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  • Title: Henry VI, Part 1 (Folio 1, 1623)

    • Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Henry VI, Part 1 (Folio 1, 1623)

    Actus Tertius. Scena Prima.
    Flourish. Enter King, Exeter, Gloster, Winchester, Warwick,
    Somerset, Suffolk, Richard Plantagenet. Gloster offers
    to put vp a Bill: Winchester snatches it, teares it.
    1205 Winch. Com'st thou with deepe premeditated Lines?
    With written Pamphlets, studiously deuis'd?
    Humfrey of Gloster, if thou canst accuse,
    Or ought intend'st to lay vnto my charge,
    Doe it without inuention, suddenly,
    1210As I with sudden, and extemporall speech,
    Purpose to answer what thou canst obiect.
    Glo. Presumptuous Priest, this place cōmands my patiēce,
    Or thou should'st finde thou hast dis-honor'd me.
    Thinke not, although in Writing I preferr'd
    1215The manner of thy vile outragious Crymes,
    That therefore I haue forg'd, or am not able
    Verbatim to rehearse the Methode of my Penne.
    No Prelate, such is thy audacious wickednesse,
    Thy lewd, pestiferous, and dissentious prancks,
    1220As very Infants prattle of thy pride.
    Thou art a most pernitious Vsurer,
    Froward by nature, Enemie to Peace,
    Lasciuious, wanton, more then well beseemes
    A man of thy Profession, and Degree.
    1225And for thy Trecherie, what's more manifest?
    In that thou layd'st a Trap to take my Life,
    As well at London Bridge, as at the Tower.
    Beside, I feare me, if thy thoughts were sifted,
    The King, thy Soueraigne, is not quite exempt
    1230From enuious mallice of thy swelling heart.
    Winch. Gloster, I doe defie thee. Lords vouchsafe
    To giue me hearing what I shall reply.
    If I were couetous, ambitious, or peruerse,
    As he will haue me: how am I so poore?
    1235Or how haps it, I seeke not to aduance
    Or rayse my selfe? but keepe my wonted Calling.
    And for Dissention, who preferreth Peace
    More then I doe? except I be prouok'd.
    No, my good Lords, it is not that offends,
    1240It is not that, that hath incens'd the Duke:
    It is because no one should sway but hee,
    No one, but hee, should be about the King;
    And that engenders Thunder in his breast,
    And makes him rore these Accusations forth.
    1245But he shall know I am as good.
    Glost. As good?
    Thou Bastard of my Grandfather.
    Winch. I, Lordly Sir: for what are you, I pray,
    But one imperious in anothers Throne?
    1250 Glost. Am I not Protector, sawcie Priest?
    Winch. And am not I a Prelate of the Church?
    Glost. Yes, as an Out-law in a Castle keepes,
    And vseth it, to patronage his Theft.
    Winch. Vnreuerent Glocester.
    1255 Glost. Thou art reuerent,
    Touching thy Spirituall Function, not thy Life.
    Winch. Rome shall remedie this.
    Warw. Roame thither then.
    My Lord, it were your dutie to forbeare.
    1260 Som. I, see the Bishop be not ouer-borne:
    Me thinkes my Lord should be Religious,
    And know the Office that belongs to such.
    Warw. Me thinkes his Lordship should be humbler,
    It fitteth not a Prelate so to plead.
    1265 Som. Yes, when his holy State is toucht so neere.
    Warw. State holy, or vnhallow'd, what of that?
    Is not his Grace Protector to the King?
    Rich. Plantagenet I see must hold his tongue,
    Least it be said, Speake Sirrha when you should:
    1270Must your bold Verdict enter talke with Lords?
    Else would I haue a fling at Winchester.
    King. Vnckles of Gloster, and of Winchester,
    The speciall Watch-men of our English Weale,
    I would preuayle, if Prayers might preuayle,
    1275To ioyne your hearts in loue and amitie.
    Oh, what a Scandall is it to our Crowne,
    That two such Noble Peeres as ye should iarre?
    Beleeue me, Lords, my tender yeeres can tell,
    Ciuill dissention is a viperous Worme,
    1280That gnawes the Bowels of the Common-wealth.
    A noyse within, Downe with the
    Tawny-Coats.
    King. What tumult's this?
    Warw. An Vprore, I dare warrant,
    1285Begun through malice of the Bishops men.
    A noyse againe, Stones, Stones.
    Enter Maior.
    Maior. Oh my good Lords, and vertuous Henry,
    Pitty the Citie of London, pitty vs:
    1290The Bishop, and the Duke of Glosters men,
    Forbidden late to carry any Weapon,
    Haue fill'd their Pockets full of peeble stones;
    And banding themselues in contrary parts,
    Doe pelt so fast at one anothers Pate,
    1295That many haue their giddy braynes knockt out:
    Our Windowes are broke downe in euery Street,
    And we,for feare,compell'd to shut our Shops.
    Enter in skirmish with bloody Pates.
    King. We charge you, on allegeance to our selfe,
    1300To hold your slaughtring hands, and keepe the Peace:
    Pray' Vnckle Gloster mittigate this strife.
    1. Seruing. Nay, if we be forbidden Stones, wee'le fall
    to it with our Teeth.
    2. Seruing. Doe what ye dare, we are as resolute.
    1305 Skirmish againe.
    Glost. You of my household, leaue this peeuish broyle,
    And set this vnaccustom'd fight aside.
