To Roger, earl of March; who was the son
Of Edmund Mortimer; who married Philippe,
Sole daughter unto Lionel, duke of Clarence :
So, if the issue of the elder son

Succeed before the younger, I am king.

260

War. What plain proceeding is more plain than this?

Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt,
The fourth son; York claimeth it from the third.
'Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign:
It fails not yet; but flourishes in thee,
And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock.-
Then, father Salisbury, kneel we both together;
And, in this private plot, be we the first,
That shall salute our rightful sovereign

With honour of his birth-right to the crown.

270

Both. Long live our sovereign Richard, England's

king!

York. We thank you, lords. But I am not your

king

'Till I be crown'd; and that my sword be stain'd
With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster:
And that's not suddenly to be perform'd ;
But with advice, and silent secrecy.

Do you, as I do, in these dangerous days,
Wink at the duke of Suffolk's insolence,
At Beaufort's pride, at Somerset's ambition,
At Buckingham, and all the crew of them,
'Till they have snar'd the shepherd of the flock,
That virtuous prince, the good duke Humphrey :

280

'Tis that they seek; and they, in seeking that, Shall find their deaths, if York can prophesy.

Sal. My lord, break we off; we know your mind at full.

War. My heart assures me, that the earl of War

wick

Shall one day make the duke of York a king.
York. And, Nevil, this I do assure myself→→
Richard shall live to make the earl of Warwick
The greatest man in England, but the king.

290

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

A Hall of Justice. Sound Trumpets. Enter King HENRY, Queen MARGARET, GLOSTER, YORK, SUFFOLK, and SALISBURY; the Dutchess, Mother JOURDAIN, SOUTHWEL, HUME, and BOLINGBROKE, under Guard.

K. Henry. Stand forth, dame Eleanor Cobham,
Gloster's wife :

In sight of God, and us, your guilt is great;
Receive the sentence of the law, for sins
Such as by God's book are adjudg'd to death.-
You four, from hence to prison back again :

[To the other Prisoners,

From thence, unto the place of execution:
The witch in Smithfield shall be burnt to ashes,

And

And you three shall be strangled on the gallows.——

You, madam, for you are more nobly born,
Despoiled of your honour in your life,
Shall, after three days open penance done,
Live in your country here, in banishment,
With Sir John Stanley, in the Isle of Man.

301

Elean. Welcome is banishment, welcome were my death.

Glo. Eleanor, the law, thou seest, hath judged

thee;

I cannot justify whom the law condemns.

310

[Exeunt ELEANOR, and the others, guarded.
Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief.
Ah, Humphrey, this dishonour in thine age
Will bring thy head with sorrow to the ground!-
I beseech your majesty, give me leave to go;
Sorrow would solace, and mine age would ease.
K. Henry. Stay, Humphrey duke of Gloster: ere
thou go,

Give up thy staff; Henry will to himself
Protector be; and God shall be my hope,
My stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet:
And go in peace, Humphrey; no less belov'd,
Than when thou wert protector to thy king.

Q. Mar. I see no reason, why a king of years 320
Should be to be protected like a child—————
God and king Henry govern England's realm:
Give up your staff, sir, and the king his realm.
Glo. My staff?-here, noble Henry, is my staff;
As willingly do I the same resign,

As

As e'er thy father Henry made it mine;

And even as willingly at thy feet I leave it,
As others would ambitiously receive it.

Farewel, good king: When I am dead and gone,
May honourable peace attend thy throne!

330

[Exit GLOSTER.

Q. Mar. Why, now is Henry king, and Margaret

queen;

And Humphrey, duke of Gloster, scarce himself,
That bears so shrewd a maim; two pulls at once-
His lady banish'd, and a limb lopp'd off.

This staff of honour raught-There let it stand,
Where best it fits to be, in Henry's hand.

Suf. Thus droops this lofty pine, and hangs his sprays;

340

Thus Eleanor's pride dies in her youngest days.
York. Lords, let him go. Please it your majesty,
This is the day appointed for the combat;
And ready are the appellant and defendant,
The armourer and his man, to enter the lists,
So please your highness to behold the fight.

Q. Mar. Ay, good my lord; for purposely there. fore

Left I the court, to see this quarrel try'd.

K. Henry. O' God's name, see the lists and all things

fit;

Here let them end it, and God defend the right!

York. I never saw a fellow worse bested, Or more afraid to fight, than is the appellant, The servant of this armourer, my lords,

350 Enter

Enter at one Door the Armourer and his Neighbours, drinking to him so much that he is drunk; and he enters with a Drum before him, and his Staff with a SandBag fastened to it; and at the other Door enters his Man, with a Drum and Sand-Bag, and Prentices drinking to him.

1 Neigh. Here, neighbour Horner, I drink to you in a cup of sack; And fear not, neighbour, you shall do well enough.

2 Neigh. And here, neighbour, here's a cup of charneco.

3 Neigh. And here's a pot of good double beer, neighbour drink, and fear not your man.

Arm. Let it come, i'faith, and I'll pledge you all; And a fig for Peter!

1 Pren. Here, Peter, I drink to thee; and be not afraid.

361 2 Pren. Be merry, Peter, and fear not thy master: fight for credit of the prentices.

I

Peter. I thank you all drink, and : pray for me, pray you; for, I think, I have taken my last draught in this world. Here, Robin, an if I die, I give thee my apron ;—and Will, thou shalt have my hammer: -and here, Tom, take all the money that I have.O Lord, bless me, I pray God! for I am never able to deal with my master, he hath learnt so much fence already.

371

Sal. Come, leave your drinking, and fall to

biows.

Sirrah,