Enter King HENRY, YORK, and SOMERSET, conversing with him; Duke and Duchess of GLOster, Cardinal BEAUFORT, BUCKINGHAM, SALISBURY, and WARWICK. K. Hen. For my part, noble lords, I care not which; Or Somerset, or York, all's one to me. York. If York have ill demean'd himself in France, Then let him be denay'd the regentship. Som. If Somerset be unworthy of the place, Let York be regent, I will yield to him. War. Whether your grace be worthy, yea, or no, Dispute not that: York is the worthier. Car. Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak. War. Warwick may live to be the best of all. * Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this. * Q. Mar. Because the king, forsooth, will have it so. Glo. Madam, the king is old enough himself 'To give his censure; these are no women's matters. Q. Mar. If he be old enough what needs your grace 'To be protector of his excellence? 'Glo. Madam, I am protector of the realm; And, at his pleasure, will resign my place. Suf. Resign it then, and leave thine insolence. Since thou wert king, (as who is king, but thou?) 'The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck: 6 his censure:] Through all these plays censure is used in an indifferent sense, simply for judgment or opinion. * The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas; Car. The commons hast thou rack'd; the * Are lank and lean with thy extortions. *Som. Thy sumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire, * Have cost a mass of publick treasury. * Q. Mar. Thy sale of offices, and towns in France,* If they were known, as the suspect is great,* Would make thee quickly hop without thy head. [Exit GLOSTER. The Queen drops her Fan. 'Give me my fan: What, minion! can you not? [Gives the Duchess a box on the ear. cry you mercy, madam; Was it you? Duch. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud French I woman: "Could I come near your beauty with my nails, I'd set my ten commandments in your face. K. Hen. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will. 'Duch. Against her will! Good king, look to't in time; 'She'll hamper thee, and dandle thee like a baby: *Though in this place most master wear no breeches, She shall not strike dame Eleanor unreveng'd. [Exit Duchess, *Buck. Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor, * And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds: *She's tickled now; her fume can need no spurs, * She'll gallop fast enough to her destruction. [Exit BUCKINGHAM. Re-enter GLOster. * Glo. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown, * With walking once about the quadrangle, * I come to talk of commonwealth affairs. * As for your spiteful false objections, * Prove them, and I lie open to the law: * But God in mercy so deal with my soul, * As I in duty love my king and country! But, to the matter that we have in hand:I say, my sovereign, York is meetest man * To be your regent in the realm of France. * Suf. Before we make election, give me leave 'To show some reason, of no little force, 'That York is most unmeet of any man. • York. I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet. 'First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride: * Next, if I be appointed for the place, * My lord of Somerset will keep me here, * Without discharge, money, or furniture, *Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands. * Last time, I danc'd attendance on his will, * Till Paris was besieg'd, famish'd, and lost. * War. That I can witness; and a fouler fact * Did never traitor in the land commit. Suf. Peace, head-strong Warwick! War. Image of pride, why should I hold my peace? Enter Servants of SUFFOLK, bringing in HORNER and PETER. Suf. Because here is a man accus'd of treason: Pray God, the duke of York excuse himself! * York. Doth any one accuse York for a traitor? *K. Hen. What mean'st thou, Suffolk? tell me: What are these? Suf. Please it your majesty, this is the man 'That doth accuse his master of high treason: 'His words were these;-that Richard, duke of York, "Was rightful heir unto the English crown; 'And that your majesty was an usurper. 'K. Hen. Say, man, were these thy words? Hor. An't shall please your majesty, I never said nor thought any such matter: God is my witness, I am falsely accused by the villain. 'Pet. By these ten bones,' my lords, [Holding up his Hands.] he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were scouring my lord of • York's armour. * York. Base dunghill villain, and mechanical, * I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech:'I do beseech your royal majesty, 'Let him have all the rigour of the law. Hor. Alas, my lord, hang me, if ever I spake the words. My accuser is my prentice; and when I did correct him for his fault the other day, he did vow upon his knees he would be even with me: I have good witness of this; therefore, I beseech your majesty, do not cast away an honest man for a villain's accusation. K. Hen. Uncle, what shall we say to this in law? • Glo. This doom, iny lord, if I may judge. 'Let Somerset be regent o'er the French, 'Because in York this breeds suspicion: And let these have a day appointed them 'For single combat in convenient place; For he hath witness of his servant's malice: This is the law, and this duke Humphrey's doom. 7 By these ten bones, &c.] We have just heard a Duchess threaten to set her ten commandments in the face of a Queen. The jests in this play turn rather too much on the enumeration of fingers. This adjuration is, however, very ancient. K. Hen. Then be it so. My lord of Somerset, We make your grace lord regent o'er the French. Som. I humbly thank your royal majesty. Hor. And I accept the combat willingly. Pet. Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; * for God's *sake, pity my case! the spite of man prevaileth against me. O, Lord have mercy upon me! I * shall never be able to fight a blow: O Lord, my * heart! Glo. Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd. K. Hen. Away with them to prison: and the day 'Of combat shall be the last of the next month.Come, Somerset, we'll see thee sent away. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. The same. The Duke of Gloster's Garden. Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN, HUME, SOUTHwell, and BOLINGBROKE. Hume. Come, my masters; the duchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises. *Boling. Master Hume, we are therefore pro*vided: Will her ladyship behold and hear our ex* orcisms?s *Hume. Ay; What else? fear you not her cou rage. * Boling. I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible spirit: But it shall be con* venient, master Hume, that you be by her aloft, * while we be busy below; and so, I pray you, go 8 our exorcisms?] The word exorcise, and its derivatives, are used by Shakspeare in an uncommon sense. In all other writers it means to lay spirits, but in these plays it invariably means to raise them. |