KING HENRY VI. KING HENRY THE SIXTH. PART II. PERSONS REPRESENTED. VAUX. HUME and SOUTHWELL, two Priests. A Spirit raised by him. THOMAS HORNER, an Armourer. PETER, his Man. Clerk of Chatham. Mayor of Saint Alban's. SIMPCOX, an Impostor.-Two Murderers. GEORGE. JOHN, DICK, SMITH, the Weaver; MI. ALEXANDER IDEN, a Kentish Gentleman. MARGARET, Queen to King Henry. Lords, Ladies, and Attendants; Petitioners, Aldermen, a Beadle, Sheriff, and Officers; Citizens, Prentices, Falconers, Guards, Soldiers, Messengers, etc. SCENE,-Dispersedly in various parts of England. ACT I. SCENE L-London. A Room of State in the Palace. Furish of trumpets: then hautboys. Enter on ne side, King HENRY, Duke of GLOSTER, SALISBURY, WARWICK, and Cardinal BEAUFORT; on the other, Queen Margaret, led in by SUF FOLK YORK, SOMERSET, BUCKINGHAM, and others following. Saf As by your high imperial majesty To marry princess Margaret for your grace; Is presence of the kings of France and Sicil, The dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Bretaigne, and Alençon, Seven earls, twelve barons, twenty reverend bishops, I have perform'd my task, and was espous'd: To your most gracious hands, that are the substance K. Hen. Suffolk, arise.-Welcome, queen Margaret: I can express no kinder sign of love, Than this kind kiss.-O Lord, that lends me life, Q. Mar. Great king of England. and my gracious lord; The mutual conference that my nund hath had- K. Hea. Her sight did ravish: but her grace in speech, Her words y-clad with wisdon's majesty, All. Long live queen Margaret, England's happi ness! Q. Mar. We thank you all. (Flourish.) Suf. My lord protector, so it please your grace, Here are the articles of contracted peace, Between our sovereign and the French king Charles, For eighteen months concluded by consent. Glo. [Reads.] Imprimis, It is agreed between the French king, Charles, and William de la Poole, marquess of Suffolk, ambassador for Henry king of England that the said Henry shall espouse the lady Margaret, daughter unto Reignier king of Naples, Sicilia, and Jerusalem; and crown her queen of England, ere the thirtieth of May next ensuing.--Item, That the duchy of Anjou and the county of Maine shall be released and delivered to the king her fatherK. Hen. Uncle, how now? Glo. Pardon me, gracious lord; Some sudden qualm hath struck me at the heart, And dimm'd mine eyes, that I can read no further K. Hen. Uncle of Winchester, I pray, read on. Win. Item,-It is further agreed between them, -that the duchies of Anjou and Maine shall be released and delivered over to the king her father; and she sent over of the king of England's own proper cost and charges, without having dowry. K. Hen. They please us well.-Lord marquess, We here create thee the first duke of Suffolk, Cousin of York, we here discharge your grace Somerset, Salisbury, and Warwick; To [Exeunt King, Queen, and Suffolk. Glo. Brave peers of England, pillars of the state, you duke Humphrey must unload his grief, Your grief, the common grief of all the land. What! did my brother Henry spend his youth, His valour, coin, and people, in the wars? Did he so often lodge in open field, In winter's cold, and summer's parching heat, To conquer France, his true inheritance? And did my brother Bedford toil his wits To keep by policy what Henry got? Have you yourselves, Somerset, Buckingham, How France and Frenchmen might be kept in awe? And shall these labours, and these honours, die? Car. Nephew, what means this passionate discourse? This peroration with such circumstance? Glo. Ay, uncle, we will keep it, if we can; Suffolk, the new made duke, that rules the roast, Sal. Now, by the death of him that died for all, War. For grief, for they are past recovery: For, were there hope to conquer them again, My sword should shed hot blood, mine eyes no tears. Anjou and Maine! myself did win them both; Those provinces these arms of mine did conquer: And are the cities, that I got with wounds, Deliver'd up again with peaceful words? Mort Dien! York. For Suffolk's duke-may he be suffocate, That dims the honour of this warlike isle! France should have torn and rent my very heart, Before I would have yielded to this league. I never read but England's kings have had Large sums of gold, and dowries, with their wives: And our king Henry gives away his own, To match with her that brings no vantages. Glo. A proper jest, and never heard before, That Suffolk should demand a whole fifteenth, For costs and charges in transporting her: She should have staid in France, and starv'd in France, Before Car. My lord of Gloster, now you grow too hot; It was the pleasure of my lord the king. Exit. Gio. My lord of Winchester, I know your mind: 'Tis not my speeches, that you do mislike; But tis my presence, that doth trouble you. Rancour will out: Proud prelate, in thy face I see thy fury if I longer stay, We shall begin our ancient bickerings.Lordings, farewell; and say, when I am gone, I prophesied-France will be lost ere long. Car. So, there goes our protector in a rage. "Tis known to you, he is mine enemy: Nay, more, an enemy unto you ail; And no great friend, I fear me, to the king. Consider, lords, he is the next of blood, And heir apparent to the English crown; Had Henry got an empire by his marriage, And all the wealthy kingdoms of the west, There's reason he