King Henry VI, Part II

King Henry VI, Part II

ACT I SCENE III	The palace.
	Enter three or four Petitioners, PETER, theArmourer's man, being one
First Petitioner	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 quill.
Second Petitioner	Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man!	5
	Jesu bless him!
	Enter SUFFOLK and QUEEN MARGARET
PETER	Here a' comes, methinks, and the queen with him.
	I'll be the first, sure.
Second Petitioner	Come back, fool; this is the Duke of Suffolk, and
	not my lord protector.	10
SUFFOLK	How now, fellow! would'st anything with me?
First Petitioner	I pray, my lord, pardon me; I took ye for my lord
	protector.
QUEEN MARGARET	Reading
	supplications to his lordship? Let me see them:
	what is thine?	15
First Petitioner	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, from me.
SUFFOLK	Thy wife, too! that's some wrong, indeed. What's
	yours? What's here!	20
	Reads
	'Against the Duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the
	commons of Melford.' How now, sir knave!
Second Petitioner	Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.
PETER	Giving his petition
	Horner, for saying that the Duke of York was rightful
	heir to the crown.	25
QUEEN MARGARET	What sayst 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.
SUFFOLK	Who is there?	30
	Enter Servant
	Take this fellow in, and send for
	his master with a pursuivant presently: we'll hear
	more of your matter before the King.
	Exit Servant with PETER
QUEEN MARGARET	And as for you, that love to be protected
	Under the wings of our protector's grace,	35
	Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.
	Tears the supplication
	Away, base cullions! Suffolk, let them go.
ALL	Come, let's be gone.
	Exeunt
QUEEN MARGARET	My Lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
	Is this the fashion in the court of England?	40
	Is this the government of Britain's isle,
	And this the royalty of Albion's king?
	What shall King Henry be a pupil still
	Under the surly Gloucester's governance?
	Am I a queen in title and in style,	45
	And must be made a subject to a duke?
	I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours
	Thou ran'st a tilt in honour of my love
	And stolest away the ladies' hearts of France,
	I thought King Henry had resembled thee	50
	In courage, courtship and proportion:
	But all his mind is bent to holiness,
	To number Ave-Maries on his beads;
	His champions are the prophets and apostles,
	His weapons holy saws of sacred writ,	55
	His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves
	Are brazen images of canonized saints.
	I would the college of the cardinals
	Would choose him pope, and carry him to Rome,
	And set the triple crown upon his head:	60
	That were a state fit for his holiness.
SUFFOLK	Madam, be patient: as I was cause
	Your highness came to England, so will I
	In England work your grace's full content.
QUEEN MARGARET	Beside the haughty protector, have we Beaufort,	65
	The imperious churchman, Somerset, Buckingham,
	And grumbling York: and not the least of these
	But can do more in England than the king.
SUFFOLK	And he of these that can do most of all
	Cannot do more in England than the Nevils:	70
	Salisbury and Warwick are no simple peers.
QUEEN MARGARET	Not all these lords do vex me half so much
	As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife.
	She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies,
	More like an empress than Duke Humphrey's wife:	75
	Strangers in court do take her for the queen:
	She bears a duke's revenues on her back,
	And in her heart she scorns our poverty:
	Shall I not live to be avenged on her?
	Contemptuous base-born callet as she is,	80
	She vaunted 'mongst her minions t'other day,
	The very train of her worst wearing gown
	Was better worth than all my father's lands,
	Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter.
SUFFOLK	Madam, myself have limed a bush for her,	85
	And placed a quire of such enticing birds,
	That she will light to listen to the lays,
	And never mount to trouble you again.
	So, let her rest: and, madam, list to me;
	For I am bold to counsel you in this.	90
	Although we fancy not the cardinal,
	Yet must we join with him and with the lords,
	Till we have brought Duke Humphrey in disgrace.
	As for the Duke of York, this late complaint
	Will make but little for his benefit.	95
	So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last,
	And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.
	Sound a sennet. Enter KING HENRY VI, GLOUCESTER,CARDINAL, BUCKINGHAM, YORK, SOMERSET, SALISBURY,WARWICK, and the DUCHESS
KING HENRY VI	For my part, noble lords, I care not which;
	Or Somerset or York, all's one to me.
