Humphrey of Gloster? If thou canst accuse,
Or aught intend'st to lay unto my charge,
Do it without invention suddenly;

As I with sudden and extemporal speech
Purpose to answer what thou canst object.

Glo. Presumptuous priest! this place commands my patience,

Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonored me.
Think not, although in writing I preferred
The manner of thy vile, outrageous crimes,
That therefore I have forged, or am not able
Verbatim to rehearse the method of my pen:
No, prelate; such is thy audacious wickedness,
Thy lewd, pestiferous, and dissensious pranks,
As very infants prattle of thy pride.
Thou art a most pernicious usurer;
Froward by nature, enemy to peace;
Lascivious, wanton, more than well beseems
A man of thy profession and degree;
And for thy treachery, what's more manifest?
In that thou laid'st a trap to take my life,
As well at London bridge, as at the tower?
Beside, I fear me, if thy thoughts were sifted,
The king, thy sovereign, is not quite exempt
From envious malice of thy swelling heart.

Win. Gloster, I do defy thee.-Lords, vouchsafe
To give me hearing what I shall reply.
If I were covetous, ambitious, or perverse,
As he will have me, how am I so poor?
Or how haps it, I seek not to advance
Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling?
And for dissension, who preferreth 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 engenders thunder in his breast,
And makes him roar these accusations forth.
But he shall know, I am as good-

Glo.

Thou bastard of my grandfather!-1

As good?

Win. Ay, lordly sir; for what are you, I pray,
But one imperious in another's throne?

Glo. Am I not the protector, saucy priest?
Win. And am I not a prelate of the church?
Glo. Yes, as an outlaw in a castle keeps,
And useth it to patronage his theft.
Win. Unreverent Gloster!

Glo.

Thou art reverent

Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life.
Win. This Rome shall remedy.

War.

Roam thither then.

Som. My lord, it were your duty to forbear. War. Ay, see the bishop be not overborne. Som. Methinks my lord should be religious, And know the office that belongs to such.

War. Methinks his lordship should be humbler; It fitteth not a prelate so to plead.

Som. Yes, when his holy state is touched so near. War. State holy, or unhallowed, what of that? Is not his grace protector to the king?

Plan. Plantagenet, I see, must hold his tongue; Lest it be said, Speak, sirrah, when

you

should;

Must your bold verdict enter talk with lords?
Else would I have a fling at Winchester.

[Aside.

K. Hen. Uncles of Gloster, and of Winchester,

The special watchmen of our English weal,
I would prevail, if prayers might prevail,
To join your hearts in love and amity.
O, what a scandal is it to our crown,
That two such noble peers as ye, should jar!
Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell,
Civil dissension is a viperous worm,
That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.—
[A noise within; Down with the tawny coats!
What tumult's this?

1 The bishop of Winchester was an illegitimate son of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, by Katharine Swynford, whom the duke afterwards married.

War.

An uproar, I dare warrant,

Begun through malice of the bishop's men.

[A noise again; Stones! stones!

Enter the Mayor of London, attended.

May. O, my good lords,—and virtuous Henry,— Pity the city of London, pity us!

The bishop and the duke of Gloster's men,
Forbidden late to carry any weapon,

Have filled their pockets full of pebble-stones;
And, banding themselves in contrary parts,
Do pelt so fast at one another's pate,

That many have their giddy brains knocked out:
Our windows are broke down in every street,
And we, for fear, compelled to shut our shops.

Enter, skirmishing, the Retainers of GLOSTER and
WINCHESTER, with bloody pates.

K. Hen. We charge you, on allegiance to ourself, To hold your slaughtering hands, and keep the peace Pray, uncle Gloster, mitigate this strife.

1 Serv. Nay, if we be

Forbidden stones, we'll fall to it with our teeth.

2 Serv. Do what ye dare, we are as resolute.

[Skirmish again. Glo. You of my household, leave this peevish broil, And set this unaccustomed fight aside.

3 Serv. My lord, we know your grace to be a man Just and upright; and, for your royal birth,

Inferior to none but his majesty ;

1

And ere that we will suffer such a prince,
So kind a father of the commonweal,
To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate,"
We, and our wives, and children, all will fight,
And have our bodies slaughtered by thy foes.

1 Serv. Ay, and the very parings of our nails Shall pitch a field, when we are dead.

[Skirmish again.

1 i. e. a bookish person, a pedant, applied in contempt to a scholar.

Glo.

Stay, stay, I say'

And, if you love me, as you say you do,

Let me persuade you to forbear a while.

K. Hên. O, how this discord doth afflict my soul !— Can you, my lord of Winchester, behold

My sighs and tears, and will not once relent?
Who should be pitiful, if you be not?

Or who should study to prefer a peace,

If holy churchmen take delight in broils?

War. My lord protector, yield;—yield, Winchester; Except you mean, with obstinate repulse,

To slay your sovereign, and destroy the realm.
You see what mischief, and what murder too,
Hath been enacted through your enmity;
Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood.
Win. He shall submit, or I will never yield.
Glo. Compassion on the king commands me stoop,
Or I would see his heart out, ere the priest

Should ever get that privilege of me.

War. Behold, my lord of Winchester, the duke Hath banished moody, discontented fury,

As by his smoothed brows it doth appear.

Why look you still so stern and tragical?

Glo. Here, Winchester, I offer thee my hand.

K. Hen. Fie, uncle Beaufort! I have heard you

preach,

That malice was a great and grievous sin;

And will not you maintain the thing you teach,

But prove a chief offender in the same?

War. Sweet king!-the bishop hath a kindly gird.1

For shame, my lord of Winchester! relent.

What, shall a child instruct you what to do?

Win. Well, duke of Gloster, I will yield to thee;

Love for thy love, and hand for hand I give.

Glo. Ay; but, I fear me, with a hollow heart.—
See here, my friends, and loving countrymen;
This token serveth for a flag of truce,

1 A kindly gird is a kind or gentle reproof. Others suppose the phrase to mean "some yearnings of kindness.

Betwixt ourselves, and all our followers.

So help me God, as I dissemble not!

Win. So help me God, as I intend it not! [Aside. K. Hen. O, loving uncle, kind duke of Gloster, How joyful am I made by this contract!

Away, my masters! trouble us no more;

But join in friendship, as your lords have done. 1 Serv. Content; I'll to the surgeon's.

2 Serv.

And so will I.

3 Serv. And I will see what physic the tavern affords. [Exeunt Servants, Mayor, &c. War. Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign; Which, in the right of Richard Plantagenet,

We do exhibit to your majesty.

Glo. Well urged, my lord of Warwick ;-for, sweet prince,

And if your grace mark every circumstance,

You have great reason to do Richard right ;
Especially, for those occasions

At Eltham-place I told your majesty.

K. Hen. And those occasions, uncle, were of force
Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is,
That Richard be restored to his blood.

War. Let Richard be restored to his blood;
So shall his father's wrongs be recompensed.
Win. As will the rest, so willeth Winchester.
K. Hen. If Richard will be true, not that alone,
But all the whole inheritance I give,

That doth belong unto the house of York,

From whence you spring by lineal descent.

Plan. Thy humble servant vows obedience,

And humble service, till the point of death.

K. Hen. Stoop then, and set your knee against my foot;

And, in reguerdon of that duty done,

I girt thee with the valiant sword of York.
Rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet;
And rise created princely duke of York.

Plan. And so thrive Richard, as thy foes

may fall!