protector are your supplications to his lordship? Let me see them: What is thine?

1 Pet. 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.

Suf. Thy wife too? that is 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 Pet. Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.

Peter. [Presenting his petition.] Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying, That the duke of York was rightful heir to the crown.

Q.Mar. 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. Suf. Who is there? [Enter Servants.]-Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a pursuivant presently-we'll hear more of your matter before the [Exeunt Servants, with PETER. Q.Mar. And as for you, that love to be protected Under the wings of our protector's grace,

king.

Begin your suits anew, and sue to him. [Tears the petiAway, base cullions !-Suffolk, let them go.

All. Come, let's be gone.

tions.

[Exeunt Petitioners. Q.Mar. My lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,

Is this the fashion in the court of England?

Is this the government of Briton'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, Poole, 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 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.

Suf. Madam, be patient as I was cause
Your highness came to England, so will I
In England work your grace's full content.

Q.Mar.Beside the haught 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.

Suf. 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.

Q.Mar. 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 her poverty:
Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her?
Contemptuous base-born callet 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 lands,
Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter.
Suf. 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 their 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 :5

So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last,

And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.

[5] That is, the complaint of Peter the armourer's man against his master

for saying that York was the rightful king. JOHNS

Enter King HENRY, YORK, and SOMERSET, conversing with him; Duke and Duchess of GLOSTER, Cardinal BEAUFORT, BUCKINGHAM, SALISBURY, and WARWICK.

K.Hen. 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.

6

Som. If Somerset be unworthy of the place,

Let York be regent, I will yield to him.

War. Whether your grace be worthy, yea, or no, Dispute not that: York is the worthier.

Car. Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak. War. The cardinal's not my better in the field. Buck. All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick War. Warwick may live to be the best of all. Sal.Peace, son ;-and shew some reason, Buckingham, Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this.

Q.Mar. Because the king, forsooth, will have it so. Glo. Madam, the king is old enough himself To give his censure:7 these are no women's matters. Q.Mar. If he be old enough, what needs your grace To be protector of his excellence ?

Glo. Madam, I am protector of the realm;
And, at his pleasure, will resign my place.

Suf. Resign it then, and leave thine insolence.
Since thou wert king, (as who is king, but thou?)
The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck :
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas;
And all the peers and nobles of the realm
Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.

Car. The commons hast thou rack'd; the clergy's bags

Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Som. Thy sumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire, Have cost a mass of public treasury.

Buck. Thy cruelty in execution,

Upon offenders, hath exceeded law,

And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Q.Mar. Thy sale of offices, and towns in France,If they were known, as the suspect is great,Would make thee qnickly hop without thy head.

[Exit GLOSTER. The Queen drops her fan.

[6] Denay is frequently used instead of deny, among old writers, STEE. [7] Through ali these plays censure is used in an indifferent sense, simply for judgment or opinion. JOHNS.

-Give me my fan: What, minion! can you not? [Gives the Duchess a box on the ear.

I cry you mercy, madam; was it you ?

Duch. 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.

K,Hen. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will. Duch. 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. Buck. Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor, And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds: She's tickled now; her fume can need no spurs, She'll gallop fast enough to her destruction.

Re-enter GLOSTER.

Glo. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown,
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.
Suf. 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.
War. That I can witness; and a fouler fact

Did never traitor in the land commit.

Suf. Peace, head-strong Warwick!

[Exit.

War. Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?

Enter Servants of SUFFOLK, bringing in HORNER and PETER.

Suf. 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?

K.Hen. What mean'st thou, Suffolk? tell me : What are these?

Suf. 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.

K.Hen. Say, man, were these thy words?

Hor. 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.

8

Pet. By these ten bones, my lords, [Holding up his hands.] 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.

Hor. 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.

K.Hen. Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?
Glo. 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.
K.Hen. Then be it so. My lord of Somerset,
We make your grace lord regent o'er the French.
Som. I humbly thank your royal majesty.

Hor. And I accept the combat willingly.

Pet. 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!

Glo. Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd.

[8] The jests in this play turn rather too much on the enumeration of fingers. We have just heard a Duchess threaten to set her ten commandments in the face of a Queen. This adjuration is, however, very ancient. STEEV