| ACT III SCENE I | The Abbey at Bury St. Edmund's. | |
| [
Sound a sennet. Enter KING HENRY VI, QUEEN
MARGARET, CARDINAL, SUFFOLK, YORK, BUCKINGHAM,
SALISBURY and WARWICK to the Parliament
] |
| KING HENRY VI | I muse my Lord of Gloucester is not come: |
| 'Tis not his wont to be the hindmost man, |
| Whate'er occasion keeps him from us now. |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Can you not see? or will ye not observe |
| The strangeness of his alter'd countenance? | 5 |
| 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, | 10 |
| Immediately he was upon his knee, |
| That all the court admired 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, | 15 |
| 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. | 20 |
| First note that he is near you in descent, |
| And should you fall, he as the next will mount. |
| Me seemeth then it is no policy, |
| Respecting what a rancorous mind he bears |
| And his advantage following your decease, | 25 |
| 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, |
| 'Tis to be fear'd they all will follow him. | 30 |
| Now 'tis the spring, and weeds are shallow-rooted; |
| Suffer them now, and they'll o'ergrow the garden |
| And choke the herbs for want of husbandry. |
| The reverent care I bear unto my lord |
| Made me collect these dangers in the duke. | 35 |
| If it be fond, call it a woman's fear; |
| Which fear if better reasons can supplant, |
| I will subscribe and say I wrong'd the duke. |
| My Lord of Suffolk, Buckingham, and York, |
| Reprove my allegation, if you can; | 40 |
| Or else conclude my words effectual. |
| SUFFOLK | Well hath your highness seen into this duke; |
| And, had I first been put to speak my mind, |
| I think I should have told your grace's tale. |
| The duchess, by his subornation, | 45 |
| Upon my life, began her devilish practises: |
| 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, | 50 |
| Did instigate the bedlam brain-sick duchess |
| By wicked means to frame our sovereign's fall. |
| 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. | 55 |
| No, no, my sovereign; Gloucester is a man |
| Unsounded yet and full of deep deceit. |
| CARDINAL | Did he not, contrary to form of law, |
| Devise strange deaths for small offences done? |
| YORK | And did he not, in his protectorship, | 60 |
| Levy great sums of money through the realm |
| For soldiers' pay in France, and never sent it? |
| By means whereof the towns each day revolted. |
| BUCKINGHAM | Tut, these are petty faults to faults unknown. |
| Which time will bring to light in smooth | 65 |
| Duke Humphrey. |
| KING HENRY VI | My lords, at once: the care you have of us, |
| To mow down thorns that would annoy our foot, |
| Is worthy praise: but, shall I speak my conscience, |
| Our kinsman Gloucester is as innocent | 70 |
| From meaning treason to our royal person |
| As is the sucking lamb or harmless dove: |
| The duke is virtuous, mild and too well given |
| To dream on evil or to work my downfall. |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Ah, what's more dangerous than this fond affiance! | 75 |
| Seems he a dove? his feathers are but borrowed, |
| For he's disposed as the hateful raven: |
| Is he a lamb? his skin is surely lent him, |
| For he's inclined as is the ravenous wolf. |
| Who cannot steal a shape that means deceit? | 80 |
| Take heed, my lord; the welfare of us all |
| Hangs on the cutting short that fraudful man. |
| [Enter SOMERSET] |
| SOMERSET | All health unto my gracious sovereign! |
| KING HENRY VI | Welcome, Lord Somerset. What news from France? |
| SOMERSET | That all your interest in those territories | 85 |
| Is utterly bereft you; all is lost. |
| KING HENRY VI | Cold news, Lord Somerset: but God's will be done! |
| YORK | [Aside] Cold news for me; for I had hope of France
|
| As firmly as I hope for fertile England. |
| Thus are my blossoms blasted in the bud | 90 |
| And caterpillars eat my leaves away; |
| But I will remedy this gear ere long, |
| Or sell my title for a glorious grave. |
| [Enter GLOUCESTER] |
| GLOUCESTER | All happiness unto my lord the king! |
| Pardon, my liege, that I have stay'd so long. | 95 |
| SUFFOLK | Nay, Gloucester, know that thou art come too soon, |
| Unless thou wert more loyal than thou art: |
| I do arrest thee of high treason here. |
| GLOUCESTER | Well, Suffolk, thou shalt not see me blush |
| Nor change my countenance for this arrest: | 100 |
| A heart unspotted is not easily daunted. |
| The purest spring is not so free from mud |
