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Henry VI part one

Act III, Scene 1

 

London, at the Parliament-house.
 
[Flourish. Enter KING HENRY VI, EXETER, GLOUCESTER, WARWICK, SOMERSET, and SUFFOLK; the BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, and others. GLOUCESTER offers to put up a bill; BISHOP OF WINCHESTER snatches it, and tears it.]
 
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER
        ,                 ,        ,    ,       ,
      Comst thou | with deep | premed|itat|ed lines?
             ,       ,            ,   2   ,        ,
      With writ|ten pamph|lets, stud|iously | devised?
        ,              ,          ,          ,        ,
      Humphrey | of Glouce|ster, if | thou canst | accuse,
           ,          ,         ,       ,         ,
      Or aught | intendst | to lay | unto | my charge,
       ,           ,       ,         ,      ,
      Do it | without | invent|ion, sud|denly,
         ,         ,        ,       ,    2      ,
      As I | with sud|den, and | extem|poral speech,
       ,            ,        ,           ,         ,
      Purpose | to ans|wer what | thou canst | object.
 
GLOUCESTER
           ,    2      ,            ,      X             ,
      Presump|tuous priest,| this place | commands my | patience,     ??
           ,               ,           ,        ,        ,
      Or thou | shouldst find | thou hast | dishon|ored me.
        T    T    .   T         ,       ,         ,
      Think not, although | in writ|ing I | preferred
           ,       ,         ,         ,         ,
      The man|ner of | thy vile | outrage|ous crimes,
             ,        ,           ,         ,         x
      That there|fore I | have forged,| or am | not able
          ,    3  3    ,           ,       ,       ,
      Verba|tim to rehearse | the meth|od of | my pen.
       T  T   T      ,    3   3    ,          ,   2
      No prelate,| such is thy au|dacious | wickedness,
            ,        ,    2     ,        ,           ,
      Thy lewd,| pestif|erous, and | dissen|tious pranks,
          ,     ,         ,       ,         ,
      As ve|ry in|fants prat|tle of | thy pride.
            ,        ,        ,        ,   ,
      Thou art | a most | perni|cious us|urer,
       ,            ,        ,   ,        ,
      Forward | by na|ture, en|emy | to peace,
          ,   2      ,        ,           ,        ,
      Lasciv|ious, want|on, more | than well | beseems
         ,        ,        ,         ,        ,
      A man | of thy | profes|sion, and | degree.
           ,           ,    2     ,       ,   ,
      And for | thy treach|ery, what's| more man/ifest?
           ,            ,         ,         ,         ,
      In that | thou laidst | a trap | to take | my life,
           ,        ,         ,         ,         ,
      As well | at Lon|don bridge,| as at | the Tower.
          ,        ,         ,           ,            ,      2->
      Beside,| I fear | me, if | thy thoughts | were sift||ed,
            ,          ,               ,    ,         ,
      The king,| thy sove|reign, is / not quite | exempt
            ,   2    ,       ,         ,         ,
      From env|ious mal|ice of | thy swel|ling heart.
 
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER
         ,            ,      ,           ,       ,
      Gloucester,| I do | defy | thee. Lords | vouchsafe
           ,         ,        ,        ,         ,
      To give | me hear|ing what | I shall | reply.
       ,  2        ,   2        ,         ,        ,
      If I were | covetous,| ambit|ious, or | perverse,
          ,          ,         ,       ,        ,
      As he | will have | me: how | am I | so poor?
          ,      ,           ,     ,           ,
      Or how | haps it,| I seek | not to | advance
           ,         ,          ,        ,         x
      Or raise | myself?| but keep | my wont|ed calling.
           ,        ,         ,        ,         ,
      And for | dissen|sion, who | prefer|reth peace
        ,         ,          ,        ,        ,
      More than | I do? | Except | I be | provoked.
       ,              ,         ,         ,         ,
      No, my | good lords,| it is | not that | offends,
          ,         ,           ,        ,            ,
      It is | not that,| that hath | incensed | the duke:
          ,       ,      ,                ,         ,
      It is | because | no one*| should sway | but he,
       ,             ,           ,      ,          ,
      No one*,| but he,| should be | about | the king;
            ,       ,         ,       ,         ,
      And that | engend|ers thund|er in | his breast,
            ,           ,           ,    ,         ,
      And makes | him roar | these ac|cusa|tions forth.
           ,           ,       ,        ,
      But he | shall know | I am | as good.
 
