'Glo. Ambitious churchman, leave to afflict my | * Sorrow and grief have vanquish'd all my powers: * * K. Hen. O God, what mischiefs work the wicked ones; Heaping confusion on their own heads thereby ! * And, look thyself be faultless, thou wert best. Honour, and virtue, and convers❜d with such And give her, as a prey, to law and shame, 'That hath dishonour'd Gloster's honest name. · K. Hen. Well, for this night, we will repose us here: To-morrow, toward London, back again, Our simple supper ended, give me leave In craving your opinion of my title, Which is infallible to England's crown. * Sal. My lord, I long to hear it at full. Sent his poor queen to France, from whence sho came, • And him to Pomfret; where, as you all know, 'Harmless Richard was murder'd traitorously. * War. Father, the duke hath told the truth, * Thus got the house of Lancaster the crown. * York. Which now they hold by force, and nɔt by right; For Richard, the first son's heir being dead, * The issue of the next son should have reign'd. * Sal. But William of Hatfield died without an heir. *York. The third son, duke of Clarence (from whose line * I claim the crown,) had issue-Philippe, a daugh- * Who married Edmund Mortimer, earl of March, • York. His eldest sister, Anne, My mother being heir unto the crown, • Married Richard, earl of Cambridge; who was son 'To Edmund Langley, Edward the Third's fifth son. 'By her I claim the kingdom: she was heir ' War. What plain proceedings are more plain Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt, 'The fourth son; York claims it from the third War. Sweet York, begin; and if thy claim be Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign: good, The Nevils are thy subjects to command. York. Then thus: 'Edward the Third, my lords, had seven sons: The first, Edward the Black Prince, prince of Wales; The second, William of Hatfield; and the third, 'Lionel, duke of Clarence; next to whom, 'Was John of Gaunt, the duke of Lancaster; 'The fifth, was Edmond Langley, duke of York The sixth, was Thomas of Woodstock, duke of Gloster • William of Windsor was the seventh, and last. Till Henry Bolingbroke, duke of Lancaster, 1 In the original play the words are, as you both know.' The phraseology of the text is peculiar to Shak speare. 2 In Act ii. Sc. 5, of the last play, York, to whom this is spoken, is present at the death of Edmund Mortimer in prison; and the reader will recollect him to have been married to Owen Glendower's daughter in the First Part of King Henry IV. 3 Some of the mistakes of the historians and the drama concerning Edmund Mortimer, earl of March, are noticed in a note to the former play; where he is introduced an aged and gray-haired prisoner in the Tower, and represented as having been confined since Harry Monmouth first began to reign.' Yet here we are told he was kept in captivity by Owen Glendower till he died. The fact is, that Hall having said Owen Glendower kept his son-in-law, Lord Grey of Ruth vin, in captivity till he died, and this Lord March having been said by some historians to have married Owen's daughter, the author of this play has confounded them with each other. This Edmund being only six years of age at the death of his father, in 1399, he was delivered by King Henry IV. in ward to his son Henry prince of .ཛྙ 1 'It fails not yet; but flourishes in thee, York. We thank you, lords. But I am not your Wink at the duke of Suffolk's insolence, Wales, and during the whole of that reign, being a minor, and related to the family on the throne, he was under the particular care of the king. At the age of ter years, in 1402, he headed a body of Herefordshire men against Owen Glendower, and was taken prisoner by him. The Percies, in the manifesto they published before the battle of Shrewsbury, speak of him as rightful heir to the crown, whom Owen had confined, and whom, finding for political reasons that the king would not ransom him, they at their own charges had ransomed. If he was at the battle of Shrewsbury, he was probably brought there against his will, to grace their cause, and was under the care of the king soon after. Great trust was reposed in this earl of March during the whole reign of King Henry V. In the sixth year of that king he was at the siege of Fresnes, with the earl of Salisbury; and soon afterwards with the king himself at the siege of Melun. In the same year he was made lieute nant of Normandy; was at Melun with Henry to treat of his marriage with Catharine; and accompanied that queen when she returned from France with the corpse of her husband, in 1422, and died two years afterwards at his castle of Trim, in Ireland. 