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Henry VI, Part 2 (Quarto 1, 1594)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
Enter to the Parlament.
Enter two Heralds before, then the Duke of Buckingham, and the
Duke of Suffolke, and then the Duke of Yorke, and the Cardi-
1294.1 nall of VVinchester, and then the King and the Queene, and then
the Earle of Salisbury, and the Earle of VVarwicke.
1295King. I wonder our vnkle Gloster staies so long.
Queene. Can you not see, or will you not perceiue,
How that ambitious Duke doth vse himselfe?
The time hath bene, but now that time is past,
That none so humble as Duke Humphrey was:
But now let one meete him euen in the morne,
When euery one will giue the time of day,
And he will neither moue nor speake to vs.
1309.1See you not how the Commons follow him
In troupes, crying, God saue the good Duke Humphrey,
And with long life, Iesus preserue his grace,
Honouring him as if he were their King.
Gloster is no litle man in England,
And if he list to stir commotions,
Tys likely that the people will follow him.
1330My Lord, if you imagine there is no such thing,
1330.1Then let it passe, and call it a womans feare.
My Lord of Suffolke, Buckingham, and Yorke,
Disproue my Alligations if you can,
1335And by your speeches, if you can reproue me,
1335.1I will subscribe and say, I wrong'd the Duke.
Suffol. Well hath your grace foreseen into that Duke,
And if I had bene licenst first to speake,
I thinke I should haue told your graces tale.
Smooth runs the brooke whereas the streame is deepest.
1350No, no, my soueraigne, Gloster is a man
Vnsounded yet, and full of deepe deceit.
Enter the Duke of Somerset.
King. Welcome Lord Somerset, what newes from France?
1380Somer. Cold newes my Lord, and this it is,
That all your holds and Townes within those Territores
1381.1Is ouercome my Lord, all is lost.
King. Cold newes indeed Lord Somerset,
But Gods will be done.
Yorke. Cold newes for me, for I had hope of France,
1385Euen as I haue of fertill England.
1390
Enter Duke Humphrey.
Hum. Pardon my liege, that I haue staid so long.
Suffol. Nay, Gloster know, that thou art come too soone,
Vnlesse thou proue more loyall then thou art,
1395We do arrest thee on high treason here.
Humph. Why Suffolkes Duke thou shalt not see me blush
Nor change my countenance for thine arrest,
Whereof am I guiltie, who are my accusers?
York. Tis thought my lord, your grace tooke bribes from France,
And stopt the soldiers of their paie,
1405By which his Maiestie hath lost all France.
Humph. Is it but thought so, and who are they that thinke so?
1410So God helpe me, as I haue watcht the night
Euer intending good for England still,
That penie that euer I tooke from France,
Be brought against me at the iudgement day.
I neuer robd the soldiers of their paie,
1415Many a pound of mine owne propper cost
Haue I sent ouer for the soldiers wants,
Because I would not racke the needie Commons.
Car. In your Protectorship you did deuise
Strange torments for offendors, by which meanes
England hath bene defamde by tyrannie.
Hum. Why tis wel knowne that whilst I was protector
1425Pitie was all the fault that was in me,
A murtherer or foule felonous theefe,
That robs and murthers silly passengers,
I tortord aboue the rate of common law.
Suffolk. Tush my Lord, these be things of no account,
But greater matters are laid vnto your charge,
I do arrest thee on high treason here,
And commit thee to my good Lord Cardinall,
Vntill such time as thou canst cleare thy selfe.
King. Good vnkle obey to his arrest,
1440I haue no doubt but thou shalt cleare thy selfe,
My conscience tels me thou art innocent.
Hump. Ah gratious Henry these daies are dangerous,
And would my death might end these miseries,
And staie their moodes for good King Henries sake,
But I am made the Prologue to their plaie,
And thousands more must follow after me,
That dreads not yet their liues destruction.
Suffolkes hatefull tongue blabs his harts malice,
1455Bewfords firie eyes showes his enuious minde,
Buckinghams proud lookes bewraies his cruel thoughts,
And dogged Yorke that leuels at the Moone
Whose ouerweening arme I haue held backe.
1465All you haue ioynd to betraie me thus:
And you my gratious Lady and soueraigne mistresse,
Causelesse haue laid complaints vpon my head,
I shall not want false witnesses inough,
That so amongst you, you may haue my life.
1470The Prouerbe no doubt will be well performde,
A staffe is quickly found to beate a dog.
Suffolke. Doth he not twit our soueraigne Lady here,
1480As if that she with ignomious wrong,
Had sobornde or hired some to sweare against his life.
Queene. I but I can giue the loser leaue to speake.
Humph. Far truer spoke then ment, I loose indeed,
Beshrovv the vvinners hearts, they plaie me false.
Buck. Hele vvrest the sence and keep vs here all day,
My Lord of Winchester, see him sent avvay.
