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Henry VI, Part 2 (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
Sound Trumpets. Enter the King and State,
with Guard, to banish the Duchesse.
King. Stand forth Dame Elianor Cobham,
Glosters Wife:
1055In sight of God, and vs, your guilt is great,
Receiue the Sentence of the Law for sinne,
Such as by Gods Booke are adiudg'd to death.
You foure from hence to Prison, back againe;
From thence, vnto the place of Execution:
1060The Witch in Smithfield shall be burnt to ashes,
And you three shall be strangled on the Gallowes.
You Madame, for you are more Nobly borne,
Despoyled of your Honor in your Life,
Shall, after three dayes open Penance done,
1065Liue in your Countrey here, in Banishment,
With Sir Iohn Stanly, in the Ile of Man.
Elianor. Welcome is Banishment, welcome were my
Death.
Glost. Elianor, the Law thou seest hath iudged thee,
1070I cannot iustifie whom the Law condemnes:
Mine eyes are full of teares, my heart of griefe.
Ah Humfrey, this dishonor in thine age,
Will bring thy head with sorrow to the ground.
I beseech your Maiestie giue me leaue to goe;
1075Sorrow would sollace, and mine Age would ease.
King. Stay Humfrey, Duke of Gloster,
Ere thou goe, giue vp thy Staffe,
Henry will to himselfe Protector be,
And God shall be my hope, my stay, my guide,
1080And Lanthorne to my feete:
And goe in peace, Humfrey, no lesse belou'd,
Then when thou wert Protector to thy King.
Queene. I see no reason, why a King of yeeres
Should be to be protected like a Child,
1085God and King Henry gouerne Englands Realme:
Giue vp your Staffe, Sir, and the King his Realme.
Glost. My Staffe? Here, Noble Henry, is my Staffe:
As willingly doe I the same resigne,
As ere thy Father Henry made it mine;
1090And euen as willingly at thy feete I leaue it,
As others would ambitiously receiue it.
Farewell good King: when I am dead, and gone,
May honorable Peace attend thy Throne.
Exit Gloster.
1095Queene. Why now is Henry King, and Margaret Queen,
And Humfrey, Duke of Gloster, scarce himselfe,
That beares so shrewd a mayme: two Pulls at once;
His Lady banisht, and a Limbe lopt off.
This Staffe of Honor raught, there let it stand,
1100Where it best fits to be, in Henries hand.
Suff. Thus droupes this loftie Pyne, & hangs his sprayes,
Thus Elianors Pride dyes in her youngest dayes.
Yorke. Lords, let him goe. Please it your Maiestie,
This is the day appointed for the Combat,
1105And ready are the Appellant and Defendant,
The Armorer and his Man, to enter the Lists,
So please your Highnesse to behold the fight.
Queene. I, good my Lord: for purposely therefore
Left I the Court, to see this Quarrell try'de.
1110King. A Gods Name see the Lysts and all things fit,
Here let them end it, and God defend the right.
Yorke. I neuer saw a fellow worse bestead,
Or more afraid to fight, then is the Appellant,
The seruant of this Armorer, my Lords.
1115
Enter at one Doore the Armorer and his Neighbors, drinking
to him so much, that hee is drunke; and he enters with a
Drumme before him, and his Staffe, with a Sand-bagge
fastened to it: and at the other Doore his Man, with a
Drumme and Sand-bagge, and Prentices drinking to him.
11201. Neighbor. Here Neighbour Horner, I drinke to you
in a Cup of Sack; and feare not Neighbor, you shall doe
well enough.
2. Neighbor. And here Neighbour, here's a Cuppe of
Charneco.
11253. Neighbor. And here's a Pot of good Double-Beere
Neighbor: drinke, and feare not your Man.
Armorer. Let it come yfaith, and Ile pledge you all,
and a figge for Peter.
1. Prent. Here Peter, I drinke to thee, and be not a-
1130fraid.
2. Prent. Be merry Peter, and feare not thy Master,
Fight for credit of the Prentices.
Peter. I thanke you all: drinke, and pray for me, I pray
you, for I thinke I haue taken my last Draught in this
1135World. Here Robin, and if I dye, I giue thee my Aporne;
and Will, thou shalt haue my Hammer: and here Tom,
take all the Money that I haue. O Lord blesse me, I pray
God, for I am neuer able to deale with my Master, hee
hath learnt so much fence already.
1140Salisb. Come, leaue your drinking, and fall to blowes.
Sirrha, what's thy Name?
Peter. Peter forsooth.
Salisb. Peter? what more?
Peter. Thumpe.
1145Salisb. Thumpe? Then see thou thumpe thy Master
well.
Armorer. Masters, I am come hither as it were vpon
my Mans instigation, to proue him a Knaue, and my selfe
an honest man: and touching the Duke of Yorke, I will
1150take my death, I neuer meant him any ill, nor the King,
nor the Queene: and therefore Peter haue at thee with a
downe-right blow.
Yorke. Dispatch, this Knaues tongue begins to double.
Sound Trumpets, Alarum to the Combattants.
1155
They fight, and Peter strikes him downe.
Armorer. Hold Peter, hold, I confesse, I confesse Trea-
son.
Yorke. Take away his Weapon: Fellow thanke God,
and the good Wine in thy Masters way.
1160Peter. O God, haue I ouercome mine Enemies in this
presence? O Peter, thou hast preuayl'd in right.
King. Goe, take hence that Traytor from our sight,
For by his death we doe perceiue his guilt,
And God in Iustice hath reueal'd to vs
1165The truth and innocence of this poore fellow,
Which he had thought to haue murther'd wrongfully.
Come fellow, follow vs for thy Reward.
Sound a flourish.
Exeunt.