YORK	If York have ill demean'd himself in France,	100
	Then let him be denay'd the regentship.
SOMERSET	If Somerset be unworthy of the place,
	Let York be regent; I will yield to him.
WARWICK	Whether your grace be worthy, yea or no,
	Dispute not that: York is the worthier.	105
CARDINAL	Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.
WARWICK	The cardinal's not my better in the field.
BUCKINGHAM	All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.
WARWICK	Warwick may live to be the best of all.
SALISBURY	Peace, son! and show some reason, Buckingham,	110
	Why Somerset should be preferred in this.
QUEEN MARGARET	Because the king, forsooth, will have it so.
GLOUCESTER	Madam, the king is old enough himself
	To give his censure: these are no women's matters.
QUEEN MARGARET	If he be old enough, what needs your grace	115
	To be protector of his excellence?
GLOUCESTER	Madam, I am protector of the realm;
	And, at his pleasure, will resign my place.
SUFFOLK	Resign it then and leave thine insolence.
	Since thou wert king--as who is king but thou?--	120
	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.
CARDINAL	The commons hast thou rack'd; the clergy's bags	125
	Are lank and lean with thy extortions.
SOMERSET	Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife's attire
	Have cost a mass of public treasury.
BUCKINGHAM	Thy cruelty in execution
	Upon offenders, hath exceeded law,	130
	And left thee to the mercy of the law.
QUEEN MARGARET	They 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 GLOUCESTER. QUEEN MARGARET drops her fan
	Give me my fan: what, minion! can ye not?	135
	She gives the DUCHESS a box on the ear
	I cry you mercy, madam; was it you?
DUCHESS	Was't I! yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman:
	Could I come near your beauty with my nails,
	I'd set my ten commandments in your face.
KING HENRY VI	Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will.	140
DUCHESS	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 unrevenged.
	Exit
BUCKINGHAM	Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,	145
	And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds:
	She's tickled now; her fume needs no spurs,
	She'll gallop far enough to her destruction.
	Exit
	Re-enter GLOUCESTER
GLOUCESTER	Now, lords, my choler being over-blown
	With walking once about the quadrangle,	150
	I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
	As for your spiteful false objections,
	Prove them, and I lie open to the law:
	But God in mercy so deal with my soul,
	As I in duty love my king and country!	155
	But, to the matter that we have in hand:
	I say, my sovereign, York is meetest man
	To be your regent in the realm of France.
SUFFOLK	Before we make election, give me leave
	To show some reason, of no little force,	160
	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,	165
	Without discharge, money, or furniture,
	Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands:
	Last time, I danced attendance on his will
	Till Paris was besieged, famish'd, and lost.
WARWICK	That can I witness; and a fouler fact	170
	Did never traitor in the land commit.
SUFFOLK	Peace, headstrong Warwick!
WARWICK	Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?
	Enter HORNER, the Armourer, and his manPETER, guarded
SUFFOLK	Because here is a man accused of treason:
	Pray God the Duke of York excuse himself!	175
YORK	Doth any one accuse York for a traitor?
KING HENRY VI	What mean'st thou, Suffolk; tell me, what are these?
SUFFOLK	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,	180
	Was rightful heir unto the English crown
	And that your majesty was a usurper.
KING HENRY VI	Say, man, were these thy words?
HORNER	An't shall please your majesty, I never said nor
	thought any such matter: God is my witness, I am	185
	falsely accused by the villain.
PETER	By these ten bones, my lords, 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,	190
	I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech.
	I do beseech your royal majesty,
	Let him have all the rigor of the law.
HORNER	Alas, my lord, hang me, if ever I spake the words.
	My accuser is my 'prentice; and when I did correct	195
	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.	200
KING HENRY VI	Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?
GLOUCESTER	This doom, my lord, if I may judge:
	Let Somerset be regent over the French,
	Because in York this breeds suspicion:
	And let these have a day appointed them	205
	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.
SOMERSET	I humbly thank your royal majesty.
HORNER	And I accept the combat willingly.	210
PETER	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!
GLOUCESTER	Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd.	215
KING HENRY VI	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.
	Flourish. Exeunt