SCENE. VII.

The Street.

Enter Duke Humphry and his Men, in Mourning Cloaks.

Glo.

THU

HUS fometimes hath the brightest day a
cloud;

And, after fummer, evermore fucceeds

The barren winter with his nipping cold;:
So cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet.
Sirs, what's a clock?

Serv. Ten, my Lord.

Glo. Ten is the hour that was appointed me,.
To watch the coming of my punish'd dutchefs..
? Unneath may fhe endure the flinty ftreets,
To tread them with her tender-feeling feet.
Sweet Nell, ill can thy noble mind a-brook
The abject people gazing on thy face,
With envious looks ftill laughing at thy fhame;
That erft did follow thy proud chariot-wheels,
When thou didst ride in triumph thro' the streets.
But foft! I think, fhe comes; and I'll prepare
My tear-ftain'd eyes to see her miferies.

Enter the Dutchess in a white Sheet, her feet bare, and a Taper burning in her hand, with Sir John Stanley, a Sheriff and Officers.

Serv. So please your Grace, we'll take her from the
Sheriff.

Glo. No, ftir not for your lives. Let her pafs by.
Elean. Come you, my Lord, to fee my open fhame?
Now thou doft penance too. Look, how they gaze!
See, how the giddy multitude do point.

7 Unneath] i. e. fcarcely. POPE.

And

1

And nod their heads, and throw their eyes on thee!
Ah, Glofter, hide thee from their hateful looks;
And in thy closet pent up, rue my fhame,
And ban our enemies, both mine and thine.
Glo. Be patient, gentle Nell; forget this grief.
Elean. Ah! Glofter teach me to forget myself;
For whilft I think I am thy marry'd wife,
And thou a prince, Protector of this land;
Methinks, I should not thus be led along,

8

* Mail'd up in fhame, with papers on my back;
And follow'd with a rabble, that rejoice

To see my tears, and hear my deep-fetch'd groans.
The ruthless flint doth cut my tender feet,
And when I start, the cruel people laugh,
And bid me be advised how I tread.

Ah! Humphry, can I bear this fhameful yoak?
Trow't thou, that e'er I'll look upon the world,
Or count them happy, that enjoy the fun?
No, dark shall be my light, and night my day.
To think upon my pomp, fhall be my hell.
Sometime I'll fay, I am Duke Humphry's wife,
And he a Prince, and ruler of the land,
Yet fo he rul'd, and fuch a Prince he was,
That he stood by, whilft I, his forlorn dutchess,
Was made a wonder and a pointing stock
To every idle, rafcal follower.

But be thou mild, and blush not at my shame,
Nor ftir at nothing, till the ax of death
Hang over thee, as, fure, it fhortly will.
For Suffolk, he that can do all in all

With her, that hateth thee and hates us all,
And York, and impious Beauford, that false priest,
Have all lim❜d bushes to betray thy wings;
And fly thou, how thou canft, they'll tangle thee:
But fear not thou, until thy foot be snar'd,

grace; alluding to the sheet of

• Mail'd up in shame, Wrapped up; boundled up in dif penance.

Nor

Nor never feek prevention of thy foes.

power,

Glo. Ah, Nell, forbear; thou aimest all awry,
I must offend, before I be attainted;
And, had I twenty times fo many foes,
And each of them had twenty times their
All these could not procure me any fcathe,
So long as I am loyal, true, and crimeless.
Wouldst have me rescue thee from this reproach?
Why, yet thy fcandal were not wip'd away;
But I in danger for the breach of law.

*

Thy greatest help is quiet, gentle Nell,
I pray thee, fort thy heart to patience,
Thefe few days' wonder will be quickly worn.
Enter a Herald.

Her. I fummon your Grace to his Majefty's parlia-
ment holden at Bury, the firft of this next month.
Glo. And my confent ne'er afk'd herein before?
This is close dealing. Well, I will be there.

Exit Herald. My Nell, I take my leave. And mafter Sheriff, Let not her penance exceed the King's commiffion. Sher. An't please your Grace, here my commiffion stays;

And Sir John Stanley is appointed now,

To take her with him to the Isle of Man.

Glo. Muft you, Sir John, protect my lady here? Stan. So am I giv'n in charge, may't please your Grace.

Glo. Entreat her not the worse, in that I pray You use her well; the world may laugh again; ? And I may live to do you kindness, if

You do it her. And fo, Sir John, farewel.

Elean. What gone, my Lord, and bid me not fare

wel

Thy greatest help is quiet,-] The poet has not endeavoured to raise much compaffion for the dutchefs, who indeed fuffers but

Glo. Witness my tears, I cannot ftay to speak.

Exit Gloucefter.

Elean. Art thou gone too? all comfort go with thee! For none abides with me; my joy is death; Death, at whofe name I oft have been afraid, Because I wifh'd this world's eternity. Stanley, I pr'ythee, go and take me hence, I care not whither, for I beg no favour; Only convey me where thou art commanded. Stan. Why, Madam, that is to the Isle of Man '; There to be us'd according to your state.

Elean. That's bad enough, for I am but reproach. And fhall I then be us'd reproachfully?

Stan. No; like a Dutchefs, and Duke Humphry's lady,

According to that ftate you fhall be us'd.

Elean. Sheriff, farewel, and better than I fare; Although thou haft been conduct of my shame. Sher. It is my office. Madam, pardon me... Elean. Ay, ay. Farewel. Thy office is difcharg'd. Come, Stanley, fhall we go?

Stan. Madam, your penance done, throw off this fheet,

And go we to attire you for our journey.

Elean. My fhame will not be fhifted with my fheet, No, it will hang upon my richeft robes,

And fhew itself, attire me how I can.

-Go, lead the way,* I long to fee my prifon. [Exeunt.

I long to fee my prifon.] This impatience of a high fpirit is very natural. It is not fo dreadful to be imprifoned, as it

is defirable in a ftate of difgrace to be fheltered from the fcorn of gazers.

ACT

ACT III. SCENE I.

At BURY.

Enter King Henry, Queen, Cardinal, Suffolk, York, Buckingham, Salisbury and Warwick, to the Parliament.

I

K. HENRY.

Mufe, my Lord of Glo'fter is not come ; 'Tis not his wont to be the hindmost man, Whate'er occafion keeps him from us now.

Q. Mar. Can you not fee, or will you not obferve
The ftrangeness of his alter'd countenance,
With what a majefty he bears himself,
How infolent of late he is become,
How peremptory and unlike himself?

We know the time, fince he was mild and affable;
And, if we did but glance a far-off look,

Immediately he was upon his knee;

That all the court admir'd him for fubmiffion.
But meet him now, and be it in the morn,
When ev'ry one will give the time of day,
He knits his brow and fhews an angry eye,
And paffeth by with stiff unbowed knee,
Difdaining duty that to us belongs.
Small curs are not regarded, when they grin,
But great men tremble when the lion roars,
And Humphry is no little man in England.
First note, that he is near you in descent,
And, fhould you fall, he is the next will mount.
Me feemeth then, it is no policy,

I

Me feemeth] That is, it feemeth to me, a word more grammatical than methinks, which

has, I know not how, intruded into its place.

Respecting