* 6 * Sal. Peace, son; and show some reason, Buckingham, Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this. * Q. Mar. Because the king, forsooth, will have it so. Glo. Madam, the king is old enough himself To give his censure 9: these are no women's mat ters. Q. Mar. If he be old enough, what needs your grace To be protector of his excellence? Glo. Madam, I am protector of the realm; And, at his pleasure, will resign my place. Suf. 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. *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 publick treasury. * Upon offenders, hath exceeded law, * Q. Mar. Thy sale of offices, and towns in * If they were known, as the suspect is great,- [Exit GLOSTER. The Queen drops her Fan. 9 Censure here means simply judgment or opinion: the sense in which it was used by all the writers of the time. 'Give me my fan: What, minion! can you not? [Gives the Duchess a box on the ear. I cry you mercy, madam; Was it you? 6 Duch. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud French woman: your • Could I come near your beauty with my nails, I'd set my ten commandments in face 10. K. Hen. 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, She shall not strike dame Eleanor unreveng'd. [Exit Duchess. * Buck. 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 fast enough to her destruction. [Exit BUCKINGHAM. Re-enter GLOSTER. * Glo. 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, 10 This appears to have been a popular phrase for the hands or ten fingers. Thus in Selimus, Emperor of the Turks, 1594 :'I would set a tap abroach and not live in fear of my wife's ten commandments.' Again, in Westward Hoe, 1607 :- Your harpy has set his ten commandments on my back.' When Xantippe had pulled awaye her housbandes cope from his backe, even in the open streete, and his familiar compaignons gave him a by warning to avenge suche a naughtie touche or pranke with his tenne comandementes. Gayly saied (quod he), Yea, Marie, that while she and I bee towzing and toplying together ye may crye to us, one, now go to Socrates; an other, hold thyne own Xantippe.'-Erasmus's Apothegms, by Nicholas Udal. * Prove them, and I lie open to the law: * 6 * Suf. 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 danc'd attendance on his will, * Till Paris was besieg'd, famish'd, and lost. * War. That I can 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? Enter Servants of SUFFOLK, bringing in HORNER and PETER. Suf. Because here is a man accus'd of treason: Pray God, the duke of York excuse himself! *York. Doth any one accuse York for a traitor? *K. Hen. What mean'st thou, Suffolk? tell me : What are these? 6 Suf. 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 an usurper. 'K. Hen. Say, man, were these thy words? Hor. 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. Pet. By these ten bones11, my lords [holding up 'his hands], 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 rigour of the law. Hor. 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. K. Hen. Uncle, what shall we say to this in law? Glo. 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; For he hath witness of his servant's malice: This is the law, and this Duke Humphrey's doom. 11 We have just heard a duchess threaten to set her ten commandments in the face of a queen. We have here again a similar vulgar expression. It is, however, a very ancient popular adjuration, and may be found in many old dramatic pieces. Thus in Jacke Jugler; no date, blk 1.: ‹ Jack. Ye, mary, I tell thee Careawaye is my name. And in The longer thou livest the more Fool thou art, 1570 :— 'By these tenne bones I will, I have sworne.' Steevens adduces several other instances. K. Hen. Then be it so. My lord of Somerset, We make your grace lord regent o'er the French 12, Som. I humbly thank your royal majesty. Hor. And I accept the combat willingly. Pet. 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! Glo. Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd. ‹ K. Hen. 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. * SCENE IV. [Exeunt. The same. The Duke of Gloster's Garden. Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN, HUME, SOUTHWELL, and BOLINGBROKe. * Hume. Come, my masters; the duchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises. * Boling. Master Hume, we are therefore pro*vided: Will her ladyship behold and hear our *exorcisms 1? * * Hume. Ay; What else? fear you not her courage. * Boling. I have heard her reported to be a wo 12 Theobald inserted these two lines from the old play, because without them the king has not declared his assent to Gloster's opinion and the duke of Somerset is made to thank him for his regency before the king has deputed him to it. Malone supposes that Shakspeare thought Henry's consent to Humphrey's doom might be expressed by a nod; and therefore omits the lines. By exorcise Shakspeare invariably means to raise spirits, and not to lay them. Vide note on All's Well that Ends Well, Act v. Sc. 3, p. 335. |