Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea, Disgracing of these colors that I wear

1

In honor of my noble lord of York,

Dar'st thou maintain the former words thou spak'st?
Bas. Yes, sir; as well as you dare patronage

The envious barking of your saucy tongue
Against my lord the duke of Somerset.

Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honor as he is.

Bas. Why, what is he? as good a man as York. Ver. Hark ye; not so: in witness, take ye that. [Strikes him. Bas. Villain, thou know'st the law of arms is such, That whoso draws a sword, 'tis present death; Or else this blow should broach thy dearest blood. But I'll unto his majesty, and crave

I may have liberty to venge this wrong;

When thou shalt see, I'll meet thee to thy cost.

2

Ver. Well, miscreant, I'll be there as soon as you; And, after, meet you sooner than you would. [Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. The same. A Room of State.

Enter KING HENRY, GLOSTER, EXETER, YORK, SufFOLK, SOMERSET, WINCHESTER, WARWICK, TALBOT, the Governor of Paris, and others.

Glo. Lord bishop, set the crown upon his head. Win. God save king Henry, of that name the Sixth!

Glo. Now, governor of Paris, take your oath,

1 i. e. the badge of a rose.

[Governor kneels.

2 By the ancient law, before the conquest, fighting in the king's palace, or before the king's judges, was punished with death.

That you elect no other king but him;

Esteem none friends, but such as are his friends;
And none your foes, but such as shall pretend1
Malicious practices against his state:

This shall ye do, so help you righteous God!

[Exeunt Gov. and his Train.

Enter SIR JOHN FASTOLFE.

Fast. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais, To haste unto your coronation,

A letter was delivered to my hands,

Writ to your grace from the duke of Burgundy.

Tal. Shame to the duke of Burgundy, and thee! I vowed, base knight, when I did meet thee next, To tear the garter from thy craven's leg,

[Plucking it off

Which I have done,) because unworthily
Thou wast installed in that high degree.-
Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest:
This dastard, at the battle of Patay,2
When but in all I was six thousand strong,
And that the French were almost ten to one,-
Before we met, or that a stroke was given,
Like to a trusty squire, did run away;
In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;
Myself, and divers gentlemen beside,
Were there surprised and taken prisoners.
Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;
Or whether that such cowards ought to wear
This ornament of knighthood, yea, or no.

Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous,

1 To pretend is to intend, to design.

2 The old copy has Poictiers instead of Patay. The battle of Poictiers was fought in 1357, the 31st of king Edward III., and the scene now lies in the 7th of king Henry VI. viz. 1428. The action happened (according to Holinshed) "neere unto a village in Beausse, called Pataie.-From this battel departed, without any stroke stricken, sir John Fastolfe, the same yeere by his valiantnese elected into the order of the garter. But for doubt of misdealing at this brunt, the duke of Bedford tooke from him the image of St. George and his garter," &c.

And ill beseeming any common man;

Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.

Tal. When first this order was ordained, my lords, Knights of the garter were of noble birth; Valiant, and virtuous, full of haughty courage, Such as were grown to credit by the wars; Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress, But always resolute in most extremes. He then, that is not furnished in this sort, Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight, Profaning this most honorable order; And should (if I were worthy to be judge) Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.

K. Hen. Stain to thy countrymen! thou hear'st thy

doom.

Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight;
Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death.-

[Exit FASTOLFE.

And now, my lord protector, view the letter
Sent from our uncle duke of Burgundy.

Glo. What means his grace, that he hath changed [Viewing the superscription.

his style?

No more but, plain and bluntly,-To the King?

Hath he forgot he is his sovereign?

Or doth this churlish superscription

Pretend some alteration in good will?

What's here?—I have upon especial cause,- [Reads. Moved with compassion of my country's wreck,

Together with the pitiful complaints

Of such as your oppression feeds upon,—

Forsaken your pernicious faction,

And joined with Charles, the rightful king of France. O monstrous treachery! Can this be so?

That in alliance, amity, and oaths,

There should be found such false, dissembling guile? K. Hen. What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt? Glo. He doth, my lord; and is become your foe. K. Hen. Is that the worst this letter doth contain? Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.

K. Hen. Why, then, lord Talbot there shall talk with him,

And give him chastisement for this abuse :-
My lord, how say you? are you not content?

Tal. Content, my liege? Yes; but that I am prevented,

1

I should have begged I might have been employed.
K. Hen. Then gather strength, and march unto
him straight:

Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason;
And what offence it is to flout his friends.

Tal. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still,
You may behold confusion of

your foes.

Enter VERNON and BASSET.

[Exit.

Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign!
Bas. And me, my lord, grant me the combat too!
York. This is my servant; hear him, noble prince!
Som. And this is mine; sweet Henry, favor him!
K. Hen. Be patient, lords; and give them leave to
speak.-

Say, gentlemen, what makes you thus exclaim?
And wherefore crave you combat? or with whom?
Ver. With him, my lord; for he hath done me wrong.
Bas. And I with him; for he hath done me wrong.
K. Hen. What is that wrong whereof you both com-
plain ?

First let me know, and then I'll answer you.

Bas. Crossing the sea, from England into France, This fellow here, with envious, carping tongue, Upbraided me about the rose I wear;

Saying the sanguine color of the leaves
Did represent my master's blushing cheeks,
When stubbornly he did repugn2 the truth,
About a certain question in the law,
Argued betwixt the duke of York and him;

1 Prevented is anticipated.

2 To repugn is to resist; from the Latin repugno.

With other vile and ignominious terms;
In confutation of which rude reproach,
And in defence of my lord's worthiness,
I crave the benefit of law of arms.

Ver. And that is my petition, noble lord ;
For though he seem, with forged, quaint conceit,
To set a gloss upon his bold intent,

Yet know, my lord, I was provoked by him;
And he first took exceptions at this badge,
Pronouncing-that the paleness of this flower
Bewrayed the faintness of my master's heart.

York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left?
Som. Your private grudge, my lord of York, will

out,

Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it.

K. Hen. Good Lord! what madness rules in brainsick men;

When, for so slight and frivolous a cause,
Such factious emulations shall arise!-
Good cousins both, of York and Somerset,
Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace.

York. Let this dissension first be tried by fight,
And then your highness shall command a peace.
Som. The quarrel toucheth none but us alone;
Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then.

York. There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset.
Ver. Nay, let it rest where it began at first.
Bas. Confirm it so, mine honorable lord.

Glo. Confirm it so? Confounded be your strife!
And perish ye, with your audacious prate!
Presumptuous vassals! are you not ashamed,
With this immodest, clamorous outrage,
To trouble and disturb the king and us?
And you, my lords,-methinks you do not well,
To bear with their perverse objections;
Much less to take occasion from their mouths

To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves.

Let me persuade you take a better course.

Exe. It grieves his highness;-Good my lords, be

friends.