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Henry VI, Part 2 - Act 1, scene 3
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Henry VI, Part 2 - Act 1, scene 3Act 1, scene 3
⌜Scene 3⌝
Synopsis:
Queen Margaret and Suffolk dismiss petitioners seeking Gloucester’s aid and then conspire against Gloucester. Somerset and York then clash, as do Gloucester and Suffolk. The accusation that York’s armorer has declared York the rightful king puts York under suspicion of treason.
Enter three or four Petitioners, ⌜Peter,⌝ theArmorer’s man, being one.
FIRST PETITIONER 0382 My masters, let’s stand close. My
0383 Lord Protector will come this way by and by, and
0384 then we may deliver our supplications in the quill.
SECOND PETITIONER 0385 Marry, the Lord protect him, for
0386 5 he’s a good man! Jesu bless him!
Enter Suffolk, ⌜wearing the red rose,⌝
and Queen ⌜Margaret.⌝
⌜FIRST PETITIONER⌝ 0387 Here he comes, methinks, and the
0388 Queen with him. I’ll be the first, sure.
⌜He steps forward.⌝
SECOND PETITIONER 0389 Come back, fool! This is the Duke
0390 of Suffolk, and not my Lord Protector.
SUFFOLK 0391 10How now, fellow? Wouldst anything with
0392 me?
FIRST PETITIONER 0393 I pray, my lord, pardon me. I took
0394 you for my Lord Protector.
QUEEN MARGARET ⌜takes a petition and reads.⌝ 0395 To my
0396 15 Lord Protector. Are your supplications to his Lordship?
0397 Let me see them.—What is thine?
FIRST PETITIONER 0398 Mine is, an ’t please your Grace,
0399 against John Goodman, my Lord Cardinal’s man,
0400 for keeping my house, and lands, and wife and all,
0401 20 from me.
SUFFOLK 0402 Thy wife too? That’s some wrong indeed.—
0403 What’s yours? ⌜Taking a petition.⌝ What’s here?
0404 ⌜(Reads.)⌝ Against the Duke of Suffolk for enclosing
0405 the commons of Melford. How now, sir knave?
SECOND PETITIONER 0406 25Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner
0407 of our whole township.
PETER, ⌜showing his petition⌝ 0408 Against my master,
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35
0409
Thomas Horner, for saying that the Duke of York0410 was rightful heir to the crown.
QUEEN MARGARET 0411 30What sayst thou? Did the Duke of
0412 York say he was rightful heir to the crown?
PETER 0413 That my ⌜master⌝ was? No, forsooth. My master
0414 said that he was and that the King was an
0415 usurper.
SUFFOLK, ⌜calling⌝ 0416 35Who is there?
Enter Servant.
0417 Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a
0418 pursuivant presently.—We’ll hear more of your
0419 matter before the King.
⌜Peter⌝ exits ⌜with Servant.⌝
QUEEN MARGARET
0420 And as for you that love to be protected
0421 40 Under the wings of our Protector’s grace,
0422 Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.
Tear the supplication.
0423 Away, base cullions.—Suffolk, let them go.
ALL 0424 Come, let’s be gone.⌜They⌝ exit.
QUEEN MARGARET
0425 My lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
0426 45 Is this the fashions in the court of England?
0427 Is this the government of Britain’s isle
0428 And this the royalty of Albion’s king?
0429 What, shall King Henry be a pupil still
0430 Under the surly Gloucester’s governance?
0431 50 Am I a queen in title and in style,
0432 And must be made a subject to a duke?
0433 I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours
0434 Thou rann’st atilt in honor of my love
0435 And stol’st away the ladies’ hearts of France,
0436 55 I thought King Henry had resembled thee
0437 In courage, courtship, and proportion.
0438 But all his mind is bent to holiness,
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37
0439
To number Ave Marys on his beads;0440 His champions are the prophets and apostles,
0441 60 His weapons holy saws of sacred writ,
0442 His study is his tiltyard, and his loves
0443 Are brazen images of canonized saints.
0444 I would the College of the Cardinals
0445 Would choose him pope and carry him to Rome
0446 65 And set the triple crown upon his head!