| As I am clear from treason to my sovereign: |
| Who can accuse me? wherein am I guilty? |
| YORK | 'Tis thought, my lord, that you took bribes of France, | 105 |
| And, being protector, stayed the soldiers' pay; |
| By means whereof his highness hath lost France. |
| GLOUCESTER | Is it but thought so? what are they that think it? |
| I never robb'd the soldiers of their pay, |
| Nor ever had one penny bribe from France. | 110 |
| 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! | 115 |
| No; many a pound of mine own proper store, |
| Because I would not tax the needy commons, |
| Have I disbursed to the garrisons, |
| And never ask'd for restitution. |
| CARDINAL | It serves you well, my lord, to say so much. | 120 |
| GLOUCESTER | 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 defamed by tyranny. |
| GLOUCESTER | Why, 'tis well known that, whiles I was | 125 |
| protector, |
| Pity was all the fault that was in me; |
| For I should melt at an offender's tears, |
| And lowly words were ransom for their fault. |
| Unless it were a bloody murderer, | 130 |
| Or foul felonious thief that fleeced poor passengers, |
| I never gave them condign punishment: |
| Murder indeed, that bloody sin, I tortured |
| Above the felon or what trespass else. |
| SUFFOLK | My lord, these faults are easy, quickly answered: | 135 |
| But mightier crimes are laid unto your charge, |
| Whereof you cannot easily purge yourself. |
| I do arrest you in his highness' name; |
| And here commit you to my lord cardinal |
| To keep, until your further time of trial. | 140 |
| KING HENRY VI | My lord of Gloucester, 'tis my special hope |
| That you will clear yourself from all suspect: |
| My conscience tells me you are innocent. |
| GLOUCESTER | Ah, gracious lord, these days are dangerous: |
| Virtue is choked with foul ambition | 145 |
| And charity chased hence by rancour's hand; |
| Foul subornation is predominant |
| And equity exiled your highness' land. |
| I know their complot is to have my life, |
| And if my death might make this island happy, | 150 |
| 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. | 155 |
| Beaufort's red sparkling eyes blab his heart's malice, |
| And Suffolk's cloudy brow his stormy hate; |
| Sharp Buckingham unburthens with his tongue |
| The envious load that lies upon his heart; |
| And dogged York, that reaches at the moon, | 160 |
| Whose overweening arm I have pluck'd back, |
| By false accuse doth level at my life: |
| And you, my sovereign lady, with the rest, |
| Causeless have laid disgraces on my head, |
| And with your best endeavour have stirr'd up | 165 |
| My liefest liege to be mine enemy: |
| Ay, all you have laid your heads together-- |
| Myself had notice of your conventicles-- |
| And all to make away my guiltless life. |
| I shall not want false witness to condemn me, | 170 |
| Nor store of treasons to augment my guilt; |
| The ancient proverb will be well effected: |
| 'A staff is quickly found to beat a dog.' |
| CARDINAL | My liege, his railing is intolerable: |
| If those that care to keep your royal person | 175 |
| From treason's secret knife and traitors' rage |
| Be thus upbraided, chid and rated at, |
| And the offender granted scope of speech, |
| 'Twill make them cool in zeal unto your grace. |
| SUFFOLK | Hath he not twit our sovereign lady here | 180 |
| With ignominious words, though clerkly couch'd, |
| As if she had suborned some to swear |
| False allegations to o'erthrow his state? |
| QUEEN MARGARET | But I can give the loser leave to chide. |
| GLOUCESTER | Far truer spoke than meant: I lose, indeed; | 185 |
| Beshrew the winners, for they play'd me false! |
| And well such losers may have leave to speak. |
| BUCKINGHAM | He'll wrest the sense and hold us here all day: |
| Lord cardinal, he is your prisoner. |
| CARDINAL | Sirs, take away the duke, and guard him sure. | 190 |
| GLOUCESTER | Ah! thus King Henry throws away his crutch |
| Before his legs be firm to bear his body. |
| Thus is the shepherd beaten from thy side, |
| And wolves are gnarling who shall gnaw thee first. |
| Ah, that my fear were false! ah, that it were! | 195 |
| For, good King Henry, thy decay I fear. |
| [Exit, guarded] |
| KING HENRY VI | My lords, what to your wisdoms seemeth best, |
| Do or undo, as if ourself were here. |
| QUEEN MARGARET | What, will your highness leave the parliament? |
| KING HENRY VI | Ay, Margaret; my heart is drown'd with grief, | 200 |
| Whose flood begins to flow within mine eyes, |