4 Sequestered spot * 'Tis that they seek an they, in seeking that, War. My heart assures me, that the earl of • Shall one day make the duke of York a king. [Exeunt. K. Hen. Stand forth, dame Eleanor Cobham, In sight of God, and us, your guilt is great; [To JOURD. &c. • Shall after three days' open penance done, *Glo. Eleanor, the law, thou seest, hath judged * I cannot justify whom the law condemns.- This is the day appointed for the combat, And ready are the appellant and defendant, 'The armourer and his man, to enter the lists, 'So please your highness to behold the fight. * Q. Mar. Ay, good my lord; for purposely therefore * Left I the court, to see this quarrel tried. 'K. Hen. O' God's name, see the lists and all things fit; Here let them end it, and God defend the right! * York. I never saw a fellow worse bested," * Or more afraid to fight, than is the appellant, * The servant of this armourer, my lords. Enter, on one side, HORNER, and his neighbours, drinking to him so much that he is drunk; and he enters bearing his staff with a sand-bag fastened to it; a drum before him; at the other side, PETER, with a drum and a similar staff; accompanied by Prentices drinking to him. 7 1 Neigh. Here, neighbour Horner, I drink to you in a cup of sack; And fear not, neighbour, you shall do well enough. 2 Neigh. And here, neighbour, here's a cup of charneco. 3 Neigh. And here's a pot of good double beer, neighbour: drink, and fear not your man. Hor. Let it come, i'taith, and I'll pledge you all i And a fig for Peter ! 1 Pren. Here, Peter, I drink to thee; and be not afraid. 2 Pren. Be merry, Peter, and fear not thy mas ter; fight for credit of the prentices. • Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief. thou go, Give up thy staff; Henry will to himself Protector be: and God shall be my hope, 'My stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet 'And years go in peace, Humphrey; no less belov'd, Than when thou wert protector to thy king. * Q. Mar. I see no reason, why a king of *Should be to be protected like a child.'God and King Henry govern England's helm: 'Give up your staff, sir, and the king his realm. 'Glo. My staff?-here, noble Henry, is my staff; 'As willingly do I the same resign, 'As e'er thy father Henry made it mine ; And even as willingly at thy feet I leave it, As others would ambitiously receive it. Farewell, good king: When I am dead and gone, May honourable peace attend thy throne! [Exit. * Q. Mar. Why, now is Henry king, and Margaret queen; * And Humphrey, duke of Gloster, scarce himself, * Peter. I thank you all: *drink, and pray for me, pray you; for, I think, I have taken my last draught in this world."*-Here, Robin, an if I die I give thee my apron; and, Will, thou shalt have my hammer:-and here, Tom, take all the money that I have.-O Lord, bless me, I pray God! for I am never able to deal with my master, he hath learnt so much fence already. Sal. Come, leave your drinking, and fall to blows. -Sirrah, what's thy name? Peter. Peter, forsooth. Sal. Peter! what more? Sal. Thump! then see thou thump thy master well. Hor. Masters, I am come hither, as it were, upon my man's instigation, to prove him a knave, and myself an honest man: * touching the duke of * York,―will take my death, I never meant him any ill, nor the king, nor the queen: * And, therefore, Peter, have at thee with a downright blow, as Bevis of Southampton fell upon Ascapart.10 * York. Despatch:-this krave's tongue begins to double.11 1 i. e. sorrow requires solace, and age requires ease. wine. Warburton imagines that it may have had its 2 The image is probably from our Liturgy: A lan-name from charneca, the Spanish name for a species of tern to my feet, and a light to my paths.' 3 Raught is the ancient preterite of the verb reach. Shakspeare uses it in Antony and Cleopatra, Act iv. Sc. 9:-'The hand of death has raught him.' 4 Her in this line relates to pride, and not to Eleanor. "The pride of Eleanor dies before it has reached maturity. turpentine tree; but Steevens says Charneco is the name of a village in Portugal where this wine was made. It is frequently mentioned by old writers. 9 Gay has borrowed this idea in his What d'ye call it, where Peascod says: Stay, let me pledge--'tis my last earthly liquor.› Peascod's subsequent bequest is likewise copied from 5 i. e. let him pass out of your thoughts. Duke Hum-Peter's division of his moveables. phrey had already left the stage. 6 In a worse plight. 7 As, according to the old law of duels, knights were to fight with the lance and the sword, so those of inferior rank fought with an ebon staff, or battoon, to the farther end of which was fixed a bag crammed hard with sand. 8 Charmeco appears to have been a kind of sweet 10 Warburton added this allusion to Bevis and Ascapart from the old quarto. The story of this knight and giant were familiar to our ancestors; their effigies are still preserved on the gates of Southampton. 