This loathsome sequestration have I had; Just death, kind umpire of men's miseries, Enter RICHARD PLANTAGENET. 1 Keep. My lord, your loving nephew now is come. Mor. Richard Plantagenet, my friend, is he come? Plan. Ay, noble uncle, thus ignobly us'd, Your nephew, late-despised Richard, comes. Mor. Direct mine arms I may embrace his neck, And in his bosom spend my latter gasp. O! tell me, when my lips do touch his cheeks, That I may kindly give one fainting kiss.And now declare, sweet stem from York's great stock, Why didst thou say-of late thou wert despis'd? Plan. First, lean thine aged back against mine arm, And in that ease I'll tell thee my disease. me, And hath detain'd me all my flow'ring youth Plan. Discover more at large what cause that was: For I am ignorant, and cannot guess. Mor. I will, if that my fading breath permit, I was the next by birth and parentage; From Lionel duke of Clarence, the third son 22 From John of Gaunt doth bring his pedigree, Mor. True; and thou seest, that I no issue have, And that my fainting words do warrant death. Thou art my heir: the rest, I wish thee gather; But yet be wary in thy studious care. Plan. Thy grave admonishments prevail with me. But yet, methinks, my father's execution Mor. With silence, nephew, be thou politic: As princes do their courts, when they are cloy'd With long continuance in a settled place. Plan. O, uncle! would some part of my young years Might but redeem the passage of your age. Mor. Thou dost, then, wrong me; as the slaughterer doth, Plan. And peace, no war, befal thy parting soul! In prison hast thou spent a pilgrimage, And like a hermit overpass'd thy days.Well, I will lock his counsel in my breast; And what I do imagine, let that rest.— Keepers, convey him hence; and I myself Will see his burial better than his life. [Exeunt Keepers, bearing out MORTIMER Here dies the dusky torch of Mortimer, Chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort: And, for those wrongs, those bitter injuries, Which Somerset hath offer'd to my house, I doubt not but with honour to redress; And therefore haste I to the parliament, Either to be restored to my blood, Or make my ill th' advantage of my good. [Exit. SCENE I.-The Same. The Parliament-House. Flourish. Enter King HENRY, EXETER, GLOSTER, WARWICK, SOMERSET, and SUFFOLK; the Bishop of WINCHESTER, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, and others. GLOSTER offers to put up a Bill; WINCHESTER snatches it, and tears it. Win. Com'st thou with deep premeditated lines, As I with sudden and extemporal speech Glo. Presumptuous priest! this place commands my patience, Or thou should'st find thou hast dishonour'd me. Win. Gloster, I do defy thee.-Lords, vouchsafe Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling? As good? Thou bastard of my grandfather!- My lord, it were your duty to forbear. War. Methinks, his lordship should be humbler; It fitteth not a prelate so to plead. Som. Yes, when his holy state is touch'd so near. War. State holy, or unhallow'd, what of that? Is not his grace protector to the king? Plan. Plantagenet, I see, must hold his tongue; Lest it be said, "Speak, sirrah, when you should; Must your bold verdict enter talk with lords?" Else would I have a fling at Winchester. [Aside. K. Hen. Uncles of Gloster, and of Winchester, The special watchmen of our English weal, I would prevail, if prayers might prevail, To join your hearts in love and amity. O! what a scandal is it to our crown, That two such noble peers as ye should jar. Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell, Civil dissension is a viperous worm, That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.[A noise within: Down with the tawney coats! What tumult's this? War. The bishop and the duke of Gloster's men, K. Hen. We charge you, on allegiance to ourself, To hold your slaught'ring hands, and keep the peace. Pray, uncle Gloster, mitigate this strife. 1 Serv. Nay, if we be Forbidden stones, we'll fall to it with our teeth. 2 Serv. Do what ye dare; we are as resolute. [Skirmish again. Glo. You of my household, leave this peevish broil, And set this unaccustom'd fight aside. 1 Serv. My lord, we know your grace to be a man Just and upright; and, for your royal birth, Inferior to none but to his majesty ; And ere that we will suffer such a prince, So kind a father of the commonweal, [Skirmish again. Glo. Stay, stay, I say! And, if you love me, as you say you do, Let me persuade you to forbear a while. K. Hen. O, how this discord doth afflict my soul! Can you, my lord of Winchester, behold My sighs and tears, and will not once relent? Who should be pitiful, if you be not? Except you mean, with obstinate repulse, Win. He shall submit, or I will never yield. Or I would see his heart out, ere the priest War. Behold, my lord of Winchester, the duke Glo. Here, Winchester; I offer thee my hand. K. Hen. Fye, uncle Beaufort! I have heard you preach, That malice was a great and grievous sin; War. Sweet king!