And therefore haste I to the parliament; Or make my ill th' advantage of my good. ACT III. [Exit. SCENE I.-The same. The Parliament-House. Flourish. Enter King HENRY, EXETER, GLOSTER, the Bishop of WINCHESTER, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, WARWICK, SOMER SET, and SUFFOLK; GLOSTER offers to put up a bill ; WINCHESTER snatches it, and tears it. Win. Com'st thou with deep premeditated lines, As I with sudden and extemporal speech Glo. Presumptuous priest! this place commands my patience, Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonour'd me. Thou art a most pernicious usurer; Win. Gloster, I do defy thee.-Lords, vouchsafe If I were covetous, ambitious, or perverse, [4] That is articles of accusation, for in this sense of the word bill was sometimes used. MALONE. As he will have me, How am I so poor? Glo. As good? Thou bastard of my grandfather !*— Win. Ay, lordly sir; For what are you, I pray, Glo. Am I not the protector, saucy priest? Glo. Thou art reverent Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life. War. Roam thither then." Som. My lord, it were your duty to forbear. War. Ay, see the bishop be not overborne. Som. Methinks, my lord should be religious, And know the office that belongs to such. War. Methinks, his lordship should be humbler; Som. Yes, when his holy state is touch'd so near. Plan. Plantagenet, I see, must hold his tongue; K. Hen. Uncles of Gloster, and of Winchester, The special watchmen of our English weal; [Aside. [4] The Bishop of Winchester was an illegitimate son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, by Katharine Swynford, whom the duke afterwards married. MALONE. [5] Roam to Rome. To roam, is supposed to be derived from the cant of vagabonds, who often pretended a pilgrimage to Rome. JOHNSON. I would prevail, if prayers might prevail, That two such noble peers as ye, should jar! That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.- [A noise within; Down with the tawny coats! What tumult's this? War. An uproar, I dare warrant, Begun through malice of the bishop's men. [A noise again; Stones! stones! Enter the Mayor of London, attended. May. O, my good lords,-and virtuous Henry,- Pity the city of London, pity us! The bishop and the duke of Gloster's men, Forbidden late to carry any weapon, Have fill'd their pockets full of pebble-stones; That many have their giddy brains knock'd out : And we, for fear, compell'd to shut our shops. Enter, skirmishing, the Retainers of GLOSTER and WINCHESTER, with bloody pates. K. Hen. We charge you, on allegiance to ourself, To hold your slaught'ring hands, and keep the peace. Pray, uncle Gloster, mitigate this strife. 1 Serv. Nay, if we be Forbidden stones, we'll fall to it with our teeth. 2 Serv. Do what ye dare, we are as resolute. [Skirmish again. Glo. You of my household, leave this peevish broil, And set this unaccustom'd fight aside." 1 Serv. My lord, we know your grace to be a man And, ere that we will suffer such a prince, [6] Unaccustom'd is unseemly, indecent. JOHNSON. We, and our wives, and children, all will fight, And, if you love me, as you say you do, [Skirmish again. K. Hen. O, how this discord doth afflict my soul ! My sighs and tears, and will not once relent? Or who should study to prefer a peace, If holy churchmen take delight in broils? War. My lord protector, yield ;-yield Winchester; -Except you mean, with obstinate repulse, To slay your sovereign, and destroy the realm. You see what mischief, and what murder too, Hath been enacted through your enmity; Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood. Win. He shall submit, or I will never yield. Glo. Compassion on the king commands me stoop; Or, I would see his heart out, ere the priest Should ever get that privilege of me. War. Behold, my lord of Winchester, the duke Hath banish'd moody discontented fury, As by his smoothed brows it doth appear: Why look you still so stern, and tragical? Glo. Here, Winchester, I offer thee my K. Hen. Fye, uncle Beaufort! I have heard you preach, That malice was a great and grievous sin : hand. And will not you maintain the thing you teach, But prove a chief offender in the same? War. Sweet king!—the bishop hath a kindly gird. — For shame, my lord of Winchester! relent'; What, shall a child instruct you what to do? Win. Well, duke of Gloster, I will yield to thee; Love for thy love, and hand for hand I give. Glo. Ay; but, I fear me, with a hollow heart.See here, my friends, and loving countrymen ; This token serveth for a flag of truce, Betwixt ourselves, and all our followers: So help me God, as I dissemble not! Win. So help me God, as I intend it not! [8] That is, feels an emotion of kind remorse. JOHNSON. [Aside. K. Hen. O loving uncle, kind duke of Gloster, 2 Serv. So will I. 3 Serv. And I will see what physic the tavern affords. [Exeunt Servants, Mayor, &c. War. Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign ; Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet We do exhibit to your majesty. Glo. Well urg'd, my lord of Warwick;-for, sweet prince, An if your grace mark every circumstance, You have great reason to do Richard right: At Eltham-place I told your majesty. K. Hen. And those occasions, uncle, were of force. War. Let Richard be restored to his blood; That doth belong unto the house of York, And humble service, till the point of death. K. Hen. Stoop then, and set your knee against my foot; And, in reguerdon of that duty done,9 I girt thee with the valiant sword of York: Rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet ; And rise created princely duke of York. Plan. And so thrive Richard, as thy foes may fall! And as my duty springs, so perish they That grudge one thought against your majesty! All. Welcome, high prince, the mighty duke of York! To cross the seas, and to be crown'd in France: Amongst his subjects, and his loyal friends; As it disanimates his enemies. [9] Reguerdon-recompence, return. JOHNSON, |