0447 That were a state fit for his holiness.
SUFFOLK
0448 Madam, be patient. As I was cause
0449 Your Highness came to England, so will I
0450 In England work your Grace’s full content.
QUEEN MARGARET
0451 70 Besides the haughty Protector, have we Beaufort
0452 The imperious churchman, Somerset, Buckingham,
0453 And grumbling York; and not the least of these
0454 But can do more in England than the King.
SUFFOLK
0455 And he of these that can do most of all
0456 75 Cannot do more in England than the Nevilles;
0457 Salisbury and Warwick are no simple peers.
QUEEN MARGARET
0458 Not all these lords do vex me half so much
0459 As that proud dame, the Lord Protector’s wife.
0460 She sweeps it through the court with troops of
0461 80 ladies,
0462 More like an empress than Duke Humphrey’s wife.
0463 Strangers in court do take her for the Queen.
0464 She bears a duke’s revenues on her back,
0465 And in her heart she scorns our poverty.
0466 85 Shall I not live to be avenged on her?
0467 Contemptuous baseborn callet as she is,
0468 She vaunted ’mongst her minions t’ other day
0469 The very train of her worst wearing gown
p.
39
0470
Was better worth than all my father’s lands0471 90 Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter.
SUFFOLK
0472 Madam, myself have limed a bush for her
0473 And placed a choir of such enticing birds
0474 That she will light to listen to the lays
0475 And never mount to trouble you again.
0476 95 So let her rest. And, madam, list to me,
0477 For I am bold to counsel you in this:
0478 Although we fancy not the Cardinal,
0479 Yet must we join with him and with the lords
0480 Till we have brought Duke Humphrey in disgrace.
0481 100 As for the Duke of York, this late complaint
0482 Will make but little for his benefit.
0483 So, one by one, we’ll weed them all at last,
0484 And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.
Sound a sennet. Enter King ⌜Henry,⌝ Duke Humphrey
⌜of Gloucester,⌝ Cardinal, ⌜Somerset, wearing the red
rose,⌝ Buckingham, Salisbury; York and Warwick, ⌜both
wearing the white rose;⌝ and the Duchess ⌜of
Gloucester.⌝
KING HENRY
0485 For my part, noble lords, I care not which;
0486 105 Or Somerset or York, all’s one to me.
YORK
0487 If York have ill demeaned himself in France,
0488 Then let him be denied the regentship.
SOMERSET
0489 If Somerset be unworthy of the place,
0490 Let York be regent; I will yield to him.
WARWICK
0491 110 Whether your Grace be worthy, yea or no,
0492 Dispute not that. York is the worthier.
CARDINAL
0493 Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.
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41
WARWICK 0494 The Cardinal’s not my better in the field.
BUCKINGHAM
0495 All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.
WARWICK
0496 115 Warwick may live to be the best of all.
SALISBURY
0497 Peace, son.—And show some reason, Buckingham,
0498 Why Somerset should be preferred in this.
QUEEN MARGARET
0499 Because the King, forsooth, will have it so.
GLOUCESTER
0500 Madam, the King is old enough himself
0501 120 To give his censure. These are no women’s matters.
QUEEN MARGARET
0502 If he be old enough, what needs your Grace
0503 To be Protector of his Excellence?
GLOUCESTER
0504 Madam, I am Protector of the realm,
0505 And at his pleasure will resign my place.
SUFFOLK
0506 125 Resign it, then, and leave thine insolence.
0507 Since thou wert king—as who is king but thou?—
0508 The commonwealth hath daily run to wrack,
0509 The Dauphin hath prevailed beyond the seas,
0510 And all the peers and nobles of the realm
0511 130 Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.
CARDINAL, ⌜to Gloucester⌝
0512 The Commons hast thou racked; the clergy’s bags
0513 Are lank and lean with thy extortions.
SOMERSET, ⌜to Gloucester⌝
0514 Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife’s attire
0515 Have cost a mass of public treasury.
BUCKINGHAM, ⌜to Gloucester⌝
0516 135 Thy cruelty in execution
0517 Upon offenders hath exceeded law
0518 And left thee to the mercy of the law.
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QUEEN MARGARET, ⌜to Gloucester⌝ 0519 Thy sale of offices and towns in France,
0520 If they were known, as the suspect is great,
0521 140 Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.
Gloucester exits.
⌜Queen Margaret drops her fan.⌝
0522 ⌜To Duchess.⌝ Give me my fan. What, minion, can
0523 you not?She gives the Duchess a box on the ear.
0524 I cry you mercy, madam. Was it you?
DUCHESS
0525 Was ’t I? Yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman.
0526 145 Could I come near your beauty with my nails,
0527 ⌜I’d⌝ set my ten commandments in your face.
