1    My masters, let's stand close: my lord protector
2    will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver
3    our supplications in the quill.

4    Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man!
5    Jesu bless him!

6    Here a' comes, methinks, and the queen with him.
7    I'll be the first, sure.

8    Come back, fool; this is the Duke of Suffolk, and
9    not my lord protector.

10   How now, fellow! would'st anything with me?

11   I pray, my lord, pardon me; I took ye for my lord
12   protector.

Reading
13    'To my Lord Protector!' Are your
14   supplications to his lordship? Let me see them:
15   what is thine?

16   Mine is, an't please your grace, against John
17   Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my
18   house, and lands, and wife and all, from me.

19   Thy wife, too! that's some wrong, indeed. What's
20   yours? What's here!
Reads
21   'Against the Duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the
22   commons of Melford.' How now, sir knave!

23   Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.

Giving his petition
24    Against my master, Thomas
25   Horner, for saying that the Duke of York was rightful
26   heir to the crown.

27   What sayst thou? did the Duke of York say he was
28   rightful heir to the crown?

29   That my master was? no, forsooth: my master said
30   that he was, and that the king was an usurper.

31   Who is there?
Enter Servant
32   Take this fellow in, and send for
33   his master with a pursuivant presently: we'll hear
34   more of your matter before the King.

35   And as for you, that love to be protected
36   Under the wings of our protector's grace,
37   Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.
Tears the supplication
38   Away, base cullions! Suffolk, let them go.

39   Come, let's be gone.

40   My Lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
41   Is this the fashion in the court of England?
42   Is this the government of Britain's isle,
43   And this the royalty of Albion's king?
44   What shall King Henry be a pupil still
45   Under the surly Gloucester's governance?
46   Am I a queen in title and in style,
47   And must be made a subject to a duke?
48   I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours
49   Thou ran'st a tilt in honour of my love
50   And stolest away the ladies' hearts of France,
51   I thought King Henry had resembled thee
52   In courage, courtship and proportion:
53   But all his mind is bent to holiness,
54   To number Ave-Maries on his beads;
55   His champions are the prophets and apostles,
56   His weapons holy saws of sacred writ,
57   His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves
58   Are brazen images of canonized saints.
59   I would the college of the cardinals
60   Would choose him pope, and carry him to Rome,
61   And set the triple crown upon his head:
62   That were a state fit for his holiness.

63   Madam, be patient: as I was cause
64   Your highness came to England, so will I
65   In England work your grace's full content.

66   Beside the haughty protector, have we Beaufort,
67   The imperious churchman, Somerset, Buckingham,
68   And grumbling York: and not the least of these
69   But can do more in England than the king.

70   And he of these that can do most of all
71   Cannot do more in England than the Nevils:
72   Salisbury and Warwick are no simple peers.

73   Not all these lords do vex me half so much
74   As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife.
75   She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies,
76   More like an empress than Duke Humphrey's wife:
77   Strangers in court do take her for the queen:
78   She bears a duke's revenues on her back,
79   And in her heart she scorns our poverty:
80   Shall I not live to be avenged on her?
81   Contemptuous base-born callet as she is,
82   She vaunted 'mongst her minions t'other day,
83   The very train of her worst wearing gown
84   Was better worth than all my father's lands,
85   Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter.

86   Madam, myself have limed a bush for her,
87   And placed a quire of such enticing birds,
88   That she will light to listen to the lays,
89   And never mount to trouble you again.
90   So, let her rest: and, madam, list to me;
91   For I am bold to counsel you in this.
92   Although we fancy not the cardinal,
93   Yet must we join with him and with the lords,
94   Till we have brought Duke Humphrey in disgrace.
95   As for the Duke of York, this late complaint
96   Will make but little for his benefit.
97   So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last,
98   And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.

99   For my part, noble lords, I care not which;
100  Or Somerset or York, all's one to me.

101  If York have ill demean'd himself in France,
102  Then let him be denay'd the regentship.

103  If Somerset be unworthy of the place,
104  Let York be regent; I will yield to him.

105  Whether your grace be worthy, yea or no,
106  Dispute not that: York is the worthier.

107  Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.

