King. Uncles of Gloucester and of Winchester, The special watchmen of our English weal, I would prevail, if prayers might prevail, To join your hearts in love and amity. O, what a scandal is it to our crown, That two such noble peers as ye should jar! Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell Civil dissension is a viperous worm That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth. [A noise within, 'Down with the tawny-coats!' What tumult's this?

War.

An uproar, I dare warrant,

Begun through malice of the bishop's men.

[A noise again, 'Stones! stones!'

Enter Mayor.

May. O, my good lords, and virtuous Henry,
Pity the city of London, pity us!

The bishop and the Duke of Gloucester's men,
Forbidden late to carry any weapon,

Have fill'd their pockets full of pebble stones
And banding themselves in contrary parts
Do pelt so fast at one another's pate

That many have their giddy brains knock'd out:
Our windows are broke down in every street
And we for fear compell'd to shut our shops.

Enter Serving-men, in skirmish, with bloody

pates.

King. We charge you, on allegiance to ourself, To hold your slaughtering hands and keep the

peace.

Pray, uncle Gloucester, mitigate this strife.

78. bishop, i.e. bishop's; the both nouns, though the 'men

's of Gloucester's' applying to

are different.

70

First Serv. Nay, if we be forbidden stones, we 'll fall to it with our teeth.

Sec. Serv. Do what ye dare, we are as resolute.
[Skirmish again.

Glou. You of my household, leave this peevish
broil

And set this unaccustom'd fight aside.

Third. Serv. My lord, we know your grace to
be a man

Just and upright; and, for your royal birth,
Inferior to none but to his majesty :
And ere that we will suffer such a prince,
So kind a father of the commonweal,
To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate,

We and our wives and children all will fight
And have our bodies slaughter'd by thy foes.
First Serv. Ay, and the very parings of our
nails

Shall pitch a field when we are dead.

Glou.

[Begin again. Stay, stay, I say!

And if you love me, as you say you do,

Let me persuade you to forbear awhile.

King. O, how this discord doth afflict my soul !
Can you, my Lord of Winchester, behold

My sighs and tears and will not once relent?
Who should be pitiful, if you be not?

Or who should study to prefer a peace,

If holy churchmen take delight in broils?

War. Yield, my lord protector; yield, Winchester;

Except you mean with obstinate repulse

To slay your sovereign and destroy the realm.
You see what mischief and what murder too

103. pitch a field, array an army.

Hath been enacted through your enmity;
Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood.
Win. He shall submit, or I will never yield.
Glou. Compassion on the king commands me
stoop;

Or I would see his heart out, ere the priest
Should ever get that privilege of me.

War. Behold, my Lord of Winchester, the duke
Hath banish'd moody discontented fury,
As by his smoothed brows it doth appear:
Why look you still so stern and tragical ?

Glou. Here, Winchester, I offer thee my hand. King Fie, uncle Beaufort! I have heard you preach

That malice was a great and grievous sin;
And will not you maintain the thing you teach,
But prove a chief offender in the same?

War. Sweet king! the bishop hath a kindly gird.

For shame, my lord of Winchester, relent!
What, shall a child instruct you what to do?

Win. Well, Duke of Gloucester, I will yield to
thee;

Love for thy love and hand for hand I give.
Glou. [Aside] Ay, but, I fear me, with a hollow

heart.

See here, my friends and loving countrymen ;
This token serveth for a flag of truce

Betwixt ourselves and all our followers:
So help me God, as I dissemble not!

Win. [Aside] So help me God, as I intend it.

not!

King. O loving uncle, kind Duke of Gloucester,
How joyful am I made by this contráct!
Away, my masters! trouble us no more;

131. hath a kindly gird, receives a meet rebuke.

120

130

140

But join in friendship, as your lords have done.
First Serv. Content: I'll to the surgeon's.

Sec. Serv.
And so will I.
Third Serv. And I will see what physic the
tavern affords. [Exeunt Serving-men, Mayor, etc.
War. Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign,
Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet
We do exhibit to your majesty.

Glou. Well urged, my Lord of Warwick: for,
sweet prince,

An if your grace mark every circumstance,
You have great reason to do Richard right;
Especially for those occasions

At Eltham Place I told your majesty.

King. And those occasions, uncle, were of force:
Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is
That Richard be restored to his blood.

War. Let Richard be restored to his blood;
So shall his father's wrongs be recompensed.
Win. As will the rest, so willeth Winchester.
King. If Richard will be true, not that alone
But all the whole inheritance I give
That doth belong unto the house of York,
From whence you spring by lineal descent.

Plan. Thy humble servant vows obedience

And humble service till the point of death. King. Stoop then and set your knee against my foot;

And, in reguerdon of that duty done,

I gird thee with the valiant sword of York:

Rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet,

And rise created princely Duke of York.

Plan. And so thrive Richard as thy foes may fall!

150

160

170

156. At Eltham Place I told, etc., i.e. which I told ... at Eltham Place.

And as my duty springs, so perish they
That grudge one thought against your majesty!
All. Welcome, high prince, the mighty Duke
of York!

Som. [Aside] Perish, base prince, ignoble Duke

of York!

Glou. Now will it best avail your 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,
As it disanimates his enemies.

King. When Gloucester says the word, King
Henry goes;

For friendly counsel cuts off many foes.

Glou. Your ships already are in readiness.

[Sennet. Flourish. Exeunt all but Exeter. Exe. Ay, we may march in England or in France,

Not seeing what is likely to ensue.

This late dissension grown betwixt the peers
Burns under feigned ashes of forged love
And will at last break out into a flame :

As fester'd members rot but by degree,
Till bones and flesh and sinews fall away,
So will this base and envious discord breed.
And now I fear that fatal prophecy

Which in the time of Henry named the Fifth
Was in the mouth of every sucking babe;
That Henry born at Monmouth should win all
And Henry born at Windsor lose all :
Which is so plain that Exeter doth wish
His days may finish ere that hapless time. [Exit.

183. disanimates, discourages.

180

190

200