We here create you Earl of Shrewsbury;

And in our coronation take your place.

[Flourish. Exeunt all but VERNON and BASSET.

Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea, Disgracing of these colours 3 that I wear

In honour of my noble Lord of York,

Darest thou maintain the former words thou spakest?
Bas. Yes, sir; as well as you

dare patronage

The envious barking of your saucy tongue
Against my lord the Duke of Somerset.

Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is.
Bas. Why, what is he? as good a man as York.
Ver. Hark ye; not so: in witness, take ye that.

[Strikes him.
Bas. Villain, thou know'st the law of arms is such,
That whoso draws a sword, 'tis present death,4
Or else this blow should broach thy dearest blood.
But I'll unto his Majesty, and crave

I

may have liberty to venge this wrong;

When thou shalt see I'll meet thee to thy cost.

Ver. Well, miscreant, I'll be there as soon as you ;

And, after, meet you sooner than you would.

8 That is, the badge of a rose.

[Exeunt.

4 By the ancient law, fighting in the King's palace or before the King's judges was punished with death. And still malicious striking in the King's palace, whereby blood is drawn, is punishable by perpetual imprisonment, and fine at the King's pleasure, and also with loss of the offender's right hand.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. Paris. A Room of State in the Palace.

Enter King HENRY, GLOSTER, EXETER, YORK, SUFFOLK, SOMERSET, WINCHESTER, WARWICK, TALBOT, the Governor of Paris, and others.

Glo. Lord Bishop, set the crown upon his head.

Win. God save King Henry, of that name the sixth !
Glo. Now, governor of Paris, take your oath,

[Governor kneels.

1

That you elect no other king but him;
Esteem none friends but such as are his friends,
And none your foes but such as shall pretend 1
Malicious practices against his State :
This shall ye do, so help you righteous God! 2

[Exeunt Governor and his Train.

Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLFE.

Fast. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais,

To haste unto your coronation,

A letter was deliver'd to my hands,

Writ to your Grace from th' Duke of Burgundy.

[Presenting it.

Tal. Shame to the Duke of Burgundy and thee ! I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next, To tear the garter from thy craven's leg,·

Which I have done, because unworthily

Thou wast installed in that high degree. —

[Plucks it off.

1 Pretend and pretence were often used in the sense of intend or purpose. See vol. i. page 196, note 4.

2 The crowning of King Henry at Paris took place December 17, 1431.

Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest :
This dastard, at the battle of Patay,

When but in all I was six thousand strong,
And that the French were almost ten to one,
Before we met, or that a stroke was given,
Like to a trusty squire, did run away :
In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;
Myself, and divers gentlemen besides,
Were there surprised and taken prisoners.
Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;
Or whether that such cowards ought to wear
This ornament of knighthood, yea or no.

Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous,
And ill beseeming any common man,

Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.

Tal. When first this order was ordain'd, my lords,
Knights of the Garter were of noble birth,
Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage,
Such as were grown to credit by the wars;
Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress,
But always resolute in most extremes.3
He, then, that is not furnish'd in this sort
Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,
Profaning this most honourable order,

And should if I were worthy to be judge

Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain
That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.

King. Stain to thy countrymen, thou hear'st thy doom! Be packing, therefore, thou that wast a knight: Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death.

And now, my Lord Protector, view the letter

[Exit FASTOLFE.

3 Most extremes is greatest extremities. More and most were often used for greater and greatest.

Sent from our uncle Duke of Burgundy.

Glo. What means his Grace, that he hath changed his style?

[Viewing the superscription.

No more but, plain and bluntly, To the King?

Hath he forgot he is his sovereign?

Or doth this churlish superscription
Portend some alteration in good-will?

What's here? [Reads.] I have, upon especial cause,—
Moved with compassion of my country's wreck,
Together with the pitiful complaints

Of such as your oppression feeds upon,

Forsaken your pernicious faction,

And join'd with Charles, the rightful King of France.
O monstrous treachery! can this be so,

That in alliance, amity, and oaths,

There should be found such false dissembling guile?
King. What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt?
Glo. He doth, my lord; and is become your foe.
King. Is that the worst this letter doth contain ?
Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.
King. Why, then Lord Talbot there shall talk with him,
And give him chastisement for this abuse.

My lord, how say you? are you not content?

Tal. Content, my liege! yes, but that I'm prevented,4

I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd.

King. Then gather strength, and march unto him straight : Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason,

And what offence it is to flout his friends.

Tal. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still You may behold confusion of your foes.

Enter VERNON and BASSET.

Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign!

4 Prevented in its old sense of anticipated or forestalled.

[Exit.

Bas. And me, my lord, grant me the combat too! York. This is my servant: hear him, noble Prince ! Som. And this is mine: sweet Henry, favour him! King. Be patient, lords; and give them leave to speak. Say, gentlemen, what makes you thus exclaim? And wherefore crave you combat? or with whom?

Ver. With him, my lord; for he hath done me wrong. Bas. And I with him; for he hath done me wrong. King. What is that wrong whereof you both complain? First let me know, and then I'll answer you.

Bas. Crossing the sea from England into France,
This fellow here, with envious carping tongue,
Upbraided me about the rose I wear;
Saying, the sanguine colour of the leaves
Did represent my master's blushing cheeks,
When stubbornly he did repugn 5 the truth
About a certain question in the law
Argued betwixt the Duke of York and him ;
With other vile and ignominious terms:
In confutation of which rude reproach,
And in defence of my lord's worthiness,
I crave the benefit of law of arms.

Ver. And that is my petition, noble lord:
For though he seem with forgèd quaint 6 conceit
To set a gloss upon his bold intent,

Yet know, my lord, I was provoked by him;
And he first took exceptions at this badge,
Pronouncing that the paleness of this flower
Bewray'd the faintness of my master's heart.

York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left?
Som. Your private grudge, my Lord of York, will out,
Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it.

5 Repugn for resist or fight against, like the Latin repugno.
6 Quaint here is ingenious or artful. Often so.