2 Pet. Alas, Sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole Township.

Suf. [reads. Against my mafter, Thomas Horner, for faying, that the Duke of York was rightful heir to the Crown.

Q. Mar. What! did the Duke of York fay, he was rightful heir to the Crown?

Peter. That my mafter was? no, forfooth; my mafter faid, that he was; and that the King was an ufurper.

Suf. Who is there? Take this fellow in, and fend for his mafter with a purfuivant, prefently; we'll hear more of your matter before the King.

[Exit Peter guarded. Q. Mar. And as for you, that love to be protected Under the wings of our Protector's Grace,

Begin your fuits anew, and fue to him.

[Tears the fupplications.

[Exeunt Petitioners:

Away, bafe cullions.-Suffolk, let them go.
All. Come, let's be gone.

Q. Mar. My lord of Suffolk, fay, is this the guife?

Is this the fashion in the Court of England?
Is this the government of Britain's ifle?
And this the royalty of Albion's King!
What! fhall King Henry be a Pupil still,
Under the furly Glo'fter's governance?
Am I a Queen in title and in ftyle,
And must be made a Subject to a Duke?
I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours
Thou ran'ft a-tilt in honour of my love,
And ftol'ft away the ladies' hearts of France;
I thought, King Henry had refembled thee
In courage, courtship, and proportion ;
But all his mind is bent to holiness,
To number Ave Maries on his beads;

His champions are the Prophets and Apostles;
His weapons holy Saws of facred Writ;
His ftudy is his tilt-yard; and his loves

Are

Are brazen images of canoniz'd faints.

I would, the College of the Cardinals

Would chufe him Pop, and carry him to Rome,
And fet the triple Crown upon his head;
That were à ftate fit for his holinefs!

Suf. Madam, be patient; as I was the caufe
Your Highness came to England, fo will I
In England work your Grace's full content.

Q. Mar. Befide the proud Protector, have we
Beauford

Th'imperious Churchman; Somerset, Buckingham,
And grumbling York; and not the least of these
But can do more in England, than the King.

Suf. And he of thefe, that can do most of all,
Cannot do more in England than the Neills;
Salib'ry and Warwick are no fimple Peers.

Q. Mar. Not all these Lords do vex me half so much,

As that proud Dame, the Lord Protector's wife;
She fweeps it through the Court with troops of ladies,
More like an Emprefs than Duke Humphry's wife.
Strangers in Court do take her for the Queen;
She bears a Duke's revenues on her back,
And in her heart fhe fcorns our poverty.
Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her?
Contemptuous, bafe born, Callat as she is,
She vaunted 'mongft her minions t'other day,
The very train of her worft wearing gown
Was better worth than all my father's lands;
Till Suffolk gave two Dukedoms for his daughter!
Suf. Madam, myself have lim'd a bush for her,
And plac'd a quire of fuch enticing birds,
That she will light to listen to their lays?
And never mount to trouble you again.
So, let her reft; and, Madam, lift to me;
For I am bold to counsel you in this;
Although we fancy not the Cardinal,

Yet muft we join with him and with the Lords,
VOL. V.

Till

Till we have brought Duke Humphry in difgrace.
As for the Duke of York, this late complaint
Will make but little for his benefit.

So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last,
And you yourself fhall fteer the happy Realm.

To them enter King Henry, Duke Humphry, Cardinal, Buckingham, York, Salisbury, Warwick, and the Dutchess of Gloucefter.

K. Henry. For my part, noble Lords, I care not which.

Or Somerset, or York. All's one to me.

York. If York have ill demean'd himself in France, ` Then let him be deny'd the Regentfhip.

Som. If Somerfet be unworthy of the place, Let York be Regent, I will yield to him.

War. Whether your Grace be worthy, yea or no, Difpute not that; York is the worthier.

Car. Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters fpeak. War. The Cardinal's not my better in the field. Buck. All in this Prefence are thy betters, Warwick. War. Warwick may live to be the best of all. Sal. Peace, Son; and fhew fome reason, Buckingham, Why Somerfet fhould be preferr'd in this.

Q. Mar. Because the King, forfooth, will have it fo. Glo. Madam, the King is old enough himself To give this Cenfure. These are no woman's matters. Q Mar. If he be old enough, what needs your Grace

To be Protector of his Excellence?

Glo. Madam, I am Protector of the Realm; And, at his pleasure, will refign my place.

* That is, the complaint of Peter the armourer's man against His mafter, for faying that Fork was the rightful king.

2

His cenfure.] Through all thefe plays cenfure is used in an indifferent fenfe, fimply for judgment or opinion.

¡Suf

Suf. Refign it then, and leave thine infolence.
Since thou wert King, as who is King, but thou?
The Common-wealth hath daily run to wreck.
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the feas,
And all the Peers, and Nobles of the Realm,
Have been as bond-men to thy fov'reignty.

Car. The Commons haft thou rack'd; the Clergy's bags

Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Som. Thy fumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire, Have coft a mafs of publick treasury.

Buck. Thy cruelty in execution

Upon Offenders hath exceeded law;
And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Q. Mar. Thy fale of offices and towns in France,
If they were known, as the fufpect is great,
Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.

[Exit Glo'fter. The Queen drops her fan. Give me my fan; what, minion? can ye not?

[Gives the Dutchess a box on the ear.

I cry you mercy, Madam; was it you?

Elean. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud French

woman:

Could I come near your beauty with my nails,
I'd fet my ten commandments in your face.

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

Elean. Against her will?-Good King, look to't in time,

She'll hamper thee and dandle thee like a baby. Though in this place moft Mafter wears no breeches, She fhall not strike Dame Eleanor unreveng'd.

[Exit Eleanor. Buck. Lord Cardinal, I'll follow Eleanor, And liften after Humphry, how he proceeds. She's tickled now, her fume can need no fpurs; She'll gallop faft enough to her destruction.

C 2

[Exit. Buckingham.

SCENE

SCENE `VII.

Re-enter Duke Humphry.

Glo. Now, Lords, my choler being over-blown
With walking once about the Quadrangle,
I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
As for your fpightful falfe objections,
Prove them, and I lie open to the law.
But God in mercy deal fo with my foul,
As I in duty love my King and Country!

But to the matter that we have in hand.
I fay, my Sovereign, York is meetest man
To be your Regent in the realm of France.
Suf. Before we make election, give me leave
To fhew some reason of no little force,
That York is moft unmeet of any man.

York. I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet.
Firft, for I cannot flatter thee in pride;
Next, if I be appointed for the Place,
My Lord of Somerfet will keep me here.
Without difcharge, money or furniture,
Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands.
Laft time, I danc'd attendance on his will,
Till Paris was befieg'd, famifh'd and loft.
War. That I can witness; and a fouler fact
Did never traitor in the land commit.
Suf. Peace, head-ftrong Warwick.

War. Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?

Enter Horner the Armourer, and his Man Peter,
guarded.

Suf. Because here is a man accus'd of treason.
Pray God, the Duke of York excuse himself!
York. Doth any one accufe Tork for a traitor?

K Henry.