АСТ 1.

SCENE

I.

The palace.

Flourish of trumpets: then hautboys. Enter King Henry, Duke Humphry, Salisbury, Warwick, and Beaufort, on the one fide: the Queen, Suffolk, York, Somerset, and Buckingham, on the other.

Suf.*

A

S by your high imperial Majefty [France,
I had in charge at my depart for
As procurator for your Excellence,
To marry Princefs Margret for your

So in the famous ancient city Tours,

[Grace;

In prefence of the Kings of France and Sicil,
The Dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Bretagne, Alanfon,
Seven Earls, twelve Barons, twenty reverend bifhops,
I have perform'd my task, and was efpous'd:
And humbly now upon my bended knee,

In fight of England and her lordly peers, - Deliver up my title in the Queen

prefenting the Queen to the King. To your moft gracious hand; that are the substance Of that great fhadow I did reprefent;

The happieft gift that ever Marquis gave,
The fairest Queen that ever King receiv'd.

K. Henry. Suffolk, arife. Welcome, Queen Margaret; I can exprefs no kinder fign of love,

Than this kind kifs. O Lord, that lend'ft me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!

For thou haft giv'n me in this beauteous face,
A world of earthly bleffings to my foul,

If fympathy of love unite our thoughts.

2. Mar: Great King of England, and my gracious The mutual conf'rence that my mind hath had,[Lord, By day, by night, waking, and in my dreams, In courtly company, or at my beads, With you mine alder-lievieft Sovereign; Makes me the bolder to falute my King With ruder terms; fuch as my wit affords, And over-joy of heart doth minister.

* Vide Hall's Chronicle, fol. 66, year 23. init. Mr. Pepe.

K. Henry.

[fpeech,

K. Henry. Her fight did ravish, but Her grace in Her words y-clad with wifdom's majesty, Make me from wond'ring fall to weeping joys, Such is the fulness of my heart's content. Lords, with one chearful voice welcome my love. All kneel. Long live Queen Marg'ret, England's happiness!

2. Mar. We thank you all.

[Flourish.

Suf. My Lord Protector, fo it pleafe your Grace, Here are the articles of contracted peace,

Between our Sovereign and the French King Charles, For eighteen months concluded by confent.

Glo. [reads.] Imprimis, It is agreed between the French King, Charles, and William de la Pole Marquis of Suffolk, Ambafador for Henry Kingof England, that the faid Hen ry fhall efpoufe the Lady Margaret, daughter unto Reignier King of Naples, Sicilia, and Jerufalem, and crown her Queen of England, ere the thirtieth of May next enfuing.

Item, That the duchy of Anjou, and the county of Maine, fhall be releafed and delivered to the King her→ father. [Lets fall the paper.

K. Henry. Uncle, how now?

Glo. Pardon me, gracious Lord;

Some fudden qualm hath ftruck me to the heart,
And dimm'd mine eyes that I can read no further.

K. Henry. Uncle of Winchester, I pray, read on. Win. Item, That the duchies of Anjou and Maine -~ fhall be releafed and delivered to the King her father, and fhe fent over of the King of England's own proper soft and charges, without having any dowry.

K. Henry They please us well. Lord Marquis,
kneel you down;

We here create thee the firft Duke of Suffolk,
And gird thee with the fword. Coufin of York,
We here difcharge your Grace from being Regent
I'th' parts of France, till term of eighteen months
Be full expir'd. Thanks, uncle Winchester,
Glo fter, York, Buckingham, and Somerfet,
Salisbury, and Warwick;

We thank you for all this great favour done,
In entertainment to my princely Queen.

A 3

Come,

Come let us in, and with all fpeed provide
To fee her coronation be perform'd.

[Exeunt King, Queen, and Suffolk. SCENE II. Manent the rest.

Glo. Brave Peers of England, pillars of the state,
To you Duke Humphry muft unload his grief,
Your grief, the common grief of all the land.
What did my brother Henry spend his youth,
His valour, coin, and people, in the wars?
Did he fo often lodge in open field,

In winter's cold, and fummer's parching heat,
To conquer France, his true inheritance?
And did my brother Bedford toil his wits
To keep by policy what Henry got?

Have you yourselves, Somerfet, Buckingham,
Brave York, and Salisbury, victorious Warwick,
Receiv'd deep fears in France and Normandy?
Or hath mine uncle Beaufort, and myself,
With all the learned counfel of the realm,
Studied fo long, fat in the council-house,
Early and late, debating to and fro,

How France and Frenchmen might be kept in awe ?
And was his Highnefs in his infancy
Crowned in Paris, in defpight of foes?

