Mor. Richard Plantagenet, my friend? Is he come? Plant. Ay, noble uncle, thus ignobly us'd, Your nephew, late defpifed Richard, comes.

Mor. Direct mine arms, I may embrace his neck, And in his bofom spend my latter gasp:

[arm;

Oh, tell me, when my lips do touch his cheeks,
That I may kindly give one fainting kiss.-
And now declare, fweet ftem from York's great ftock,
Why didft thou fay-of late thou wert defpis'd?
Plant. First, lean thine aged back against mine
And in that cafe, I'll tell thee my difeafe.
This day in argument upon a cafe,
Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me:
Among which terms, he us'd his lavish tongue,
And did upbraid me with my father's death;
Which obloquy fet bars before my tongue,
Elfe with the like I had requited him!
Therefore, good uncle-for my father's fake,
In honour of a true Plantagenet,

And for alliance' fake-declare the caufe
My father earl of Cambridge, loft his head.
Mor. That caufe, fair nephew, that imprison'd me,
And hath detain'd me all my flow'ring youth,
Within a loathfome dungeon there to pine,
Was curfed inftrument of his decease.

Plant. Discover more at large what cause that was; 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 fon, The firft-begotten, and the lawful heir Of Edward king, the third of that defcent: During whofe reign, the Percies of the north,

Finding

Finding his ufurpation most unjust,

Endeavour'd my advancement to the throne:
The reafon mov'd these warlike lords to this,
Was-for that (young king Richard thus remov'd,
Leaving no heir begotten of his body)

I was the next by birth and parentage;
For by my mother I derived am

From Lionel duke of Clarence, the third fon
To king Edward the Third, whereas he,
From John of Gaunt doth bring his pedigree,
Being but the fourth of that heroic line.
But mark; as, in this haughty great attempt,
They laboured to plant the rightful heir,
I loft my liberty, and they their lives.
Long after this, when Henry the fifth-
Succeeding his father Bolingbroke-did reign,
Thy father, earl of Cambridge-then deriv'd
From famous Edmund Langley, duke of York-
Marrying my fifter, that thy mother was,
Again, in pity of hard diftrefs,

Levied an army; weening to redeem,
And have inftall'd me in the diadem,
But, as the rest, so fell that noble earl,
And was beheaded. Thus, the Mortimers,
In whom the title rested, were suppress'd.

Plant. Of which, my lord, your honour is the last Mor. True; and thou feest, that I no iffue have; And that my fainting words do warrant death: Thou art my heir; the reft, I wish thee gather: But yet be wary in thy ftudious care.

Plant. Thy grave admonifhments prevail with But yet, methinks, my father's execution [me: Was nothing less than bloody tyranny,

Mor. With filence, nephew, be thou politick; Strong

Strong-fixed in the house of Lancaster,
And, like a mountain, not to be remov'd.
But now thy uncle is removing hence;

As princes do their courts, when they are cloy'd With long continuance in a fettled place.

Plant. O, uncle, would fome part of my young Might but redeem the paffage of your age! [years Mor. Thou doft then wrong me; as the flaught'rer doth,

Which giveth many wounds, when one will kill.
Mourn not, except thou forrow for my good;
Only, give order for my funeral;

And fo farewell; and fair be all thy hopes!
And profperous be thy life, in peace, and war!
[Dies.
Plant. And peace, no war, befal thy parting foul!
In prifon haft thou spent a pilgrimage,
And like a hermit over-pafs'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 fee his burial better than his life.-
Here dies the dufky torch of Mortimer,
Chok'd with ambition of the meaner fort:-
And, for those wrongs, those bitter injuries,
Which Somerfet hath offer'd to my house-
I doubt not, but with honour to redress:
And therefore hafte I to the parliament;
Either to be restored to my blood,

Or make my ill the advantage of my good. [Exit,

ACT III.

SCENE I. The Parliament.

Flourish. Enter King HENRY, EXETER, GLOSTER WINCHESTER, WARWICK, SOMERSET, SUFFOLK and RICHARD PLANTAGENET. GLOSTER offers t put up a Bill; WINCHESTER fnatches it, and tears it Winchefter.

COM'ST thou with deep premeditated lines,
With written pamphlets ftudiously devis'd,'
Humphrey of Glofter? if thou canst accufe,
Or aught intend'ft to lay unto my charge,
Do it without invention fuddenly;

As I with fudden and extemporal speech
Purpofe to anfwer what thou canst object.

Glo. Prefumptuous priest! this place commands my patience,

Or thou fhouldft find thou haft difhonour'd me.
Think not, although in writing I preferr'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 wickednefs,
Thy lewd, peftiferous, and diffentious pranks,
As 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

And for thy treachery, What's more manifeft?
In that thou laidft 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
From envious malice of thy fwelling heart.
Win. Glofter, I do defy thee.-Lords, vouchsafe
To give me hearing what I fhall reply.
If I were covetous, perverfe, ambitious,
As he will have me, How am I fo poor?
Or how haps it, I feek not to advance
Or raise 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, that 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 these accufations forth:
But he fhall know, I am as good-

Glo. As good!

Thou baftard of my grandfather!

Win. Ay, lordly fir; For what are you, I pray, But one imperious in another's throne? Glo. Am I not protector, faucy priest? Win. And am not I a prelate to the church? Glo. Yes, as an out-law in a caftle keeps, And ufeth it to patronage his theft.

Win. Unreverent Glofter!

Glo. Thou art reverent

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

War. Roam thither then.