'That shall salute our rightful sovereign With honour of his birthright to the crown. Both. Long live our sovereign Richard, England's king!

'York. We thank you, lords. But I am not your

king,

'Till I be crown'd; and that my sword be stain'd With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster: *And that's not suddenly to be perform'd; *But with advice, and silent secrecy. *Do you, as I do, in these dangerous days, *Wink at the duke of Suffolk's insolence, *At Beaufort's pride, at Somerset's ambition, *At Buckingham, and all the crew of them,

Till they have snar'd the shepherd of the flock, *That virtuous prince, the good duke Humphrey : "Tis that they seek; and they, in seeking that, *Shall find their deaths, if York can prophesy. *Sal. My lord, break we off; we know your mind at full.

'War. My heart assures me, that the earl of Warwick

Shall one day make the duke of York a king.

York. And, Nevil, this do I assure myself,'Richard shall live to make the earl of Warwick The greatest man in England but the king. [Exe. SCENE III-The same. A hall of justice. Trumpets sounded. Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret, Gloster, York, Suffolk, and Salisbury; the Duchess of Gloster, Margery Jourdain, Southwell, Hume, and Bolingbroke, under guard.

'K. Hen. Stand forth, dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloster's wife:

In sight of God, and us, your guilt is great; Receive the sentence of the law, for sins Such as by God's book are adjudg'd to death.*You four, from hence to prison back again; [To Jourd. &c.

*From thence, unto the place of execution: *The witch in Smithfield shall be burn'd to ashes, *And you three shall be strangled on the gallows.-You, madam, for you are more nobly born,

Despoiled of your honour in your life,

• Shall, after three days' open penance done, "Live in your country here, in banishment, With sir John Stanley, in the Isle of Man. 'Duch. Welcome is banishment, welcome were my death.

*Glo. Eleanor, the law, thou seest, hath judged thee;

*I cannot justify whom the law condemns.[Exeunt the Duchess, and the other prisoners, guarded.

'Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief. "Ah, Humphrey, this dishonour in thine age "Will bring thy head with sorrow to the ground!I beseech your majesty, give me leave to go; Sorrow would solace, and mine age would ease.1 'K. Hen. Stay, Humphrey duke of Gloster: ere thou go,

'Give up thy staff; Henry will to himself 'Protector be: and God shall be my hope, 'My stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet; And go in peace, Humphrey; no less belov'd, "Than when thou wert protector to thy king.

*Q. Mar. I see no reason, why a king of years *Should be to be protected like a child."God and king Henry govern England's helm: 'Give up your staff, sir, and the king his realm. Glo. My staff?-here, noble Henry, is my staff: 'As willingly do I the same resign,

'As ere thy father Henry made it mine; And even as willingly at thy feet I leave it, As others would ambitiously receive it. 'Farewell, good king: When I am dead and gone,

(1) i. e. Sorrow requires solace, and age requires

ease.

May honourable peace attend thy throne! [Exit. *Q. Mar. Why, now is Henry king, and Mar

garet queen;

* And Humphrey, duke of Gloster, scarce himself, *That bears so shrewd a maim; two pulls at once,*His lady banish'd, and a limb lopp'd off;

*This staff of honour raught :-There let it stand, 'Where it best fits to be, in Henry's hand.

*Suff. Thus droops this lofty pine, and hangs his sprays;

*Thus Eleanor's pride dies in her youngest days. York. Lords, let him go.-Please it your majesty,

This is the day appointed for the combat; And ready are the appellant and defendant, 'The armourer and his man, to enter the lists, So please your highness to behold the fight. *. Mar. Ay, good my lord; for purposely therefore

*Left I the court, to see this quarrel tried.

'K. Hen. O' God's name, see the lists and all things fit;

. Here let them end it, and God defend the right! *York. I never saw a fellow worse bested,2 *Or more afraid to fight, than is the appellant, *The servant of this armourer, my lords. Enter on one side, Horner, and his Neighbours, drinking to him so much that he is drunk; and he enters bearing his staff with a sand-bag fastened to it; a drum before him; at the other side, Peter, with a drum and a similar staff; accompanied by Prentices drinking to him.

1 Neigh. Here, neighbour Horner, I drink to you in a cup of sack; And fear not, neighbour, you shall do well enough.

2 Neigh. And here, neighbour, here's a cup of charneco.3

(1) Reached. (2) In a worse plight.
(3) A sort of sweet wine.

3 Neigh. And here's a pot of good double beer, neighbour: drink, and fear not your man.

Hor. Let it come, i'faith, and I'll pledge you all : And a fig for Peter!

. 1 Pren. Here, Peter, I drink to thee; and be not afraid.

2 Pren. Be merry, Peter, and fear not thy master; fight for credit of the prentices.

Peter. I thank you all: * drink, and pray forme, *I pray you; for, I think, I have taken my last * draught in this world.*-Here, Robin, an if I die, I give thee my apron; and, Will, thou shalt have my hammer:-and here, Tom, take all the money that I have.-O Lord, bless me, I pray God! for I am never able to deal with my master, he hath learnt so much fence already.

Sal. Come, leave your drinking, and fall to blows, -Sirrah, what's thy name?

Peter. Peter, forsooth.

Sal. Peter! what more?
Peter. Thump.

Sal. Thump! then see thou thump thy master well. Hor. Masters, I am come hither, as it were, upon my man's instigation, to prove him a knave, and myself an honest man: and touching the * duke of York,-will take my death, I never meant him any ill, nor the king, nor the queen: * And, therefore, Peter, have at thee with a downright blow, as Bevis of Southampton fell upon Ascapart.

*York. Despatch:-this knave's tongue begins to double.

* Sound trumpets, alarum to the combatants.

[Alarum. They fight, and Peter strikes

down his master.

Hor. Hold, Peter, hold! I confess, I confess

treason.

[Dies. *York. Take away his weapon :- -Fellow, *thank God, and the good wine in thy master's

'Peter. O God! have I overcome mine enemies ' in this presence? O Peter, thou hast prevailed in ' right!

K. Hen. Go, take hence that traitor from our sight; For, by his death, we do perceive his guilt:1 And God, in justice, hath reveal'd to us

The truth and innocence of this poor fellow, Which he had thought to have murder'd wrongfully.-

Come, fellow, follow us for thy reward. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-The same. A street. Enter Gloster and Servants, in mourning cloaks.

*Glo. Thus, sometimes, hath the brightest day a cloud;

*And, after summer, evermore succeeds * Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold: * So cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet.2 Sirs, what's o'clock ?

Serv.

Ten, my lord.

Glo. Ten is the hour that was appointed me, To watch the coming of my punish'd duchess : Uneath3 may she endure the flinty streets, To tread them with her tender-feeling feet. Sweet Nell, ill can thy noble mind abrook The abject people, gazing on thy face,

With envious looks, still laughing at thy shame; That erst did follow thy proud chariot-wheels, When thou didst ride in triumph through the streets. * But, soft! I think, she comes; and I'll prepare My tear-stain'd eyes to see her miseries.

Enter the Duchess of Gloster, in a white sheet, with papers pinned upon her back, her feet bare, and a taper burning in her hand; Sir John Stanley, a Sheriff, and Officers.

Serv. So please your grace, we'll take her from the sheriff.

(1) The death of the vanquished person was always regarded as certain evidence of his guilt. (2) Change. (3) Not easily. (4) Malicious.