I doubt not but with honour to redrefs;
And therefore hafte I to the parliament,
Either to be restored to my blood,

Or make my ill th' advantage of my good. [Exit.

ACT III. SCENE I

The Parliament.

Flourish. Enter King Henry, Exeter, Gloucester, Winchester, Warwick, Somerset, Suffolk, and Richard Plantagenet. Gloucester offers to put up a bitl: Winchester snatches it, and tears it. Winchester.

'Om't thou with deep premeditated lines,

Com'
With written pamphlets ftudioufly devis'd,

Humphrey of Glofter? If thou can't accuse,
Or aught intend'it to lay unto my charge,
Do it without invention suddenly;

As I with fudden and extemporal speech
Purpose to answer what thou canst object.

Glou. Prefumptuous priest, this place commands
my patience,

Or thou fhouldft find thou haft dishonour'd me.
Think not, altho" in writing I prefer'd

The manner of thy vile outrageous crimes,
That therefore I have forg'd, or am not able
Verbatim to rehearse the method of my pen.
No, Prelate, fuch is thy audacious wickedness,
Thy lewd, peftif'rous, and diffentious pranks,
The very infants prattle of thy pride.
Thou art a moft pernicious ufurer,
Froward by nature, enemy to peace,
Lafcivious, wanton, more than well befeems
A man of thy profeffion and degree.

And for thy treach'ry, what's more manifeft?
In that thou laid'ft a trap to take my life,
As well at London-bridge, as at the Tower.
Befide, I fear me if thy thoughts were fifted,
The King thy fovereign is not quite exempt
VOL. VI.
D

From envious malice of thy fwelling heart.
Win. Glo'fter, I do defy thee. Lords, vouchsafe
To give me hearing what I fhall reply.
If I were covetous, perverse, ambitious,
As he will have me, how am I fo poor?
How haps it then I seek not to advance
Or raife myself, but keep my wonted calling?
And for diffention, who preferreth peace
More than I do, except I be provok'd?
No, my good Lords, it is not that offends;
It is not that which hath incens'd the Duke;
It is because no one fhould fway but he,
No one, but he, fhould be about the King;
And that engenders thunder in his breaft,
And makes him roar thefe accufations forth.
But he fhall know I am as good-
Glou. As good?

Thou bastard of my grandfather!

Win. Ay, lordly Sir; for what are you, I pray, But one imperious in another's throne?

Glou. Am not I then Protector, faucy priest?
Win. And am not I a prelate of the church?
Glou. Yes, as an out-law in a castle keeps,
And uses it to patronage his theft.
Win. Unrev'rend Glofter!

Glou. Thou art reverend

Touching thy fpiritual function, not thy life.
Win. This Rome fhall remedy.

War. Roam thither then.

Som. My Lord, it were your duty to forbear, War. Ay, fee the Bishop be not over-borne. Som. Methinks my Lord fhould be religious, And know the office that belongs to fuch.

War. Methinks his Lordfhip fhould be humbler then;

It fitteth not a prelate fo to plead.

Som. Yes, when his holy ftate is touch'd fo near War. State holy or unhallow'd, what of that? Is not his Grace Protector to the King?"

Rich Plantagenet, I fee, must hold his tongue; Left it be faid, Speak, firrah, when you fhould Muft your bold verdict enter talk with Lords?'

Else would I have a fling at Winchester.

K. Henry. Uncles of Glo'ster and of Winchester, The fpecial watchmen of our English weal, I would prevail, if prayers might prevail, To join your hearts in love and amity. Oh, what a scandal is it to our crown, That two fuch noble peers as ye fhould jar! Believe me, Lords, my tender years can tell Civil diffention is a vip'rous worm, That gnaws the bowels of the common-wealth. [A noife within ; Down with the tawny coats! K Henry. What tumult's this?

War. An uproar, I dare warrant,

Begun thro' malice of the Bishop's men.

[A noife again; Stones, Stones!

SCENE

Enter Mayor.

II.

Mayor: Oh, my good Lords, and virtuous Henry, Pity the city of London, pity us.

