Enter PETER, and other Petitioners.

First Petit. My masters, let's stand close: my lord Protector will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our supplications in the quill.

Sec. Petit. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man! Jesu bless him!

Peter. Here 'a comes, methinks, and the

him.

I'll be the first, sure.

Enter SUFFOLK and QUEEN.

queen with

Sec. Petit. Come back, fool; this is the Duke of Suffolk, and not my lord Protector.

for

Suf. How now, fellow ! wouldst any thing with me? 10 First Petit. I pray, my lord, pardon me; I took ye my lord Protector.

Q. Mar. For my lord Protector! Are your supplications to his lordship? Let me see them :-what is thine?

First Petit. Mine is, an 't please your Grace, against John Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my house, and lands, and wife and all, from me.

Suf. Thy wife too! that's some wrong, indeed.What's yours? What's here! [reads] “Against the Duke 20 of Suffolk, for enclosing the commons of Melford."-How now, sir knave!

Sec. Petit. Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.

Peter. [presenting his petition] Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying that the Duke of York was rightful heir to the crown.

Q. Mar. What say'st thou? did the Duke of York say he was rightful heir to the crown?

Peter. That my master was? no, forsooth: my master 30 said that he was; and that the king was an usurper.

Suf. Who is there? [Enter Servant.]-Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a pursuivant presently. We'll hear more of your matter before the king. [Exit Servant with PETER.

Q. Mar. And as for you, that love to be protected Under the wings of our Protector's Grace, Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.

[Tears the supplications.

Away, base cullions !—Suffolk, let them go.

All. Come, let's be gone. [Exeunt Petitioners. 40
Q. Mar. My Lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
Is this the fashion in the court of England?
Is this the government of Britain's isle,
And this the royalty of Albion's king?
What, shall King Henry be a pupil still,
Under the surly Gloster's governance ?
Am I a queen in title and in style,
And must be made a subject to a duke?
I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours
Thou rann'st a tilt in honour of my love,
And stolest away the ladies' hearts of France,
I thought King Henry had resembled 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 sacred writ;
His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves

Are brazen images of canonized saints.

I would the college of the cardinals

Would choose him Pope, and carry him to Rome,
And set the triple crown upon his head :—

That were a state fit for his holiness.

Suf. Madam, be patient: as I was cause Your highness came to England, so will I In England work your Grace's full content.

Q. Mar. Beside the haught Protector, have we Beaufort

50

60

The 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 these that can do most of all
Cannot do more in England than the Nevils:
Salisbury and Warwick are no simple peers.

Q. Mar. Not all these lords do vex me half so much
As that proud dame, the lord Protector's wife.
She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies,
More like an empress than Duke Humphrey's wife:
Strangers in court do take her for the queen:

She bears a duke's revenues on her back,
And in her heart she scorns our poverty:
Shall I not live to be avenged on her?
Contemptuous base-born callet as she is,
She vaunted 'mongst her minions t' other day,
The very train of her worst wearing-gown
Was better worth than all my father's lands,
Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter.
Suf. Madam, myself have limed a bush for her,
And placed a quire of such enticing birds,
That she will light to listen to the lays,
And never mount to trouble you again.

So, let her rest: and, madam, list to me;
For I am bold to counsel you in this.
Although we fancy not the cardinal,

Yet must we join with him and with the lords,
Till we have brought Duke Humphrey in disgrace.
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 shall steer the happy helm.
Sound a sennet. Enter the KING, Duke Humphrey, Car-
DINAL BEAUFORT, BUCKINGHAM, YORK, SOMERSET,
SALISBURY, WARWICK, and the DUCHESS OF GLOSTER.

70

80

90

K. Hen. For my part, noble lords, I care not which; 100 Or Somerset or York, all's one to me.

York. If York have ill demean'd himself in France, Then let him be denay'd the regentship.

Som. If Somerset be unworthy of the place, Let York be regent; I will yield to him.

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

Ĉar. Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.
War. The cardinal's not my better in the field.
Buck. All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick. 110
War. Warwick may live to be the best of all.
Sal. Peace, son!-and show some reason, Bucking-
ham,

Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this.

Q. Mar. Because the king, forsooth, will have it so.
Glo. Madam, the king is old enough himself
To give his censure: these are no women's matters.
Q. Mar. If he be old enough, what needs your
To be Protector of his excellence?

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

Grace

Suf. Resign it, then, and leave thine insolence.
Since thou wert king,—as who is king but thou?—
The commonwealth hath daily run to wrack;
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas;
And all the peers and nobles of the realm
Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.

Car. The commons hast thou rackt; the clergy's bags

Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Som. Thy sumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire, Have cost a mass of public treasury.

Buck. Thy cruelty in execution Upon offenders hath exceeded law,

And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Q. Mar. Thy sale of offices and towns in France—
If they were known, as the suspect is great-
Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.
[Exit GLOSTER. The QUEEN drops her fan.

120

130

Give me my fan: what, minion! can ye not?

[She gives the DUCHESS a box on the ear.

I cry you mercy, madam; was it you?

Duch. Was 't I! yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman : Could I come near your beauty with my nails, I'ld set my ten commandments in your face.

K. Hen. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will. Duch. Against her will! good king, look to 't in time;

She'll hamper thee, and dandle thee like a baby:
Though in this place most master wear no breeches,
She shall not strike Dame Eleanor unrevenged. [Exit.
Buck. Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,
And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds:
She's tickled now; her fury needs no spurs,
She'll gallop fast enough to her destruction.

Enter GLOSTER.

140

[Exit. 150

Glo. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown
With walking once about the quadrangle,

I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
As for your spiteful false objections,
Prove them, and I lie open to the law:
But God in mercy so deal with
my soul,
As I in duty love my king and country!
But, to the matter that we have in hand:-
I say, my sovereign, York is meetest man
To be your regent in the realm of France.

Suf. Before we make election, give me leave
To show some reason, of no little force,
That York is most unmeet of any man.

York. I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet:
First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride;
Next, if I be appointed for the place,
My Lord of Somerset will keep me here,
Without discharge, money, or furniture,
Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands:

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