11 This is from Holinshed, whose narrative Shak speare has deserted in making the armourer confess treason:- His neighbours gave him wine and strong drinke in such excessive sort. that he was ther: with Hor. Hold, Peter, hold! I confess, I confess [Dies. treason. * York. Take away his weapon;-Fellow, Thank God, and the good wine in thy master's 'Peter. O God! have I overcome mine enemies "Peter. God! have I overcome mine enemies in this presence? O Peter, thou hast prevailed in • right? K. Hen. Go, take hence that traitor from our For, by his death, we do perceive his guilt: The truth and innocence of this poor fellow, Come, fellow, follow us for thy reward. [Exeunt. | *To see my tears, and hear my deep-fet' groans. * Ah, Humphrey, can I bear this shameful yoke? * Trow'st thou, that e'er I'll look upon the world Or count them happy, that enjoy the sun? *No; dark shall be my light, and night my day; To think upon my pomp shall be my hell. Sometime I'll say, I am duke Humphrey's wife; And he a prince, and ruler of the land: Yet so he rul'd, and such a prince he was, As he stood by, whilst I, his forlorn duchess, 'Was made a wonder, and a pointing-stock, To every idle rascal follower. But be thou mild, and blush not at my shame; wrong-Nor stir at nothing, till the axe of death Hang over thee, as, sure, it shortly will. For Suffolk,-he that can do all in all 'With her, that hateth thee, and hates us all,And York, and impious Beaufort, that false priest, Have all lim❜d bushes to betray thy wings, And, fly thou how thou canst, they'll tangle thee: * But fear not thou, until thy foot be snar'd, * Nor never seek prevention of thy foes. * Glo. Thus, sometimes hath the brightest day a cloud; * And, after summer, evermore succeeds * Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold: *So cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet.2 Sirs, what's o'clock? Serv. Ten, my lord. 'Glo. Ten is the hour that was appointed me, To watch the coming of my punish'd duchess : Uneath3 may she endure the flinty streets, To tread them with her tender-feeling feet. Sweet Nell, ill can thy noble mind abrook The abject people, gazing on thy face, With envious looks, still laughing at thy shame; That erst did follow, thy proud chariot wheels, When thou didst ride in triumph through the streets. *But, soft! I think, she comes; and I'll prepare My tear-stain'd eyes to see her miseries. Enter the Duchess of Gloster, in a white sheet, with papers pinned upon her back, her feet bare, and a taper burning in her hand: SIR JOHN STANLEY, a Sheriff, and Officers. * Serv. So please your grace, we'll take her from the sheriff. Glo. No, stir not, for your lives; let her pass by. Duch. Come you, my lord, to see my open shame? Now thou dost penance too. Look, how they gaze! See, how the giddy multitude do point, "And nod their heads, and throw their eyes on thee! Ah, Gloster, hide thee from their hateful looks; And ban3 thine enemies, both mine and thine. distempered, and reeled as he went, and so was slaine without guilt. As for the false servant, he lived not long unpunished; for being convict of felonie in court of assise, he was judged to be hanged, and so was at Tiburne. Fo.626. 1 The real name of the combatants were John Daveys and William Catour. The names of the sheriffs were Godfrey Bologne and Robert Horne, the latter, which occurs in the page of Fabian's Chronicle, may have suggested the name of Horner. The precept to the sheriffs, commanding them to prepare the barriers in Smithfield, with the account of expenses incurred, is among the records of the exchequer, and has been printed in Mr. Nichols's Illustrations of the Manners and Expenses of Antient Times in England, quarto, 1797. It appears that the erection of the barriers, the combat itself, and the subsequent execution of the armourer, occupied the space of six or seven days; that a large quantity of sand and gravel was consumed on the occasion, and that the place of battle was strewed with rushes. Mr. Steevens inferred that the armourer was not killed by his opponent, but worsted, and immediately afterwards hanged. This, however, is in direct * Glo. Ah, Nell, forbear; thou aimest all awry; * And each of them had twenty times their power, Thy greatest help is quiet,1° gentle Nell: · I pray thee, sort thy heart to patience; These few days' wonder will be quickly worn your grace. Glo. Entreat her not the worse, in that I pray Duch. What gone, my lord; and bid me not 'Glo. Witness my tears, I cannot stay to speak. contradiction to all the historians, who state that he was 6 Wrapped or bundled up in disgrace; alluding to the sheet of penance. Mailed, from a mail or male, a little budget. 