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The fourth son; York claims it from the third.
Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign;
It fails not yet; but flourishes in thee,
And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock.—
Then, father Salisbury, kneel we both together;
And, in this private plot, be we the first
That shall salute our rightful sovereign

With honor of his birthright to the crown.

Both. Long live our sovereign Richard, England's king!
York. We thank you, lords. But I am not your king

Till I be crowned; and that my sword be stained
With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster.
And that's not suddenly to be performed;
But with advice and silent secrecy.
Do you, as I do, in these dangerous days,
Wink at the duke of Suffolk's insolence,
At Beaufort's pride, at Somerset's ambition,
At Buckingham, and all the crew of them,
Till they have snared the shepherd of the flock,
That virtuous prince, the good duke Humphrey.
'Tis that they seek and they in seeking that,
Shall find their deaths, if York can prophesy.

Sal. My lord, break we off; we know your mind at full.
War. My heart assures me, that the earl of Warwick,
Shall one day make the duke of York a king.
York. And, Nevil, this I do assure myself,-
Richard shall live to make the earl of Warwick
The greatest man in England, but the king.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. The same. A Hall of Justice.

Trumpets sounded. Enter KING HENRY, QUEEN MARGARET, GLOSTER, YORK, SUFFOLK, and SALISBURY; the DUCHESS of GLOSTER, MARGERY JOURDAIN, SOUTHWELL, HUME, and BOLINGBROKE, under guard.

K. Hen. Stand forth, dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloster's wife: In sight of God, and us, your guilt is great;

Receive the sentence of the law, for sins

Such as by God's book are adjudged to death.-
You four, from hence to prison back again;

[To JOURD., &c.

From thence unto the place of execution;
The witch in Smithfield shall be burned to ashes,
And you three shall be strangled on the gallows.—
You, madam,- for you are more nobly born,-
Despoiled of your honor in your life,

Shall, after three days' open penance done,
Live in your country here, in banishment,
With sir John Stanley, in the Isle of Man.

Duch. Welcome is banishment; welcome were my death. Glo. Eleanor, the law, thou seest, hath judged thee; I cannot justify whom the law condemns.

[Exeunt the Duchess, and the other Prisoners,
guarded.

Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief.
Ah, Humphrey, this dishonor in thine age
Will bring thy head with sorrow to the ground!
I beseech your majesty, give me leave to go;
Sorrow would solace, and mine age would ease.

K. Hen. Stay, Humphrey duke of Gloster: ere thou go,
Give up thy staff; Henry will to himself
Protector be; and God shall be my hope,
My stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet;
And go in peace, Humphrey; no less beloved,
Than when thou wert protector to thy king.

Q. Mar. I see no reason why a king of years
Should be to be protected like a child.-
God and King Henry govern England's helm;
Give up your staff, sir, and the king his realm.

Glo. My staff?-Here, noble Henry, is my staff;

As willingly do I the same resign,

As e'er thy father Henry made it mine;

And even as willingly at thy feet I leave it,
As others would ambitiously receive it.

Farewell, good king. When I am dead and gone,
May honorable peace attend thy throne!

[Exit.

Q. Mar. Why, now is Henry king, and Margaret queen;

And Humphrey, duke of Gloster, scarce himself,

That bears so shrewd a maim; two pulls at once,-
His lady banished, and a limb lopped off.

This staff of honor raught, there let it stand,

Where it best fits to be, in Henry's hand.

Suff. Thus droops this lofty pine, and hangs his sprays; Thus Eleanor's pride dies in her youngest days.

York. Lords, let him go.-Please it your majesty,
This is the day appointed for the combat;
And ready are the appellant and defendant,
The armorer and his man, to enter the lists,
So please your highness to behold the fight.

Q. Mar. Ay, good my lord; for purposely therefore Left I the court, to see this quarrel tried.

K. Hen. O God's name, see the lists and all things fit;
Here let them end it, and God defend the right!
York. I never saw a fellow worse bested,

Or more afraid to fight, than is the appellant,
The servant of this armorer, my lords.

Enter, on one side, HORNER, and his neighbors, drinking to him so much that he is drunk; and he enters bearing his staff with a sand-bag fastened to it; a drum before him; at the other side, PETER, with a drum and a similar staff; accompanied by Prentices drinking to him.

1 Neigh. Here, neighbor Horner, I drink to you in a cup of sack; and fear not, neighbor, you shall do well enough. 2 Neigh. And here, neighbor, here's a cup of charneco. 3 Neigh. And here's a pot of good double beer, neighbor: drink, and fear not your man.

Hor. Let it come, i'faith, and I'll pledge you all; and a fig for Peter!

1 Pren. Here, Peter, I drink to thee; and be not afraid. 2 Pren. Be merry, Peter, and fear not thy master; fight for credit of the prentices.