108  The cardinal's not my better in the field.

109  All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.

110  Warwick may live to be the best of all.

111  Peace, son! and show some reason, Buckingham,
112  Why Somerset should be preferred in this.

113  Because the king, forsooth, will have it so.

114  Madam, the king is old enough himself
115  To give his censure: these are no women's matters.

116  If he be old enough, what needs your grace
117  To be protector of his excellence?

118  Madam, I am protector of the realm;
119  And, at his pleasure, will resign my place.

120  Resign it then and leave thine insolence.
121  Since thou wert king--as who is king but thou?--
122  The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck;
123  The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas;
124  And all the peers and nobles of the realm
125  Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.

126  The commons hast thou rack'd; the clergy's bags
127  Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

128  Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife's attire
129  Have cost a mass of public treasury.

130  Thy cruelty in execution
131  Upon offenders, hath exceeded law,
132  And left thee to the mercy of the law.

133  They sale of offices and towns in France,
134  If they were known, as the suspect is great,
135  Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.
Exit GLOUCESTER. QUEEN MARGARET drops her fan
136  Give me my fan: what, minion! can ye not?
She gives the DUCHESS a box on the ear
137  I cry you mercy, madam; was it you?

138  Was't I! yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman:
139  Could I come near your beauty with my nails,
140  I'd set my ten commandments in your face.

141  Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will.

142  Against her will! good king, look to't in time;
143  She'll hamper thee, and dandle thee like a baby:
144  Though in this place most master wear no breeches,
145  She shall not strike Dame Eleanor unrevenged.

146  Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,
147  And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds:
148  She's tickled now; her fume needs no spurs,
149  She'll gallop far enough to her destruction.

150  Now, lords, my choler being over-blown
151  With walking once about the quadrangle,
152  I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
153  As for your spiteful false objections,
154  Prove them, and I lie open to the law:
155  But God in mercy so deal with my soul,
156  As I in duty love my king and country!
157  But, to the matter that we have in hand:
158  I say, my sovereign, York is meetest man
159  To be your regent in the realm of France.

160  Before we make election, give me leave
161  To show some reason, of no little force,
162  That York is most unmeet of any man.

163  I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet:
164  First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride;
165  Next, if I be appointed for the place,
166  My Lord of Somerset will keep me here,
167  Without discharge, money, or furniture,
168  Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands:
169  Last time, I danced attendance on his will
170  Till Paris was besieged, famish'd, and lost.

171  That can I witness; and a fouler fact
172  Did never traitor in the land commit.

173  Peace, headstrong Warwick!

174  Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?

175  Because here is a man accused of treason:
176  Pray God the Duke of York excuse himself!

177  Doth any one accuse York for a traitor?

178  What mean'st thou, Suffolk; tell me, what are these?

179  Please it your majesty, this is the man
180  That doth accuse his master of high treason:
181  His words were these: that Richard, Duke of York,
182  Was rightful heir unto the English crown
183  And that your majesty was a usurper.

184  Say, man, were these thy words?

185  An't shall please your majesty, I never said nor
186  thought any such matter: God is my witness, I am
187  falsely accused by the villain.

188  By these ten bones, my lords, he did speak them to
189  me in the garret one night, as we were scouring my
190  Lord of York's armour.

191  Base dunghill villain and mechanical,
192  I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech.
193  I do beseech your royal majesty,
194  Let him have all the rigor of the law.

195  Alas, my lord, hang me, if ever I spake the words.
196  My accuser is my 'prentice; and when I did correct
197  him for his fault the other day, he did vow upon his
198  knees he would be even with me: I have good
199  witness of this: therefore I beseech your majesty,
200  do not cast away an honest man for a villain's
201  accusation.

202  Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?

203  This doom, my lord, if I may judge:
204  Let Somerset be regent over the French,
205  Because in York this breeds suspicion:
206  And let these have a day appointed them
207  For single combat in convenient place,
208  For he hath witness of his servant's malice:
209  This is the law, and this Duke Humphrey's doom.

210  I humbly thank your royal majesty.

211  And I accept the combat willingly.

212  Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God's sake, pity
213  my case. The spite of man prevaileth against me. O
214  Lord, have mercy upon me! I shall never be able to
215  fight a blow. O Lord, my heart!

216  Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd.

217  Away with them to prison; and the day of combat
218  shall be the last of the next month. Come,
219  Somerset, we'll see thee sent away.