With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster; WAR. My heart assures me that the Earl of Shall one day make the Duke of York a king. YORK. And, Nevil, this I do assure myself: Richard shall live to make the Earl of Warwick The greatest man in England but the king. SCENE III. A hall of justice. [Exeunt. Sound trumpets. Enter the KING, the QUEEN, GLOU- KING. Stand forth, Dame Eleanor Cobham, In sight of God and us, your guilt is great: Such as by God's book are adjudged to death. Shall, after three days' open penance done, DUCH. Welcome is banishment; welcome were my death. GLOU. Eleanor, the law, thou see'st, hath judged thee: I cannot justify whom the law condemns. [Exeunt DUCHESS and other prisoners, guarded. Give up thy staff: Henry will to himself QUEEN. I see no reason why a king of years Should be to be protected like a child. 0 God and King Henry govern England's realm. GLOU. My staff? here, noble Henry, is my staff: As e'er thy father Henry made it mine; [Exit. QUEEN. Why, now is Henry king, and Margaret queen; And Humphrey Duke of Gloucester scarce himself, This staff of honour raught, there let it stand Sur. Thus droops this lofty pine and hangs his sprays; Thus Eleanor's pride dies in her youngest days. QUEEN. Ay, good my lord; for purposely therefore KING. O'God's name, see the lists and all things fit: Here let them end it; and God defend the right! YORK. I never saw a fellow worse bested, Or more afraid to fight, than is the appellant, The servant of this armourer, my lords. Enter at one door, HORNER, the Armourer, and his Neighbours, drinking to him so much that he is drunk; and he enters with a drum before him and his staff with a sand-bag fastened to it; and at the other door PETER, his man, with a drum and sandbag, and 'Prentices drinking to him. FIRST NEIGH, Here, neighbour Horner, I drink to you in a cup of sack and fear not, neighbour, you shall do well enough. : SEC. NEIGH. And here, neighbour, here's a cup of charneco. THIRD NEIGH. And here's a pot of good double beer, neighbour: drink, and fear not your man. HOR. Let it come, i' faith, and I'll pledge you all; and a fig for Peter! FIRST 'PREN. Here, Peter, I drink to thee: and be not afraid. for me, SEC. 'PREN. Be merry, Peter, and fear not thy master: fight for credit of the 'prentices. PETER. I thank you all: drink, and pray I pray you; for I think I have taken my last draught in this world. Here, Robin, an if I die, I give thee my apron: and, Will, thou shalt have my hammer: and here, Tom, take all the money that I have. O Lord bless me! I pray God! for I am never able to deal with my master, he hath learnt so much fence already. SAL. Come, leave your drinking, and fall to blows. Sirrah, what's thy name? PETER. Peter, forsooth. SAL. Peter! what more? PETER. Thump. SAL. Thump! then see thou thump thy master well. HOR. Masters, I am come hither, as it were, upon my man's instigation, to prove him a knave and myself an honest man: and touching the Duke of York, I will take my death, I never meant him any ill, nor the king, nor the queen : and therefore, Peter, have at thee with a downright blow! YORK. Dispatch: this knave's tongue begins to double. Sound, trumpets, alarum to the combatants! [Alarum. They fight, and PETER strikes him down. HOR. Hold, Peter, hold! I confess, I confess treason. [Dies. YORK. Take away his weapon. Fellow, thank God, and the good wine in thy master's way. PETER. O God, have I overcome mine enemy in this presence? O Peter, thou hast prevailed in right! KING. Go, take hence that traitor from our sight; For by his death we do perceive his guilt: And God in justice hath reveal'd to us The truth and innocence of this poor fellow, |