Holden at Bury72 the first of this next month.
GLOUCESTER And my consent ne'er asked herein before?
This is close dealing74. Well, I will be there.--
[Exit Herald]
My Nell, I take my leave: and, Master Sheriff,
Let not her penance exceed the king's commission76.
SHERIFF An't please your grace, here my commission stays77,
And Sir John Stanley is appointed now
To take her with him to the Isle of Man.
GLOUCESTER Must you, Sir John, protect80 my lady here?
STANLEY So am I given in charge, may't please your grace.
GLOUCESTER Entreat82 her not the worse in that I pray
You use her well: the world may laugh again,
And I may live to do you kindness if
He begins to leave
You do it her. And so, Sir John, farewell.
ELEANOR What, gone, my lord, and bid me not farewell?
GLOUCESTER Witness my tears, I cannot stay to speak.
Exeunt Gloucester [and his Men]
ELEANOR Art thou gone too? All comfort go with thee,
For none abides with me: my joy is death:
Death, at whose name I oft have been afeared90,
Because I wished this world's eternity91.
Stanley, I prithee go, and take me hence:
I care not whither, for I beg no favour,
Only convey me where thou art commanded.
STANLEY Why, madam, that is to the Isle of Man,
There to be used according to your state96.
ELEANOR That's bad enough, for I am but reproach97:
And shall I then be used reproachfully?
STANLEY Like to a duchess, and Duke Humphrey's lady:
According to that state you shall be used.
ELEANOR Sheriff, farewell, and better than I fare101,
Although thou hast been conduct102 of my shame.
SHERIFF It is my office103; and, madam, pardon me.
ELEANOR Ay, ay, farewell, thy office is discharged104:
Come, Stanley, shall we go?
STANLEY Madam, your penance done, throw off this sheet,
And go we to attire107 you for our journey.
ELEANOR My shame will not be shifted108 with my sheet:
No, it will hang upon my richest robes
And show itself, attire me how I can.
Go, lead the way: I long to see my prison.
Exeunt
[Act 3 Scene 1]
running scene 9
Sound a sennet. Enter King [Henry VI], Queen [Margaret], Cardinal, Suffolk, York, Buckingham, Salisbury and Warwick to the parliament [with Attendants]
KING HENRY VI I muse1 my lord of Gloucester is not come:
'Tis not his wont to be the hindmost2 man,
Whate'er occasion keeps him from us now.
QUEEN MARGARET Can you not see? Or will ye not observe
The strangeness5 of his altered countenance?
With what a majesty he bears himself,
How insolent7 of late he is become,
How proud, how peremptory8, and unlike himself?
We know the time since9 he was mild and affable,
And if we did but glance a far-off10 look,
Immediately he was upon his knee,
That all the court admired him for12 submission.
But meet him now, and be it in the morn,
When everyone will give the time of day14,
He knits his brow15 and shows an angry eye,
And passeth by with stiff unbowed knee16,
Disdaining duty17 that to us belongs.
Small curs are not regarded when they grin18,
But great men tremble when the lion roars,
And Humphrey is no little man in England.
First note that he is near you in descent,
And should you fall, he is the next will mount.
Meseemeth then it is no policy23,
Respecting what a rancorous24 mind he bears,
And his advantage following your decease,
That he should come about26 your royal person
Or be admitted to your highness' Council.
By flattery hath he won the commons' hearts:
And when he please to make commotion29,
'Tis to be feared they all will follow him.
Now 'tis the spring, and weeds are shallow-rooted31:
Suffer32 them now, and they'll o'ergrow the garden
And choke the herbs for want of husbandry33.
The reverent care I bear unto my lord
Made me collect35 these dangers in the duke.
If it be fond36, call it a woman's fear:
Which fear, if better reasons can supplant37,
I will subscribe38 and say I wronged the duke.
My lord of Suffolk, Buckingham and York,
Reprove40 my allegation, if you can,
Or else conclude my words effectual41.
SUFFOLK Well hath your highness seen into this duke:
And had I first been put43 to speak my mind,
I think I should have told your grace's tale.
The duchess, by his subornation45,
Upon my life, began her devilish practices46:
Or if he were not privy to47 those faults,
Yet by reputing48 of his high descent,
As next the49 king he was successive heir,
And such high vaunts50 of his nobility,
Did instigate the bedlam brain-sick51 duchess
By wicked means to frame52 our sovereign's fall.
Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep:
And in his simple show54 he harbours treason.
The fox barks not when he would steal the lamb.--
To King Henry
No, no, my sovereign, Gloucester is a man.
Unsounded57 yet and full of deep deceit.
To King Henry
CARDINAL Did he not, contrary to form of law,
Devise strange59 deaths for small offences done?
