Until it wither with me to my grave, Or flourish to the height of my degree. Suf. Go forward, and be choked with thy ambition : And so farewell, until I meet thee next. Som. Plan. War. Have with thee, Poole. [Exit. Farewell, ambitious [Exit. How I am brav'd and must perforce endure it! Shall be wip'd out in the next parliament, Call'd for the truce of Winchester and Gloster. [Exeunt. SCENE III.The Parliament House. Enter BEDFORD, EXETER, GLOSTER, WARWIck, Somerset, and SUFFOLK; the BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, and others. GLOSTER offers to put up a bill; WINCHESTER snatches it, and tears it. Win. Com'st thou with deep premeditated lines, As I with sudden and extemporal speech Purpose to answer what thou canst object. Glo. Presumptuous priest! this place commands my Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonour'd me. Thy lewd, pestiferous, and dissentious pranks, And for thy treachery, what's more manifest? Win. Gloster, I do defy thee. Lords, vouchsafe Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling? Glo. Thou bastard of my grandfather !— As good? Win. Ay, lordly sir: For what are you, I pray, But one imperious in another's throne? Glo. Win. Glo. Am I not lord protector, saucy priest? And am I not a prelate of the church? And useth it to patronise his theft. Win. Unreverent Gloster ! Glo. Thou art reverent, Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life. Win. This, Rome shall remedy. 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 touch'd so near. Is not his grace protector to the king? Bed. Ye special watchmen of our English weal, I would prevail, if prayers might prevail, O, what a scandal is it to the crown, That two such noble peers as ye should jar! That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth. What tumult's this? War. [A noise within. [A noise again. An uproar, I dare warrant, Begun through malice of the bishop's men. Enter the Mayor of London, attended. May. O my good lords,— Pity the city of London, pity us! The Bishop and the Duke of Gloster's men, Enter, skirmishing, the Retainers of GLOSTER and Bed. We charge you, on allegiance to the king [Skirmish again. Glo. You of my household, leave this peevish broil, And set this unaccustom'd fight aside. Bed. O, how this discord doth afflict my soul! Or who should study to prefer a peace, If holy churchmen take delight in broils? War. My lord protector, yield ;—yield, Winchester ;- To slay your sovereign, and destroy the realm. Win. He shall submit, or I will never yield. Glo. Ay; but, I fear me, with a hollow heart. Betwixt ourselves and all our followers. Bed. How joyful am I made by this contract ! I Serv. 2 Serv. 3 Serv. Bed. Content I'll to the surgeon's. So will I. And I'll see what physic the tavern affords. Now will it best avail his majesty, To cross the seas, and to be crown'd in France: The presence of a king engenders love Amongst his subjects, and his loyal friends; Enter a Messenger. Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all! Sad tidings bring I to you out of France, Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture: Champaigne, Rheims, Orleans, are all quite lost. Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was us'd? Mess. Amongst the soldiers this is muttered,—— That here you maintain several factions ; And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought, One would have ling'ring wars, with little cost; Let not sloth dim your honours, new-begot: Enter another Messenger. Mess. My gracious lords, to add to your laments, I must inform you of a dismal fight Betwixt the stout Lord Talbot and the French. Bed. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't so? Mess. O, no; wherein Lord Talbot was o'erthrown : The circumstance I'll tell you more at large. The tenth of August last, this dreadful lord, Having scarce full six thousand in his troop, He wanted pikes to set before his archers; Instead whereof, sharp stakes, pluck'd out of hedges, To keep the horsemen off from breaking in. Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand him; Here, there, and everywhere, enrag'd he flew : The French exclaim'd, The devil was in arms; All the whole army stood agaz'd on him : His soldiers, spying his undaunted spirit, |