| ACT I SCENE III | London. Before the Tower. | |
| [Enter GLOUCESTER, with his Serving-men in blue coats] |
| GLOUCESTER | I am come to survey the Tower this day: |
| Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance. |
| Where be these warders, that they wait not here? |
| Open the gates; 'tis Gloucester that calls. |
| First Warder | [Within] Who's there that knocks so imperiously?
| 5 |
| First Serving-Man | It is the noble Duke of Gloucester. |
| Second Warder | [Within] Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in.
|
| First Serving-Man | Villains, answer you so the lord protector? |
| First Warder | [Within] The Lord protect him! so we answer him:
|
| We do no otherwise than we are will'd. | 10 |
| GLOUCESTER | Who willed you? or whose will stands but mine? |
| There's none protector of the realm but I. |
| Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize. |
| Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms? |
| [
Gloucester's men rush at the Tower Gates, and
WOODVILE the Lieutenant speaks within
] |
| WOODVILE | What noise is this? what traitors have we here? | 15 |
| GLOUCESTER | Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear? |
| Open the gates; here's Gloucester that would enter. |
| WOODVILE | Have patience, noble duke; I may not open; |
| The Cardinal of Winchester forbids: |
| From him I have express commandment | 20 |
| That thou nor none of thine shall be let in. |
| GLOUCESTER | Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizest him 'fore me? |
| Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate, |
| Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne'er could brook? |
| Thou art no friend to God or to the king: | 25 |
| Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly. |
| Serving-Men | Open the gates unto the lord protector, |
| Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly. |
| [
Enter to the Protector at the Tower Gates BISHOP
OF WINCHESTER and his men in tawny coats
] |
| BISHOP OF WINCHESTER | How now, ambitious Humphry! what means this? |
| GLOUCESTER | Peel'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut out? | 30 |
| BISHOP OF WINCHESTER | I do, thou most usurping proditor, |
| And not protector, of the king or realm. |
| GLOUCESTER | Stand back, thou manifest conspirator, |
| Thou that contrivedst to murder our dead lord; |
| Thou that givest whores indulgences to sin: | 35 |
| I'll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal's hat, |
| If thou proceed in this thy insolence. |
| BISHOP OF WINCHESTER | Nay, stand thou back, I will not budge a foot: |
| This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain, |
| To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt. | 40 |
| GLOUCESTER | I will not slay thee, but I'll drive thee back: |
| Thy scarlet robes as a child's bearing-cloth |
| I'll use to carry thee out of this place. |
| BISHOP OF WINCHESTER | Do what thou darest; I beard thee to thy face. |
| GLOUCESTER | What! am I dared and bearded to my face? | 45 |
| Draw, men, for all this privileged place; |
| Blue coats to tawny coats. Priest, beware your beard, |
| I mean to tug it and to cuff you soundly: |
| Under my feet I stamp thy cardinal's hat: |
| In spite of pope or dignities of church, | 50 |
| Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down. |
| BISHOP OF WINCHESTER | Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the pope. |
| GLOUCESTER | Winchester goose, I cry, a rope! a rope! |
| Now beat them hence; why do you let them stay?
|
| Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array. | 55 |
| Out, tawny coats! out, scarlet hypocrite! |
| [
Here GLOUCESTER's men beat out BISHOP OF
WINCHESTER's men, and enter in the hurly-
burly the Mayor of London and his Officers
] |
| Mayor | Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates, |
| Thus contumeliously should break the peace! |
| GLOUCESTER | Peace, mayor! thou know'st little of my wrongs: |
| Here's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king, | 60 |
| Hath here distrain'd the Tower to his use. |
| BISHOP OF WINCHESTER | Here's Gloucester, a foe to citizens, |
| One that still motions war and never peace, |
| O'ercharging your free purses with large fines, |
| That seeks to overthrow religion, | 65 |
| Because he is protector of the realm, |
| And would have armour here out of the Tower, |
| To crown himself king and suppress the prince. |
| GLOUCESTER | I will not answer thee with words, but blows. |
| [Here they skirmish again] |
| Mayor | Naught rests for me in this tumultuous strife | 70 |
| But to make open proclamation: |
| Come, officer; as loud as e'er thou canst, |
| Cry. |
| Officer | All manner of men assembled here in arms this day |
| against God's peace and the king's, we charge and | 75 |
| command you, in his highness' name, to repair to |
| your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, |
| handle, or use any sword, weapon, or dagger, |
| henceforward, upon pain of death. |
| GLOUCESTER | Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law: | 80 |
| But we shall meet, and break our minds at large. |
| BISHOP OF WINCHESTER | Gloucester, we will meet; to thy cost, be sure: |
| Thy heart-blood I will have for this day's work. |
| Mayor | I'll call for clubs, if you will not away. |
| This cardinal's more haughty than the devil. | 85 |
| GLOUCESTER | Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou mayst. |
| BISHOP OF WINCHESTER | Abominable Gloucester, guard thy head; |
| For I intend to have it ere long. |
| [
Exeunt, severally, GLOUCESTER and BISHOP OF
WINCHESTER with their Serving-men
] |
| Mayor | See the coast clear'd, and then we will depart. |
| Good God, these nobles should such stomachs bear! | 90 |
| I myself fight not once in forty year. |
| [Exeunt] |
The Essential Student History Quiz (with answers and illustrations)