A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Vii Part 105

JOHN. Whither ye will; I care not, where I go.

If grief will grace it, I'll adorn the show.

FAU. Come, madam; we must thither; we are bound.

LADY.[538] I'm loth to see the court, Gloster being from thence, Or kneel to him that gave us this offence.

FAU. Body of me, peace, woman, I prythee, peace.

_Enter_ REDCAP.

RED. Go-Go-G.o.d [speed] ye, Go-G.o.d s-speed ye!

JOHN. Whither run you, sir knave?

RED. R-r-run ye, sir knave? why, I r-run to my La-Lady Fa-Fauconbridge, to te-te-tell her Sk-Skink and Gl-Gloster is taken, and are g-g-gone to the c-c-court with L-Lord Leicester and L-Lord La-La-Lancaster.

JOHN. Is Gloster taken? thither will I fly Upon wrath's wings; not quiet till he die.

[_Exit with_ PRINCESS.

RICH. Is Gloster taken?

RED. Aye, he is ta-taken, I wa-warrant ye, with a wi-witness.

RICH. Then will I to court, And either set him free, or die the death.

Follow me, Fauconbridge; fear not, fair madam: You said you had the porter in your house?

Some of your servants bring him; on my life, One hair shall not be taken from his head, Nor he, nor you, nor Gloster, injured.

FAU. Come, Moll, and Richard say the word, ne'er fear.

ROB. Madam, we have twenty thousand at our call, The most young Henry dares is but to brawl.

LADY F. Pray G.o.d, it prove so.

RICH. Follow, Huntington: Sir Richard, do not fail to send the porter.

FAU. Block, bring the porter of the Fleet to court.

BLO. I will, sir.

RED. The p-p-porter of the Fl-Fl-Fleet to court?

What p-p-porter of the Fl-Fl-Fleet?

BLO. What, Redcap? Run, Redcap, wilt thou see thy father?

RED. My fa-father? Aye, that I w-would s-see my f-father, and there be A p-porter in your ho-house, it is my fa-father.

BLO. Follow me, Redcap, then.

[_Exit_.

RED. And you were tw-tw-twenty B-Blocks, I'd f-f-follow ye, s-so I would, and r-run to the co-co-court too, and k-kneel before the k-k-king f-f-for his pa-pardon.

BLO. [Within.] Come away, Redcap; run, Redcap.

RED. I-I-I r-r-run as f-f-fast as I-I ca-ca-can run, I wa-warrant ye.

SCENE THE THIRTY-THIRD.

_Enter a Signet,[539] first two Heralds, after them_ LEICESTER, _with a sceptre,_ LANCASTER, _with a crown imperial on a cushion: after them_ HENRY THE ELDER, _bare-headed, bearing a sword and a globe: after him_ YOUNG HENRY, _crowned_: ELINOR, _the Mother-Queen, crowned_: YOUNG QUEEN _crowned_: HENRY THE ELDER _places his son, the two Queens on either hand, himself at his feet_, LEICESTER _and_ LANCASTER _below him_.

HEN. Herald, fetch Lancaster and Leicester coronets, Suffer no marquis, earl, nor countess enter, Except their temples circled are in gold.

[_He delivers coronets to_ LEICESTER _and_ LANCASTER.

Shew them our viceroys: by our will controll'd, As at a coronation, every peer Appears in all his pomp; so at this feast, Held for our birthright, let them be adorn'd, Let Gloster be brought in, crowned like an earl. [_Exit_ HERALD.

This day we'll have no parley of his death, But talk of jouissance and gleeful mirth.

Let Skink come in; give him a baron's seat.

High is his spirit, his deserts are great.

KING. You wrong the honour of n.o.bility To place a robber in a baron's stead.

QUEEN. It's well ye term him not a murderer.

KING. Had I misterm'd him?

QUEEN. Ay, that had you, Henry.

He did a piece of justice at my bidding.

KING. Who made you a justice?

HEN. I, that had the power.

KING. You had none then.

_Enter_ GLOSTER _and_ SKINK.

LEI. Yes, he was crown'd before.

HEN. Why does not Gloster wear a coronet?

GLO. Because his sovereign doth not wear a crown.

HEN. By heaven, put on thy coronet, or that heaven, Which now with a clear [arch] lends us this light, Shall not be curtain'd with the veil of night, Ere on thy head I clap a burning crown Of red-hot iron, that shall sear thy brains.

RICH. Good Gloster, crown thee with thy coronet.

LAN. Do, gentle earl.