But in these nice sharp quillets of the law, Plan. Tut, tut, here is a mannerly forbearance: Som. And on my side it is so well apparell'd, That it will glimmer through a blind man's eye. In dumb significants proclaim your thoughts: 1 I pluck this white rose, with Plantagenet. Ver. Stay, lords and gentlemen: and pluck no more, Till you conclude that he, upon whose side Som. Good master Vernon, it is well objected;2 Suff. I'll turn my part thereof into thy throat. His grandfather was Lionel, duke of Clarence, Plan. He bears him on the place's privilege,+ words On any plot of ground in Christendom: Plan. My father was attached, not attainted; Som. Ay, thou shalt find us ready for thee still : Ver. Then, for the truth and plainness of the case, As cognizance of my blood-drinking hate, Som. Prick not your finger as you pluck it off; Ver. If I, my lord, for my opinion bleed, Som. Well, well, come on: Who else? In sign whereof, I pluck a white rose too. For pale they look with fear, as witnessing Som. Whiles thy consuming canker eats his falsehood. That shall maintain what I have said is true, (1) Tints and deceits: a play on the word. (3) i. e. Those who have no right to arms. VOL. II. Will I for ever, and my faction, wear; Suff. Go forward, and be chok'd with thy am- And so farewell, until I meet thee next. [Exit. Som. Have with thee, Poole.-Farewell, ambi[Exit. tious Richard. Plan. How I am brav'd, and must perforce endure it! War. This blot, that they object against your Shall be wip'd out in the next parliament, And here I prophesy,-This brawl to-day, Plan. Good master Vernon, I am bound to you, [Exe. Plan. Thanks, gentle sir. Mor. Kind keepers of my weak decaying age, (4) The Temple, being a religious house, was a (5) Excluded. P And these grey locks, the pursuivants of death,' These eyes,-like lamps whose wasting oil is Finding his usurpation most unjust, [The first-begotten, and the lawful heir From Lionel duke of Clarence, the third son Plan. Of which, my lord, your honour is the last. But yet, methinks, my father's execution Mor. With silence, nephew, be thou politic Plan. O, uncle, 'would some part of my young For I am ignorant, and cannot guess. Mor. I will; if that my fading breath permit, And death approach not ere my tale be done. Henry the Fourth, grandfather to this king, Depos'd his nephew Richard; Edward's son, (1) The heralds that, fore-running death, proclaim its approach. (8) Lucky, prosperous. (9) My ill, is my ill usage. ACT III. 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 Glo. As good? Thou bastard of my grandfather! Thou art reverent Glo. Am I not the protector, saucy priest? Win. And am I not a prelate of the church? Glo. Yes, as an outlaw in a castle keeps, And useth it to patronage his theft. Win. Unreverent Gloster! Glo. Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life. Win. This Rome shall remedy. War. Roam thither then. Som. My lord, it were your duty to forbear. War. Ay, see the bishop be not overborne. Som. Methinks, my lord should be religious, And know the office that belongs to such. 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 [Aside. 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. 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 dissention is a viperous worm, That gnaws the bowels of the cominonwealth.--[A noise within; Down with the tawny coats! What tumult's this? War. An uproar, I dare warrant, Begun through malice of the bishop's men. [A noise again; Stones! stones! Enter the Mayor of London, attended. The bishop and the duke of Gloster's men, Have fill'd their pockets full of pebble-stones; 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. 3 Serv. My lord, we know your grace to be a man Just and upright; and, for your royal birth, Inferior to none, but his majesty: And ere that we will suffer such a prince, 1 Serv. Ay, and the very parings of our nails Shall pitch a field, when we are dead. [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 Except you mean, with obstinate repulse, (3) This was a term of reproach towards men of learning. Hath been enacted through your enmity; War. Behold, my lord of Winchester, the duke Glo. Here, Winchester, I offer thee my hand. K. Hen. Fie, uncle Beaufort! I have heard you preach, That malice was a great and grievous sin: War. Sweet king!