Glo. My masters of Saint Albans, have you not May. Sirrah, go fetch the beadle hither straight. [Exit an Attendant. Glo. Now fetch me a stool hither by and by. [A stool brought in.] Now, sirrah, if you mean to save yourself from whipping, leap me over this stool, and run away. Simp. Alas, master, I am not able to stand alone; You go about to torture me in vain. Re-enter Attendant with the Beadle. Glo. Well, sir, we must have you find your legs. Sirrah beadle, whip him till he leap over that same stool. Bead. I will, my lord.-Come on, sirrah; off with your doublet quickly. Simp. Alas, master, what shall I do? I am not able to stand. [After the Beadle hath hit him once, he leaps over the stool, and runs away; and the people follow, and cry, A miracle! K. Hen. O God, seest thou this, and bear'st so long! Q. Mar. It made me laugh to see the villain run. Glo. Follow the knave; and take this drab away. Wife. Alas, sir, we did it for pure need. Glo. Let them be whipped through every market town, Till they come to Berwick, whence they came. [Exeunt Mayor, Beadle, Wife, &c. Car. Duke Humphrey has done a miracle to-day. Suff. True; made the lame to leap, and fly away. Glo. But you have done more miracles than I; You made, in a day, my lord, whole towns to fly. Enter BUCKINGHAM. K. Hen. What tidings with our cousin Buckingham? Buck. Such as my heart doth tremble to unfold. A sort of naughty persons, lewdly bent,Under the countenance and confederacy, Of lady Eleanor, the protector's wife, The ringleader and head of all this rout,Have practised dangerously against your state, Dealing with witches, and with conjurers; Whom we have apprehended in the fact; Raising up wicked spirits from under ground, Demanding of king Henry's life and death, And other of your highness' privy council, Or to the meanest groom. K. Hen. O God, what mischiefs work the wicked ones; Heaping confusion on their own heads thereby! Q. Mar. Gloster, see here the tainture of thy nest; I banish her my bed and company; And give her, as a prey, to law and shame, That hath dishonored Gloster's honest name. K. Hen. Well, for this night, we will repose us here. To-morrow, toward London, back again, To look into this business thoroughly, And call these foul offenders to their answers; Whose beam stands sure, whose rightful cause prevails. [Flourish. Exeunt. SCENE II. London. The Duke of York's Garden. Enter YORK, SALISBURY, and WARWICK. York. Now, my good lords of Salisbury and Warwick, Our simple supper ended, give me leave, In this close walk, to satisfy myself, In craving your opinion of my title, Sal. My lord, I long to hear it at full. War. Sweet York, begin; and if thy claim be good, Edward the Third, my lords, had seven sons: York. Which now they hold by force, and not by right; For Richard, the first son's heir being dead, The issue of the next son should have reigned. Sal. But William of Hatfield died without an heir. York. The third son, duke of Clarence (from whose line I claim the crown) had issue-Philippe, a daughter, Who married Edmund Mortimer, earl of March; Edmund had issue-Roger, earl of March; Roger had issue-Edmund, Anne, and Eleanor. Sal. This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke, As I have read, laid claim unto the crown; And, but for Owen Glendower, had been king, Who kept him in captivity, till he died. But, to the rest. York. His eldest sister, Anne, Married Richard, earl of Cambridge; who was son To Roger, earl of March; who was the son Succeed before the younger, I am king. War. What plain proceedings are more plain than this? Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt, The fourth son; York claims it from the third. And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock.- With honor of his birthright to the crown. Both. Long live our sovereign Richard, England's king! Till I be crowned; and that my sword be stained Do you, as I do, in these dangerous days, Sal. My lord, break we off; we know your mind at full. War. My heart assures me, that the earl of Warwick, 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. [Exeunt. SCENE III. The same. A Hall of Justice. Trumpets sounded. Enter KING HENRY, QUEEN MARGARET, GLOSTER, YORK, SUFFOLK, and SALISBURY; the DUCHESS of GLOSTER, MARGERY JOURDAIN, SOUTHWELL, HUME, and BOLINGBROKE, under guard. K. Hen. Stand forth, dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloster's wife: Such as by God's book are adjudged to death.- [To JOURD., &c. From thence unto the place of execution; Shall, after three days' open penance done, Duch. Welcome is banishment; welcome were my death. Glo. Eleanor, the law, thou seest, hath judged thee; I cannot justify whom the law condemns. [Exeunt the Duchess, and the other Prisoners, Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief. K. Hen. Stay, Humphrey duke of Gloster: ere thou go, Q. Mar. I see no reason why a king of years Glo. My staff?-Here, noble Henry, is my staff; As e'er thy father Henry made it mine; And even as willingly at thy feet I leave it, As others would ambitiously receive it. Farewell, good king. When I am dead and gone, [Exit. Q. Mar. Why, now is Henry king, and Margaret queen; And Humphrey, duke of Gloster, scarce himself, That bears so shrewd a maim; two pulls at once,- This staff of honor raught, there let it stand, Where it best fits to be, in Henry's hand. Suff. Thus droops this lofty pine, and hangs his sprays; Thus Eleanor's pride dies in her youngest days. York. Lords, let him go.-Please it your majesty, Q. Mar. Ay, good my lord; for purposely therefore Left I the court, to see this quarrel tried. |