GLOUCESTER
                                                  ,
                                             As good?
            ,        ,        ,    ,
      Thou bast|ard of | my grand|father.
 
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER
      <-___      ,      ___          ,         ,        ,
        Aye,|| lordly | sir: | for what | are you,| I pray,
           ,       ,    2   ,      ,          ,
      But one | imper|ious in | anoth|er's throne?
 
GLOUCESTER
       T T  T        ,         ,       ,
      Am I not | protect|or, sauc|y priest?
 
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER
           ,       ,       ,       ,          ,
      And am | not I | a prel|ate of | the church?
 
GLOUCESTER
       ,            ,   ,      2   ,        ,
      Yes, as | an out|law | in a cas|tle keeps,
           ,      ,       ,      ,          ,
      And use|th it,| to pat|ronage | his theft.
 
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER
          ,          ,
      Unreve|rent Glouce|ster.
 
GLOUCESTER
                                   ,         ,     ,
                                 Thou | art rev|erent,
        ,              x          ,         ,          ,
      Touching | thy spirit|ual func|tion, not | thy life.
 
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER
        ,           ,       
      Rome shall | reme|dy this./
 
WARWICK
                                    ,   ,         ,
                                  Roam thith|er then.
           ,         ,          ,     ,        ,
      My lord,| it were | your du|ty to | forbear.
 
SOMERSET
       ,               ,      ,       ,      ,
      Aye, see | the bish|op be | not ov|erborne:
           ,          ,            ,      ,    ,
      Methinks | my lord | should be | relig|ious,
            ,         ,        ,        ,          ,
      And know | the of|fice that | belongs | to such.
 
WARWICK
           ,           ,          ,         ,        o
      Methinks | his lord|ship should | be hum|bler,
          ,        ,        ,       ,         ,
      it fit|teth not | a prel|ate so | to plead.
 
SOMERSET
       ,               ,      ,           ,          ,
      Yes, when | his ho|ly state | is touched |so near.
 
WARWICK
        ,    ,             ,           ,         ,
      State ho/ly, or | unhal|lowed, what | of that?
          ,          ,         ,       ,         ,
      Is not | his grace | protect|or to | the king?
 
RICHARD PLANTAGENET
           ,    ,       ,           ,           ,
      Plantag|enet | I see | must hold | his tongue,
        ,    2       T     T    T        ,           ,
      Lest it be | said, Speak sir|rah when | you should:
        ,         ,   ,       ,      ,         ,
      Must your bold verdict enter talk with lords?  ????
        ,          ,            ,          ,      ,
      Else would | I have | a fling | at Winch|ester.
 
KING HENRY VI
       ,             ,          ,         ,      ,
      Uncles | of Glouce|ster, and | of Winch|ester,
            ,        ,        ,        ,         ,
      The spec|ial watch|men of | our Eng|lish weal,
          ,          ,         ,        ,         ,
      I would | prevail,| if pray|ers might | prevail,
           ,            ,          ,         ,   ,
      To join | your hearts | in love | and am|ity.
       ,             ,       ,       ,         ,
      Oh, what | a scand|al is | it to | our crown,
            ,          ,       ,         ,           ,
      That two | such^nob|le peers | as ye | should jar?
          ,           ,         ,        ,           ,
      Believe | me, lords,| my tend|er years | can tell,
       ,          ,        ,      ,    2     ,
      Civil | dissen|sion is | a vip|erous worm,
             ,          ,       ,        ,        ,
      That gnaws | the bow|els of | the com|monwealth.
 
[A noise within, 'Down with the tawny-coats!']
            ,          ,
      What tum|ult's this?
 
WARWICK
                               ,   ,                x
                           An up|roar, I | dare* warrant,
         ,             ,       ,         ,        ,
      Begun | through mal|ice of | the bish|op's men.
 