8 i. e. careful, circumspect 9 Scathe is harm, mischief, used by all our anciert writers. The word is still in use in Scotland. 7 Deep-fetched. 10 The poet has not endeavoured to raise much compassion for the duchess, who indeed suffers but what she had deserved.-Johnson. 11 i. e. the world may look again favourably on me. 'Duch. Art thou gone too? *All comfort go with thee! * For none avides with me: my joy is--death : * Death, at whose name I oft have been afear'd, * Because I wish'd this world's eternity.'Stanley, I pr'ythee, go, and take me hence; 'I care not whither, for I beg no favour, 'Only convey me where thou art commanded. * Stan. Why, madam, that is to the Isle of Man * There to be used according to your state. * Duch. That's bad enough, for I am but reproach: * And shall I then be us'd reproachfully? * Stan. Like to a duchess, and Duke Humphrey's lady, * According to that state you shall be used. 'Duch. Sheriff, farewell, and better than I fare; 'Although thou hast been conduct1 of my shame ! Sher. It is my office; and, madam, pardon me. 'Duch. Ay, ay, farewell; thy office is discharg'd.-'Come, Stanley, shall we go? 'Stan. Madam, your penance donc, throw off this sheet, And go we to attire you for our journey. * Upon my life, began her devilish practices: Or if he were not privy to those faults, *Yet, by reputing of his high descent (As next the king he was successive heir,) * And such high vaunts of his nobility, *Did instigate the bedlam brain-sick duchess, 'Duch. My shame will not be shifted with my * By wicked means, to frame our sovereign's fall. sheet: The strangeness of his alter'd countenance? With what a majesty he bears himself? 'How insolent of late he is become, 'How proud, how peremptory, and unlike himself? 'We know the time, since he was mild and affable; 'And, if we did but glance a far-off look, Immediately he was upon his knee, That all the court admir'd him for submission 'But meet him now, and, be it in the morn, 'When every one will give the time of day, He knits his brow, and shows an angry eye, 'And passeth by with stiff unbowed knee, Disdaining duty that to us belongs. Small curs are not regarded, when they grin: '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. 'Me seemeth,4 then, it is no policy, Respecting what a rancorous mind he bears, And his advantage following your decease,• That he should come about your royal person, 'Or be admitted to your highness' council. 'By flattery hath he won the commons' hearts; And, when he please to make commotion, Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep; * And in his simple show he harbours treason. The fox barks not, when he would steal the lamb. No, no, my sovereign; Gloster is a man Unsounded yet, and full of deep deceit. * Car. Did he not, contrary to form of law, * Devise strange deaths for small offences done York. And did he not, in his protectorship, *Levy great sums of money through the realm, By means whereof, the towns each day revolted. * For soldiers' pay in France, and never sent it? * Buck. Tut! these are petty faults to faults un known, * Which time will bring to light in smooth Duke Humphrey. *K. Hen. My lords, at once: The care you of us, have *To mow down thorns that would annoy our foot, Is worthy praise: But shall I speak my conscience? * Our kinsman Gloster 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 weil given, To dream on evil, or to work my downfall. * Q. Mar. Ah, what's more dangerous than this fond affiance! * Seems he a dove? his feathers are but borrow'd, *For he's disposed as the hateful raven. *Is he a lamb ? his skin is surely lent him, *For he's inclin’d as are the ravenous wolves. *Who cannot steal a shape, that means deceit ? *Take heed, my lord; the welfare of us all * Hangs on the cutting short that fraudful man. Enter SOMERSET. * Som. All health unto my gracious sovereign! K. Hen. Welcome, Lord Somerset. What news from France? 'Som. That all your interest in those territories Is utterly bereft you; all is lost. K. Hen. Cold news, Lord Somerset: But God's will be done! York. Cold news for me; for I had hope of France, As firmly as I hope for fertile England. 