Henry vi part 2, p.7
Henry VI, Part 2,
p.7
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Nor hold the scepter in his childish fist,
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Nor wear the diadem upon his head,
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Whose churchlike humors fits not for a crown.
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Then, York, be still awhile till time do serve.
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Watch thou and wake, when others be asleep,
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To pry into the secrets of the state
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Till Henry, surfeiting in joys of love
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With his new bride and England’s dear-bought
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queen,
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And Humphrey with the peers be fall’n at jars.
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Then will I raise aloft the milk-white rose,
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With whose sweet smell the air shall be perfumed,
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And in my standard bear the arms of York,
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To grapple with the house of Lancaster;
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And force perforce I’ll make him yield the crown,
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Whose bookish rule hath pulled fair England down.
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York exits.
Enter Duke Humphrey
DUCHESS
Why droops my lord like over-ripened corn
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Hanging the head at Ceres’ plenteous load?
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Why doth the great Duke Humphrey knit his brows,
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As frowning at the favors of the world?
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Why are thine eyes fixed to the sullen earth,
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Gazing on that which seems to dim thy sight?
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What seest thou there? King Henry’s diadem,
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Enchased with all the honors of the world?
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If so, gaze on and grovel on thy face
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Until thy head be circled with the same.
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Put forth thy hand; reach at the glorious gold.
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What, is ’t too short? I’ll lengthen it with mine;
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And, having both together heaved it up,
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We’ll both together lift our heads to heaven
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And never more abase our sight so low
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As to vouchsafe one glance unto the ground.
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GLOUCESTER
O Nell, sweet Nell, if thou dost love thy lord,
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Banish the canker of ambitious thoughts!
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And may that
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Against my king and nephew, virtuous Henry,
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Be my last breathing in this mortal world!
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My troublous dreams this night doth make me sad.
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DUCHESS
What dreamed my lord? Tell me, and I’ll requite it
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With sweet rehearsal of my morning’s dream.
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GLOUCESTER
Methought this staff, mine office badge in court,
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Was broke in twain—by whom I have forgot,
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But, as I think, it was by th’ Cardinal—
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And on the pieces of the broken wand
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Were placed the heads of Edmund, Duke of
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Somerset,
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And William de la Pole, first Duke of Suffolk.
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This was my dream. What it doth bode God knows.
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DUCHESS
Tut, this was nothing but an argument
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That he that breaks a stick of Gloucester’s grove
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Shall lose his head for his presumption.
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But list to me, my Humphrey, my sweet duke:
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Methought I sat in seat of majesty,
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In the cathedral church of Westminster
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And in that chair where kings and queens were
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crowned,
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Where Henry and Dame Margaret kneeled to me
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And on my head did set the diadem.
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GLOUCESTER
Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright.
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Presumptuous dame, ill-nurtured Eleanor,
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Art thou not second woman in the realm
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And the Protector’s wife, beloved of him?
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Hast thou not worldly pleasure at command,
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Above the reach or compass of thy thought?
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And wilt thou still be hammering treachery
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To tumble down thy husband and thyself
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From top of honor to disgrace’s feet?
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Away from me, and let me hear no more!
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DUCHESS
What, what, my lord? Are you so choleric
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With Eleanor for telling but her dream?
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Next time I’ll keep my dreams unto myself
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And not be checked.
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GLOUCESTER
Nay, be not angry. I am pleased again.
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Enter Messenger.
MESSENGER
My Lord Protector, ’tis his Highness’ pleasure
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You do prepare to ride unto Saint Albans,
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Whereas the King and Queen do mean to hawk.
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GLOUCESTER
I go.—Come, Nell, thou wilt ride with us?
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DUCHESS
Yes, my good lord. I’ll follow presently.
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Gloucester exits,
Follow I must; I cannot go before
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While Gloucester bears this base and humble mind.
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Were I a man, a duke, and next of blood,
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I would remove these tedious stumbling blocks
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And smooth my way upon their headless necks;
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And, being a woman, I will not be slack
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To play my part in Fortune’s pageant.—
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Where are you there? Sir John! Nay, fear not, man.
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We are alone; here’s none but thee and I.
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Enter
HUME
Jesus preserve your royal Majesty!
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DUCHESS
What sayst thou? “Majesty”? I am but “Grace.”
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HUME
But by the grace of God and Hume’s advice,
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Your Grace’s title shall be multiplied.