| My body round engirt with misery, |
| For what's more miserable than discontent? |
| Ah, uncle Humphrey! in thy face I see |
| The map of honour, truth and loyalty: | 205 |
| And yet, good Humphrey, is the hour to come |
| That e'er I proved thee false or fear'd thy faith. |
| What louring star now envies thy estate, |
| That these great lords and Margaret our queen |
| Do seek subversion of thy harmless life? | 210 |
| 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; | 215 |
| And as the dam runs lowing up and down, |
| Looking the way her harmless young one went, |
| And can do nought but wail her darling's loss, |
| Even so myself bewails good Gloucester's case |
| With sad unhelpful tears, and with dimm'd eyes | 220 |
| 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? Gloucester he is none.' |
| [
Exeunt all but QUEEN MARGARET, CARDINAL,
SUFFOLK, and YORK; SOMERSET remains apart
] |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Free lords, cold snow melts with the sun's hot beams. | 225 |
| Henry my lord is cold in great affairs, |
| Too full of foolish pity, and Gloucester's show |
| Beguiles him as the mournful crocodile |
| With sorrow snares relenting passengers, |
| Or as the snake roll'd in a flowering bank, | 230 |
| With shining chequer'd slough, doth sting a child |
| That for the beauty thinks it excellent. |
| Believe me, lords, were none more wise than I-- |
| And yet herein I judge mine own wit good-- |
| This Gloucester should be quickly rid the world, | 235 |
| To rid us of the fear we have of him. |
| CARDINAL | That he should die is worthy policy; |
| But yet we want a colour for his death: |
| 'Tis meet he be condemn'd by course of law. |
| SUFFOLK | But, in my mind, that were no policy: | 240 |
| The king will labour still to save his life, |
| The commons haply rise, to save his life; |
| And yet we have but trivial argument, |
| More than mistrust, that shows him worthy death. |
| YORK | So that, by this, you would not have him die. | 245 |
| SUFFOLK | Ah, York, no man alive so fain as I! |
| YORK | 'Tis York that hath more reason for his death. |
| But, my lord cardinal, and you, my Lord of Suffolk, |
| Say as you think, and speak it from your souls, |
| Were't not all one, an empty eagle were set | 250 |
| To guard the chicken from a hungry kite, |
| As place Duke Humphrey for the king's protector? |
| QUEEN MARGARET | So the poor chicken should be sure of death. |
| SUFFOLK | Madam, 'tis true; and were't not madness, then, |
| To make the fox surveyor of the fold? | 255 |
| Who being accused a crafty murderer, |
| His guilt should be but idly posted over, |
| Because his purpose is not executed. |
| No; let him die, in that he is a fox, |
| By nature proved an enemy to the flock, | 260 |
| Before his chaps be stain'd with crimson blood, |
| As Humphrey, proved by reasons, to my liege. |
| And do not stand on quillets how to slay him: |
| Be it by gins, by snares, by subtlety, |
| Sleeping or waking, 'tis no matter how, | 265 |
| So he be dead; for that is good deceit |
| Which mates him first that first intends deceit. |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Thrice-noble Suffolk, 'tis resolutely spoke. |
| SUFFOLK | Not resolute, except so much were done; |
| For things are often spoke and seldom meant: | 270 |
| But that my heart accordeth with my tongue, |
| Seeing the deed is meritorious, |
| And to preserve my sovereign from his foe, |
| Say but the word, and I will be his priest. |
| CARDINAL | But I would have him dead, my Lord of Suffolk, | 275 |
| Ere you can take due orders for a priest: |
| Say you consent and censure well the deed, |
| And I'll provide his executioner, |
| I tender so the safety of my liege. |
| SUFFOLK | Here is my hand, the deed is worthy doing. | 280 |
| QUEEN MARGARET | And so say I. |
| YORK | And I and now we three have spoke it, |
| It skills not greatly who impugns our doom. |
| [Enter a Post] |
| Post | Great lords, from Ireland am I come amain, |
| To signify that rebels there are up | 285 |
| And put the Englishmen unto the sword: |
| Send succors, lords, and stop the rage betime, |
| Before the wound do grow uncurable; |
| For, being green, there is great hope of help. |
| CARDINAL | A breach that craves a quick expedient stop! | 290 |
| What counsel give you in this weighty cause? |
| YORK | That Somerset be sent as regent thither: |
| 'Tis meet that lucky ruler be employ'd; |
| Witness the fortune he hath had in France. |
| SOMERSET | If York, with all his far-fet policy, | 295 |