should be displeas`d at it. Look to it, lords; let not his smoothing words Bewitch your hearts; be wise, and circumspect. What though the common people favour him, Calling him-Humphrey, the good duke of Gloster; Clapping their hands, and crying with loud voiceJesu maintain your royal excellence! With-God preserve the good duke Humphrey' And greatness of his place be grief to us, His insolence is more intolerable Thon all the princes in the land beside; [Exeunt Buckingham and Somerset. Sal. Pride went before, ambition follows him. While these do labour for their own preferment, Behoves it us to labour for the realm. I never saw but Humphrey duke of Gloster Thy late exploits, done in the heart of France, cause. Sal. Then let's make haste away, and look anto the main. War. Unto the main! O father, Maine is lost: That Maine, which by main force Warwick did win. And would have kept, so long as breath did last : Main chance, father, you meant; but I meant Maine, Which I will win from France, or else be slain. Exeunt Warwick and Salisbury. The peers agreed; and Henry was well pleas'd, pillage, And purchase friends, and give to courtezans, Bear that proportion to my flesh and blood, Into the prince's heart of Calydon. Anjou and Maine, both given unto the French! Whose church-like humours fit not for a crown. To Heary, surfeiting in joys of love, With his new bride, and England's dear-bought Hanging the head at Ceres' plenteous load? til thy head be circled with the same. And never more abase our sight so low, As to vouchsafe one glance unto the ground. Hast thou not worldly pleasure at command Duch. What, what, my lord, are you so cholerio Glo. Nay, be not angry, I am pleas'd again. Mes. My lord protector,' tis his highness' pleasure, I would remove these tedious stumbling-blocks, Enter HUME. conferr'd With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch; A spirit, rais'd from depth of under ground, Glo. O Nell's sweet Nell, if thou dost love thy We'll see these things effected to the full. lord, Banish the canker of ambitious thoughts: With sweet rehearsal of my morning's dream. Here, Hume, take this reward; make merry, man, Hume. Hume must make merry with the duchess' gold; Marry, and shall. But how now, sir John Hume? Dame Eleanor gives gold, to bring the witch: Glo. Methought, this staff, mine office-badge in Gold cannot come amniss, were she a devil. court, Was broke in twain; by whom, I have forgot, that, as I think, it was by the cardinal; And on the pieces of the broken wand Were plac'd the heads of Edmund duke of Somerset, was my dream; what it doth bode, God knows. 1. the cathedral church of Westminster, And in that chair where kings and queens are Where Heary, and dame Margaret, kneel'd to me, Gl. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright: Yet have I gold, flies from another coast: [Exit. Enter PETER, and others, with petitions. 1 Pet. My masters, let's stand close; my lord protector will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our supplications in the quilt. 2 Pet. Marry, the lord protect him, for he is a good man! Jesu bless him! Enter SUFFOLK and Queen MARGARET. 1 Pet. Here a comes, methinks, and the queen with him: I'll be the first, sure. 2 Pet. Come back, fool; this is the duke of Suf folk, and not my lord protector. [me? Suf. How now, fellow? would'st any thing with Pet. I pray, my lord, pardon me! I took for my lord protector. ye Q. Mar. (Reading the superscription.) To my lord protector! are your supplications to his lordship? Let me see them: What is thine? i Pet. 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, trom me. Suf. Thy wife too? that is some wrong, indeed.— What's your's?-What's here! (Reads.) Against the duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the commons of Melford.-How now, sir knave? 2 Pet. Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township. Peter. (Presenting his petition.) Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying that the duke of York was rightful heir to the crown. Q. Mar. What say'st 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. Suf. Who is there? (Enter Servants.)-Take All. Come, let's be gone. [Exeunt Petitioners. I would the college of cardinals Would choose him pope, and carry him to Rome, Suf. Madam, be patient: as I was cause Q. Mar. Beside the haught protector, have we The imperious churchman; Somerset, Buckingham, Suf. And he of these, that can do most of all, Q. Mar. Not all these lords do vex me half so As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife. u.es, More like an empress than duke Humphrey's wife So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last, K. Hen. For my part, noble lords, I care t Or Somerset, or York, all's one to me. Som. If Somerset be unworthy of the place, War. Whether your grace be worthy, yea, or Car. Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters spe wick. grace To be protector of his excellence? Glo. Madam, I am protector of the realm; Suf. Resign it then, and leave thine insolence. Buck. Thy cruelty in execution Q. Mar. Thy 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 Gloster. The Queen drops her f 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? Duch. Wast I? yea, I it was, proud French Woman: Could I come near your beauty with my nails, will. |