READ STUDY GUIDE: Act I, Scenes ii-iv |
|
Act I, Scene iii
| [Enter PETER and other PETITIONERS.] |
| 1 PETITIONER.: |
| My masters, let's stand close; my lord protector |
| will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our |
| supplications in the quill. |
| 2 PETITIONER.: |
| Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good |
| man! Jesu bless him! |
| [Enter SUFFOLK and QUEEN.] |
| PETER.: |
| Here 'a comes, methinks, and the queen with him. |
| I'll be the first, sure. |
| 2 PETITIONER.: |
| Come back, fool; this is the Duke of Suffolk and |
| not my lord protector. |
| SUFFOLK.: |
| How now, fellow! wouldst any thing with me? |
| 1 PETITIONER.: |
| I pray, my lord, pardon me; I took ye for my lord |
| protector. |
| QUEEN.: |
| [Reading] 'To my Lord Protector!' Are your supplications |
| to his lordship? Let me see them; what is thine? |
| 1 PETITIONER.: |
| Mine is, an 't please your grace, against John |
| Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my house and lands, |
| and wife and all, from me. |
| SUFFOLK.: |
| Thy wife too! that's some wrong, indeed.—What's |
| yours?—What's here![Reads]'Against the Duke of Suffolk for |
| enclosing |
| the commons of Melford.'—How now, sir knave! |
| 2 PETITIONER.: |
| Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our |
| whole township. |
| PETER.: |
| [Giving his petition] Against my master, Thomas Horner, |
| for saying that the Duke of York was rightful heir to the crown. |
| QUEEN.: |
| What say'st thou? did the Duke of York say he was |
| rightful heir to the crown? |
| PETER.: |
| That my master was? no, forsooth; my master said that he |
| was, and that the king was an usurper. |
| SUFFOLK.: |
| Who is there?[Enter Servant.]Take this fellow in, and |
| send for his master with a pursuivant presently.—We'll hear more |
| of your matter before the king. |
| [Exit Servant with Peter.] |
| QUEEN.: |
| And as for you, that love to be protected |
| Under the wings of our protector's grace, |
| Begin your suits anew and sue to him. |
| [Tears the supplications.] |
| Away, base cullions!—Suffolk, let them go. |
| ALL.: |
| Come, let's be gone. |
| [Exeunt.] |
| QUEEN.: |
| My Lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise, |
| Is this the fashion in the court of England? |
| Is this the government of Britain's isle, |
| And this the royalty of Albion's king? |
| What, shall King Henry be a pupil still |
| Under the surly Gloster's governance? |
| Am I a queen in title and in style, |
| And must be made a subject to a duke? |
| I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours |
| Thou ran'st a tilt in honour of my love |
| And stol'st away the ladies' hearts of France, |
| I thought King Henry had resembled thee |
| In courage, courtship, and proportion; |
| But all his mind is bent to holiness, |
| To number Ave-Maries on his beads, |
| His champions are the prophets and apostles, |
| His weapons holy saws of sacred writ, |
| His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves |
| Are brazen images of canoniz'd saints. |
| I would the college of the cardinals |
| Would choose him pope and carry him to Rome, |
| And set the triple crown upon his head; |
| That were a state fit for his holiness. |
| SUFFOLK.: |
| Madam, be patient; as I was cause |
| Your highness came to England, so will I |
| In England work your grace's full content. |
| QUEEN.: |
| Beside the haughty protector, have we Beaufort |
| The imperious churchman, Somerset, Buckingham, |
| And grumbling York; and not the least of these |
| But can do more in England than the king. |
| SUFFOLK.: |
| And he of these that can do most of all |
| Cannot do more in England than the Nevils; |
| Salisbury and Warwick are no simple peers. |
| QUEEN.: |
| Not all these lords do vex me half so much |
| As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife. |
| She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies, |
| More like an empress than Duke Humphrey's wife. |
| Strangers in court do take her for the queen; |
| She bears a duke's revenues on her back, |
| And in her heart she scorns our poverty. |
| Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her? |
| Contemptuous base-born callat as she is, |
| She vaunted 'mongst her minions t' other day, |
| The very train of her worst wearing gown |
| Was better worth than all my father's land |
| Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter. |
| SUFFOLK.: |
| Madam, myself have lim'd a bush for her, |
| And plac'd a quire of such enticing birds |
