Come, Stanley, shall we go?

Stan. Madam, your penance done, throw off this

sheet :

And go we to attire you for our journey.

Elean. My shame will not be shifted with my sheet: No, it will hang upon my richest robes,

And shew itself, attire me how I can.

Go, lead the way; I long to see my prison. [Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE I.

The Abbey at Bury. Enter King HENRY, Queen, Cardinal, SUFFOLK, YORK, and BUCKINGHAM, &c. to the Parliament.

I

King Henry.

MUSE, my lord of Gloster is not come : 'Tis not his wont to be the hindmost man, Whate'er occasion keeps him from us now.

Q. Mar. Can you not see? or will you not observe The strangeness of his alter'd countenance ? With what a majesty he bears himself; How insolent of late he is become,

How proud, how peremptory, and unlike himself; We know the time, since he was mild and affable; And, if we did but glance a far-off look,

Immediately he was upon his knee,

That all the court admir'd him for submission:
But meet him now, and, be it in the morn,

When every one will give the time of day,

Eiij

10

He

He knits his brow, and shews an angry eye,
And passeth by with stiff unbowed knee,
Disdaining duty that to us belongs.
Small curs are not regarded, when they grin ;
But great men tremble, when the lion roars;
And Humphrey is no little man in England.
First, note, that he is near you in descent;
And, should you fall, he is the next will mount.
Me seemeth then, it is no policy—

20

30

Respecting what a rancorous mind he bears,
And his advantage following your decease―
That he should come about your royal person,
Or be admitted to your highness' council.
By flattery hath he won the commons' hearts;
And, when he please to make commotion,
'Tis to be fear'd, they all will follow him.
Now 'tis the spring, and weeds are shallow rooted;
Suffer them now, and they'll o'er-grow the garden,
And choke the herbs for want of husbandry.
The reverent care, I bear unto my lord,
Made me collect these dangers in the duke.
If it be fond, call it a woman's fear;
Which fear if better reasons can supplant,
I will subscribe, and say-I wrong'd the duke.
My lords of Suffolk-Buckingham-and York-
Reprove my allegation, if you can ;

Or else conclude my words effectual.

40

Suf. Well hath your highness seen into this duke; And, had I first been put to speak my mind,

I think, I should have told your grace's tale.

The

The dutchess, by his subornation,

Upon my life, began her devilish practices:
Or if he were not privy to those faults,
Yet, by reputing of his high descent
(As next the king, he was successive heir),
And such high vaunts of his nobility,

Did instigate the bedlam brain-sick dutchess,

By wicked means to frame our sovereign's fall.

50

Smooth runs the water, where the brook is deepest:
And in his simple shew he harbours treason.
The fox barks not, when he would steal the lamb.
No, no, my sovereign; Gloster is a man
Unsounded yet, and full of deep deceit.

60

Car. Did he not, contrary to form of law, Devise strange deaths for small offences done? York. And did he not, in his protectorship, Levy great sums of money through the realm, For soldiers' pay in France, and never sent it? By means whereof, the towns each day revolted. Buck. Tut! these are petty faults to faults unknown,

Which time will bring to light in smooth duke Humphrey.

*

K. Henry. My lords, at once; The care you have

of us,

To mow down thorns that would annoy our foot,

Is worthy praise: But shall I speak my conscience ?. Our kinsman Gloster is as innocent

From meaning treason to our royal person
As is the sucking lamb, or harmless dove:

70

The

The duke is virtuous, mild; and too well given,
To dream on evil, or to work my downfall.

Q. Mar. Ah, what's more dangerous than this fond affiance!

Seems he a dove? his feathers are but borrow'd,
For he's disposed as the hateful raven.
Is he a lamb his skin is surely lent him,
For he's inclin'd as is the ravenous wolf.
Who cannot steal a shape, that means deceit ?
Take heed, my lord; the welfare of us all
Hangs on the cutting short that fraudful man.

Enter SOMERSET.

80

Som. All health unto my gracious sovereign! K. Henry. Welcome, lord Somerset. What news from France ?

Som. That all your interest in those territories Is utterly bereft you; all is lost.

1

K. Henry. Cold news, lord Somerset: But God's will be done!

York. Cold news for me; for I had hope of

France,

As firmly as I hope for fertile England.

Thus are my blossoms blasted in the bud,
And caterpillars eat my leaves away :
But I will remedy this gear ere long,
Or sell my title for a glorious grave.

Enter GLOSTER.

Glo. All happiness unto my lord the king!

90

[Aside.

Pardon,

Pardon, my liege, that I have staid so long.

Suf. Nay, Gloster, know, that thou art come too

soon,

Unless thou wert more loyal than thou art :

I do arrest thee of high treason here.

Glo. Well, Suffolk, yet thou shalt not see me blush,

100

Nor change my countenance for this arrest;
A heart unspotted is not easily daunted.
The purest spring is not so free from mud,
As I am clear from treason to my sovereign:
Who can accuse me? wherein am I guilty?
York. 'Tis thought, my lord, that you took bribes
of France,

And, being protector, stay'd the soldiers' pay;
By means whereof his highness hath lost France.
Glo. Is it but thought so? What are they, that
think it?

I never robb'd the soldiers of their pay,

Nor ever had one penny bribe from France.

So help me God, as I have watch'd the night- 110
Ay, night by night-in studying good for England!
That doit that e'er I wrested from the king,
Or any groat I hoarded to my use,

Be brought against me at my trial day!

No; many a pound of mine own proper store,
Because I would not tax the needy commons,
Have I disbursed to the garrisons,

And never ask'd for restitution.

Car. It serves you well, my lord, to say so much.

Glo.