And fhall these labours and these honours die!
Shall Henry's conqueft, Bedford's vigilance,
Your deeds of war, and all our counsel, die?
O Peers of England, fhameful is this league,
Fatal this marriage; cancelling your fame,
Blotting your names from books of memory;
Razing the characters of your renown,
Defacing monuments of conquer'd France,
Undoing all, as all had never been.

Car. Nephew, what means this paffionate difcourfe?

This peroration with fuch circumstances?

For France, 'tis ours; and we will keep it ftill.

Glo. Ay, uncle, we will keep it if we can :

But now it is impoffible we should.

Suffolk, the new-made Duke, that rules the roast, Hath giv'n the duchy of Anjou and Maine

Unto the poor King Reignier, whose large style

Agrees

Agrees not with the leannefs of his purse.

Sal. Now, by the death of him who dy'd for all, Thefe counties were the keys of Normandy. But wherefore weeps Warwick, my valiant fon? War. For grief that they are past recovery. For were there hope to conquer them again, My fword fhould fhed hot blood, mine eyes no tears. Anjou and Maine! myself did win them both. Thofe provinces these arms of mine did conquer. And are the cities that I got with wounds, Delivered up again with peaceful words? * York. France fhould have torn and rent my very heart, Before I would have yielded to this league. I never read, but England's Kings have had Large fums of gold, and dowries with their wives And our King Henry gives away his own, To match with her that brings no vantages. Glo. A proper jeft, and never heard before, That Suffolk should demand a whole fifteenth, For coft and charges in tranfporting her.

She should have ftaid in France, and starv'd in France, Before

Car. My Lord of Glo'fter, now ye grow too hot: It was the pleasure of my Lord the King.

Glo. My Lord of Winchester, I know your mind 'Tis not my fpeeches that you do miflike, But 'tis my prefence that doth trouble you. Rancour will out, proud prelate; in thy face, I fee thy fury if I longer ftay,

:

We fhall begin our ancient bickerings.

Lordings, farewel; and fay, when I am gone,
I prophefy'd, France will be loft ere long.

Car. So, there goes our Protector in a rage.
'Tis known to you, he is mine enemy;
Nay more, an enemy unto you all,

And no great friend, I fear me, to the King,
Confider, Lords, he is the next of blood,
And heir-apparent to the English crown.

-peaceful words?

York. For Suffolk's Duke, may he be fuffocate, That dims the honour of this warlike ifle!

France fhould have torn, &c.

[Exit.

Had

Had Henry got an empire by his marriage,
And all the wealthy kingdoms of the east,
There's reafon he fhould be difpleas'd at it.
Look to it, Lords; let not his fmoothing words
Bewitch your hearts; be wife and circumfpect.
What though the common people favour him,
Calling him Humphry, the good Duke of Glofter,
Clapping their hands, and crying with loud voice,
Jefu maintain your Royal Excellence!

With, God preferve the good Duke Humphry!
I fear me, Lords, for all this flattering glofs,
He will be found a dangerous Protector.

Buck. Why fhould he then protect our fovereign, He being of age to govern of himfelf?

Coufin of Somerfet, join you with me,

And all together with the Duke of Suffolk,
We'll quickly hoift Duke Humphry from his feat.
Car. This weighty bufinefs will not brook delay;

I'll to the Duke of Suffolk prefently.

[Exit.

Som. Coufin of Buckingham, though Humphry's

And greatness of his place, be grief to us,

[pride,

Yet let us watch the haughty Cardinal.

His infclence is more intolerable

Than all the princes in the land befide.

If Glo'fter be displace'd, he'll be Protector.
Buck. Or Somerfet, or I, will be Protector,
Despight Duke Humphry, or the Cardinal.

[Exe. Buckingham and Somerset. Sal. Pride went before, ambition follows him. While thefe do labour for their own preferment, Behoves it us to labour for the realm.

I never faw, but Humphry Duke of Glo❜ster
Did bear him like a noble gentleman.
Oft have I feen the haughty Cardinal
More like a foldier, than a man o' th' church,
As ftout and proud as he were lord of all,
Swear like a ruffian, and demean himself
Unlike the ruler of a common-weal.
Warwick my fon, the comfort of my age!
Thy deeds, thy plainnefs, and thy houfe-keeping,
Have won the greatest favour of the commons,
Excepting none but good Duke Humphry.

And,