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Henry the Fourth, grandfather to this king,
Deposed his nephew Richard, Edward's son,
The first-begotten and the lawful heir
Of Edward king, the third of that descent:
During whose reign the Percies of the north,
Finding his usurpation most unjust,
Endeavour'd my advancement to the throne :
The reason moved these warlike lords to this
Was, for that-young King Richard thus removed,
Leaving no heir begotten of his body-
I was the next by birth and parentage ;
For by my mother I derived am
From Lionel Duke of Clarence, the third son
To King Edward the Third ; whereas he
From John of Gaunt doth bring his pedigree,
Being but fourth of that heroic line.
But mark : as in this haughty great attempt
They laboured to plant the rightful heir,
I lost my liberty and they their lives.
Long after this, when Henry the Fifth,
Succeeding his father Bolingbroke, did reign,
Thy father, Earl of Cambridge, then derived
From famous Edmund Langley, Duke of York,
Marrying my sister that thy mother was,
Again in pity of my hard distress
Levied an army, weening to redeem
And have installd me in the diadem :
But, as the rest, so féll that noble earl
And was beheaded. Thus the Mortimers,
In whom the title rested, were suppress'd.
Plan. Of which, my lord, your honour is the

last.
Mor. True; and thou seest that I no issue have

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90

100

And that my fainting words do warrant death:
Thou art my heir; the rest I wish thee gather:
But
yet
be

wary in thy studious care.
Plan. Thy grave admonishments prevail with me:
But yet, methinks, my father's execution
Was nothing less than bloody tyranny.

Mor. With silence, nephew, be thou politic: Strong-fixed is the house of Lancaster And like a mountain, not to be removed. But now thy uncle is removing hence; As princes do their courts, when they are cloy'd With long continuance in a settled place. Plan. O, uncle, would some part of my young

years
Might but redeem the passage of your age !
Mor. Thou dost then wrong me, as that

slaughterer doth
Which giveth many wounds when one will kill.
Mourn not, except thou sorrow for my good;
Only give order for my funeral:
And so farewell, and fair be all thy hopes
And prosperous be thy life in peace and war! [Dies.

Plan. And peace, no war, befall thy parting soul !
In prison hast thou spent a pilgrimage
And like a hermit overpass'd thy days.
Well, I will lock his counsel in my breast;
And what I do imagine let that rest.
Keepers, convey him hence, and I myself
Will see his burial better than his life.
[Exeunt Gaolers, bearing out the body of

Mortimer.
Here dies the dusky torch of Mortimer,
Choked with ambition of the meaner sort:

ITO

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And for those wrongs, those bitter injuries,
Which Somerset hath offer'd to my house,
I doubt not but with honour to redress;
And therefore haste I to the parliament,
Either to be restored to my blood,
Or make my ill the advantage of my good. (Exit.

ACT III.

SCENE I.

London.

The Parliament-house.

Flourish. Enter KING, EXETER, GLOUCESTER,

WARWICK, SOMERSET, and SUFFOLK; the
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, RICHARD PLANTA-
GENET, and others.

GLOUCESTER offers to put up a bill; WINCHESTER snatches it, and tears it. Win. Comest thou with deep premeditated

lines,
With written pamphlets studiously devised,
Humphrey of Gloucester ?

If thou canst accuse,
Or aught intend'st to lay unto my charge,
Do it without invention, suddenly;

126. redress, obtain satisfac. tween the followers of Gloucester tion.

and Winchester; their formal 129. Make my wrongs the reconciliation ; and the restituoccasion of my benefit'; ill is tion of Plantagenet. The second Theobald's emendation for Ff took place not in London, but will.'

at the parliament of Leicester, Sc. 1. London. The Parlia.

As I with sudden and extemporal speech
Purpose to answer what thou canst object.
Glou. Presumptuous priest ! this place com-

mands my patience,
Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonour'd me.
Think not, although in writing I preferr'd
The manner of thy vile outrageous crimes,
That therefore I have forged, or am not able
Verbatim to rehearse the method of my pen:
No, prelate; such is thy audacious wickedness,
Thy lewd, pestiferous and dissentious pranks,
As very infants prattle of thy pride.
Thou art a most pernicious usurer,
Froward by nature, enemy to peace;
Lascivious, wanton, more than well beseems
A man of thy profession and degree;
And for thy treachery, what's more manifest?
In that thou laid'st a trap to take my life,
As well at London bridge as at the Tower.
Beside, I fear me, if thy thoughts were sifted,
The king, thy sovereign, is not quite exempt
From envious malice of thy swelling heart.
Win. Gloucester, I do defy thee. Lords,

vouchsafe
To give me hearing what I shall reply.
If I were covetous, ambitious or perverse,
As he will have me, how am I so poor?
Or how haps it I seek not to advance
Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling ?
And for dissension, who preferreth peace
More than I do?-except I be provoked.
No, my good lords, it is not that offends;
It is not that that hath incensed the duke :
It is, because no one should sway but he;
1o. preferid, put forward. 13. Verbatim, orally.

33. preferreth, promotes.

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No one but he should be about the king ;
And that engenders thunder in his breast
And makes him roar these accusations forth.
But he shall know I am as good-
Glou.

As good!
Thou bastard of my grandfather!
Win. Ay, lordly sir ; for what are you, I pray,

, But one imperious in another's throne ?

Glou. Am I not protector, saucy priest?
Win. And am not I a prelate of the church?

Glou. Yes, as an outlaw in a castle keeps
And useth it to patronage his theft.

Win. Unreverent Gloster!
Glou.

Thou art reverent
Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life.

Win. Rome shall remedy this.
War.

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

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near.

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War. State holy or unhallow'd, what of that ?
Is not his grace protector to the king ?
Plan. [Aside] Plantagenet, I see, must hold

his tongue,
Lest it be said 'Speak, sirrah, when you should;
Must your bold verdict enter talk with lords ?'
Else would I have a fling at Winchester.