To keep, until your further time of tryal.

K. Henry. My Lord of Glofter, 'tis my fpecial hope, That you will clear yourself from all fufpicion; My confcience tells me, you are innocent.

Glo. Ah, gracious Lord, these days are dangerous: Virtue is choak'd with foul ambition,

And charity chas'd hence by Rancor's hand;
Foul fubornation is predominant,

And equity exil'd your Highness' Land.

I know, their complot is to have my life:

And, if my death might make this island happy,
And prove the period of their tyranny,

I would expend it with all willingness.
But mine is made the prologue to their play:
For thousands more, that yet fufpect no peril,
Will not conclude their plotted tragedy.
Beauford's red fparkling eyes blab his heart's malice,
And Suffolk's cloudy brow his ftormed hate;
Sharp Buckingham unburthens with his tongue
The envious load that lies upon his heart:
And dogged York, that reaches at the moon,
Whofe over-weening arm I have pluck'd back,
By falfe accufe doth level at my life.

And you, my fovereign lady, with the reft,
Causeless have laid difgraces on my head;
And with your best endeavour have stirr'd up,
My liefeft Liege to be mine enemy:
Ay, all of you have laid your heads together;
(Myfelf had notice of your conventicles)
And all to make away my guiltless life,
I fhall not want falfe witness to condemn me,
Nor ftore of treasons to augment my guilt:
The antient proverb will be will effected,
A faff is quickly found to beat a dog.

Car. My Liege, his railing is intolerable.
If thofe, that care to keep your royal perfon
From treafon's fecret knife and traitor's rage,
Be thus upbraided, chid and rated at,
And the offender granted scope of fpeech,
'Twill make them cool in zeal unto your Grace.

Suf.

Suf. Hath he not twit our fovereign lady here With ignominious words, though clarkly coucht? As if she had fuborned fome to fwear

Falfe allegations, to o'erthrow his state.

Q. Mar. But I can give the lofer leave to chide. Glo. Far truer fpoke, than meant; I lofe, indeed; Befhrew the winners, for they play'd me false; And well fuch lofers may have leave to speak.

Buck. He'll wreft the fenfe, and hold us here all day. Lord Cardinal, he is your prifoner.

Car. Sirs, take away the Duke, and guard him furè. Glo. Ah, thus King Henry throws away his crutch, Before his legs be firm to bear his body;

Thus is the shepherd beaten from thy fide;

And wolves are gnarling, who fhall gnaw thee first.
Ah, that my fear were falfe! ah, that it were!
For, good King Henry, thy decay I fear. [Exit, guarded.
K.Henry. My Lords, what to your wisdom seemeth best,
Do or undo, as if our felf were here.

Q. Mar. What, will your Highness leave the Parliament ?

K. Henry. Ay, Margaret; my heart is drown'd with
Whofe flood begins to flow within my eyes;
My body round engirt with mifery:

For what's more miferable than discontent ?
Ah, uncle Humphry! in thy face I fee
The map of honour, truth, and loyalty;
And yet, good Humphry, is the hour to come,
That e'er I prov'd thee false, or fear'd thy faith;
What low'ring ftar now envies thy estate ?
That these great Lords, and Margaret our Queen,
Do feek fubversion of thy harmless life,

That never didft them wrong, nor no man wrong.
And as the butcher takes away the calf,

(grief,

And binds the wretch, and beats it when it ftrives, (7)

(7) And as the Butcher takes away the Calf,

And binds the wretch, and beats it when it ftrays,] But how can it stray, when it is bound? The Poet certainly intended, when it strives; i. e. when it ftruggles to get loofe. And fo he elsewhere employs this Word.

Dr. Thirlby.
Bearing

Bearing it to the bloody flaughter-house:
Even fo, remorflefs, have they borne him hence.
And as the dam runs lowing up and down,
Looking the way her harmless young one went,
And can do nought but wail her darling lofs:
Even fo myself bewail good Glofter's cafe
With fad unhelpful tears; and with dim'd eyes
Look after him, and cannot do him good:
So mighty are his vowed enemies.

His fortunes I will weep, and 'twixt each groan
Say, who's a traitor? Glofter he is none.

[Exit. Q. Mar. Free Lords, cold fnow melts with the fun's

hot beams.

