Staring full ghaftly, like a ftrangled man;
His hair up-rear'd, his noftrils ftretch'd with struggling :
His hands abroad difplay'd, as one that grafpt
And tugg'd for life; and was by ftrength fubdu'd.
Look on the sheets; his hair, you fee, is sticking;
His well-proportion'd beard made rough and rugged,
Like to the fummer's corn by tempeft lodg'd:
It cannot be, but he was murther'd here:
The least of all these figns were probable.
Suf. Why, Warwick, who fhould do the Duke to death?
Myfelf and Beauford had him in protection;
And we, I hope, Sirs, are no murtherers.
War. But both of you have vow'd Duke Humphry's death,
And you, forfooth, had the good Duke to keep: 'Tis like, you would not feast him like a friend; And 'tis well feen, he found an enemy.
Q. Mar. Then you, belike, fufpect thefe Noblemen, As guilty of Duke Humphry's timeless death..
War. Who finds the heifer dead and bleeding fresh, And fees faft by a butcher with an ax,
But will fufpect, 'twas he that made the slaughter?
Who finds the partridge in the puttock's neft,
But may imagine how the bird was dead,
Although the kite foar with unbloodied beak?
Even fo fufpicious is this tragedy.
Q. Mar. Are you the butcher, Suffolk? where's your knife?
Is Beauford term'd a kite? where are his tallons?
Suf. I wear no knife to flaughter fleeping men;
But here's a 'vengeful sword, rufted with case,
That shall be scoured in his ranc'rous heart,
That flanders me with murther's crimson badge.
Say, if thou dar'ft, proud lord of Warwickshire,
That I am faulty in Duke Humphry's death.
War. What dares not Warwick, if false Suffolk dare him?
Q. Mar. He dares not calm his contumelious fpirit, Nor cease to be an arrogant controller,
Though Suffolk dare him twenty thousand times.
War. Madam, be ftill; with rev'rence may I fay For ev'ry word, you speak in his behalf,
Is flander to your royal Dignity.
Suf. Blunt-witted lord, ignoble in demeanour,
If ever lady wrong'd her lord fo much,
Thy mother took into her blameful bed
Some ftern untutor'd churl; and noble stock
Was graft with crab-tree flip, whose fruit thou art ;
And never of the Nevills' noble Race.
War. But that the guilt of murther bucklers thee,
And I fhould rob the death's-man of his fee,
Quitting thee thereby of ten thousand shames,
And that my Sovereign's prefence makes me mild,
I would, falfe murd'rous Coward, on thy knee
Make thee beg pardon for thy paffed fpeech,
And fay, it was thy mother that thou meant'ít;
That thou thy felf waft born in baftardy :
And, after all this fearful homage done,
Give thee thy hire, and fend thy foul to hell,
Pernicious blood-fucker of fleeping men!
Suf. Thou shalt be waking, while I shed thy blood, If from this prefence thou dar'it go with me. War. Away ev'n now, or I will drag thee hence; Unworthy though thou art, I'll cope with thee; And do fome fervice to Duke Humphry's ghoft. [Exeunt.
K. Henry. What stronger brcaft-plate than a heart untainted?
Thrice is he arm'd, that hath his quarrel juft;
And he but naked, (though lock'd up in fteel)
Whofe confcience with injuftice is corrupted.
Q. Mar. What noife is this?
Inter Suffolk and Warwick, with their weapons drawn. K. Henry. Why, how now, lords? your wrathful weapons drawn
Here in our prefence! dare you be fo bold?
Why, what tumultuous clamour have we here?
Suf. The trait'rous Warwick with the men of Bury Set all upon me, mighty Sovereign.
Sal. Sirs, ftand apart; the King fhall know you'r
Dread lord, the Commons fend you
word by me,
Unless lord Suffolk ftrait be done to death,
Or banished fair England's territories,
They will by violence tear him from your Palace,
And torture him with grievous lingring death.
They fay, by him the good Duke Humphry died;
They fay, in him they fear your Highness' death;
And mere inftinct of love and loyalty,
(Free from a ftubborn oppofite intent,
As being thought to contradict your liking)
Makes them thus forward in his Banifhment.