[A noise again, 'Stones! stones!' Enter Mayor]
 
MAYOR
       T  T   T      ,           ,   2      ,
      Oh my good | lords, and | virtuous | Henry,
       ,          ,   2    ,        ,     ,
      Pity | the cit|y of Lon|don, pit|y us:
            ,       ,          ,          ,           ,
      The bish|op, and | the Duke | of Glouce|ster's men,
          ,        ,        ,     ,        x
      Forbid|den late | to car|ry an|y weapon,
              ,             ,        ,        ,         ,
      Have filled | their pock|ets full | of peb|ble stones;
       ,   ,               ,            ,       ,
      And band/ing them|selves in | contra|ry parts,
           ,         ,        ,       ,         ,
      Do pelt | so fast | at one | anoth|er's pate,
            ,      ,           ,        ,              ,
      That ma|ny have | their gid|dy brains | knocked^out:
           ,               ,     ,        ,  2     ,
      Our wind|ows are / broke down | in eve|ry street,
           ,         ,          ,          ,          ,
      And we,| for fear,| compelled | to shut | our shops.
 
[Enter Serving-men, in skirmish, with bloody pates]
 
KING HENRY VI
            ,           ,      ,         ,        ,
      We charge | you, on | alleg|iance to | ourself,
           ,            ,      2     ,           ,          ,
      To hold | your slaught|ering hands,| and keep | the peace:
            ,        ,         ,     ,            ,
      Pray^unc|le Glouce|ster mit|igate | this strife.
 
FIRST SERVING-MAN
Nay, if we be forbidden stones, we'll fall to it with our teeth.
 
SECOND SERVING-MAN
Do what ye dare, we are as resolute.
 
[Skirmish again]
 
GLOUCESTER
       ,    2       T    T     T           ,         ,
      You of my | household, leave | this peev|ish broil,
           ,          ,    ,          ,       ,
      And set | this un|accust|omed fight | aside.
 
THIRD SERVINGMAN
           ,         ,           ,         ,      ,
      My lord,| we know | your grace | to be | a man
        T   .   T  T          ,          ,       ,
      Just and upright;| and for | your roy|al birth,
         ,   3 3    ,      ,            ,     ,
      Infer|ior to none,| but to | his maj|esty:
           ,          ,         ,        ,         ,
      And ere | that we | will suf|fer such | a prince,
           ,       ,       ,        ,       ,
      So kind | a fath|er of | the com|monweal,
          ,       ,       ,       ,         ,
      To be | disgrac|ed by | an ink|horn^mate,
       ,             ,           ,        ,           ,
      We and | our wives | and child|ren all | will fight,
            ,         ,         ,          ,         ,
      And have | our bod|ies slaught|ered by | thy foes.
 
FIRST SERVINGMAN
       ,              ,     ,        ,         ,
      Aye, and | the ve|ry par|ings of | our nails
              ,         ,           ,         ,    oo
      Shall pitch | a field | when we | are dead.|
 
[Begin again]
 
GLOUCESTER
       __     __    _   ___   oo
      Stay,| stay,| I | say:|
           ,         ,         ,        ,         ,
      And if | you love | me, as | you say | you do,
       ,            ,          ,        ,       ,
      Let me | persuade | you to | forbear | awhile.
 
KING HENRY VI
       ,              ,         ,        ,          ,
      Oh, how | this dis|cord doth | afflict | my soul.
           ,         ,         ,      ,        ,
      Can you,| my Lord | of Winch|ester,| behold
           ,           ,           ,          ,        ,
      My sighs | and tears,| and will | not once | relent?
             ,         ,    ,        ,        ,
      Who should | be pit|iful,| if you | be not?
          ,            ,      ,       ,        ,
      Or who | should stu|dy to | prefer | a peace,
          ,       ,         ,        ,          ,
      If ho|ly church|men take | delight | in broils?
 
WARWICK
        ,          ,       ,         ,     ,
      Yield my | lord pro|tector,| yield Winch/ester,
          ,          ,          ,     ,         ,
      Except | you mean | with ob|stinate | repulse
           ,           ,          ,        ,           ,
      To slay | your sove|reign, and | destroy | the realm.
           ,          ,          ,          ,       ,
      You see | what mis|chief, and | what murd|er too,
             ,       ,        ,            ,    ,
      Hath been | enact|ed through | your en|mity:
            ,        ,         ,          ,          ,
      Then be | at peace,| except | ye thirst |for blood.
 
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER
       ,             ,       ,         ,       ,
      He shall | submit,| or I | will nev|er yield.
 
GLOUCESTER
          ,        ,         ,         ,          ,
      Compas|sion on | the king | commands | me stoop,
         ,          ,          ,      ,               ,
      Or I | would see | his heart | out, ere | the priest
             ,      ,           ,     ,        ,
      Should ev|er get | that priv|ilege | of me.
 
