| ACT I SCENE III | London. Before the Tower. | |
| | Enter GLOUCESTER, with his Serving-men in blue coats | |
| GLOUCESTER | I am come to survey the Tower this day: | |
| | Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance. | |
| | Where be these warders, that they wait not here? | |
| | Open the gates; 'tis Gloucester that calls. | 5 |
| First Warder | Within | |
| First Serving-Man | It is the noble Duke of Gloucester. | |
| Second Warder | Within | |
| First Serving-Man | Villains, answer you so the lord protector? | |
| First Warder | Within | |
| | We do no otherwise than we are will'd. | |
| GLOUCESTER | Who willed you? or whose will stands but mine? | |
| | There's none protector of the realm but I. | 10 |
| | Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize. | |
| | Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms? | |
| | Gloucester's men rush at the Tower Gates, andWOODVILE the Lieutenant speaks within | |
| WOODVILE | What noise is this? what traitors have we here? | |
| GLOUCESTER | Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear? | |
| | Open the gates; here's Gloucester that would enter. | 15 |
| WOODVILE | Have patience, noble duke; I may not open; | |
| | The Cardinal of Winchester forbids: | |
| | From him I have express commandment | |
| | That thou nor none of thine shall be let in. | |
| GLOUCESTER | Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizest him 'fore me? | 20 |
| | Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate, | |
| | Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne'er could brook? | |
| | Thou art no friend to God or to the king: | |
| | Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly. | |
| Serving-Men | Open the gates unto the lord protector, | 25 |
| | Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly. | |
| | Enter to the Protector at the Tower Gates BISHOPOF WINCHESTER and his men in tawny coats | |
| BISHOPOF WINCHESTER | How now, ambitious Humphry! what means this? | |
| GLOUCESTER | Peel'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut out? | |
| BISHOPOF WINCHESTER | I do, thou most usurping proditor, | |
| | And not protector, of the king or realm. | 30 |
| GLOUCESTER | Stand back, thou manifest conspirator, | |
| | Thou that contrivedst to murder our dead lord; | |
| | Thou that givest whores indulgences to sin: | |
| | I'll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal's hat, | |
| | If thou proceed in this thy insolence. | 35 |
| BISHOPOF WINCHESTER | Nay, stand thou back, I will not budge a foot: | |
| | This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain, | |
| | To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt. | |
| GLOUCESTER | I will not slay thee, but I'll drive thee back: | |
| | Thy scarlet robes as a child's bearing-cloth | 40 |
| | I'll use to carry thee out of this place. | |
| BISHOPOF WINCHESTER | Do what thou darest; I beard thee to thy face. | |
| GLOUCESTER | What! am I dared and bearded to my face? | |
| | Draw, men, for all this privileged place; | |
| | Blue coats to tawny coats. Priest, beware your beard, | 45 |
| | I mean to tug it and to cuff you soundly: | |
| | Under my feet I stamp thy cardinal's hat: | |
| | In spite of pope or dignities of church, | |
| | Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down. | |
| BISHOPOF WINCHESTER | Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the pope. | 50 |
| GLOUCESTER | Winchester goose, I cry, a rope! a rope! | |
| | Now beat them hence; why do you let them stay? | |
| | Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array. | |
| | Out, tawny coats! out, scarlet hypocrite! | |
| | Here GLOUCESTER's men beat out BISHOP OFWINCHESTER's men, and enter in the hurly-burly the Mayor of London and his Officers | |
| Mayor | Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates, | 55 |
| | Thus contumeliously should break the peace! | |
| GLOUCESTER | Peace, mayor! thou know'st little of my wrongs: | |
| | Here's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king, | |
| | Hath here distrain'd the Tower to his use. | |
| BISHOPOF WINCHESTER | Here's Gloucester, a foe to citizens, | 60 |
| | One that still motions war and never peace, | |
| | O'ercharging your free purses with large fines, | |
| | That seeks to overthrow religion, | |
| | Because he is protector of the realm, | |
| | And would have armour here out of the Tower, | 65 |
| | To crown himself king and suppress the prince. | |
| GLOUCESTER | I will not answer thee with words, but blows. | |
| | Here they skirmish again | |
| Mayor | Naught rests for me in this tumultuous strife | |
| | But to make open proclamation: | |
| | Come, officer; as loud as e'er thou canst, | 70 |
| | Cry. | |
| Officer | All manner of men assembled here in arms this day | |
| | against God's peace and the king's, we charge and | |
| | command you, in his highness' name, to repair to | |
| | your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, | 75 |
| | handle, or use any sword, weapon, or dagger, | |
| | henceforward, upon pain of death. | |
| GLOUCESTER | Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law: | |
| | But we shall meet, and break our minds at large. | |
| BISHOPOF WINCHESTER | Gloucester, we will meet; to thy cost, be sure: | 80 |
| | Thy heart-blood I will have for this day's work. | |
| Mayor | I'll call for clubs, if you will not away. | |
| | This cardinal's more haughty than the devil. | |
| GLOUCESTER | Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou mayst. | |
| BISHOPOF WINCHESTER | Abominable Gloucester, guard thy head; | 85 |
| | For I intend to have it ere long. | |
| | Exeunt, severally, GLOUCESTER and BISHOP OFWINCHESTER with their Serving-men | |
| Mayor | See the coast clear'd, and then we will depart. | |
| | Good God, these nobles should such stomachs bear! | |
| | I myself fight not once in forty year. | |
| | Exeunt | |
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