| That she will light to listen to the lays, |
| And never mount to trouble you again. |
| So, let her rest; and, madam, list to me, |
| For I am bold to counsel you in this. |
| Although we fancy not the cardinal, |
| Yet must we join with him and with the lords |
| Till we have brought Duke Humphrey in disgrace. |
| As for the Duke of York, this late complaint |
| Will make but little for his benefit. |
| So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last, |
| And you yourself shall steer the happy helm. |
| [Sennet. Enter the KING, DUKE HUMPHREY, CARDINALBEAUFORT, BUCKINGHAM, YORK, SOMERSET, SALISBURY,WARWICK, and the DUCHESS OF GLOSTER.] |
| KING.: |
| 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. |
| SOMERSET.: |
| If Somerset be unworthy of the place, |
| Let York be regent; I will yield to him. |
| WARWICK.: |
| Whether your grace be worthy, yea or no, |
| Dispute not that; York is the worthier. |
| CARDINAL.: |
| Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak. |
| WARWICK.: |
| The cardinal's not my better in the field. |
| BUCKINGHAM.: |
| All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick. |
| WARWICK.: |
| Warwick may live to be the best of all. |
| SALISBURY.: |
| Peace, son!—and show some reason, Buckingham, |
| Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this. |
| QUEEN.: |
| Because the king, forsooth, will have it so. |
| GLOSTER.: |
| Madam, the King is old enough himself |
| To give his censure; these are no women's matters. |
| QUEEN.: |
| If he be old enough, what needs your grace |
| To be protector of his excellence? |
| GLOSTER.: |
| Madam, I am protector of the realm, |
| And, at his pleasure, will resign my place. |
| SUFFOLK.: |
| Resign it then, and leave thine insolence. |
| Since thou wert king—as who is king but thou?— |
| The commonwealth hath daily run to wrack; |
| The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas; |
| And all the peers and nobles of the realm |
| Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty. |
| CARDINAL.: |
| The commons hast thou rack'd; the clergy's bags |
| Are lank and lean with thy extortions. |
| SOMERSET.: |
| Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife's attire |
| Have cost a mass of public treasury. |
| BUCKINGHAM.: |
| Thy cruelty in execution |
| Upon offenders hath exceeded law, |
| And left thee to the mercy of the law. |
| QUEEN.: |
| 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 ye not? |
| [She gives the Duchess a box on the ear.] |
| I cry your mercy, madam; was it you? |
| DUCHESS.: |
| Was 't I! yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman. |
| Could I come near your beauty with my nails, |
| I'd set my ten commandments in your face. |
| KING.: |
| Sweet aunt, be quiet; 't was against her will. |
| DUCHESS.: |
| 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.] |
| BUCKINGHAM.: |
| Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor, |
| And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds. |
| She's tickled now; her fume needs no spurs, |
| She'll gallop far enough to her destruction. |
| [Exit.] |
| [Re-enter GLOSTER.] |
| GLOSTER.: |
| Now, lords, my choler being overblown |
| 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. |
| SUFFOLK.: |
| 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. |
| WARWICK.: |
| That can I witness; and a fouler fact |
| Did never traitor in the land commit. |
| SUFFOLK.: |
| Peace, headstrong Warwick! |
| WARWICK.: |
| Image of pride, why should I hold my peace? |
| [Enter HORNER and his man PETER, guarded.] |
| SUFFOLK.: |
| 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? |
| KING.: |
| What mean'st thou, Suffolk? tell me, what are these? |
| SUFFOLK.: |
| 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. |
| KING.: |
| Say, man, were these thy words? |
| HORNER.: |
| 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. |
| PETER.: |
| By these ten bones, my lords, 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. |
| HORNER.: |
| 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. |
| KING.: |
| Uncle, what shall we say to this in law? |
| GLOSTER.: |
| This doom, my 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. |
| SOMERSET.: |
| I humbly thank your royal Majesty. |
| HORNER.: |
| And I accept the combat willingly. |
| PETER.: |
| 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! |
| GLOSTER.: |
| Sirrah, or you must fight or else be hang'd. |
| KING.: |
| 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. |
| [Flourish. Exeunt.] |
|
|
||||
|
