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Upbraided me about the rose I wear;
Saying, the sanguine color of the leaves
Did represent my master's blushing cheeks,
When stubbornly he did repugn the truth
About a certain question in the law
Argued betwixt the Duke of York and him;
With other vile and ignominious terms:
In confutation of which rude reproach,
And in defense of my lord's worthiness,

91

I crave the benefit of law of arms.

100

Ver. And that is my petition, noble lord:
For though he seem with forged quaint conceit
To set a gloss upon his bold intent,
Yet know, my lord, I was provoked by him;
And he first took exceptions at this badge,
Pronouncing that the paleness of this flower
Bewray'd the faintness of my master's heart.
York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left?
Som. Your private grudge, my Lord of York, will
out,

Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it. 110 King. Good Lord, what madness rules in brainsick

men,

When for so slight and frivolous a cause Such factious emulations shall arise! 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 then your highness shall command a peace. Som. The quarrel toucheth none but us alone; 102. "forged quaint conceit," ingenious fabrication.-C. H. Н.

119

Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then. York. There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset. Ver. Nay, let it rest where it began at first. Bas. Confirm it so, mine honorable lord. Glou. Confirm it so! Confounded be your strife! And perish ye, with your audacious prate! Presumptuous vassals, are you not ashamed With this immodest clamorous outrage To trouble and disturb the king and us? And you, my lords, methinks you do not well. To bear with their perverse objections; 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.

129

140

King. Come hither, you that would be combatants:
Henceforth I charge you, as you love our favor,
Quite to forget this quarrel and the cause.
And you, my lords, remember where we are;
In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation:
If they perceive dissension in our looks
And that within ourselves we disagree,
How will their grudging stomachs be provoked
To willful disobedience, and rebel!
Beside, what infamy will there arise,
When foreign princes shall be certified
That for a toy, a thing of no regard,
King Henry's peers and chief nobility

Destroy'd themselves, and lost the realm of
France

141. "stomachs," spirits.-C. Н. Н.

O, think upon the conquest of my father,
My tender years, and let us not forgo
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,

151

[Putting on a red rose.

That any one should therefore be suspicious
I more incline to Somerset than York:
Both are my kinsmen, and I love them both:
As well they may upbraid me with my crown,
Because, forsooth, the king of Scots is crown'd.
But your discretions better can persuade
Than I am able to instruct or teach;

And therefore, as we hither came in peace, 160
So let us still continue peace and love.
Cousin of York, we institute your grace
To be our regent in these parts of France:
And, good my Lord of Somerset, unite

Your troops of horsemen with his bands of

foot;

And, like true subjects, sons of your progeni

tors,

Go cheerfully together and digest

Your angry choler on your enemies.
Ourself, my lord protector and the rest

After some respite will return to Calais;

170

From thence to England; where I hope ere

long

To be presented, by your victories,

With Charles, Alençon and that traitorous rout.

[Flourish. Exeunt all but York, Warwick, Exeter and Vernon.

War. My Lord of York, I promise you, the king Prettily, methought, did play the orator.

York. And so he did; but yet I like it not,

In that he wears the badge of Somerset. War. Tush, that was but his fancy, blame him not; I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm.

York. An if I wist he did, but let it rest; 180 Other affairs must now be managed.

[Exeunt all but Exeter.

Exe. Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice;

For, had the passions of thy heart burst out,
I fear we should have seen decipher'd there
More rancorous spite, more furious raging

broils,

Than yet can be imagined or supposed.
But howsoe'er, no simple man that sees
This jarring discord of nobility,

This shouldering of each other in the court,
This factious bandying of their favorites,

190

But that it doth presage some ill event.
'Tis much when scepters are in children's hands;
But more when envy breeds unkind division;
There comes the ruin, there begins confusion.

[Exit.

180. "An if I wist he did," Capell; Ff., "And if I wish he did"; Rowe, "And if I wish he did.-"; Theobald (in text), "An if I wis he did.-"; (in note), "And if I wis, he did.-"; Johnson, "And ifI wish-he did" or "And if he did, I wish-"; Steevens, "And, if I wist, he did,-."-I. G.

193. "Envy," in old English writers, frequently means malice, enmity. "Unkindis unnatural.-H. N. H.

SCENE II

Before Bordeaux.

Enter Talbot, with trump and drum.

Tal. Go to the gates of Bordeaux, trumpeter:
Summon their general unto the wall.

Trumpet sounds. Enter General and others, aloft.
English John Talbot, captains, calls you forth,
Servant in arms to Harry King of England;
And thus he would: Open your city-gates;
Be humble to us; call my sovereign yours,
And do him homage as obedient subjects;
And I 'll withdraw me and my bloody power:
But, if you frown upon this proffer'd peace,
You tempt the fury of my three attendants, 10
Lean famine, quartering steel, and climbing
fire;

Who in a moment even with the earth
Shall lay your stately and air-braving towers,
If you forsake the offer of their love.

Gen. Thou ominous and fearful owl of death,
Our nation's terror and their bloody scourge!
The period of thy tyranny approacheth.
On us thou canst not enter but by death;
For, I protest, we are well fortified
And strong enough to issue out and fight:

20

If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed,

14. "their love"; Hanmer, "our love."-I. G.

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