Peter. I thank you all: drink, and pray for me, I pray you; for, I think, I have taken my last draught in this world. Here, Robin, an if I die, I give thee my apron; and, Will, thou shalt have my hammer;-and here, Tom, take all the money that I have.- O Lord, bless me, I pray God! for I am never able to deal with my master, he hath learnt so much fence already.

Sal. Come, leave your drinking, and fall to blows.Sirrah, what's thy name?

Peter. Peter, forsooth.

Sal. Peter! what more?

Peter. Thump.

Sal. Thump! then see thou thump thy master well.

Hor. Masters, I am come hither, as it were, upon my man's instigation, to prove him a knave, and myself an honest man; touching the duke of York, -will take my death, I never meant him any ill, nor the king, nor the queen. And, therefore, Peter, have at thee with a downright blow, as Bevis of Southampton fell upon Ascapart.

York. Despatch;-this knave's tongue begins to double. Sound trumpets, alarum to the combatants.

[Alarum. They fight, and Peter strikes down his Master.

Hor. Hold, Peter, hold! I confess, I confess treason.

[Dies.

York. Take away his weapon.- Fellow,

Thank God, and the good wine in thy master's way.

Peter. O God! have I overcome mine enemies in this presence? O Peter, thou hast prevailed in right!

K. Hen. Go, take hence that traitor from our sight; For, by his death, we do perceive his guilt. And God, in justice, hath revealed to us The truth and innocence of this poor fellow,

Which he had thought to have murdered wrongfully.Come, fellow, follow us for thy reward.

SCENE IV. The same. A Street.

[Exeunt.

Enter GLOSTER and Servants, in mourning cloaks.
Glo. Thus sometimes hath the brightest day a cloud;
And, after summer, evermore succeeds

Barren winter, with his wrathful, nipping cold.
So cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet.
Sirs, what's o'clock?

Serv.

Ten, my lord.

Glo. Ten is the hour that was appointed me,
o watch the coming of my punished duchess.
Uneath may she endure the flinty streets,
To tread them with her tender-feeling feet.
Sweet Nell, ill can thy noble mind abrook
The abject people, gazing on thy face.

With envious looks, still laughing at thy shame;
That erst did follow thy proud chariot wheels,

When thou didst ride in triumph through the streets.
But, soft! I think she comes; and I'll prepare
My tear-stained eyes to see her miseries.

Enter the DUCHESS of GLOSTER, in a white sheet, with papers
pinned upon her back, her feet bare, and a taper burning
in her hand; SIR JOHN STANLEY, a Sheriff, and Officers.
Serv. So please your grace, we'll take her from the sheriff.
Glo. No, stir not, for your lives; let her pass by.
Duch. Come you, my lord, to see my open shame?
Now thou dost penance too. Look, how they gaze!
See how the giddy multitude do point,

And nod their heads, and throw their eyes on thee!
Ah, Gloster, hide thee from their hateful looks;
And, in thy closet pent up, rue my shame,
And ban thine enemies, both mine and thine.

Glo. Be patient, gentle Nell; forget this grief.
Duch. Ah, Gloster, teach me to forget myself;
VOL. III.-3

For, whilst I think I am thy married wife,
And thou a prince, protector of this land,
Methinks I should not thus be led along,
Mailed up in shame, with papers on my back;
And followed with a rabble, that rejoice
To see my tears, and hear my deep-fet groans.
The ruthless flint doth cut my tender feet;
And, when I start, the envious people laugh,
And bid me be advised how I tread.

Ah, Humphrey, can I bear this shameful yoke?
Trow'st thou, that e'er I'll look upon the world;
Or count them happy that enjoy the sun?.
No; dark shall be my light, and night my day;
To think upon my pomp shall be my hell.
Sometime I'll say, I am duke Humphrey's wife;
And he a prince, and ruler of the land:
Yet so he ruled, and such a prince he was,
As he stood by, whilst I, his forlorn duchess,
Was made a wonder, and a pointing-stock,
To every idle, rascal follower.

But be thou mild, and blush not at my shame;
Nor stir at nothing, till the axe of death
Hang over thee, as, sure, it shortly will.
For Suffolk, he that can do all in all

With her, that hateth thee and hates us all,--
And York, and impious Beaufort, that false priest,
Have all limed bushes to betray thy wings;
And, fly thou how thou canst, they'll tangle thee.
But fear not thou, until thy foot be snared,
Nor never seek prevention of thy foes.

Glo. Ah, Nell, forbear; thou aimest all awry;
I must offend before I be attainted.

And had I twenty times so many foes,

And each of them had twenty times their power,
All these could not procure me any scathe,
So long as I am loyal, true, and crimeless.
Wouldst have me rescue thee from this reproach?
Why, yet thy scandal were not wiped away,
But I in danger for the breach of law.
Thy greatest help is quiet, gentle Nell.
I pray thee, sort thy heart to patience;
These few days' wonder will be quickly worn

Enter a Herald.

Her. I summon your grace to his majesty's parliament, holden at Bury the first of this next month.

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