WARWICK
          ,         ,         ,      ,          ,
      Behold | my Lord | of Winch|ester,| the duke
            ,         ,      ,      ,       ,    2->
      Hath ban|ished moo|dy dis|content|ed fu||ry,  ??
          ,          ,        ,          ,        ,
      As by | his smooth|ed brows | it doth | appear:
            ,          ,          ,           ,    ,
      Why look | you still | so stern,| and trag|ical?
 
GLOUCESTER
        ,    ,              ,       ,         ,
      Here Winch/ester,| I of|fer thee | my hand.
 
KING HENRY VI
       T    Tx    T        ,          ,            ,
      Fie uncle Beau|fort, I | have heard | you preach
            ,       ,        ,           ,        ,
      That mal|ice was | a great | and griev|ous sin:
            ,         ,         ,           ,           ,
      And will | not you | maintain | the thing | you teach?
            ,         ,        ,       ,         ,
      But prove | a chief | offend|er in | the same.
 
WARWICK
        T     T    .    T       ,        ,       ,
      Sweet king: the bish|op hath | a kind|ly gird:
            ,          ,         ,      ,        ,
      For shame | my lord | of Winch|ester,| relent;
        ,               ,          ,           ,        ,
      What, shall | a child | instruct | you what | to do?
 
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER
        T     T   .    T         ,          ,          ,
      Well, Duke of Glouce|ster, I | will yield | to thee
        ,              ,          ,          ,        ,
      Love for | thy love,| and hand | for hand | I give.
 
GLOUCESTER
       ,             ,         ,       ,        ,
      Aye, but | I fear | me with | a hol|low heart.
            ,          ,           ,        ,      ,
      See here | my friends | and lov|ing count|rymen,
            ,      ,        ,        ,         ,
      This tok|en serv|eth for | a flag | of truce,
          ,           ,          ,         ,      ,
      Betwixt | ourselves,| and all | our fol|lowers:
           ,        ,       ,       ,       ,
      So help | me God,| as I | dissem|ble not.
 
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER
           ,        ,       ,       ,        ,
      So help | me God,| as I | intend | it not.
 
KING HENRY VI
          ,       ,        ,      ,          ,
      Oh lov|ing unc|le, kind | Duke of | Gloucester,
           ,       ,       ,               ,   ,
      How joy|ful am | I made | by this / contract.
         ,       ,          ,       ,        ,
      Away | my mast|ers, troub|le us | no more,
            ,          ,          ,          ,            ,
      But join | in friend|ship, as | your lords | have done.
 
FIRST SERVING-MAN
           ,      ,    2       ,
      Content,| I'll to the | surgeon's.
 
SECOND SERVING-MAN
                                              ,        ,
                                         And so | will I.
 
THIRD SERVING-MAN
          ,         ,          ,     2     ,     2    ,
      And I | will see | what phy|sic the tav|ern affords.
 
[Exeunt Serving-men, Mayor, etc.]
 
WARWICK
          ,            ,           ,         ,      ,
      Accept | this scroll,| most gra|cious sov|ereign,
             ,         ,          ,     2     ,    ,
      Which^in | the right | of Rich|ard Plantag|enet,
          ,      ,      ,         ,     ,
      We do | exhib|it to | your maj|esty.
 
GLOUCESTER
             ,          ,        ,               ,      ,
      Well^urged,| my Lord | of War|wick: or / sweet prince,
           ,          ,           ,      ,        ,
      And if | your grace | mark^eve|ry cir|cumstance,
                   ,     ,           ,   ,        ,
      You have / great reas|on to / do Rich|ard right,
         ,      ,         ,        ,     ,
      Espec|ially | for those | occas|ions
           ,       ,         ,          ,     ,
      At Elth|am Place | I told | your maj|esty.
 
KING HENRY VI
            ,        ,         ,        ,         ,
      And those | occas|ions, unc|le, were | of force:
            ,         ,        ,           ,        ,
      Therefore | my lov|ing lords,| our pleas|ure is,
             ,       ,       ,      ,         ,
      That Rich|ard be | restor|ed to | his blood.
 
WARWICK
            ,       ,       ,      ,         ,
      Let Rich|ard be | restor|ed to | his blood,
           ,          ,          ,          ,      ,
      So shall | his fath|er's wrongs | be rec|ompensed.
 