9 * Thus are my blossoms blasted in the bud, lately, in our memory. Selden says that this must be understood so far as it relates to the title being 'com monly in use, and properly to the king applied,' because he adduces an instance of the use of majesty, so early as the reign of Henry the Second. The reader will see more on the subject in Mr. Douce's Illustrations of Shakspeare, vol. ii. p. 11. word occurs again in Act v :— 8 i. e. valuing himself on his high descent. The 'And in my conscience do repute his grace,' &c. 9 These two lines York had spoken teiore in the firs act of this play. He is now meditating on this disap pointment, and comparing his former hopes with his present loss. * And caterpillars eat my leaves away: * But I will remedy this gear1 ere long, * Or sell my title for a glorious grave. Enter GLOSter. • And Suffolk's cloudy brow his storing hate', Sharp Buckingham unburdens with his tongue [Aside. The envious load that lies upon his heart: * Glo. All happiness unto my lord the king! Pardon, my liege, that I have staid so long. Suff. Nay, Gloster, know, that thou art come too soon, Unless thou wert more loyal than thou art : I do arrest thee of high treason here. And dogged York, that reaches at the moon, * And, with your best endeavour, have stirr'd up Glo. Well, Suffolk, yet2 thou shalt not see me * Myself had notice of your conventicles, blush, Nor change my countenance for this arrest And, being protector, stayed the soldiers' pay; pay, I never robb'd the soldiers of their 'Nor ever had one penny bribe from France. So help me God, as I have watch'd the night,Ay, night by night,-in studying good for England! 'That doit that e'er I wrested from the king, 'Or any groat I hoarded to my use, 'Be brought against me at my trial day! 'No! many a pound of mine own proper store, Because I would not tax the needy commons, • Have I dispursed to the garrisons, And never ask'd for restitution. * Car. It serves you well, my lord, to say so much. *Glo. 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 defam'd by tyranny. Glo. Why, 'tis well known, that whiles I was protector, Pity was all the fault that was in me; * For I should melt at an offender's tears, • Or foul felonious thief that fleec'd poor passengers, 'I never gave them condign punishment: Murder, indeed, that bloody sin, I tortur'd Above the felon, or what trespass else. 'I shall not want false witness to condemn me, * Car. My liege, his railing is intolerable: 'Q. Mar. But I can give the loser leave to chide Glo. Far truer spoke than meant : I lose indeed ; 'Beshrew the winners, for they played me false! * And well such losers may have leave to speak. Buck. He'll wrest the sense, and hold us here all day: 'Lord cardinal, he is your prisoner. 'Car. Sirs, take away the duke, and guard hını him sure. Glo. Ah, thus king Henry throws away his crutch, This is the shepherd beaten from thy side, [Exeunt Attendants, with GLoster K. Hen. My lords, what to your wisdoms seemetli best, Do, or undo, as if ourself were here. Q. Mar. What, will your highness leave the par liament? K. Hen. Ay, Margaret; my heart is drown'd with grief, * Whose flood begins to flow within mine eyes; 'Suff. My lord, these faults are easy,3 quickly* My body round engirt with misery; answer'd: 'But mightier crimes are laid unto your charge, 'K. Hen. My lord of Gloster, 'tis my special • That you will clear yourself from all suspects; My conscience tells me, you are innocent. Glo. Ah, gracious lord, these days are dangerous! * Virtue is chok'd with foul ambition, *And charity chas'd hence by rancour's hand; *Foul subornation is predominant, And equity exil'd your highness' land. *I know, their complot is to have my life; And, if my death might make this island happy, • And prove the period of their tyranny, 'I would expend it with all willingness: 'But mine 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 blab his heart's malice, 1 Gear was a general word for matter, subject, or business in general. 2 This is the reading of the second folio. The first folio reads, 'Well, Suffolk, thou,' &c. Mr. Malone reads, 'Well, Suffolk's duke,' &c. from the old play. 3 i. e. slight. 4 For accusation. *For what's more miserable than discontent?- * And yet, good Humphrey, is the hour to come, That these great lords, and Margaret our queen, * Do seek subversion 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 strays, * Bearing it to the bloody slaughter-house; * Even so, remorseless, have they borne him hence, * And as the dam runs lowing up and down, *Looking the way her harmless young one went, * And can do nought but wail he: darling's loss; Even so, myself bewails good Gloster's case, *With sad unhelpful tears; and with dimm'd eyes *Look after him, and cannot do him good; *So mighty are his vowed enemies. * 'His fortunes I will weep; and, 'twixt each groan, 'Say-Who's a traitor, Gloster he is none. [Exit. * Q. Mar. Free lords; cold snow melts with the sun's hot beams. |