This hand was made to handle nought but gold; On which I'll toss the flower-de-luce of France. Enter BUCKINGHAM. Whom have we here? Buckingham, to disturb me? Buck. York, if thou meanest well, I greet thee well. York. Humphrey of Buckingham, I accept thy greeting. Art thou a messenger, or come of pleasure? Buck. A messenger, from Henry, our dread liege, On sheep or oxen could I spend my fury! More like a king, more kingly in my thoughts: Aside. Buck. That is too much presumption on thy part. But if thy arms be to no other end, The king hath yielded unto thy demand; The duke of Somerset is in the Tower. York. Upon thine honor, is he prisoner? York. Then, Buckingham, I do dismiss my powers.— I'll send them all as willing as I live; Lands, goods, horse, armor, any thing I have Buck. York, I commend this kind submission: We twain will go into his highness' tent. Enter KING HENRY, attended. K. Hen. Buckingham, doth York intend no harm to us, That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm? York. In all submission and humility, York doth present himself unto your highness. K. Hen. Then what intend these forces thou dost bring? York. To heave the traitor Somerset from hence; And fight against that monstrous rebel, Cade, Who since I heard to be discomfited. Enter IDEN, with CADE's head. Iden. If one so rude, and of so mean condition, May pass into the presence of a king, Lo, I present your grace a traitor's head, The head of Cade, whom I in combat slew. K. Hen. The head of Cade?-Great God, how just art thou! O, let me view his visage, being dead, That, living, wrought me such exceeding trouble. Tell me, my friend, art thou the man that slew him? Iden. I was, an't like your majesty. K. Hen. How art thou called? and what is thy degree? Iden. Alexander Iden, that's my name; A poor esquire of Kent, that loves his king. Buck. So please it you, my lord, 'twere not amiss He were created knight for his good service. K. Hen. Iden, kneel down; [He kneels.] rise up a knight. We give thee for reward a thousand marks; And will, that thou henceforth attend on us. Iden. May Iden live to merit such a bounty, And never live but true unto his liege! K. Hen. See, Buckingham! Somerset comes with the queen. Go, bid her hide him quickly from the duke. Enter QUEEN MARGARET and SOMERSET. Q. Mar. For thousand Yorks he shall not hide his head, But boldly stand, and front him to his face York. How now! is Somerset at liberty? Then, York, unloose thy long-imprisoned thoughts, And let thy tongue be equal with thy heart. False king! why hast thou broken faith with me, Which dar'st not, no, nor canst not rule a traitor. Som. O, monstrous traitor!-I arrest thee, York, Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace. York. Wouldst have me kneel? first let me ask of these, If they can brook I bow a knee to man.Sirrah, call in my sons to be my bail; [Exit an Attendant. I know, ere they will have me go to ward, York. O blood-bespotted Neapolitan, Outcast of Naples, England's bloody scourge! Enter EDWARD and RICHARD PLANTAGENET, with Forces, at one side; at the other, with Forces also, Old CLIFFORD and his Son. See, where they come; I'll warrant they'll make it good. Q. Mar. And here comes Clifford, to deny their bail. Clif. Health and all happiness to my lord the king! [Kneels. York. I thank thee, Clifford. Say, what news with thee? Nay, do not fright us with an angry look: We are thy sovereign, Clifford; kneel again; For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee. Clif. This is my king, York; I do not mistake; G* But thou mistak'st me much, to think I do. K. Hen. Ay, Clifford; a bedlam and ambitious humor Clif. He is a traitor; let him to the Tower, Q. Mar. He is arrested, but will not obey; shall. Edw. Ay, noble father, if our words will serve. Rich. And if words will not, then our weapons Clif. Why, what a brood of traitors have we here! York. Look in a glass, and call thy image so; I am thy king, and thou a false-heart traitor.Call hither to the stake my two brave bears, That, with the very shaking of their chains, They may astonish these fell lurking curs. Bid Salisbury, and Warwick, come to me. Drums. Enter WARWICK and SALISBURY, with Forces. Clif. Are these thy bears? we'll bait thy bears to death, And manacle the bear-ward in their chains, If thou dar'st bring them to the baiting-place. Rich. Oft have I seen a hot, o'erweening cur Run back and bite, because he was withheld; Who, being suffered with the bear's fell paw, Hath clapped his tail between his legs, and cried. And such a piece of service will you do, If you oppose yourselves to match lord Warwick. Clif. Hence, heap of wrath, foul, indigested lump, As crooked in thy manners as thy shape! York. Nay, we shall heat you thoroughly anon. Clif. Take heed, lest by your heat you burn yourselves. K. Hen. Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot to bow? Old Salisbury,-shame to thy silver hair, Thou mad misleader of thy brain-sick son! What, wilt thou on thy death-bed play the ruffian, For shame! in duty bend thy knee to me, Sal. My lord, I have considered with myself K. Hen. Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto me? Sal. I have. K. Hen. Canst thou dispense with Heaven for such an oath? But greater sin, to keep a sinful oath. Q. Mar. A subtle traitor needs no sophister. Clif. The first, I warrant thee, if dreams prove true. Clif. I am resolved to bear a greater storm, Might I but know thee by thy household badge. War. Now, by my father's badge, old Nevil's crest, (As on a mountain top the cedar shows, Clif. And from thy burgonet I'll rend thy bear, To quell the rebels, and their 'complices. Rich. Fie! charity, for shame! speak not in spite, For you shall sup with Jesu Christ to-night. Y. Clif. Foul stigmatic, that's more than thou canst tell. Rich. If not in heaven, you'll surely sup in hell. [Exeunt severally. |