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER
           ,          ,        ,         ,      ,
      As will | the rest,| so wil|leth Winch|ester.
 
KING HENRY VI
           ,        ,         ,          ,       2   ,
      If Rich|ard will | be true,| not that | all alone,
           ,          ,        ,     ,         ,
      But all | the whole | inher|itance | I give,
             ,        ,       ,         ,          ,
      That doth | belong | unto | the house | of York,
              ,            ,         ,    ,       ,
      From whence | you spring,| by lin|eal | descent.
 
RICHARD PLANTAGENET
           ,       ,         ,      ,     ,
      Thy hum|ble serv|ant vows | obed|ience,
           ,       ,          ,          ,          ,
      And hum|ble serv|ice, till | the point | of death.
 
KING HENRY VI
        T     T    .   T           ,        ,          ,
      Stoop then, and set | your knee | against | my foot,
           ,       ,       ,         ,      ,
      And in | reguerd|on of | that du|ty done,
          ,      ,              ,    2    ,          ,
      I gird | thee with | the val|iant sword | of York:
        ,    ,                 ,         ,    ,
      Rise Rich/ard, like^|a true | Plantag|enet,
            ,       ,       ,         ,         ,
      And rise | creat|ed prince|ly Duke | of York.
 
RICHARD PLANTAGENET
       .   T    T     T        ,         ,          ,
      And so thrive Rich|ard, as | thy foes | may fall,
           ,       ,       ,          ,        ,
      And as | my du|ty springs,| so per|ish they,
             ,             ,          ,           ,    ,
      That grudge | one^thought | against | your maj|esty.
 
ALL
       ,          T     T     .    T       ,         ,
      Welcome | high prince, the migh|ty Duke | of York.
 
SOMERSET
       ,         T     T     . T       ,         ,
      Perish | base prince, ignob|le Duke | of York.
 
GLOUCESTER
            ,         ,       ,          ,     ,
      Now^will | it best | avail | your maj|esty,
           ,           ,         ,         ,            ,
      To cross | the seas,| and to | be crowned | in France:
            ,        ,       ,        ,        ,
      The pres|ence of | a king | engend|ers love
          ,          ,    ,               ,        ,
      Amongst | his sub|jects, and | his loy|al friends,
          ,       ,     ,         ,    ,
      As it | disan|imates | his en|emies.
 
KING HENRY VI
              ,          ,          ,          ,       ,
      When Glouce|ster says | the word,| King^Hen|ry goes,
             ,        ,        ,         ,      ,
      For friend|ly couns|el cuts | off ma|ny foes.
 
GLOUCESTER
             ,        ,      ,         ,     ,
      Your ships | alrea|dy are | in read|iness.
 
[Sennet. Flourish. Exeunt all but EXETER]
 
EXETER
       ,              ,         ,         ,         ,
      Aye, we | may march | in Eng|land, or | in France,
       ,   ,                  ,      ,      ,
      Not see/ing what | is like|ly to | ensue:
             ,        ,         ,         ,           ,
      This late | dissen|sion grown | betwixt | the peers,
        ,            ,       ,             ,     ,
      Burns und|er feign|ed ash|es of / forged love,
            ,         ,           ,       ,       ,
      And will | at last | break^out | into | a flame,
          ,         ,        ,         ,       ,
      As fest|ered mem|bers rot | but by | degree,
             ,           ,          ,        ,       ,
      Till bones | and flesh | and sin|ews fall | away,
           ,           ,         ,   2    ,         ,
      So will | this base | and env|ious dis|cord^breed.
           ,        ,          ,       ,     ,
      And now | I fear | that fat|al proph|ecy,
             ,         ,        ,        ,           ,
      Which in | the time | of Hen|ry, named | the Fifth,
           ,         ,         ,  2    ,        ,
      Was in | the mouth | of eve|ry suck|ing babe,
            ,       ,        ,                  ,   ,
      That Hen|ry born | at Mon|mouth should / win all,
           ,       ,        ,          ,    ___
      And Hen|ry born | at wind|sor, lose | all:
             ,        ,           ,    ,          ,
      Which is | so plain,| that Ex|eter | doth wish,
            ,         ,        ,          ,         ,
      His days | may fin|ish, ere | that hap|less time.
 
[Exit]

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