Act I · Scene III
The palace.
Hover a speech to translate it — or press play to hear it performed.
Enter three or four Petitioners, PETER, the Armourer's man, being one
First Petitioner
My masters, let's stand close: my lord protectorwill come this way by and by, and then we may deliverour supplications in the quill.
Second Petitioner
Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man!Jesu bless him!
Enter SUFFOLK and QUEEN MARGARET
PETER
Here a' comes, methinks, and the queen with him.I'll be the first, sure.
Second Petitioner
Come back, fool; this is the Duke of Suffolk, andnot my lord protector.
SUFFOLK
How now, fellow! would'st anything with me?
First Petitioner
I pray, my lord, pardon me; I took ye for my lordprotector.
QUEEN MARGARET
[Reading] 'To my Lord Protector!' Are yoursupplications to his lordship? Let me see them:what is thine?
First Petitioner
Mine is, an't please your grace, against JohnGoodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping myhouse, and lands, and wife and all, from me.
SUFFOLK
Thy wife, too! that's some wrong, indeed. What'syours? What's here!
Reads
SUFFOLK
'Against the Duke of Suffolk, for enclosing thecommons of Melford.' How now, sir knave!
Second Petitioner
Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.
PETER
[Giving his petition] Against my master, ThomasHorner, for saying that the Duke of York was rightfulheir to the crown.
QUEEN MARGARET
What sayst thou? did the Duke of York say he wasrightful heir to the crown?
PETER
That my master was? no, forsooth: my master saidthat he was, and that the king was an usurper.
SUFFOLK
Who is there?
Enter Servant
SUFFOLK
Take this fellow in, and send forhis master with a pursuivant presently: we'll hearmore of your matter before the King.
Exit Servant with PETER
QUEEN MARGARET
And as for you, that love to be protectedUnder the wings of our protector's grace,Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.
Tears the supplication
QUEEN MARGARET
Away, base cullions! Suffolk, let them go.
ALL
Come, let's be gone.
Exeunt
QUEEN MARGARET
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 stillUnder the surly Gloucester's governance?Am I a queen in title and in style,And must be made a subject to a duke?I tell thee, Pole, when in the city ToursThou ran'st a tilt in honour of my loveAnd stolest away the ladies' hearts of France,I thought King Henry had resembled theeIn 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,His weapons holy saws of sacred writ,His study is his tilt-yard, and his lovesAre brazen images of canonized saints.I would the college of the cardinalsWould choose him pope, and carry him to Rome,And set the triple crown upon his head:That were a state fit for his holiness.
SUFFOLK
Madam, be patient: as I was causeYour highness came to England, so will IIn England work your grace's full content.
QUEEN MARGARET
Beside the haughty protector, have we Beaufort,The imperious churchman, Somerset, Buckingham,And grumbling York: and not the least of theseBut can do more in England than the king.
SUFFOLK
And he of these that can do most of allCannot do more in England than the Nevils:Salisbury and Warwick are no simple peers.
QUEEN MARGARET
Not all these lords do vex me half so muchAs that proud dame, the lord protector's wife.She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies,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,And in her heart she scorns our poverty:Shall I not live to be avenged on her?Contemptuous base-born callet as she is,She vaunted 'mongst her minions t'other day,The very train of her worst wearing gownWas better worth than all my father's lands,Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter.
SUFFOLK
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 must we join with him and with the lords,Till we have brought Duke Humphrey in disgrace.As for the Duke of York, this late complaintWill 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.
Sound a sennet. Enter KING HENRY VI, GLOUCESTER, CARDINAL, BUCKINGHAM, YORK, SOMERSET, SALISBURY, WARWICK, and the DUCHESS
KING HENRY VI
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.
SOMERSET
If Somerset be unworthy of the place,Let York be regent; I will yield to him.
WARWICK
Whether your grace be worthy, yea or no,Dispute not that: York is the worthier.
CARDINAL
Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.
WARWICK
The cardinal's not my better in the field.
BUCKINGHAM
All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.
WARWICK
Warwick may live to be the best of all.
SALISBURY
Peace, son! and show some reason, Buckingham,Why Somerset should be preferred in this.
QUEEN MARGARET
Because the king, forsooth, will have it so.
GLOUCESTER
Madam, the king is old enough himselfTo give his censure: these are no women's matters.
QUEEN MARGARET
If he be old enough, what needs your graceTo be protector of his excellence?
GLOUCESTER
Madam, I am protector of the realm;And, at his pleasure, will resign my place.
SUFFOLK
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;And all the peers and nobles of the realmHave been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.
CARDINAL
The commons hast thou rack'd; the clergy's bagsAre lank and lean with thy extortions.
SOMERSET
Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife's attireHave cost a mass of public treasury.
BUCKINGHAM
Thy cruelty in executionUpon offenders, hath exceeded law,And left thee to the mercy of the law.
QUEEN MARGARET
They 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 GLOUCESTER. QUEEN MARGARET drops her fan
QUEEN MARGARET
Give me my fan: what, minion! can ye not?
She gives the DUCHESS a box on the ear
QUEEN MARGARET
I cry you mercy, madam; was it you?
DUCHESS
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.
KING HENRY VI
Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will.
DUCHESS
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
BUCKINGHAM
Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds:She's tickled now; her fume needs no spurs,She'll gallop far enough to her destruction.
Exit
Re-enter GLOUCESTER
GLOUCESTER
Now, lords, my choler being over-blownWith 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 manTo be your regent in the realm of France.
SUFFOLK
Before we make election, give me leaveTo show some reason, of no little force,That York is most unmeet of any man.
YORK
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:Last time, I danced attendance on his willTill Paris was besieged, famish'd, and lost.
WARWICK
That can I witness; and a fouler factDid never traitor in the land commit.
SUFFOLK
Peace, headstrong Warwick!
WARWICK
Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?
Enter HORNER, the Armourer, and his man PETER, guarded
SUFFOLK
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?
KING HENRY VI
What mean'st thou, Suffolk; tell me, what are these?
SUFFOLK
Please it your majesty, this is the manThat doth accuse his master of high treason:His words were these: that Richard, Duke of York,Was rightful heir unto the English crownAnd that your majesty was a usurper.
KING HENRY VI
Say, man, were these thy words?
HORNER
An't shall please your majesty, I never said northought any such matter: God is my witness, I amfalsely accused by the villain.
PETER
By these ten bones, my lords, he did speak them tome in the garret one night, as we were scouring myLord 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 rigor of the law.
HORNER
Alas, my lord, hang me, if ever I spake the words.My accuser is my 'prentice; and when I did correcthim for his fault the other day, he did vow upon hisknees he would be even with me: I have goodwitness of this: therefore I beseech your majesty,do not cast away an honest man for a villain'saccusation.
KING HENRY VI
Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?
GLOUCESTER
This doom, my lord, if I may judge:Let Somerset be regent over the French,Because in York this breeds suspicion:And let these have a day appointed themFor single combat in convenient place,For he hath witness of his servant's malice:This is the law, and this Duke Humphrey's doom.
SOMERSET
I humbly thank your royal majesty.
HORNER
And I accept the combat willingly.
PETER
Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God's sake, pitymy case. The spite of man prevaileth against me. OLord, have mercy upon me! I shall never be able tofight a blow. O Lord, my heart!
GLOUCESTER
Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd.
KING HENRY VI
Away with them to prison; and the day of combatshall be the last of the next month. Come,Somerset, we'll see thee sent away.
Flourish. Exeunt