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DUCHESS
What sayst thou, man? Hast thou as yet conferred
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With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch,
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With Roger Bolingbroke, the conjurer?
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And will they undertake to do me good?
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HUME
This they have promisèd: to show your Highness
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A spirit raised from depth of underground
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That shall make answer to such questions
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As by your Grace shall be propounded him.
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DUCHESS
It is enough. I’ll think upon the questions.
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When from Saint Albans we do make return,
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We’ll see these things effected to the full.
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Here, Hume, take this reward.
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Make merry, man,
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With thy confederates in this weighty cause.
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Duchess exits.
HUME
Hume must make merry with the Duchess’ gold.
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Marry, and shall! But, how now, Sir John Hume?
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Seal up your lips, and give no words but “mum”;
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The business asketh silent secrecy.
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Dame Eleanor gives gold to bring the witch;
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Gold cannot come amiss, were she a devil.
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Yet have I gold flies from another coast—
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I dare not say, from the rich cardinal
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And from the great and new-made Duke of Suffolk,
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Yet I do find it so. For, to be plain,
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They, knowing Dame Eleanor’s aspiring humor,
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Have hirèd me to undermine the Duchess
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And buzz these conjurations in her brain.
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They say a crafty knave does need no broker,
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Yet am I Suffolk and the Cardinal’s broker.
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Hume, if you take not heed, you shall go near
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To call them both a pair of crafty knaves.
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Well, so it stands; and thus I fear at last
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Hume’s knavery will be the Duchess’ wrack,
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And her attainture will be Humphrey’s fall.
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Sort how it will, I shall have gold for all.
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He exits.
Enter three or four Petitioners,
Armorer’s man, being one.
FIRST PETITIONER My masters, let’s stand close. My
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Lord Protector will come this way by and by, and
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then we may deliver our supplications in the quill.
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SECOND PETITIONER Marry, the Lord protect him, for
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he’s a good man! Jesu bless him!
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Enter Suffolk,
and Queen
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Queen with him. I’ll be the first, sure.
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SECOND PETITIONER Come back, fool! This is the Duke
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of Suffolk, and not my Lord Protector.
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SUFFOLK How now, fellow? Wouldst anything with
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me?
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FIRST PETITIONER I pray, my lord, pardon me. I took
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you for my Lord Protector.
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QUEEN MARGARET
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Lord Protector. Are your supplications to his lord-
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ship? Let me see them.—What is thine?
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FIRST PETITIONER Mine is, an ’t please your Grace,
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against John Goodman, my Lord Cardinal’s man,
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for keeping my house, and lands, and wife and all,
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from me.
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SUFFOLK Thy wife too? That’s some wrong indeed.—
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What’s yours?
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<(Reads.)> Against the Duke of Suffolk for enclosing
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the commons of Melford. How now, sir knave?
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SECOND PETITIONER Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner
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of our whole township.
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PETER,
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Thomas Horner, for saying that the Duke of York
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was rightful heir to the crown.
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QUEEN MARGARET What sayst thou? Did the Duke of
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York say he was rightful heir to the crown?
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PETER That my
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ter said that he was and that the King was an
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usurper.
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SUFFOLK,
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Enter Servant.
Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a
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pursuivant presently.—We’ll hear more of your
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matter before the King.
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QUEEN MARGARET
And as for you that love to be protected
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Under the wings of our Protector’s grace,
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Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.
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Tear the supplication.
Away, base cullions.—Suffolk, let them go.
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ALL Come, let’s be gone.
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QUEEN MARGARET
My lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
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Is this the fashions in the court of England?
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Is this the government of Britain’s isle
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And this the royalty of Albion’s king?
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What, shall King Henry be a pupil still
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Under the surly Gloucester’s governance?
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Am I a queen in title and in style,
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And must be made a subject to a duke?
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I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours
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Thou rann’st atilt in honor of my love
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And stol’st away the ladies’ hearts of France,
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I thought King Henry had resembled thee
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In courage, courtship, and proportion.
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But all his mind is bent to holiness,
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To number Ave Marys on his beads;
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His champions are the prophets and apostles,
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His weapons holy saws of sacred writ,
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His study is his tiltyard, and his loves
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Are brazen images of canonized saints.
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I would the College of the Cardinals
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Would choose him pope and carry him to Rome
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And set the triple crown upon his head!
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That were a state fit for his holiness.
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SUFFOLK
Madam, be patient. As I was cause
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Your Highness came to England, so will I
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In England work your Grace’s full content.