They fay, in care of your most royal Person,,
That if your Highnefs fhould intend to fleep,
And charge that no man should disturb your reft,
In pain of your dislike, or pain of death;
Yet, notwithstanding fuch a ftrait edict,
Were there a ferpent feen with forked tongue,
That flily glided tow'rds your Majefty,
It were but neceffary you were wak'd;
Left, being fuffer'd in that harmful flumber,
The mortal worm might make the sleep eternal.
And therefore do they cry, though you forbid,
That they will guard you whe're you will
From fuch fell ferpents as falfe Suffolk is;
With whofe invenomed and fatal fting
Your loving Uncle, twenty times his worth,
They say, is fhamefully bereft of life.
Commons within. An answer from the King, my lord of Salisbury.
Suf. 'Tis like, the Commons, rude unpolish'd hinds, Could fend fuch meffage to their Sovereign:
But you, my lord, were glad to be employ'd,
To fhew how queint an orator you are.
But all the honour Salisbury hath won,
Is, that he was the lord Ambassador
Sent from a fort of tinkers to the King.
Within. An anfwer from the King, or we will all break in.
K. Henry. Go, Salisbury, and tell them all from me,
I thank them for their tender loving care;
And had I not been cited fo by them,
Yet did I purpofe as they do entreat ;
For, fure, my thoughts do hourly prophefie
Mifchance unto my State by Suffolk's means.
And therefore by his Majefty I fwear,
Whofe far unworthy Deputy I am,
He shall not breathe infection in this air
But three days longer, on the pain of death.
Q. Mar. Oh Henry, let me plead for gentle Suffolk.
K. Henry. Ungentle Queen, to call him gentle Suffolk.
No more, I fay: if thou doft plead for him,
Thou wilt but add increase unto my wrath.
Had I but faid, I would have kept my word;
But, when I fwear, it is irrevocable;
If after three days space thou here be’st found, any ground that I am ruler of,
The world fhall not be ransom for thy life.
Come, Warwick; come, good Warwick; go with me I have great matters to impart to thee.
[Exeunt K. Henry, Warwick, &c.
Manent Suffolk, and Queen.
Q. Mar. Mifchance and forrow go along with you! Heart's Difcontent and four Affliction
Be play-fellows to keep you company!
There's two of you, the devil make a third,
And threefold vengeance tend upon your steps!
Suf. Ceafe, gentle Queen, these execrations;
And let thy Suffolk take his heavy leave.
Q Mar. Fie, coward woman, and foft-hearted wretch, Haft thou not spirit to curse thine enemy?
Suf. A plague upon them! Wherefore should I curfe
Would curfes kill, as doth the mandrake's
I would invent as bitter fearching terms,
As curst, as harsh, and horrible to hear,
Deliver'd strongly through my fixed teeth,
With full as many figns of deadly hate,
'As lean-fac'd envy in her loathsome cave.
My tongue fhould ftumble in mine earnest words,
Mine eyes fhould sparkle like the beaten flint,
Mine hair be fixt on end like one diftra&t:
Ay, ev'ry joint should seem to curfe and ban.
And even now my burthen'd heart would break,
Should I not curfe them. Poifon be their drink!
Gall, worse than gall, the daintiest meat they taste!
Their sweetest shade a grove of cypress trees!
Their chiefeft prospect murd'ring bafilisks!
Their fofteft touch, as fmart as lizards' stings!
Their mufick frightful as the ferpent's hifs!
And boading fcreech-owls make the concert full!
All the foul terrors in dark-feated hell-
Q Mar. Enough, fweet Suffolk, thou torment'ft
thyfelf;
And thefe dread curfes, like the fun 'gainst g'afs,
Or like an over-charged gun, recoil,
And turn the force of them upon thy felf.
Suf. You bad me ban, and will you bid me leave?
Now, by the ground that I am banish'd from,
Well could I curfe away a winter's night,
Though standing naked on a mountain top,
Where biting Cold would never let grafs grow.
And think it but a minute fpent in fport.
Q. Mar. Oh, let me entreat thee cease; give me thy
That I may dew it with my mournful tears;
Nor let the rain of heaven wet this place,
To wash away my woful monuments.
Oh, could this kifs be printed in thy hand,
That thou might'ft think upon thefe, by the feal,
Through whom a thousand fighs are breath'd for thee.
So, get thee gone, that I may know my grief;
"Tis but furmis'd, whilft thou art ftanding by:
As one that furfeits, thinking on a Want.
I will repeal thee, or, be well affur'd,
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