'Tis known to you he is mine enemy;
Nay more, an enemy unto you all;
And no great friend, I fear me, to the King.
Confider, Lords, he is the next of blood,
And heir apparent to the English crown.
Had Henry got an empire by his marriage,
And all the wealthy kingdoms of the weft,
There's reafon he thould be difpleas'd at it.
Look to it, Lords, let not his foothing words.
Bewitch your hearts; be wife and circumfpect.
What though the common people favour him,
Calling him Humphry, the good Duke of Glo❜fter,
Clapping their hands and crying with loud voice,
Jefu maintain your royal excellence!
With, God preferve the good Duke Humphry!
I fear me, Lords, for all this flattering glofs,
He well be found a dangerous Protector.
Buck. Why should he then protect our Sovereign,
He being of age to govern of himself?
Coufin of Somerset, join you with me,
And all together with the Duke of Suffolk,
We'll quickly hoift Duke Humphry from his feat.
Car. This weighty bufinefs will not brook delay.
I'll to the Duke of Suffolk prefently.
Som. Coufin of Buckingham, though Humphry's pride
And greatnefs of his place be grief to us,
Yet let us watch the haughty Cardinal:
His infolence is more intolerable
Than all the Princes in the land befide:
If Glo'fter be difpleas'd, he'll be Protector.
Buck. Or Somerset, or I, will be Protector,
Defpight Duke Humphry, or the Cardinal.
[Exe. Buckingham and Somerfet.
Sal. Pride went before, ambition follows him.
While thefe do labour for their own preferment,
Behoves it us to labour for the realm.
I never faw, but Humphry Duke of Glo'fier
Did bear him like a noble Gentleman:
Oft have I feen the haughty Cardinal
More like a foldier, than a man o'th' church;
As ftout and proud as he were Lord of all,
Swear like a ruffian, and demean himself
Unlike the ruler of a common-weal.
Warwick my fon, the comfort of my age!
Thy deeds, thy plainnefs, and thy houfe-keeping,
Have won the greatest favour of the commons,
Excepting none but good Duke Humphry.
And brother York, thy acts in Ireland,
In bringing them to civil difcipline;
Thy late exploits done in the heart of France,
When thou wert regent for our Sovereign,
Have made thee fear'd and honour'd of the people.
Join we together for the publick good,
In what we can to bridle and fupprefs
The pride of Suffolk, and the Cardinal,
With Somerfet's and Buckingham's ambition;
And, as we may, cherish Duke Humphry's deeds,
While they do tend the profit of the land.
War. So God help Warwick, as he loves the land, And common profit of his country!
York. And fo fays York, for he hath greatest cause. [Afide. Sal. Then let's make hafte, and look unto the main. War. Unto the main? Oh father, Maine is loft; That Maine, which by main force Warwick did win, And would have kept, fo long as breath did laft: Main-chance, father, you meant; but I meant Maine, Which I will win from France, or elfe be flain.
[Exe. Warwick and Salisbury.
York. Anjou and Maine are given to the French;
Paris is loft; the state of Normandy
Stands on a tickle point, now they are gone:
Suffolk concluded on the articles,
The Peers agreed, and Henry was well-pleas'd'
To change two dukedoms for a Duke's fair daughter. I cannot blame them all, what is't to them?:
'Tis thine they give away, and not their own.
Pirates may make cheap penn'worths of their pillage,
And purchafe friends, and give to curtezans,
Still revelling, like Lords, till all be gone:
While as the filly owner of the goods
Weeps over them, and wrings his hapless hands,
And thakes his head, and trembling ftands aloof,
While all is fhar'd, and all is borne away ;-
Ready to ftarve, and dares not touch his own.
So York muft fit, and fret, and bite his tongue,
While his own lands are bargain'd for, and fold.
Methinks, the realms of England, France, and Ireland,
Bear that proportion to my flesh and blood,
As did the fatal brand Althea burnt,
Unto the prince's heart of Calydon.
Anjou and Maine, both giv'n unto the French!
Cold news for me: for I had hope of France,
Ev'n as I have of fertile England's foil.
A day will come, when York fhall claim his own;
And therefore I will take the Nevills parts.