-The bishop hath a kindly gird.1 For shame, my lord of Winchester! relent; Win. Well, duke of Gloster, I will yield to thee; Love for thy love, and hand for hand, I give. Som. Perish, base prince, ignoble duke of York! [Aside. Glo. Now it will best avail your majesty, K. Hen. When Gloster says the word, king Henry goes; For friendly counsel cuts off many foes. Not seeing what is likely to ensue : Glo. Ay; but, I fear me, with a hollow heart.-Which, in the name of Henry, nam'd the Fifth, See here, my friends, and loving countrymen ; Win. So help me God, as I intend it not! [Aside. K. Ilen. 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. • Serv And so will I. 3 Serv. And I will see what physic the tavern affords. [Exeu Servants, Mayor, &c. War. Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign; Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet We do exhibit to your majesty. 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. Was in the mouth of every sucking babe,— [Exit. Puc. These are the city gates, the gates of Rouen, Guard. [Within.] Qui est là ? [Knocks. K. Hen. And those occasions, uncle, were of Poor market-folks, that come to sell their corn. 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, From whence you spring by lineal descent. Plan. Thy humble servant vows obedience, And humble service, till the point of death. 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 (1) Feels an emotion of kind remorse. (2) Recompense. 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 Roüen. Bast. Here enter'd Pucelle, and her practisants; Now she is there, how will she specify Where is the best and safest passage in? 3 Alen. By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower, Which, once discern'd, shows, that her mearing is, No way to that,4 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. (3) Confederates in stratagems. Char. Now shine it like a comet of revenge, A prophet to the fall of all our foes! Alen. Defer no time, Delays have dangerous ends; Enter, and cry-The Dauphin;-presently, If Talbot but survive thy treachery. [Exeunt to the town. And as his father here was conqueror; Bed. Lord Talb Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade I think, the duke of Burgundy w fast ezan. I trust, ere long, to coke thee with thine own, Bed. 9, le no words, but deeds, revenge this tre ason! Puc. What will you do, good grey-beard? break lance, And runa tilt at death within a chair? Tal. foul fiend of France, and hag of all despite, Encompass'd with thy lustful paramours! Beco nes it thee to taunt his valiant age, And wit with cowardice a man half dead? Dansel, I'll have a bout with you again, Oreise 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. God speed the parliament! who shall be the 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 Hecaté, Tal. Signior, hang!-base muleteers of France! Puc. Captains, away: let's get us from the walls: For Talbot means no goodness, by his looks.God be wi' you my lord! we came, sir, 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,) Either to get the town again, or die: And I, -as sure as English Henry lives, (1) Haughty power. (3) Quite dispirited, [Exeunt Burgundy, Talbot, and forces, leavExcursions. Enter Sir John Fastolfe ing Bedford, and others. and a Captain. Capt. Whither away, sir John Fastolfe, in such haste? Fast. Whither away? to save myself by flight; We are like to have the overthrow again. Capt. What! will you fly, and leave lord Talbot? Fast. Ay, All the Talbots in the world to save my life. [Exit. Capt. Cowardly knight! ill fortune follow thee! [Exit. Retreat: Excursions. Enter from the town, La Pucelle, Alençon, Charles, &c.; and excunt flying. Bed. Now, quiet soul, depart when heaven please; For I have seen our enemies' overthrow. What is the trust or strength of foolish man? They, that of late were daring with their scoffs, Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves. [Dies, and is carried off in his chair. Alarum: Enter Talbot, Burgundy, and others. Tal. Lost, and recover'd in a day again! This is a double honour, Burgundy: Yet, heavens have glory for this victory! Bur. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy Enshrines thee in his heart; and there erects Thy noble deeds, as valour's monument. Tal. Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pucelle now? I think her old familiar is asleep: What, all a-mort ?3 Roüen hangs her head for grief, (4) Make some necessary dispositions. |