Car. Who's vvithin there? Take in Duke Humphrey,
1488.1And see him garded sure vvithin my house.
Humph. O! thus King Henry casts avvay his crouch,
1490Before his legs can beare his bodie vp,
And puts his vvatchfull shepheard from his side,
Whilst vvolues stand snarring vvho shall bite him first.
Farvvell my soueraigne, long maist thou enioy,
Thy fathers happie daies free from annoy.
1494.1
Exet Humphrey, vvith the Cardinals men.
1495King. My Lords what to your vvisdoms shall seem best,
Do and vndo as if our selfe were here.
Queen. What wil your highnesse leaue the Parlament?
King. I Margaret. My heart is kild with griefe,
Where I may sit and sigh in endlesse mone,
For who's a Traitor, Gloster he is none.
1523.1
Exet King, Salsbury, and VVarwicke.
Queene. Then sit we downe againe my Lord Cardinall,
1524.1Suffolke, Buckingham, Yorke, and Somerset.
Let vs consult of proud Duke Humphries fall.
1535In mine opinion it were good he dide,
For safetie of our King and Common-wealth.
1540Suffolke. And so thinke I Madame, for as you know,
1540.1If our King Henry had shooke hands with death,
Duke Humphrey then would looke to be our King:
And it may be by pollicie he workes,
To bring to passe the thing which now we doubt,
The Foxe barkes not when he would steale the Lambe,
But if we take him ere he do the deed,
We should not question if that he should liue.
No. Let him die, in that he is a Foxe,
Least that in liuing he offend vs more.
1575Car. Then let him die before the Commons know,
For feare that they do rise in Armes for him.
1576.1Yorke. Then do it sodainly my Lords.
1580Suffol. Let that be my Lord Cardinals charge & mine.
1580.1Car. Agreed, for hee's already kept within my house.
Enter a Messenger.
1584.1Queene. How now sirrha, what newes?
1585Messen. Madame I bring you newes from Ireland,
The wilde Onele my Lords, is vp in Armes,
1586.1With troupes of Irish Kernes that vncontrold,
Doth plant themselues within the English pale.
Queene. What redresse shal we haue for this my Lords?
Yorke. Twere very good that my Lord of Somerset
That fortunate Champion were sent ouer,
1594.1And burnes and spoiles the Country as they goe.
To keepe in awe the stubborne Irishmen,
1595He did so much good when he was in France.
Somer. Had Yorke bene there with all his far fetcht
Pollices, he might haue lost as much as I.
1600Yorke. I, for Yorke would haue lost his life before
That France should haue reuolted from Englands rule.
1601.1Somer. I so thou might'st, and yet haue gouernd worse then I.
1610York. What worse then nought, then a shame take all.
Somer. Shame on thy selfe, that wisheth shame.
Queene. Somerset forbeare, good Yorke be patient,
And do thou take in hand to crosse the seas,
With troupes of Armed men to quell the pride
Of those ambitious Irish that rebell.
1620Yorke. Well Madame sith your grace is so content,
Let me haue some bands of chosen soldiers,
1624.1And Yorke shall trie his fortune against those kernes.
Queene. Yorke thou shalt. My Lord of Buckingham,
Let it be your charge to muster vp such souldiers
1633.1As shall suffise him in these needfull warres.
1635Buck. Madame I will, and leauie such a band
1635.1As soone shall ouercome those Irish Rebels,
But Yorke, where shall those soldiers staie for thee?
Yorke. At Bristow, I wil expect them ten daies hence.
Buc. Then thither shall they come, and so farewell.
.5
Exet Buckingham.
Yorke. Adieu my Lord of Buckingham.
Queene. Suffolke remember what you haue to do.
1627.1And you Lord Cardinall concerning Duke Humphrey,
Twere good that you did see to it in time,
Come let vs go, that it may be performde.
Exet omnis, Manit Yorke.
York. Now York bethink thy self and rowse thee vp,
1637.1Take time whilst it is offered thee so faire,
Least when thou wouldst, thou canst it not attaine,
Twas men I lackt, and now they giue them me,
And now whilst I am busie in Ireland,
I haue seduste a headstrong Kentishman,
Iohn Cade of Ashford,
1665Vnder the title of Iohn Mortemer,
1680To raise commotion, and by that meanes
1680.1I shall perceiue how the common people
Do affect the claime and house of Yorke,
1685Then if he haue successe in his affaires,
From Ireland then comes Yorke againe,
To reape the haruest which that coystrill sowed,
Now if he should be taken and condemd,
Heele nere confesse that I did set him on,
1683.1And therefore ere I go ile send him word,
To put in practise and to gather head,
That so soone as I am gone he may begin
To rise in Armes with troupes of country swaines,
.5To helpe him to performe this enterprise.
And then Duke Humphrey, he well made away,
1688.1None then can stop the light to Englands Crowne,
But Yorke can tame and headlong pull them downe
Exet Yorke.