    3. Seru. My Lord, we know your Grace to be a man
    Iust, and vpright; and for your Royall Birth,
    1310Inferior to none, but to his Maiestie:
    And ere that we will suffer such a Prince,
    So kinde a Father of the Common-weale,
    To be disgraced by an Inke-horne Mate,
    Wee and our Wiues and Children all will fight,
    1315And haue our bodyes slaughtred by thy foes.
    1. Seru. I, and the very parings of our Nayles
    Shall pitch a Field when we are dead.
    Begin againe.
    Glost. Stay, stay, I say:
    1320And if you loue me, as you say you doe,
    Let me perswade you to forbeare a while.
    King. Oh, how this discord doth afflict my Soule.
    Can you, my Lord of Winchester, behold
    My sighes and teares, and will not once relent?
    1325Who should be pittifull, if you be not?
    Or who should study to preferre a Peace,
    If holy Church-men take delight in broyles?
    Warw. Yeeld my Lord Protector, yeeld Winchester,
    Except you meane with obstinate repulse
    1330To slay your Soueraigne, and destroy the Realme.
    You see what Mischiefe, and what Murther too,
    Hath beene enacted through your enmitie:
    Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood.
    Winch. He shall submit, or I will neuer yeeld.
    1335 Glost. Compassion on the King commands me stoupe,
    Or I would see his heart out, ere the Priest
    Should euer get that priuiledge of me.
    Warw. Behold my Lord of Winchester, the Duke
    Hath banisht moodie discontented fury,
    1340As by his smoothed Browes it doth appeare:
    Why looke you still so sterne, and tragicall?
    Glost. Here Winchester, I offer thee my Hand.
    King. Fie Vnckle Beauford, I haue heard you preach,
    That Mallice was a great and grieuous sinne:
    1345And will not you maintaine the thing you teach?
    But proue a chiefe offendor in the same.
    Warw. Sweet King: the Bishop hath a kindly gyrd:
    For shame my Lord of Winchester relent;
    What, shall a Child instruct you what to doe?
    1350 Winch. Well, Duke of Gloster, I will yeeld to thee
    Loue for thy Loue, and Hand for Hand I giue.
    Glost. I, but I feare me with a hollow Heart.
    See here my Friends and louing Countreymen,
    This token serueth for a Flagge of Truce,
    1355Betwixt our selues, and all our followers:
    So helpe me God, as I dissemble not.
    Winch. So helpe me God, as I intend it not.
    King. Oh louing Vnckle, kinde Duke of Gloster,
    How ioyfull am I made by this Contract.
    1360Away my Masters, trouble vs no more,
    But ioyne in friendship, as your Lords haue done.
    1. Seru. Content, Ile to the Surgeons.
    2. Seru. And so will I.
    3. Seru. And I will see what Physick the Tauerne af-
    1365fords. Exeunt.
    Warw. Accept this Scrowle, most gracious Soueraigne,
    Which in the Right of Richard Plantagenet,
    We doe exhibite to your Maiestie.
    Glo. Well vrg'd, my Lord of Warwick: for sweet Prince,
    1370And if your Grace marke euery circumstance,
    You haue great reason to doe Richard right,
    Especially for those occasions
    At Eltam Place I told your Maiestie.
    King. And those occasions, Vnckle, were of force:
    1375Therefore my louing Lords, our pleasure is,
    That Richard be restored to his Blood.
    Warw. Let Richard be restored to his Blood,
    So shall his Fathers wrongs be recompenc't.
    Winch. As will the rest, so willeth Winchester.
    1380 King. If Richard will be true, not that all alone,
    But all the whole Inheritance I giue,
    That doth belong vnto the House of Yorke,
    From whence you spring, by Lineall Descent.
    Rich. Thy humble seruant vowes obedience,
    1385And humble seruice, till the point of death.
    King. Stoope then, and set your Knee against my Foot,
    And in reguerdon of that dutie done,
    I gyrt thee with the valiant Sword of Yorke:
    Rise Richard, like a true Plantagenet,
    1390And rise created Princely Duke of Yorke.
    Rich. And so thriue Richard, as thy foes may fall,
    And as my dutie springs, so perish they,
    That grudge one thought against your Maiesty.
    All. Welcome high Prince, the mighty Duke of Yorke.
    1395 Som. Perish base Prince, ignoble Duke of Yorke.
    Glost. Now will it best auaile your Maiestie,
    To crosse the Seas, and to be Crown'd in France:
    The presence of a King engenders loue
    Amongst his Subiects, and his loyall Friends,
    1400As it dis-animates his Enemies.
    King. When Gloster sayes the word, King Henry goes,
    For friendly counsaile cuts off many Foes.
    Glost. Your Ships alreadie are in readinesse.
    Senet. Flourish. Exeunt.
    1405 Manet Exeter.
    Exet. I, we may march in England, or in France,
    Not seeing what is likely to ensue:
    This late dissention growne betwixt the Peeres,
    Burnes vnder fained ashes of forg'd loue,
    1410And will at last breake out into a flame,
    As festred members rot but by degree,
    Till bones and flesh and sinewes fall away,
    So will this base and enuious discord breed.
    And now I feare that fatall Prophecie,
    1415Which in the time of Henry, nam'd the Fift,
    Was in the mouth of euery sucking Babe,
    That Henry borne at Monmouth should winne all,
    And Henry borne at Windsor, loose all:
    Which is so plaine, that Exeter doth wish,
    1420His dayes may finish, ere that haplesse time. Exit.
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