VER. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is. [Strikes him. Bas. Villain, thou know'st the law of arms is such, I may have liberty to venge this wrong; When thou shalt see I'll meet thee to thy cost. VER. Well, miscreant, I'll be there as soon as you; And, after, meet you sooner than you would. [Exeunt. ACT IV. SCENE I.-Paris. A Room of State. Enter KING HENRY, GLOSTER, EXETER, YORK, SUFFOLK, SOMERSET, WINCHESTER, WARWICK, TALBOT, the Governor of Paris, and others. GLO. Lord bishop, set the crown upon his head. WIN. God save King Henry, of that name the sixth! [Governor kneels. That you elect no other king but him: This shall ye do, so help you righteous God! [Exeunt Governor and his Train. Enter SIR JOHN FASTOLFE. FAST. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais, To haste unto your coronation, A letter was deliver'd to my hands, Writ to your grace from the duke of Burgundy. [Plucking it off TAL. Shame to the duke of Burgundy, and thee! Were there surpris'd and taken prisoners. GLO. To say the truth, this fact was infamous, TAL. When first this order was ordain'd, my lords, But always resolute in most extremes. He then that is not furnish'd in this sort Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight; Henceforth And now, we banish thee, on pain of death.— lord protector, view the letter Sent from our uncle duke of Burgundy. [Exit FASTOLFE. GLO. What means his grace, that he hath chang'd his style? [Viewing the superscription. No more but, plain and bluntly,-" To the king?" Or doth this churlish superscription Pretend some alteration in good will? What's here?" I have, upon especial cause,— [Reads. Mov'd with compassion of my country's wrack, Of such as your oppression feeds upon,— Forsaken your pernicious faction, And join'd with Charles, the rightful king of France." That in alliance, amity, and oaths, There should be found such false dissembling guile? K. HEN. Why, then, lord Talbot there shall talk with him, And give him chastisement for this abuse; How say you, my lord? are you not content? TAL. Content, my liege? Yes; but that I am prevented, I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd. K. HEN. Then gather strength, and march unto him straight: Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason; TAL. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still Enter VERNON and BASSET. VER. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign! [Exit. K. HEN. Be patient, lords, and give them leave to speak.Say, gentlemen, What makes you thus exclaim? And wherefore crave you combat? or with whom? VER. With him, my lord; for he hath done me wrong. K. HEN. What is that wrong whereof you both complain! First let me know, and then I'll answer you. Saying the sanguine colour of the leaves VER. And that is my petition, noble lord: Yet know, my lord, I was provok'd by him; YORK. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left? K. HEN. Good Lord! what madness rules in brain-sick men; When, for so slight and frivolous a cause, Good cousins both, of York and Somerset, Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace. YORK. Let this dissension first be tried by fight, And Perish ye, with your audacious prate! Presumptuous vassals! are you not asham'd, To trouble and disturb the king and us? And you, my lords, methinks you do not well, Much less to take occasion from their mouths To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves; Let me persuade you, take a better course. EXE. It grieves his highness:—Good my lords, be friends. K. HEN. Come hither, you that would be combatants: Henceforth, I charge you, as you love our favour, Quite to forget this quarrel, and the cause. In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation: Beside, what infamy will there arise, That, for a toy, a thing of no regard, Destroy'd themselves, and lost the realm of France! O, think upon the conquest of my father, My tender years; and let us not forego That for a trifle that was bought with blood! Let me be umpire in this doubtful strife. I see no reason, if I wear this rose, [Putting on a red rose. I more incline to Somerset than York: Your troops of horsemen with his bands of foot; |