And make a fhew of love to proud Duke Humphry :
And when I fpy advantage, claim the crown;
For that's the golden mark I feek to hit.
Nor fhall proud Lancaster ufurp my right,
Nor hold the fcepter in his childish fift,
Nor wear the diadem upon his head,
Whofe church-like humour fits not for a crown.
Then, York, be ftill a while, till time do ferve;
Watch thou, and wake when others be asleep,
To pry into the fecrets of the flate;
Till Henry, furfeiting in joys of love,
With his new bride, and England's dear-bought Queen, And Humphry with the peers be fall'n at jars.
Then will I raise aloft the milk-white rofe,
With whofe fweet fmell the air fhall be perfum'd;
And in my standard bear the arms of York,
To grapple with the houfe of Lancaster:
And, force perforce, I'll make him yield the crown,
Whofe bookish rule hath pull'd fair England down.
[Exit York.
SCENE changes to the Duke of Gloucefler's House.
Enter Duke Humphry, and his wife Eleanor.
Elean. WHY droops my Lord, like over-ripen'd corn
Hanging the head with Ceres plenteousload?
Why doth the great Duke Humphry knit his brows,
As frowning at the favours of the world?
Why are thine eyes fixt to the fullen earth,
Gazing at that which feems to dim thy fight?
What feeft thou there? King Henry's diadem,
Inchas'd with all the honour's of the world?
If fo, gaze on, and grovel on thy face,
Until thy head be circled with the fame.
Put forth thy hand, reach at the glorious gold:
What! is't too fhort? I'll lengthen it with mine..
And, having both together heav'd it up,
We'll both together lift our heads to heaven;
And never more abafe our fight fo low,
As to vouchsafe one glance unto the ground..
Glo. O Nell, fweet Nell, if thou dost love thy Lord,
Banifh the canker of ambitious thoughts:
And may that thought, when I imagine ill
Against my King and nephew, virtuous Henry,
Be my laft breathing in this mortal world!
My troublous dreams this night do make me fad.
Elean. What dream'd my Lord? tell me, and I'll requite it
With fweet rehearsal of my morning's dream.
Glo. Methought, this ftaff, mine office-badge in court,
Was broke in twain; by whom, I have forgot;
But, as I think, it was by th' Cardinal;
And, on the pieces of the broken wand,
Were plac'd the heads of Edmund Duke of Somerfet,
And William de la Pole firft Duke of Suffolk.
This was the dream; what it doth bode, God knows.
Elean. Tut, this was nothing but an argument,
That he, that breaks a stick of Glo'fter's grove,
Shall lose his head for his prefumption.
But lift to me, my Humphry, my fweet Duke:
Methought, I fat in feat of majesty,
In the cathedral church of Westminster,
And in that chair where Kings and Queens were crown'd; Where Henry and Margret kneel'd to me,
And on my head did fet the diadem.
Glo. Nay, Eleanor, then muft I chide outright
Prefumptuous dame, ill-nurtur'd Eleanor,
Art thou not fecond woman in the realm,
And the Protector's wife, belov'd of him ?
Haft thou not worldly pleasure at command,
Above the reach or compafs of thy thought?
And wilt thou ftill be hammering treachery,
To tumble down thy husband, and thyself,
From top of honour to difgrace's feet?
Away from me, and let me hear no more.
Elean. What, what, my Lord! are you so cholerick
With Eleanor, for telling but her dream?
Next time, I'll keep my dreams unto myself,
And not be check'd.
Glo. Nay, be not angry, I am pleas'd again.
Enter Messenger.
Mef. My Lord Protector, 'tis his Highnefs' pleasure. You do prepare to ride unto St. Albans,
Whereas the King and Queen do mean to hawk.
Glo. I go: come, Nell, thou wilt ride with us?
[Exit Gloucefter.
Elean. Yes, my good Lord, I'll follow prefently.
Follow I muft, I cannot go before,
While Glo'fter bears this bafe and humble mind.
Were I a man, a Duke, and next of blood,
I would remove these tedious ftumbling-blocks;
And smooth my way upon their headless necks.
And being a woman, I will not be flack
To play my part in fortune's pageant.
Where are you there? Sir John; nay, fear not, man,
We are alone; here's none but thee and I.
Hume. Jefus preferve your royal majesty!
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