To King Henry
YORK And did he not, in his Protectorship,
Levy61 great sums of money through the realm
For soldiers' pay in France, and never sent it,
By means whereof63 the towns each day revolted?
BUCKINGHAM Tut, these are petty faults to64 faults unknown,
Which time will bring to light in smooth65 Duke Humphrey.
KING HENRY VI My lords, at once66: the care you have of us
To mow down thorns that would annoy67 our foot
Is worthy praise: but shall I68 speak my conscience,
Our kinsman Gloucester is as innocent
From meaning treason to our royal person
As is the sucking lamb or harmless dove:
The duke is virtuous, mild and too well given72
To dream on evil or to work my downfall.
QUEEN MARGARET Ah, what's more dangerous than this fond affiance74?
Seems he a dove? His feathers are but borrowed,
For he's disposed as76 the hateful raven.
Is he a lamb? His skin is surely lent him,
For he's inclined as is the ravenous wolves78.
Who cannot steal a shape that means79 deceit?
Take heed, my lord, the welfare of us all
Hangs on the cutting short that fraudful81 man.
Enter Somerset
SOMERSET All health unto my gracious sovereign.
KING HENRY VI Welcome, Lord Somerset. What news from France?
SOMERSET That all your interest84 in those territories
Is utterly bereft85 you: all is lost.
KING HENRY VI Cold news, Lord Somerset: but God's will be done.
Aside
YORK Cold news for me: for I had hope of France.
As firmly as I hope for fertile England.
Thus are my blossoms blasted89 in the bud
And caterpillars eat my leaves away:
> But I will remedy this gear91 ere long,
Or sell my title for a glorious grave.
Enter Gloucester
GLOUCESTER All happiness unto my lord the king:
Pardon, my liege, that I have stayed94 so long.
SUFFOLK Nay, Gloucester, know that thou art come too soon,
Unless thou wert more loyal than thou art:
I do arrest thee of high treason here.
GLOUCESTER Well, Suffolk, thou shalt not see me blush
Nor change my countenance for this arrest:
A heart unspotted is not easily daunted.
The purest spring is not so free from mud
As I am clear from treason to my sovereign.
Who can accuse me? Wherein am I guilty?
YORK 'Tis thought, my lord, that you took bribes of104 France,
And, being Protector, stayed105 the soldiers' pay,
By means whereof his highness hath lost France.
GLOUCESTER Is it but thought so? What107 are they that think it?
I never robbed the soldiers of their pay,
Nor ever had one penny bribe from France.
So help me God, as I have watched the night110,
Ay, night by night, in studying111 good for England,
That doit112 that e'er I wrested from the king,
Or any groat113 I hoarded to my use,
Be brought against me at my trial day!
No: many a pound of mine own proper store115,
Because I would not tax the needy commons,
Have I disbursed117 to the garrisons,
And never asked for restitution.
CARDINAL It serves you well, my lord, to say so much.
GLOUCESTER I say no more than truth, so help me God.
YORK In your Protectorship you did devise
Strange tortures for offenders, never heard of,
That England was defamed by123 tyranny.
GLOUCESTER Why, 'tis well known that whiles124 I was Protector,
Pity was all the fault that was in me:
For I should melt at an offender's tears,
And lowly words were ransom for their fault127:
Unless it were a bloody murderer,
Or foul felonious thief that fleeced poor passengers129,
I never gave them condign130 punishment.
Murder indeed, that bloody sin, I tortured
Above the felon or what trespass else132.
SUFFOLK My lord, these faults are easy133, quickly answered:
But mightier crimes are laid unto your charge,
Whereof you cannot easily purge yourself.
I do arrest you in his highness' name,
And here commit you to my lord cardinal
To keep until your further138 time of trial.
KING HENRY VI My lord of Gloucester, 'tis my special hope
That you will clear yourself from all suspense140:
My conscience tells me you are innocent.
GLOUCESTER Ah, gracious lord, these days are dangerous:
Virtue is choked with foul ambition
And charity chased hence by rancour's hand:
Foul subornation145 is predominant
And equity146 exiled your highness' land.
I know their complot147 is to have my life:
And if my death might make this island happy,
And prove the period149 of their tyranny,
I would expend it150 with all willingness.
But mine151 is made the prologue to their play:
For thousands more, that yet suspect no peril,
Will not conclude their plotted tragedy.
Beaufort's red sparkling eyes blab154 his heart's malice,
And Suffolk's cloudy brow his stormy hate:
Sharp156 Buckingham unburdens with his tongue
The envious157 load that lies upon his heart:
And dogged158 York, that reaches at the moon,
Whose overweening159 arm I have plucked back,
By false accuse doth level160 at my life.--
To Queen Margaret
And you, my sovereign lady, with the rest,
Causeless162 have laid disgraces on my head,
And with your best endeavour have stirred up
My liefest liege164 to be mine enemy:
Ay, all of you have laid your heads together --
Myself had notice of your conventicles166 --
And all to make away my guiltless life.