Henry my Lord is cold in great affairs,
Too full of foolish pity: Glofter's fhew
Beguiles him as the mournful crocodile
With forrow fnares relenting paffengers:
Or as the fnake, roll'd in a flowry bank,
With fhining checker'd flough, doth sting a child
That for the beauty thinks it excellent.

Believe me, Lords, were none more wife than I,
(And yet herein I judge my own wit good)
This Glofter fhould be quickly rid the world,
To rid us from the fear we have of him.
Car. That he should die, is worthy policy;
But yet we want a colour for his death:
'Tis meet, he be condemn'd by course of law.
Suf. But, in my mind, that were no policy:
The King will labour still to fave his life,
The commons haply rise to fave his life,
And yet we have but trivial argument,

More than miftruft, that shews him worthy death.
York. So that, by this, you would not have him die.
Suf. Ah, York, no man alive fo fain as I.

York. 'Tis York, that hath more reason for his death.
But, my Lord Cardinal, and you, my Lord of Suffolk,
Cay as you think, and speak it from your fouls:
Wer't not all one, an empty eagle were fet
To guard the chicken from a hungry kite,
As place Duke Humphry for the King's protector?

Q. Mar

Q. Mar. So the poor chicken fhou Suf. Madam, 'tis true; and wer't To make the fox furveyor of the fol Who being accus'd a crafty murthere His guilt should be but idly pofted ov Because his purpofe is not executed. No; let him die, in that he is a fox, By Nature prov'd an enemy to the f Before his chaps be ftain'd with crim As Humphry prov'd by reafons to my And do not ftand on quillets how to Be it by ginns, by fnares, by fubtilty Sleeping or waking, 'tis no matter h So he be dead; for that is good decei Which mates him firft, that first inte

Q. Mar. Thrice-noble Suffolk, 'tis Suf. Not refolute, except fo much For things are often spoke, and feldo But that my heart accordeth with my Seeing the deed is meritorious,

And to preferve my Sovereign from Say but the word, and I will be his

Car. But I would have him dead, Ere you can take due orders for a pri Say you confent, and cenfure well the And I'll provide his executioner, I tender fo the safety of my Liege. Suf. Here is my hand, the deed is Q. Mar. And fo say I.

York. And I: And now we three h It fkills not greatly, who impugns ou Enter a Poft.

Poft. Great lords, from Ireland am To fignifie that Rebels there are up, And put the Englishmen unto the fwor Send fuccours, lords, and ftop the rag Before the wound do grow incurable ;

For being green, there is great hone

Car. A breach, that craves a quick expedient Stop!
What counsel give you in this weighty cause ?
York. That Somerset be fent a Regent thither :
'Tis meet, that lucky ruler be employ'd:
Witness the fortune he hath had in France.-
Som. If York, with all his far-fetch'd policy,
Had been the Regent there inftead of me,
He never would have staid in France fo long.
York. No, not to lose it all, as thou haft done:
I rather would have loft my life betimes,
Than bring a burthen of dishonour home,
By staying there fo long, till all were loft.
Shew me one fcar, character'd on thy fkin:
Men's flesh preferv'd fo whole,do feldom win.

Q. Mar. Nay then, this spark will prove a raging fire,
If wind and fuel be brought to feed it with:
No more, good York; fweet Somerset, be still.
Thy fortune, York, hadft thou been Regent there,
Might happily have prov'd far worse than his.

York. What, werfe than nought? nay, then a fhame take all !

Som. And, in the number, thee that wishest shame! Car. My lord of York, try what your fortune is ; Th' uncivil Kerns of Ireland are in arms, And temper clay with blood of Englishmen. To Ireland will you lead a band of men, Collected choicely from each county fome, And try your hap against the Irishmen? York. I will, my lord, fo please his Majefly. Suf. Why, our Authority is his confent; And what we do establish, he confirms ; Then, noble York, take thou this task in hand. York. I am content: provide me foldiers, lords, Whilft I take order for mine own affairs.

Suf. A charge, lord York, that I will fee perform'd: But now return we to the falfe Duke Humphry. Car. No more of him; for I will deal with him, That henceforth he fhall trouble us no more: And fo break off: the day is almost spent : Lord Suffolk, you and I must talk of that event. VOL. V.

C

York.