But now thy uncle is removing hence,
As princes do their courts, when they are cloy'd
With long continuance in a fettled place.

Plan. Ő uncle, would some part of my young years Might but redeem the passage of your age !

Mort. Thɔu dost then wrong me, as that slaught'rer Which giveth many wounds when one will kill. [doth Mourn not, except thou sorrow for my good ; Only give order for my funeral. And so farewell; and fair befal thy hopes, And profp'rous be thy life, in peace and war! [Dies.

Plan. And peace, no war, befal thy parting foul ! In prison halt thou spent a pilgrimage, And, like a hermit, over-past thy days. Well; I will lock his counsel in my breast; And what I do imagine, let that reit. Keepers, convey him hence; and I myself Will see his burial better than his life. Here lies the dusky torch of Mortimer, Chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort *. And for those wrongs, those bitter injuries, Which Somerset hath offer'd to my house, I doubt not but with honour to redress. And therefore hafte I to the parliament; Either to be restored to my blood, Or make my ill th' advantage of my good. [Exit,

ACT III. SCENE

Ν Ε Ι. The parliament. Flourish. Enter King Henry, Exeter, Gloucester, Win

chester, Warwick, Somerset, Suffolk, and Richard Plantagenet. Gloucester offers to put up a bill: Win

chefter snatches it, and lears it. Win. Om'st thou with deep premeditated lines,

With written pamphlets studiously devis'd? Humphry of Glo'ster, if thou can'st accuse, Or aught intend'st to lay unto my charge, Do it without invention suddenly;

Being made a tool by the Percies and others to countenance their quarrels.

As

As I, with sudden and extemporal speech,
Purpose to answer what thou can'ít object.
Glou. Prefumptuous priest, this place commands my

patience ;
Or thou should'ft find thou hast dishonour'd me.
Think not, altho' in writing I preferr'd
The manner of thy vile outrageous crimes,
That therefore I have forge'd, or am not able
Verbatim to rehearse the method of my pen.
No, Prelate, such is thy audacious wickedness,
Thy lewd, peftif'rous, and diffentious pranks,
The 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 treach’ry, what's more manifeft?
In that thou laid'It a trap to take my life,
As well at London-bridge, as at the Tower.
Beside, I fear me, if thy thoughts were fifted,
The King thy sovereign is not quite exempt
From envious malice of thy swelling heart.

Win. Glo'ster, I do defie thee Lords, vouchsafe
To give me hearing what I fhall reply.
If I were covetous, perverse, ambitious,
As he will have me; how am I so poor?
How haps it then I seek not to advance
Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling?
And for diffenfion, who preferreth peace
More than I do ? except I be provok'd.
No, my good Lords, it is not that offends ;
It is not that which hath incens'd the Duke:
It is because no one should fway but he;
No one but he should be about the King;
And that ingenders thunder in his breait,
And makes him

roar

these accusations forth. But be shall know I am as good

Glou. As good?
Thou bastard of my grandfather!

Win. Ay, lordly Sir; for what are you, I pray,
But one imperious in another's throne?
Glou. Am not I then Protector, faucy priest ?

Win. And am not I a Prelate of the church?

Glou. Yes, as an outlaw in a castle keeps, And uses it to patronage his theft.

Win. Unrey'rend Glo'lter !

Glou. Thou art reverend
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 overborn.

Som. Methinks my Lord should be religious,
And know the office that belongs to such.

War. Methinks his Lordship should be humbler then, It fitteth not a Prelate fo to plead.

Som. Yes, when his holy state is touch'd so near.

War. State, holy or unhallow'd, what of that? Is not his Grace Protector to the King ?

Rich.Plantagenet, I fee, must hold his tongue; [ Afide. Left it be faid, Speak, firrah, when you should

; Must

your bold verdict enter talk with Lords? Else would I have a fling at Winchester,

K. Henry, Uncles of Glo'ster, and of Winchester, The special watchman of our English weal; I would prevail, if prayers might prevail, To join your hearts in love and amity. Oh, what a scandal is it to our crown, That two such noble Peers as ye fhould jar ! Believe me, Lords, my tender years can tell, Civil dissension is a vip'rous worm, That

gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.

[ 4 noise within, Down with the tawny coats. K. Henry. What tumult's this?

War. An uproar, I dare warrant, Begun thro' malice of the Bishop's men.

[ A noise again, Stones, Stones, SCENE II. Enter Mayor. Mayor. Oh, my good Lords, and virtuous Henry, Pity the city London, pity us; The Bishop and the Duke of Glo'ster's men, Forbidden late to carry any weapon, Have filld their pockets full of peeble-stones.

And,

And, banding themselves in contrary parts,
Do pelt so fast at one another's pates,
That many have their giddy brains knock'd out:
Our windows are broke down in every street,
And we for fear compellid to shut our shops.

Enter several in skirmish, with bloody pates.
K. Henry. We charge you, on allegiance to our-

felves, To hold your flaught'ring hands, and keep the peace. Pray, uncle Glo'ster, 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. Glou. You of my houshold, leave this peevith broil, And set this unaccustom'd fight aside.

3 Ser. My Lord we know your Grace to be a man Just and upright; and for your royal birth Inferior to none but to his Majesty : And ere that we will suffer fuch a prince, So kind a father to the common weal, To be disgraced by an inkhorn-mate; We, and our wives, and children, all will fight, And have our bodies slaughter'd by thy foes.

1 Serv. Ay, and the very pairings of our nails Shall pitch a field when we are dead. [Begin again.

Glou. Stay, stay, I say; And if

you

love me, as you say you do, Let me persuade you to forbear a while. K. Henry. O, how this discord doth afflict

my

foul ! Can you, my Lord of Winchester, behold My fighs 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 say your sovereign, and destroy the realm. Ye see, what mischief, and what murther too, Hath been enacted thro' your enmity : Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood,

Win. He shall submit, or I will never yield.

Glou. Compaflion 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 banilh'd moody difcontented fury, As by his smoothed brows it doth appear. Why look you still fo ftern and tragical? Glou. Here, Winchester, I offer thee my

hand. K. Henry. Fie, uncle Beaufort: I have heard you That malice was a great and grievous fin: [preach, And will not you maintain the thing you teach, But prove

a chief offender in the fame? War. Sweet King ! the Bishop hath a kindly gird. For shame, my Lord of Winchester, relent; What, shall a child instruct you what to do?

Win. Well, Duke of Glo'ster, I will yield to thee; Love for thy love, and hand for hand, I give.

Glou. Ay, but I fear me, with a hollow heart.
See here, my friends and loving countrymen,
This token serveth for a flag of truce
Betwixt ourselves and all our followers.
So help me God as I dissemble not!

Win. [ Afide.] So help me God as I intend it not.

K. Henry. O loving uncle, gentle Duke of Glo'iter,
How joyful am I made by this contract ?
Away, my masters, trouble us no more ;
But join in friendship, as your Lords have done.

I Serv. Content, I'll to the surgeon's.
2. Serv. So will ).
3
Serv. And I'll fee what physic the tavern affords.

[Exeunt. 'S CE N E III. War. Accept this fcrowl, most gracious Sovereign, Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet We do exhibit to your Majesty.

Glou. Well urge'd, my Lord of Warwick : for, sweet And if your Grace mark ev'ry circumstance, [Prince, You have great reason to do Richard right: Especially for those occasions At Eltham-place I told your Majesty. Vol. IV.

K. Henry.

3 A