| Had been the regent there instead of me, |
| He never would have stay'd in France so long. |
| YORK | No, not to lose it all, as thou hast done: |
| I rather would have lost my life betimes |
| Than bring a burthen of dishonour home | 300 |
| By staying there so long till all were lost. |
| Show me one scar character'd on thy skin: |
| Men's flesh preserved so whole do seldom win. |
| QUEEN MARGARET | Nay, then, this spark will prove a raging fire, |
| If wind and fuel be brought to feed it with: | 305 |
| No more, good York; sweet Somerset, be still: |
| Thy fortune, York, hadst thou been regent there, |
| Might happily have proved far worse than his. |
| YORK | What, worse than nought? nay, then, a shame take all! |
| SOMERSET | And, in the number, thee that wishest shame! | 310 |
| CARDINAL | My Lord of York, try what your fortune is. |
| The uncivil kerns of Ireland are in arms |
| And temper clay with blood of Englishmen: |
| To Ireland will you lead a band of men, |
| Collected choicely, from each county some, | 315 |
| And try your hap against the Irishmen? |
| YORK | I will, my lord, so please his majesty. |
| SUFFOLK | Why, our authority is his consent, |
| And what we do establish he confirms: |
| Then, noble York, take thou this task in hand. | 320 |
| YORK | I am content: provide me soldiers, lords, |
| Whiles I take order for mine own affairs. |
| SUFFOLK | A charge, Lord York, that I will see perform'd. |
| But now return we to the false Duke Humphrey. |
| CARDINAL | No more of him; for I will deal with him | 325 |
| That henceforth he shall trouble us no more. |
| And so break off; the day is almost spent: |
| Lord Suffolk, you and I must talk of that event. |
| YORK | My Lord of Suffolk, within fourteen days |
| At Bristol I expect my soldiers; | 330 |
| For there I'll ship them all for Ireland. |
| SUFFOLK | I'll see it truly done, my Lord of York. |
| [Exeunt all but YORK] |
| YORK | Now, York, or never, steel thy fearful thoughts, |
| And change misdoubt to resolution: |
| Be that thou hopest to be, or what thou art | 335 |
| Resign to death; it is not worth the enjoying: |
| Let pale-faced fear keep with the mean-born man, |
| And find no harbour in a royal heart. |
| Faster than spring-time showers comes thought |
| on thought, | 340 |
| And not a thought but thinks on dignity. |
| My brain more busy than the labouring spider |
| Weaves tedious snares to trap mine enemies. |
| Well, nobles, well, 'tis politicly done, |
| To send me packing with an host of men: | 345 |
| I fear me you but warm the starved snake, |
| Who, cherish'd in your breasts, will sting |
| your hearts. |
| 'Twas men I lack'd and you will give them me: |
| I take it kindly; and yet be well assured | 350 |
| You put sharp weapons in a madman's hands. |
| Whiles I in Ireland nourish a mighty band, |
| I will stir up in England some black storm |
| Shall blow ten thousand souls to heaven or hell; |
| And this fell tempest shall not cease to rage | 355 |
| Until the golden circuit on my head, |
| Like to the glorious sun's transparent beams, |
| Do calm the fury of this mad-bred flaw. |
| And, for a minister of my intent, |
| I have seduced a headstrong Kentishman, | 360 |
| John Cade of Ashford, |
| To make commotion, as full well he can, |
| Under the title of John Mortimer. |
| In Ireland have I seen this stubborn Cade |
| Oppose himself against a troop of kerns, | 365 |
| And fought so long, till that his thighs with darts |
| Were almost like a sharp-quill'd porpentine; |
| And, in the end being rescued, I have seen |
| Him caper upright like a wild Morisco, |
| Shaking the bloody darts as he his bells. | 370 |
| Full often, like a shag-hair'd crafty kern, |
| Hath he conversed with the enemy, |
| And undiscover'd come to me again |
| And given me notice of their villanies. |
| This devil here shall be my substitute; | 375 |
| For that John Mortimer, which now is dead, |
| In face, in gait, in speech, he doth resemble: |
| By this I shall perceive the commons' mind, |
| How they affect the house and claim of York. |
| Say he be taken, rack'd and tortured, | 380 |
| I know no pain they can inflict upon him |
| Will make him say I moved him to those arms. |
| Say that he thrive, as 'tis great like he will, |
| Why, then from Ireland come I with my strength |
| And reap the harvest which that rascal sow'd; | 385 |
| For Humphrey being dead, as he shall be, |
| And Henry put apart, the next for me. |
| [Exit] |
The Essential Student History Quiz (with answers and illustrations)