The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 182

Thou b.a.s.t.a.r.d of my grandfather!

WINCHESTER. Ay, lordly sir; for what are you, I pray, But one imperious in another's throne?

GLOUCESTER. Am I not Protector, saucy priest?

WINCHESTER. And am not I a prelate of the church?

GLOUCESTER. Yes, as an outlaw in a castle keeps, And useth it to patronage his theft.

WINCHESTER. Unreverent Gloucester!

GLOUCESTER. Thou art reverend Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life.

WINCHESTER. Rome shall remedy this.

WARWICK. Roam thither then.

SOMERSET. My lord, it were your duty to forbear.

WARWICK. Ay, see the bishop be not overborne.

SOMERSET. Methinks my lord should be religious, And know the office that belongs to such.

WARWICK. Methinks his lords.h.i.+p should be humbler; It fitteth not a prelate so to plead.

SOMERSET. Yes, when his holy state is touch'd so near.

WARWICK. State holy or unhallow'd, what of that?

Is not his Grace Protector to the King?

PLANTAGENET. [Aside] Plantagenet, I see, must hold his tongue, Lest it be said 'Speak, sirrah, when you should; Must your bold verdict enter talk with lords?'

Else would I have a fling at Winchester.

KING HENRY. Uncles of Gloucester and of Winchester, The special watchmen of our English weal, I would prevail, if prayers might prevail To join your hearts in love and amity.

O, what a scandal is it to our crown That two such n.o.ble peers as ye should jar!

Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell Civil dissension is a viperous worm That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.

[A noise within: 'Down with the tawny coats!']

What tumult's this?

WARWICK. An uproar, I dare warrant, Begun through malice of the Bishop's men.

[A noise again: 'Stones! Stones!']

Enter the MAYOR OF LONDON, attended

MAYOR. O, my good lords, and virtuous Henry, Pity the city of London, pity us!

The Bishop and the Duke of Gloucester's men, Forbidden late to carry any weapon, Have fill'd their pockets full of pebble stones And, banding themselves in contrary parts, Do pelt so fast at one another's pate That many have their giddy brains knock'd out.

Our windows are broke down in every street, And we for fear compell'd to shut our shops.

Enter in skirmish, the retainers of GLOUCESTER and WINCHESTER, with b.l.o.o.d.y pates

KING HENRY. We charge you, on allegiance to ourself, To hold your slaught'ring hands and keep the peace.

Pray, uncle Gloucester, mitigate this strife.

FIRST SERVING-MAN. Nay, if we be forbidden stones, we'll fall to it with our teeth.

SECOND SERVING-MAN. Do what ye dare, we are as resolute.

[Skirmish again]

GLOUCESTER. You of my household, leave this peevish broil, And set this unaccustom'd fight aside.

THIRD SERVING-MAN. My lord, we know your Grace to be a man Just and upright, and for your royal birth Inferior to none but to his Majesty; And ere that we will suffer such a prince, So kind a father of the commonweal, To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate, We and our wives and children all will fight And have our bodies slaught'red by thy foes.

FIRST SERVING-MAN. Ay, and the very parings of our nails Shall pitch a field when we are dead. [Begin again]

GLOUCESTER. Stay, stay, I say!

And if you love me, as you say you do, Let me persuade you to forbear awhile.

KING HENRY. O, how this discord doth afflict my soul!

Can you, my Lord of Winchester, behold My sighs and tears and will not once relent?

Who should be pitiful, if you be not?

Or who should study to prefer a peace, If holy churchmen take delight in broils?

WARWICK. Yield, my Lord Protector; yield, Winchester; Except you mean with obstinate repulse To slay your sovereign and destroy the realm.

You see what mischief, and what murder too, Hath been enacted through your enmity; Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood.

WINCHESTER. He shall submit, or I will never yield.

GLOUCESTER. Compa.s.sion on the King commands me stoop, Or I would see his heart out ere the priest Should ever get that privilege of me.

