Gold cannot come amiss, were she a devil.d
Yet have I gold, flies from another coast:
I dare not say, from the rich cardinal,

o

ed

And from the great and new-made duke of Suffolk;
Yet I do find it so: for, to be plain,

They, knowing dame Eleanor's aspiring humour,
Have hired me to undermine the duchess,

And buz these conjurations in her brain.

dam of

They say, A crafty knave does need no broker; ad med alth
Yet am
I Suffolk and the cardinal's broker.
Hume, if you take not heed, you shall go near
To call them both-a pair of crafty knaves.
Well, so it stands: And thus, I fear, at last,
Hume's knavery will be the duchess' wreck;
And her attainture will be Humphrey's fall':
Sort how it will,* I shall have gold for all.

[Exit.

SCENE III-The same. A Room in the Palace.c

Enter PETER, and others, with Petitions.

1 Pet. My masters, let's stand close; my lord protector will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our supplications in the quill.t

2 Pet. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man! Jesu bless him!" I bus godt tad snow ordonola

Enter SUFFOLK and QUEEN MARGARET.

1 Pet. Here 'a comes, methinks, and the queen with him: I'll be the first, sure. min

2 Pet. Come back, fool: this is the duke of Suffolk, and not my lord protector,

Suf. How now, fellow? would'st anything with me?

Pet. I pray, my lord, pardon me! I took ye for my lord protector.

Q. Mar. [Reading the superscription.] To my lord protector! are your supplications to his lordship? Let me see them: What is thine ?

1 Pet. Mine is, an't please your grace, against John Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my house, and lands, and wife and all, from me.

Suf. Thy wife too? that is some wrong, indeed. -What's your's?-What's here! [Reads.] Against the duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the commons of Melford. How now, sir knave?

2 Pet. Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.blo

Peter. [Presenting his Petition.] Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying, That the duke of York was rightful heir to the crown.

*End how it will.

+ Written petitions.

Q. Mar. Why say'st thou? Did the duke of York say; he was rightful heir to the crown?

Peter. That my master was? No, forsooth: my master said, That he was; and that the king was an usurper.

Suf. Who is there? [Enter Servants.]-Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a pursuivant presently:-we'll hear more of your matter before the king.

[Exeunt Servants, with PETER. Q. Mar. And as for you, that love to be protected Under the wings of our protector's grace, Begin your suits anew, and sue to him. Away, base cullions!-Suffolk, let them go. All Come, let's be gone.

[Tears the Petition.

[Exeunt PETITIONERS.

Q. Mar. My lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
Is this the fashion in the court of England?
Is this the government of Britain's isle,
And this the royalty of Albion's king?
What, shall king Henry be a pupil still,
Under the surly Gloster's governance?
Am I a queen in title and in style,
And must be made a subject to a duke?
I tell thee, Poole, when in the city Tours
Thou ran'st a tilt in honour of my love,
And stol'st away the ladies' hearts of France;
I thought king Henry had resembled thee,
In courage, courtship, and proportion:
But all his mind is bent to holiness,
To number Ave-Maries on his beads:

His champions are-the prophets and apostles: minuni jaf bedf His weapons, holy saws of sacred writenutod

His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves

Are brazen images of canonized saints. Tony Tobal 7
I would, the college of cardinals

Would choose him pope, and carry him to Rome, tiday pa
And set the triple crown upon his head;

That were a state fit for his holiness, og dit miRA
Suf. Madam, be patient: as I was cause

Your highness came to England, so will I

In England work your grace's full content. rode the

Qu. Mar. Beside the haught protector, have we Beaufort,
The imperious churchman; Somerset, Buckingham,
And grumbling York: and not the least of these,
But can do more in England than the king.

Sf. And he of these, that can do most of all, To
Cannot do more in England than the Nevils:
Salisbury, and Warwick, are no simple peers.ffenb
Q. Mar. Not all these lords do vex me half so much,
As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife.

She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies, oto
More like an empress than duke Humphrey's wife;

Strangers in court do take her for the queen:
She bears a duke's revenues on her back,

T

And in her heart she scorns her poverty:
Shall I not live to be avenged on her?
Contemptuous base-born callat* as she 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 limed a bush for her;
And placed a quire of such enticing birds,
That she will light to listen to the lays,
And never mount to trouble you again.
So, let her rest: And, madam, list to me;
For I am bold to counsel you in this.
Although we fancy not the cardinal,

Yet we must join with him, and with the lords,
Till we have brought duke Humphrey 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 last.

