Are brazen images of canoniz'd faints.
I would, the College of the Cardinals
Would chufe him Pope, and carry him to Rome,
And fet the triple Crown upon his head;
That were a ftate fit for his holiness!

Suf. Madam, be patient; as I was the caufe
Your Highness came to England, so will I
In England work your Grace's full content.

Q. Mar. Befide the proud Protector, have we Beauford

Th' imperious Churchman; Somerset, Buckingham, And grumbling York; and not the leaft of these But can do more in England, than the King.

Suf. And he of thefe, that can do moft of all, Cannot do more in England than the Nevills; Salib'ry and Warwick are no fimple Peers.

Q. Mar. Not all thefe Lords do vex me half fo much,

As that proud Dame, the Lord Protector's wife;
She fweeps it through the Court with troops of ladies,
More like an Emprefs than Duke Humphry's wife.
Strangers in Court do take her for the Queen;
She bears a Duke's revenues on her back,
And in her heart fhe fcorns our poverty.
Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her?
Contemptuous, base born, Callat as he is,
She vaunted 'mongst her minions t'other day,
The very train of her worst wearing gown
Was better worth than all my father's lands;
Till Suffolk gave two Dukedoms for his daughter!
Suf. Madam, myself have lim'd a bufh for her,
And plac'd a quire of fuch enticing birds,
That the will light to liften to their lays?
And never mount to trouble you again.
So, let her reft; and, Madam, lift to me;
For I am bold to counfel you in this;
Although we fancy not the Cardinal,

Yet muft we join with him and with the Lords,

VOL. V.

Till

Till we have brought Duke Humphry in disgrace.
As for the Duke of York, this late complaint *
Will make but little for his benefit.

So, one by one, we'll weed them all at laft,
And you yourself fhall fteer the happy Realm.

To them enter King Henry, Duke Humphry, Cardinal, Buckingham, York, Salisbury, Warwick, and the Dutchess of Gloucester.

K. Henry. For my part, noble Lords, I care not which.

Or Somerset, or York. All's one to me.

York. If York have ill demean'd himself in France, Then let him be deny'd the Regentship.

Som. If Somerset be unworthy of the place, Let York be Regent, I will yield to him.

War. Whether your Grace be worthy, yea or no, Dispute not that; York is the worthier.

Car. Ambitious Warwick, let thy Betters fpeak.
War. The Cardinal's not my better in the field.
Buck. All in this Prefence are thy betters, Warwick.
War. Warwick may live to be the best of all.
Sal. Peace, Son; and fhew fome reason, Buckingham,
Why Somerset fhould be preferr'd in this.

Q. Mar. Because the King, forfooth, will have it so.
Glo. Madam, the King is old enough himself

To give this Cenfure. Thefe are no woman's matters.
Q. Mar. If he be old enough, what needs your
Grace

To be Protector of his Excellence?

Glo. Madam, I am Protector of the Realm; And, at his pleasure, will refign my place.

That is, the complaint of Peter the armourer's man against his mafter, for faying that Fork was the rightful king. 4

+ His cenfure.] Through all thefe plays cenfure is used in an indifferent fenfe, fimply for judgment or opinion.

Suf.

Suf. Refign it then, and leave thine infolence.
Since thou wert King, as who is King, but thou?
The Common-wealth hath daily run to wreck.
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the feas,
And all the Peers, and Nobles of the Realm,
Have been as bond-men to thy fov'reignty.

Car. The Commons haft thou rack'd; the Clergy's bags

Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Som. Thy fumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire, Have coft a mass of publick treasury.

Buck. Thy cruelty in execution Upon Offenders hath exceeded law; And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Q. Mar. Thy fale of offices and towns in France, If they were known, as the fufpect is great, Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.

[Exit Glo'fter. The Queen drops her fan. Give me my fan; what, minion? can ye not?

[Gives the Dutchefs a box on the ear. I cry you mercy, Madam; was it you?

Elean. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud French

woman:

Could I come near your beauty with my nails,
I'd fet my ten commandments in your face.

K. Henry. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will.

Elean. Against her will?-Good King, look to't in time,

She'll hamper thee and dandle thee like a baby. Though in this place most Master wears no breeches, She fhall not strike Dame Eleanor unreveng'd.

[Exit Eleanor. Buck. Lord Cardinal, I'll follow Eleanor, And liften after Humphry, how he proceeds. She's tickled now, her fume can need no fpurs; She'll gallop faft enough to her deftruction.

C 2

[Exit Buckingham.

SCENE

Re-enter Duke Humphry.

Glo. Now, Lords, my choler being over-blown
With walking once about the Quadrangle,
I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
As for your fpightful falfe objections,
Prove them, and I lie open to the law.
But God in mercy deal fo with my foul,
As I in duty love my King and Country!
-But to the matter that we have in hand.
I fay, my Sovereign, York is meetest màn
To be your Regent in the Realm of France.
Suf. Before we make election, give me leave
To fhew fome reafon of no little force,
That York is most unmeet of any man.

York. I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet.
First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride;
Next, if I be appointed for the Place,
My Lord of Semerfet will keep me here
Without discharge, mony or furniture,
Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands.
Last time, I danc'd attendance on his will,
Till Paris was befieg'd, famifh'd and loft.
War. That I can witness; and a fouler fact
Did never traitor in the land commit.

Suf. Peace, head-ftrong Warwick.

War. Image of pride, why fhould I hold my peace?

Enter Horner the Armourer, and his Man Peter, guarded.

Suf. Because here is a man accus'd of treason. Pray God, the Duke of York excufe himfelf! York. Doth any one accufe York for a traitor?

K. Henry,

K. Henry. What mean'ft thou, Suffolk? tell me, what are these?

Suf. Please it your Majefty, this is the man, That doth accufe his master of high treason.

His words were thefe; "that Richard Duke of York "Was rightful heir unto the English Crown; "And that your Majefty was an ufurper."

K. Henry. Say, man; were thefe thy words?

Arm. An't fhall pleafe your Majefty, I never faid nor thought any fuch matter. God is my witnefs, I am falfly accus'd by the villain.

Peter. By thefe ten bones, my Lord, [holding up his hands] he did fpeak them to me in the garret one night, as we were scow'ring my Lord of York's armour. York. Bafe dunghill villain, and mechanical, I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech. I do befeech your royal Majefty,

Let him have all the rigour of the Law.

Arm. Alas, my Lord, hang me, if ever I fpake the words. My accufer is my 'prentice, and when I did correct him for his fault the other day, he did vow upon his knees he would be even with me. I have good witness of this; therefore, I befcech your Majefty, do not caft away an honeft man for a villain's accufation.

K. Henry. Uncle, what fhall we fay to this in Law? Glo. This doom, my Lord, if I may judge. Let Somerfet be Regent o'er the French, Because in York this breeds fufpicion. And let thefe have a day appointed them For fingle Combat in convenient place; For he hath witnefs of his fervant's malice. This is the law, and this Duke Humphry's doom. K. Henry. Then be it fo. My Lord of Somerset, We

9 K. Henry. Then be it fe, &c.] Thefe two Lines I have inferted from the old Quarto; and, as I

think, very neceffarily For, without them, the King has not declared his Affent to Gloucester's C 3

Opinion: