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Henry VI, Part 2 (Quarto 1, 1594)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
Enter King Henry, and the Queene, Duke Humphrey, the Duke of
Suffolke, and the Duke of Buckingham, the Cardinall, and Dame
1052.1Elnor Cobham, led with the Officers, and then enter to them the
Duke of Yorke, and the Earles of Salsbury and VVarwicke.
King. Stand foorth Dame Elnor Cobham Duches of Gloster,
and here the sentence pronounced against thee for these Treasons,
that thou hast committed gainst vs, our States and Peeres.
First for thy hainous crimes, thou shalt two daies in London do
penance barefoote in the streetes, with a white sheete about thy
1065bodie, and a waxe Taper burning in thy hand. That done, thou
shalt be banished for euer into the Ile of Man, there to ende thy
1066.1wretched daies, and this is our sentence erreuocable. Away with
her.
Elnor. Euen to my death, for I haue liued too long.
Exet some with Elnor.
.5King. Greeue not noble vnckle, but be thou glad,
In that these Treasons thus are come to light,
Least God had pourde his vengeance on thy head,
For her offences that thou heldst so deare.
Humph. Oh gratious Henry, giue me leaue awhile,
To leaue your grace, and to depart away,
For sorrowes teares hath gripte my aged heart,
1075And makes the fountaines of mine eyes to swell,
1075.1And therefore good my Lord, let me depart.
King. With all my hart good vnkle, when you please,
Yet ere thou goest, Humphrey resigne thy staffe,
For Henry will be no more protected,
The Lord shall be my guide both for my land and me.
Humph. My staffe, I noble Henry, my life and all,
My staffe, I yeeld as willing to be thine,
As erst thy noble father made it mine,
1090And euen as willing at thy feete I leaue it,
As others would ambitiously receiue it,
And long hereafter when I am dead and gone,
May honourable peace attend thy throne.
King. Vnkle Gloster, stand vp and go in peace,
No lesse beloued of vs, then when
Thou weart Protector ouer my land.
Exet Gloster.
Queene. Take vp the staffe, for here it ought to stand,
1100Where should it be, but in King Henries hand?
Yorke. Please it your Maiestie, this is the day
That was appointed for the combating
Betweene the Armourer and his man, my Lord,
And they are readie when your grace doth please.
1110King. Then call them forth, that they may trie their rightes.
1115
Enter at one doore the Armourer and his neighbours, drinking
to him so much that he is drunken, and he enters with a drum
before him, and his staffe with a sand-bag fastened to it, and
at the other doore, his man with a drum and sand-bagge, and
Prentises drinking to him.
11201. Neighbor. Here neighbor Hornor, I drink to you in a cup of
And feare not neighbor, you shall do well inough.
(Sacke.
2. Neigh. And here neighbor, heres a cup of Charneco.
11253. Neigh. Heres a pot of good double beere, neighbor drinke
And be merry, and feare not your man.
Armourer. Let it come, yfaith ile pledge you all,
And a figge for Peter.
1. Prentise. Here Peter I drinke to thee, and be not affeard.
1129.12. Pren. Here Peter, heres a pinte of Claret-wine for thee.
3. Pren. And heres a quart for me, and be merry Peter,
And feare not thy maister, fight for credit of the Prentises.
Peter. I thanke you all, but ile drinke no more,
1135Here Robin, and if I die, here I giue thee my hammer,
And Will, thou shalt haue my aperne, and here Tom,
Take all the mony that I haue.
O Lord blesse me, I pray God, for I am neuer able to deale with
my maister, he hath learnt so much fence alreadie.
1140Salb. Come leaue your drinking, and fall to blowes.
Sirrha, whats thy name?
Pettr. Peter forsooth.
Salbury. Peter, what more?
Peter. Thumpe.
1145Salsbury. Thumpe, then see that thou thumpe thy maister.
1145.1Armour. Heres to thee neighbour, fill all the pots again, for be-
fore we fight, looke you, I will tell you my minde, for I am come
hither as it were of my mans instigation, to proue my selfe an ho-
nest man, and Peter a knaue, and so haue at you Peter with down
1150right blowes, as Beuys of South-hampton fell vpon Askapart.
1150.1Peter. Law you now, I told you hees in his fence alreadie.
1155
Alarmes, and Peter hits him on the head and fels him.
Armou. Hold Peter, I confesse, Treason, treason.
He dies.
1160Peter. O God I giue thee praise.
He kneeles downe.
1160.1Pren. Ho well done Peter. God saue the King.
King. Go take hence that Traitor from our sight,
For by his death we do perceiue his guilt,
And God in iustice hath reuealde to vs,
1165The truth and innocence of this poore fellow,
Which he had thought to haue murthered wrongfully.
Come fellow, follow vs for thy reward.
Exet omnis.