And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.

Enter KING HENRY, YORK, and SOMERSET, conversing with him; Duke and Duchess of GLOSTER, CARDINAL BEAUFORT, BUCKINGHAM, SALISBURY, and WARWICK.

K. Hen. 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 denay'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 speak.
War. The cardinal 's not my better in the field.

Buck. All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick,
War. Warwick may live to be the best of all.

Sal. Peace, son;- and show some reason, Buckingham,
Why Somerset should be preferred in this.

Q. Mar. Because the king, forsooth, will have it so.
Glo. Madam, the king old enough himself
To give his censure:§ these are no women'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 resign my place.

Suf. Resign it then, and leave thine insolence.

Since thou wert king, (as who is king, but thou ?)
The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck :
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas

* Trull.

† Of Peter, the armourer's man against his master.
Deny.
§ Opinion.

And all the peers and nobles of the realm
Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.

Car. The Commons hast thou rack'd; the clergy's bags

Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Som. Thy sumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire,
Have cost a mass of public treasury.
Buck. Thy cruelty in execution,
Upon offenders, hath exceeded law,
And left thee to the mercy of the law.

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

Exit GLOSTER. The QUEEN drops her Fan. Give me my fan: What, minion! can you not?

[Gives the DUCHESS a box on the Ear.

I cry you mercy, madam; Was it you?

Duch. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman: Could I come near your beauty with my nails,

I'd set my ten commandments in your face.*

K. Hen. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will.
Duch. 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 wear no breeches,

She shall not strike dame Eleanor unrevenged. [Exit DUCHESS.
Buck. Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,
And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds:
She's tickled now: her fume can need no spurs,
She'll gallop fast enough to her destruction.

Re-enter GLOSTER.

[Exit BUCKINGHAM.

Glo. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown,
With walking once about the quadrangle,
I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
As for your spiteful false objections,
Prove them, and I lie open to the law:
But God in mercy so deal with my soul,
As I in duty love my king and country
But, to the matter that we have in hand :-
I say, my sovereign, York is meetest man
To be your regent in the realm of France.
Suf. Before we make election, give me leave
To show some reason, of no little force,
That York is most unmeet of any man.
Fork. 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 Somerset will keep me here,
Without discharge, money, or furniture,
Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands,

* The marks of her fingers.

Last time, I danced attendance on his will,
Till Paris was besieged, famish'd, and lost.
War. That I can witness; and a fouler fact
Did never traitor in the land commit.

Suf. Peace, headstrong Warwick!

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

Enter Servants of SUFFOLK, bringing in HORNER and PEPER

Suf. Because here is a man accused of treason:

Pray God, the duke of York excuse himself!
York. Doth any one accuse York for a traitor?

K. Hen. What mean'st thou, Suffolk? tell me: What are these?

Suf. Please it your majesty, this is the man

That doth accuse his master of high treason:

His words were these; that Richard, duke of York,
Was rightful heir unto the English crown;

And that your majesty was an usurper.

K. Hen. Say, man, were these thy words?

Hor. An't shall please your majesty, I never said nor thought any such matter: God is my witness, I am falsely accused by the villain.

Pet. By these ten bones, my lords [Holding up his Hands], he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were scouring my lord of York's armour.

York. Base dunghill villain, and mechanical, I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech:

I do beseech your royal majesty,

Let him have all the rigour of the law.

Hor. Alas, my lord, hang me, if ever I spake the words. My accuser 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 beseech your majesty, do not cast away an honest man for a villain's accusation.

K. Hen. Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?
Glo. This doom, my lord, if I may judge.
Let Somerset be regent o'er the French,
Because in York this breeds suspicion;
And let these have a day appointed them
For single combat in convenient place;
For he hath witness of his servant's malice:
This is the law, and this duke Humphrey's doom.
K. Hen. Then be it so. My lord of Somerset,
We make your grace lord regent o'er the French.
Som. I humbly thank your royal majesty.

Hor. And I accept the combat willingly.

Pet. Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God's sake, pity my case! the spite of man prevaileth against me. O, Lord, have mercy upon me! I shall never be able to fight a blow: O Lord, my heart!

Glo. Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd.