphrey in disgrace.100 As for the Duke of York, this late complaint Will make but little for his benefit. So, one by one, we’ll weed them all at last, And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.Sound a sennet. Enter King ⌜Henry,⌝ Duke Humphrey
⌜of Gloucester,⌝ Cardinal, ⌜Somerset, wearing the red
rose,⌝ Buckingham, Salisbury; York and Warwick, ⌜both
wearing the white rose;⌝ and the Duchess ⌜of
Gloucester.⌝KING HENRY For my part, noble lords, I care not which;105 Or Somerset or York, all’s one to me.YORK If York have ill demeaned himself in France, Then let him be denied the regentship.SOMERSET If Somerset be unworthy of the place, Let York be regent; I will yield to him.WARWICK 110 Whether your Grace be worthy, yea or no, Dispute not that. York is the worthier.CARDINAL Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.
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WARWICK The Cardinal’s not my better in the field.BUCKINGHAM All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.WARWICK 115 Warwick may live to be the best of all.SALISBURY Peace, son.—And show some reason, Buckingham, Why Somerset should be preferred in this.QUEEN MARGARET Because the King, forsooth, will have it so.GLOUCESTER Madam, the King is old enough himself120 To give his censure. These are no women’s matters.QUEEN MARGARET If he be old enough, what needs your Grace To be Protector of his Excellence?GLOUCESTER Madam, I am Protector of the realm, And at his pleasure will resign my place.SUFFOLK 125 Resign it, then, and leave thine insolence. Since thou wert king—as who is king but thou?— The commonwealth hath daily run to wrack, The Dauphin hath prevailed beyond the seas, And all the peers and nobles of the realm130 Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.CARDINAL, ⌜to Gloucester⌝ The Commons hast thou racked; the clergy’s bags Are lank and lean with thy extortions.SOMERSET, ⌜to Gloucester⌝ Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife’s attire Have cost a mass of public treasury.BUCKINGHAM, ⌜to Gloucester⌝ 135 Thy cruelty in execution Upon offenders hath exceeded law And left thee to the mercy of the law.
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QUEEN MARGARET, ⌜to Gloucester⌝ Thy sale of offices and towns in France, If they were known, as the suspect is great,140 Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.Gloucester exits.⌜Queen Margaret drops her fan.⌝ ⌜To Duchess.⌝ Give me my fan. What, minion, can you not?She gives the Duchess a box on the ear. I cry you mercy, madam. Was it you?DUCHESS Was ’t I? Yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman.145 Could I come near your beauty with my nails, ⌜I’d⌝ set my ten commandments in your face.KING HENRY Sweet aunt, be quiet. ’Twas against her will.DUCHESS Against her will, good king? Look to ’t in time. She’ll hamper thee and dandle thee like a baby.150 Though in this place most master wear no breeches, She shall not strike Dame Eleanor unrevenged.Eleanor, ⌜the Duchess,⌝ exits.BUCKINGHAM, ⌜aside to Cardinal⌝ Lord Cardinal, I will follow Eleanor And listen after Humphrey how he proceeds. She’s tickled now; her fume needs no spurs;155 She’ll gallop far enough to her destruction.Buckingham exits.Enter Humphrey, ⌜Duke of Gloucester.⌝GLOUCESTER Now, lords, my choler being overblown With walking once about the quadrangle, I come to talk of commonwealth affairs. As for your spiteful false objections,160 Prove them, and I lie open to the law; But God in mercy so deal with my soul
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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 man165 To be your regent in the realm of France.SUFFOLK Before we make election, give me leave 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:170 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.175 Last time I danced attendance on his will Till Paris was besieged, famished, and lost.WARWICK That can I witness, and a fouler fact Did never traitor in the land commit.SUFFOLK Peace, headstrong Warwick!WARWICK 180 Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?Enter ⌜Horner, the⌝ Armorer, and his Man
⌜Peter, under guard.⌝SUFFOLK Because here is a man accused of treason. Pray God the Duke of York excuse himself!YORK Doth anyone accuse York for a traitor?KING HENRY What mean’st thou, Suffolk? Tell me, what are185 these?
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SUFFOLK 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,190 And that your Majesty was an usurper.KING HENRY Say, man, were these thy words?HORNER An ’t shall please your Majesty, I never said nor thought any such matter. God is my witness, I am falsely accused by the villain.PETER 195By 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 armor.YORK, ⌜to Horner⌝ Base dunghill villain and mechanical, I’ll have thy head for this thy traitor’s speech!—200 I do beseech your royal Majesty, Let him have all the rigor of the law.HORNER 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 vow205 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!KING HENRY Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?GLOUCESTER 210 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,215 For he hath witness of his servant’s malice. This is the law, and this Duke Humphrey’s doom.
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SOMERSET I humbly thank your royal Majesty.HORNER And I accept the combat willingly.PETER Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God’s sake pity220 my case! The spite of man prevaileth against me. O Lord, have mercy upon me! I shall never be able to fight a blow. O Lord, my heart!GLOUCESTER Sirrah, or you must fight or else be hanged.KING HENRY Away with them to prison; and the day of225 combat shall be the last of the next month.— Come, Somerset, we’ll see thee sent away.Flourish. They exit.
Henry VI, Part 2