-the bishop hath a kindly gird. For shame, my lord of Winchester, relent: What! shall a child instruct you what to do? Win. Well, duke of Gloster, I will yield to thee; Love for thy love, and hand for hand I give. See here, my friends, and loving countrymen; [Aside K. Hen. O loving uncle, kind duke of Gloster, How joyful am I made by this contract !-Away, my masters: trouble us no more; But join in friendship, as your lords have done. 1 Serv. Content: I'll to the surgeon's. 2 Serv. And so will I. 3 Serv. And I will see what physic the tavern affords. [Exeunt Mayor, Servants, &c. War. Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign, Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet Glo. Well urg'd, my lord of Warwick :-for, sweet prince, An if your grace mark every circumstance, At Eltham-place I told your majesty. K. Hen. And those occasions, uncle, were of force: Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is, War. Let Richard be restored to his blood; Win. As will the rest, so willeth Winchester. K. Hen. If Richard will be true, not that alone, But all the whole inheritance I give, That doth belong unto the house of York, Plan. Thy humble servant vows obedience, K. Hen. Stoop then, and set your knee against my foot; And in reguerdon of that duty done, I girt thee with the valiant sword of York. Plan. And so thrive Richard as thy foes may fall! And as my duty springs, so perish they Som. Perish, base prince, ignoble duke of York! [Aside. Glo. Now will it best avail your majesty, K. Hen. When Gloster says the word, king For friendly counsel cuts off many foes. [Flourish. Exeunt all but EXETER. [Exit. SCENE II.-France. Before Rouen. Enter LA PUCELLE disguised, and some Soldiers dressed like Countrymen, with Sacks upon their backs. Puc. These are the city gates, the gates of Through which our policy must make a breach. city, And we be lords and rulers over Rouen; Therefore we'll knock. [Knocks Guard. [Within.] Qui est là? Puc. Paisans, les pauvres gens de France: Poor market-folks, that come to sell their corn. Guard. Enter; go in: the market-bell is rung. [Opens the gates. Puc. Now, Rouen, I'll shake thy bulwarks to the ground. [PUCELLE, &c. enter the City Enter CHARLES, Bastard of ORLEANS, ALENÇON, and Forces. Char. Saint Dennis bless this happy stratagem, And once again we'll sleep secure in Rouen. Bast. Here enter'd Pucelle, and her practisants; Now she is there, how will she specify Where is the best and safest passage in? Alen. By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower; Which, once discern'd, shows, that her meaning is, No way to that, for weakness, which she enter'd. Enter LA PUCELLE on a Battlement: holding out a Torch burning. Puc. Behold! this is the happy wedding torch, That joineth Rouen unto her countrymen, But burning fatal to the Talbotites. Bast. See, noble Charles, the beacon of our friend; The burning torch in yonder turret stands. Alen. Defer no time; delays have dangerous ends: Enter, and cry The Dauphin! presently, If Talbot but survive thy treachery. Alarum: excursions. [Exeunt to the Town. Enter, from the Town, BEDFORD, brought in sick in a chair, with TALBOT, BURGUNDY, and the English Forces. Then, enter on the Walls, LA PUCELLE, CHARLES, Bastard, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and others. Puc. Good morrow, gallants. Want ye corn for bread? I think, the duke of Burgundy will fast, Bur. Scoff on, vile fiend, and shameless courtezan! I trust, ere long, to choke thee with thine own, And make thee curse the harvest of that corn. Char. Your grace may starve, perhaps, before that time. Bed. O! let no words, but deeds, revenge this treason. And run a tilt at death within a chair? Tal. Foul fiend of France, and hag of all despite. Encompass'd with thy lustful paramours, Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age, And twit with cowardice a man half dead? Damsel, I'll have a bout with you again, Or else let Talbot perish with this shame. Puc. Are you so hot, sir?-Yet, Pucelle, hold thy peace: If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.[TALBOT, and the rest, consult together. Puc. What will you do, good grey-beard? break God speed the parliament! who shall be the a lance, speaker? Tal. Dare ye come forth, and meet us in the field? Puc. Belike, your lordship takes us then for fools, To try if that our own be ours, or no. Tal. I speak not to that railing Hecate, Tal. Signior, hang!-base muleteers of France! Puc. Away, captains! let's get us from the walls, For Talbot means no goodness, by his looks.God be wi' you, my lord: we came, but to tell you That we are here. [Exeunt LA PUCELLE, &c. from the Walls. Tal. And there will we be too, ere it be long, Or else reproach be Talbot's greatest fame.Vow, Burgundy, by honour of thy house, Prick'd on by public wrongs sustain'd in France, Bur. My vows are equal partners with thy vows. Bed. Lord Talbot, do not so dishonour me: Here will I sit before the walls of Rouen, And will be partner of your weal, or woe. Bur. Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade |