me, [she. That Margaret shall be queen, and none but K. Hen. Whether it be through force of your report, Then yield, my lords; and here conclude with | Be gone, I say; for, till you do return, My noble lord of Suffolk; or for what Agree to any covenants: and procure As did the youthful Paris once to Greece; But I will rule both her, the king, and realm. * Judge ACT I. [life, SCENE 1.-London.-A Room of State in the Than this kind kiss.-O Lord, that lends me Palace. Flourish of Trumpets: then Hautboys. Enter, on one side, King HENRY, Duke of GLOSTER, SALISBURY, WARWICK, and Cardinal BEAUFORT; on the other, Queen MARGARET, led in by SUFFOLK; YORK, SOMERSET, BUCKINGHAM, and others, following. Suf. As by your high imperial majesty, I had in charge at my depart for France, As procurator to your excellence, To marry princess Margaret for your grace ; So, in the famous ancient city, Tours,In presence of the kings of France and Sicil, The dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Bretagne, and Alençon, [bishops,Seven earls, twelve barons, twenty reverend I have perform'd my task, and was espous'd: And humbly now upon my bended knee, In sight of England and her lordly peers, Deliver up my title in the queen To your most gracious hands, that are the subOf that great shadow I did represent; The happiest gift that ever marquis gave, The fairest queen that ever king receiv'd. [stance K. Hen. Suffolk, arise.-Welcome, queen Margaret: I can express no kinder sign of love, Q. Mar. Great king of England, and my K. Hen. Her sight did ravish: but her grace in speech, Her words y-clad with wisdom's majesty, Makes me, from wondering fall to weeping joys, Such is the fulness of my heart's content.Lords, with one cheerful voice, welcome my love. Ali. Long live queen Margaret, England's happiness! Q. Mar. We thank you all. [Flourish. liarized you to my imagination I am the bolder to address you, having already fami + Beloved above all things. 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, marquis 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 dutchy of Anjou and the county of Maine, shall be released and delivered to the king her father K. 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 dutchies 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 marquis, kneel down; We here create thee the first duke of Suffolk, Somerset, Salisbury, and Warwick; [Exeunt KING, QUEEN, and SUFFOLK. Glo. Brave peers of England, pillars of the state, To you duke Humphrey must unload his grief, In winter's cold, and summer's parching heat, Receiv'd deep scars in France and Normandy? And hath his highness in his infancy Shall Henry's conquest, Bedford's vigilance, Car. Nephew, what means this passionate discourse? This peroration with such circumstance?* Hath given the dutchies of Anjou and Maine These counties were the keys of Normandy: -- son? War. For grief, that 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, York. For Suffolk's duke-may he be suffo. cate, 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. And our king Henry gives away his own, Glo. A proper jest, and never heard before, Car. So, there goes our protector in a rage. 'Tis known to you he is mine enemy: Nay, more, an enemy unto you all; 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 circum I fear me, lords, for all this flattering gloss, I cannot blame them all; what is't to them? sove-Pirates may make cheap pennyworths of their 'Tis thine they give away, and not their own. pillage, He being of age to govern of himself?— seat. Car. This weighty business will not brook I'll to the duke of Suffolk presently. And purchase frienas, ana give to courtezans, And greatness of his place be grief to us, Despight duke Humphrey, or the cardinal. Hath won the greatest favour of the commons, Join we together for the public good; While they do tend the profit of the land. And common profit of his country! York And so says York, for he hath greatest cause. Sal. Then let's make haste away, and look unto the main. War. Unto the main! O father, Maine is Paris is lost; the state of Normandy The peers agreed; and Henry was well pleas'd, For ticklish. sold. own; And make a show of love to proud duke And, when I spy advantage, claim the crown, And in my standard bear the arms of York, crown, Whose bookish rule hath pull'd fair England SCENE II.-The same.-A Room in the Duke Enter GLOSTER and the DUCHESS. Duch. Why droops my lord, like over-ripen corn, Hanging the head at Ceres' plenteous load? * Meleager; whose life was to continue only so long as a certain firebrand should last His mother Althea having thrown it into the fire, he expired in torment. Glo. O Nell, sweet Nell, if thou dost love thy lord, Banish the canker of ambitious thoughts: And may that thought, when I imagine ill Against my king and nephew, virtuous Henry, Be my last breathing in this mortal world! My troublous dream this night doth make me sad. Duch. What dream'd my lord? tell me, and I'll requite it With sweet rehearsal of my morning's dream. Glo. Methought, this staff, mine office-badge in court, Was broke in twain, by whom, I have forgot, And William de la Poole first duke of Suffolk. This was my dream; what it doth bode, God knows. Duch. Tut, this was nothing but an argument, That he that breaks a stick of Gloster's grove, Glo. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright: Presumptuous dame, ill-nurtur'd* Eleanor! With Eleanor, for telling but her dream? Glo. Nay, be not angry, I am pleas'd again. Enter a MESSENGER. Mess. My lord protector, 'tis his highness' pleasure, You do prepare to ride unto Saint Albans, Whereast the king and queen do mean to hawk. Glo. I go.-Come, Nell, thou wilt ride with us? Duch. Yes, good my lord, I'll follow presently. [Exeunt GLOSTER and MESSENGER. Follow I must, I cannot go before, While Gloster bears this base and humble mind. Were I a man, a duke, and next of blood, I would remove these tedious stumblingblocks, [necks: And smooth my way upon their headless And, being a woman, I will not be slack To play my part in fortune's pageant. Where are you there? Sir John! nay, fear not, man, We are alone; here none but thee, and I. Duch. What say'st thou, majesty! I am but grace. Hume. But, by the grace of God, and Hume's advice, Your grace's title shall be multiplied. With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch; Hume. This they have promised,-to show your highness A spirit rais'd from depth of under ground, Duch. It is enough; I'll think upon the ques tions: When from Saint Albans we do make return, We'll see these things effected to the full. Here, Hume, take this reward; make merry, man, With thy confederates in this weighty cause. [Exit DUCHESS. chess' gold; Hume. Hume must make merry with the du- Yet I do find it so: for, to be plain, [mour, [Exit. SCENE III.-The same.-A Room in the 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 quill. + 2 Pet. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's 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 Suffolk, and not my lord protector. Suf. How now, fellow? would'st any thing with me? 1 Pet. I pray, my lord, pardon me! I took ye for my lord protector. Q. Mar. [Reading the superscription.] To my lord protector! are your supplications to his lordship? Let me see them: What is thine? 1 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 a" from me. * Let the issue be what it will. With great exactness and observance of form. |