WARWICK. Behold, my Lord of Winchester, the Duke Hath banish'd moody discontented fury, As by his smoothed brows it doth appear; Why look you still so stem and tragical?

GLOUCESTER. Here, Winchester, I offer thee my hand.

KING HENRY. Fie, uncle Beaufort! I have heard you preach That malice was a great and grievous sin; And will not you maintain the thing you teach, But prove a chief offender in the same?

WARWICK. Sweet King! The Bishop hath a kindly gird.

For shame, my Lord of Winchester, relent; What, shall a child instruct you what to do?

WINCHESTER. Well, Duke of Gloucester, I will yield to thee; Love for thy love and hand for hand I give.

GLOUCESTER [Aside] Ay, but, I fear me, with a hollow heart.

See here, my friends and loving countrymen: This token serveth for a flag of truce Betwixt ourselves and all our followers.

So help me G.o.d, as I dissemble not!

WINCHESTER [Aside] So help me G.o.d, as I intend it not!

KING HENRY. O loving uncle, kind Duke of Gloucester, How joyful am I made by this contract!

Away, my masters! trouble us no more; But join in friends.h.i.+p, as your lords have done.

FIRST SERVING-MAN. Content: I'll to the surgeon's.

SECOND SERVING-MAN. And so will I.

THIRD SERVING-MAN. And I will see what physic the tavern affords. Exeunt servants, MAYOR, &C.

WARWICK. Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign; Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet We do exhibit to your Majesty.

GLOUCESTER. Well urg'd, my Lord of Warwick; for, sweet prince, An if your Grace mark every circ.u.mstance, You have great reason to do Richard right; Especially for those occasions At Eltham Place I told your Majesty.

KING HENRY. And those occasions, uncle, were of force; Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is That Richard be restored to his blood.

WARWICK. Let Richard be restored to his blood; So shall his father's wrongs be recompens'd.

WINCHESTER. As will the rest, so willeth Winchester.

KING HENRY. If Richard will be true, not that alone But all the whole inheritance I give That doth belong unto the house of York, From whence you spring by lineal descent.

PLANTAGENET. Thy humble servant vows obedience And humble service till the point of death.

KING HENRY. Stoop then and set your knee against my foot; And in reguerdon of that duty done I girt thee with the valiant sword of York.

Rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet, And rise created princely Duke of York.

PLANTAGENET. And so thrive Richard as thy foes may fall!

And as my duty springs, so perish they That grudge one thought against your Majesty!

ALL. Welcome, high Prince, the mighty Duke of York!

SOMERSET. [Aside] Perish, base Prince, ign.o.ble Duke of York!

GLOUCESTER. Now will it best avail your Majesty To cross the seas and to be crown'd in France: The presence of a king engenders love Amongst his subjects and his loyal friends, As it disanimates his enemies.

KING HENRY. When Gloucester says the word, King Henry goes; For friendly counsel cuts off many foes.

GLOUCESTER. Your s.h.i.+ps already are in readiness.

Sennet. Flourish. Exeunt all but EXETER EXETER. Ay, we may march in England or in France, Not seeing what is likely to ensue.

This late dissension grown betwixt the peers Burns under feigned ashes of forg'd love And will at last break out into a flame; As fest'red members rot but by degree Till bones and flesh and sinews fall away, So will this base and envious discord breed.

And now I fear that fatal prophecy.

Which in the time of Henry nam'd the Fifth Was in the mouth of every sucking babe: That Henry born at Monmouth should win all, And Henry born at Windsor should lose all.

Which is so plain that Exeter doth wish His days may finish ere that hapless time. Exit

SCENE 2.

France. Before Rouen

Enter LA PUCELLE disguis'd, with four soldiers dressed like countrymen, with sacks upon their backs

PUCELLE. These are the city gates, the gates of Rouen, Through which our policy must make a breach.

Take heed, be wary how you place your words; Talk like the vulgar sort of market-men That come to gather money for their corn.