The Bishop and the Duke of Glo'fter's men,
Forbidden late to carry any weapon,

Have fill'd their pockets full of peeble-ftones,
And, banding themselves in contrary parts,
Do pelt so fast at one another's pates,

That many have their giddy brains knock'd out;
Qur windows are broke down in ev'ry street,
And we for fear compell'd to fhut our fhops.

Enter Men in Skirmish with bloody pates.

K. Henry. We charge you on allegiance to our felves,

To hold your flaught'ring hands, and keep the

peace.

-Pray, uncle Glo'fter, mitigate this ftrife.

Serv. Nay, if we be forbidden ftones, we'll fall to it with our teeth.

2 Serv. Do what ye dare, we are as refolute.

[Skirmish again. Glou. You of my household, leave this peevish And fet this unaccustom'd fight aside. [broil,

3 Serv. My Lord, we know your Grace to be a man Juft and upright, and for your royal birth Inferior to none but to his Majefty;

And ere that we will fuffer fuch a Prince,
So kind a father of the common-weal,
To be difgraced by an inkhorn mate

We, and our wives, and children, all will fight,
And have our bodies flaughter'd by thy foes.

1 Serv. Ay, and the very parings of our nails Shall pitch a field when we are dead.

Glou. Stay, stay, I say ;

[Begin again.

And if you love me, as you fay you do,

Let me perfuade you to forbear a while.

K. Henry. O how this discord doth afflict my foul ! Can you, my Lord of Winchester, behold My fighs and tears, and will nat once relent? Who fhould be pitiful, if you be not? Or who should study to prefer a peace, If holy churchmen take delight in broils? War. My Lord Protector, yield; yield, WincheExcept you mean with obftinate repulfe [fter; To flay your Sovereign, and deftroy the reahn. You fee what mifchief, and what murder too, Hath been enacted thro' your enmity; Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood. Win. He fhall fubmit, or I will never yield. Glou. Compaflion on the King commands me ftoop, Or I would fee his heart out ere the priest Should ever get that privilege of me.

War. Behold, my Lord of Winchester, the Duke
Hath banith'd moody difcontented fury,
As by his fmoothed brows it doth appear.
Why look you ftill fo ftern and tragical?
Glou. Here, Winchester, I offer thee my hand.
K. Henry. Fy, uncle Beauford; I have heard you,
preach,

That malice was a great and grievous fin;
And will not you maintain the thing you teach,
But prove a chief offender in the fame?

A bookman. Johnson.

War. Sweet King! the Bishop hath a kindly gird.
For fhame, my Lord of Winchester, relent;
What, fhall a child inftruct you what to do?
Win. Well, Duke of Glo'ster, I will yield to thee:
Love for thy love, and hand for hand, I give.

Glou. Ay, but I fear me, with a hollow heart.
See here, my friends and loving countrymen,
This token ferveth for a flag of truce
Betwixt ourselves and all our followers.
So help me, God, as I diffemble not!

Win. aside.] So help me, God, as I intend it not!
K. Henry. O loving uncle, gentle Duke of Glo'fter,
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 furgeon's.

2 Serv. So will I..

3 Serv. And I'll fee what phyfic the tavern affords.

[Exeunt.

War. Accept this fcrowl, moft gracious Sovereign, Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet We do exhibit to your Majesty.

Glou. Well urg'd, my Lord of Warwick: for,.. fweet Prince,

An if your Grace mark ev'ry circumstance,
You have great reason to do Richard right;
Efpecially for those occafions

At Eltham-place I told your Majesty.

K. Henry. And thofe occafions, uncle, were of force;

Therefore, my loving Lords, our pleasure is,
That Richard be restored to his blood.

War. Let Richard be restored to his blood,
So fhall his father's wrongs be recompens'd.
Win. As will the reft, fo willeth Winchester.
K. Henry. If Richard will be true; not that alone,
But all the whole inheritance I give,
That doth belong unto the houfe of York,
From whence you fpring by lineal defcent.
Rich. Thy humble fervant vows obedience,