I shall not want168 false witness to condemn me,
Nor store169 of treasons to augment my guilt:
The ancient proverb will be well effected:
'A staff is quickly found to beat a dog.'
CARDINAL My liege, his railing172 is intolerable.
If those that care to keep your royal person
From treason's secret knife and traitors' rage
Be thus upbraided, chid and rated at175,
And the offender granted scope176 of speech,
'Twill make them cool in zeal177 unto your grace.
SUFFOLK Hath he not twit178 our sovereign lady here
With ignominious words, though clerkly couched179,
As if she had suborned180 some to swear
False allegations to o'erthrow his state181?
QUEEN MARGARET But I can give the loser leave to chide.
GLOUCESTER Far truer spoke than meant: I lose indeed:
Beshrew the winners, for they played me false184,
And well such losers may have leave to speak.
BUCKINGHAM He'll wrest the sense186 and hold us here all day.
Lord Cardinal, he is your prisoner.
CARDINAL Sirs, take away the duke, and guard him sure188.
GLOUCESTER Ah, thus King Henry throws away his crutch
Before his legs be firm to bear his body.
Thus is the shepherd beaten from thy side,
And wolves are gnarling192 who shall gnaw thee first.
Ah, that my fear were false: ah, that it were:
For, good King Henry, thy decay194 I fear.
Exit Gloucester [guarded]
KING HENRY VI My lords, what to your wisdoms seemeth best,
Do or undo, as if ourself were here.
QUEEN MARGARET What, will your highness leave the parliament?
KING HENRY VI Ay, Margaret: my heart is drowned with grief,
Whose flood begins to flow within mine eyes:
My body round engirt200 with misery:
For what's more miserable than discontent?--
Ah, uncle Humphrey, in thy face I see
The map203 of honour, truth and loyalty:
And yet, good Humphrey, is the hour to come
That e'er I proved thee false or feared thy faith205.
What louring star now envies thy estate206,
That these great lords and Margaret our queen
Do seek subversion208 of thy harmless life?
Thou never didst them wrong, nor no man wrong:
And as the butcher takes away the calf,
And binds the wretch, and beats it when it strays211,
Bearing it to the bloody slaughterhouse,
Even so remorseless have they borne him hence:
And as the dam214 runs lowing up and down,
Looking the way her harmless young one went,
And can do naught but wail her darling's loss,
Even so myself bewails good Gloucester's case
With sad unhelpful tears, and with dimmed eyes
Look after him, and cannot do him good:
So mighty are his vowed220 enemies.
His fortunes I will weep, and 'twixt221 each groan
Say 'Who's a traitor? Gloucester he is none.'
Exit [with Buckingham, Salisbury and Warwick]
QUEEN MARGARET Free223 lords, cold snow melts with the sun's hot beams:
Henry my lord is cold224 in great affairs,
Too full of foolish pity: and Gloucester's show225
&nb
sp; Beguiles him as the mournful crocodile
With sorrow snares relenting passengers227,
Or as the snake rolled in a flow'ring bank,
With shining chequered slough229, doth sting a child
That for the beauty thinks it excellent.
Believe me, lords, were none more wise than I--
And yet herein I judge mine own wit232 good--
This Gloucester should be quickly rid233 the world,
To rid us from the fear we have of him.
CARDINAL That he should die is worthy235 policy:
But yet we want a colour236 for his death:
'Tis meet237 he be condemned by course of law.
SUFFOLK But, in my mind, that were238 no policy:
The king will labour still239 to save his life,
The commons haply rise240, to save his life:
And yet we have but trivial argument241,
More than mistrust242, that shows him worthy death.
YORK So that, by this243, you would not have him die.
SUFFOLK Ah, York, no man alive so fain244 as I.
Aside
YORK 'Tis York that hath more reason for his death.--
Aloud
But, my lord cardinal, and you my lord of Suffolk,
Say as you think, and speak it from your souls:
Were't not all one, an empty248 eagle were set
To guard the chicken from a hungry kite249,
As place Duke Humphrey for the king's Protector?
QUEEN MARGARET So the poor chicken should be sure of death.
SUFFOLK Madam, 'tis true: and were't not madness then
To make the fox surveyor of the fold253,
Who being accused a crafty murderer,
His guilt should be but idly posted over255,
Because his purpose is not executed256?
No: let him die, in that he is a fox,
By nature proved an enemy to the flock,
Before his chaps259 be stained with crimson blood,
As Humphrey, proved by reasons, to my liege260.
And do not stand on quillets261 how to slay him:
Be it by gins, by snares, by subtlety262,
Sleeping or waking, 'tis no matter how,
So264 he be dead: for that is good deceit