Suffolk
How now, fellow! would’st anything with me?
First Petitioner
I pray, my lord, pardon me; I took ye for my lord protector.
Queen Margaret
[Reading] ‘To my 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, from me.
Suffolk
Thy wife, too! that’s some wrong, indeed. What’s yours? What’s here!
[Reads] ‘Against the Duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the commons of Melford.’ How now, sir knave!
Second Petitioner
Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.
Peter
[Giving his petition] Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying that the Duke of York was rightful heir to the crown.
Queen Margaret
What 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
Who 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.
Exit Servant with Peter
Queen Margaret
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 supplication
Away, base cullions! Suffolk, let them go.
All
Come, let’s be gone.
Exeunt
Queen Margaret
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 Gloucester’s governance?
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
And stolest 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 canonized saints.
I would the college of the cardinals
Would choose him pope, and carry him to Rome,
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
Beside 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 all
Cannot do more in England than the Nevils:
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 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 avenged on her?
Contemptuous base-born callet 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.
Suffolk
Madam, myself have limed a bush for her,
And placed a quire of such enticing birds,
That she will light to listen to the lays,
And never mount to trouble you again.
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.
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 VI, Gloucester, Cardinal, Buckingham, York, Somerset, Salisbury, Warwick, and the Duchess
King Henry VI
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 be denay’d the regentship.
Somerset
If Somerset be unworthy of the place,
Let York be regent; I will yield to him.
Warwick
Whether your grace be worthy, yea or no,
Dispute not that: York is the worthier.
Cardinal
Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.
Warwick
The cardinal’s not my better in the field.
Buckingham
All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.
Warwick
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 himself
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
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.
Cardinal
The commons hast thou rack’d; the clergy’s bags
Are lank and lean with thy extortions.
Somerset
Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife’s attire
Have cost a mass of public treasury.
Buckingham
Thy cruelty in execution
Upon offenders, hath exceeded law,
And left thee to the mercy of the law.
Queen Margaret
They 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 Gloucester. Queen Margaret 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?
Duchess
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.
King Henry VI
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:
Though in this place most master wear no breeches,
She shall not strike Dame Eleanor unrevenged.
Exit
Buckingham
Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,
And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds:
She’s tickled now; her fume needs no spurs,
She’ll gallop far enough to her destruction.
Exit
Re-enter Gloucester
Gloucester
Now, lords, my choler being over-blown
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,
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.
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:
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 danced attendance on his will
Till Paris was besieged, famish’d, and lost.
Warwick
That can I witness; and a fouler fact
Did never traitor in the land commit.
Suffolk
Peace, headstrong Warwick!
Warwick
Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?
Enter Horner, the Armourer, and his man Peter, guarded
Suffolk
Because here is a man accused of treason:
Pray God the Duke of York excuse himself!
York
Doth any one accuse York for a traitor?
King Henry VI
What mean’st thou, Suffolk; tell me, what are these?
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
And that your majesty was a usurper.
King Henry VI
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
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.
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 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 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.
King Henry VI
Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?
Gloucester
This doom, my lord, if I may judge:
Let Somerset be regent over 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.
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, pity 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 hang’d.
King Henry VI
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
SCENE IV. GLOUCESTER’S GARDEN.
Enter Margaret Jourdain, Hume, Southwell, and Bolingbroke
Hume
Come, my masters; the duchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises.
Bolingbroke
Master Hume, we are therefore provided: will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms?
Hume
Ay, what else? fear you not her courage.
Bolingbroke
I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible spirit: but it shall be convenient, Master Hume, that you be by her aloft, while we be busy below; and so, I pray you, go, in God’s name, and leave us.
Exit Hume
Mother Jourdain, be you prostrate and grovel on the earth; John Southwell, read you; and let us to our work.
Enter the Duchess aloft, Hume following
Duchess
Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this gear the sooner the better.
Bolingbroke
Patience, good lady; wizards know their times:
Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night,
The time of night when Troy was set on fire;
The time when screech-owls cry and ban-dogs howl,
And spirits walk and ghosts break up their graves,
That time best fits the work we have in hand.
Madam, sit you and fear not: whom we raise,
We will make fast within a hallow’d verge.
Here they do the ceremonies belonging, and make the circle; Bolingbroke or Southwell reads, Conjuro te, &c. It thunders and lightens terribly; then the Spirit riseth
Spirit
Adsum.
Margaret Jourdain
Asmath,
By the eternal God, whose name and power
Thou tremblest at, answer that I shall ask;
For, till thou speak, thou shalt not pass from hence.
Spirit
Ask what thou wilt. That I had said and done!
Bolingbroke
[Reading out of a paper] ‘First of the king: what shall of him become?’
Spirit
The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose;
But him outlive, and die a violent death.
As the Spirit speaks, Southwell writes the answer
Bolingbroke
‘What fates await the Duke of Suffolk?’
Spirit
By water shall he die, and take his end.
Bolingbroke
‘What shall befall the Duke of Somerset?’
Spirit
Let him shun castles;
Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
Than where castles mounted stand.
Have done, for more I hardly can endure.
Bolingbroke
Descend to darkness and the burning lake!
False fiend, avoid!
Thunder and lightning. Exit Spirit
E
nter York and Buckingham with their Guard and break in
York
Lay hands upon these traitors and their trash.
Beldam, I think we watch’d you at an inch.
What, madam, are you there? the king and commonweal
Are deeply indebted for this piece of pains:
My lord protector will, I doubt it not,
See you well guerdon’d for these good deserts.
Duchess
Not half so bad as thine to England’s king,
Injurious duke, that threatest where’s no cause.
Buckingham
True, madam, none at all: what call you this?
Away with them! let them be clapp’d up close.
And kept asunder. You, madam, shall with us.
Stafford, take her to thee.
Exeunt above Duchess and Hume, guarded
We’ll see your trinkets here all forthcoming.
All, away!
Exeunt guard with Margaret Jourdain, Southwell, &c
York
Lord Buckingham, methinks, you watch’d her well:
A pretty plot, well chosen to build upon!
Now, pray, my lord, let’s see the devil’s writ.
What have we here?
[Reads] ‘The duke yet lives, that Henry shall depose;
But him outlive, and die a violent death.’
Why, this is just
‘Aio te, Aeacida, Romanos vincere posse.’
Well, to the rest:
‘Tell me what fate awaits the Duke of Suffolk?
By water shall he die, and take his end.
What shall betide the Duke of Somerset?
Let him shun castles;
Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
Than where castles mounted stand.’
Come, come, my lords;
These oracles are hardly attain’d,
And hardly understood.
The king is now in progress towards Saint Alban’s,
With him the husband of this lovely lady:
Thither go these news, as fast as horse can carry them:
A sorry breakfast for my lord protector.
Buckingham
Your grace shall give me leave, my Lord of York,
To be the post, in hope of his reward.
York
At your pleasure, my good lord. Who’s within there, ho!
Enter a Servingman
Invite my Lords of Salisbury and Warwick
To sup with me to-morrow night. Away!
Exeunt
ACT II
SCENE I. SAINT ALBAN’S.
Enter King Henry VI, Queen Margaret, Gloucester, Cardinal, and Suffolk, with Falconers halloing
Queen Margaret
Believe me, lords, for flying at the brook,
I saw not better sport these seven years’ day:
Yet, by your leave, the wind was very high;
And, ten to one, old Joan had not gone out.
King Henry VI
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