KING HENRY
0528 Sweet aunt, be quiet. ’Twas against her will.
DUCHESS
0529 Against her will, good king? Look to ’t in time.
0530 She’ll hamper thee and dandle thee like a baby.
0531 150 Though in this place most master wear no breeches,
0532 She shall not strike Dame Eleanor unrevenged.
Eleanor, ⌜the Duchess,⌝ exits.
BUCKINGHAM, ⌜aside to Cardinal⌝
0533 Lord Cardinal, I will follow Eleanor
0534 And listen after Humphrey how he proceeds.
0535 She’s tickled now; her fume needs no spurs;
0536 155 She’ll gallop far enough to her destruction.
Buckingham exits.
Enter Humphrey, ⌜Duke of Gloucester.⌝
GLOUCESTER
0537 Now, lords, my choler being overblown
0538 With walking once about the quadrangle,
0539 I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
0540 As for your spiteful false objections,
0541 160 Prove them, and I lie open to the law;
0542 But God in mercy so deal with my soul
p.
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0543
As I in duty love my king and country!0544 But, to the matter that we have in hand:
0545 I say, my sovereign, York is meetest man
0546 165 To be your regent in the realm of France.
SUFFOLK
0547 Before we make election, give me leave
0548 To show some reason, of no little force,
0549 That York is most unmeet of any man.
YORK
0550 I’ll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet:
0551 170 First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride;
0552 Next, if I be appointed for the place,
0553 My lord of Somerset will keep me here
0554 Without discharge, money, or furniture
0555 Till France be won into the Dauphin’s hands.
0556 175 Last time I danced attendance on his will
0557 Till Paris was besieged, famished, and lost.
WARWICK
0558 That can I witness, and a fouler fact
0559 Did never traitor in the land commit.
SUFFOLK 0560 Peace, headstrong Warwick!
WARWICK
0561 180 Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?
Enter ⌜Horner, the⌝ Armorer, and his Man
⌜Peter, under guard.⌝
SUFFOLK
0562 Because here is a man accused of treason.
0563 Pray God the Duke of York excuse himself!
YORK
0564 Doth anyone accuse York for a traitor?
KING HENRY
0565 What mean’st thou, Suffolk? Tell me, what are
0566 185 these?
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SUFFOLK 0567 Please it your Majesty, this is the man
0568 That doth accuse his master of high treason.
0569 His words were these: that Richard, Duke of York,
0570 Was rightful heir unto the English crown,
0571 190 And that your Majesty was an usurper.
KING HENRY 0572 Say, man, were these thy words?
HORNER 0573 An ’t shall please your Majesty, I never said
0574 nor thought any such matter. God is my witness, I
0575 am falsely accused by the villain.
PETER 0576 195By these ten bones, my lords, he did speak
0577 them to me in the garret one night as we were
0578 scouring my lord of York’s armor.
YORK, ⌜to Horner⌝
0579 Base dunghill villain and mechanical,
0580 I’ll have thy head for this thy traitor’s speech!—
0581 200 I do beseech your royal Majesty,
0582 Let him have all the rigor of the law.
HORNER 0583 Alas, my lord, hang me if ever I spake the
0584 words. My accuser is my prentice; and when I did
0585 correct him for his fault the other day, he did vow
0586 205 upon his knees he would be even with me. I have
0587 good witness of this. Therefore I beseech your
0588 Majesty, do not cast away an honest man for a
0589 villain’s accusation!
KING HENRY
0590 Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?
GLOUCESTER
0591 210 This doom, my lord, if I may judge:
0592 Let Somerset be regent o’er the French,
0593 Because in York this breeds suspicion;
0594 And let these have a day appointed them
0595 For single combat in convenient place,
0596 215 For he hath witness of his servant’s malice.
0597 This is the law, and this Duke Humphrey’s doom.
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SOMERSET 0598 I humbly thank your royal Majesty.
HORNER
0599 And I accept the combat willingly.
PETER 0600 Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God’s sake pity
0601 220 my case! The spite of man prevaileth against me. O
0602 Lord, have mercy upon me! I shall never be able to
0603 fight a blow. O Lord, my heart!
GLOUCESTER
0604 Sirrah, or you must fight or else be hanged.
KING HENRY 0605 Away with them to prison; and the day of
0606 225 combat shall be the last of the next month.—
0607 Come, Somerset, we’ll see thee sent away.
Flourish. They exit.