The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 198

I pray thee sort thy heart to patience; These few days' wonder will be quickly worn.

Enter a HERALD

HERALD. I summon your Grace to his Majesty's Parliament, Holden at Bury the first of this next month.

GLOUCESTER. And my consent ne'er ask'd herein before!

This is close dealing. Well, I will be there. Exit HERALD My Nell, I take my leave- and, master sheriff, Let not her penance exceed the King's commission.

SHERIFF. An't please your Grace, here my commission stays; And Sir John Stanley is appointed now To take her with him to the Isle of Man.

GLOUCESTER. Must you, Sir John, protect my lady here?

STANLEY. So am I given in charge, may't please your Grace.

GLOUCESTER. 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 so, Sir John, farewell.

d.u.c.h.eSS. What, gone, my lord, and bid me not farewell!

GLOUCESTER. Witness my tears, I cannot stay to speak.

Exeunt GLOUCESTER and servants d.u.c.h.eSS. Art thou gone too? All comfort go with thee!

For none abides with me. My joy is death- Death, at whose name I oft have been afeard, Because I wish'd this world's eternity.

Stanley, I prithee go, and take me hence; I care not whither, for I beg no favour, Only convey me where thou art commanded.

STANLEY. Why, madam, that is to the Isle of Man, There to be us'd according to your state.

d.u.c.h.eSS. That's bad enough, for I am but reproach- And shall I then be us'd reproachfully?

STANLEY. Like to a d.u.c.h.ess and Duke Humphrey's lady; According to that state you shall be us'd.

d.u.c.h.eSS. Sheriff, farewell, and better than I fare, Although thou hast been conduct of my shame.

SHERIFF. It is my office; and, madam, pardon me.

d.u.c.h.eSS. Ay, ay, farewell; thy office is discharg'd.

Come, Stanley, shall we go?

STANLEY. Madam, your penance done, throw off this sheet, And go we to attire you for our journey.

d.u.c.h.eSS. My shame will not be shifted with my sheet.

No, it will hang upon my richest robes And show itself, attire me how I can.

Go, lead the way; I long to see my prison. Exeunt

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ACT III. SCENE I.

The Abbey at Bury St. Edmunds

Sound a sennet. Enter the KING, the QUEEN, CARDINAL, SUFFOLK, YORK, BUCKINGHAM, SALISBURY, and WARWICK, to the Parliament

KING HENRY. I muse my Lord of Gloucester is not come.

'Tis not his wont to be the hindmost man, Whate'er occasion keeps him from us now.

QUEEN. Can you not see, or will ye not observe The strangeness of his alter'd countenance?

With what a majesty he bears himself; How insolent of late he is become, How proud, how peremptory, and unlike himself?

We know the time since 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 submission.

But meet him now and be it in the morn, When every one will give the time of day, He knits his brow and shows an angry eye And pa.s.seth by with stiff unbowed knee, Disdaining duty that to us belongs.

Small curs are not regarded when they grin, But great men tremble when the lion roars, And Humphrey is no little man in England.

First note that he is near you in descent, And should you fall he is the next will mount; Me seemeth, then, it is no policy- Respecting what a rancorous mind he bears, And his advantage following your decease- That he should come about your royal person Or be admitted to your Highness' Council.

By flattery hath he won the commons' hearts; And when he please to make commotion, 'Tis to be fear'd they all will follow him.

Now 'tis the spring, and weeds are shallow-rooted; Suffer them now, and they'll o'ergrow the garden And choke the herbs for want of husbandry.

The reverent care I bear unto my lord Made me collect these dangers in the Duke.

If it be fond, can it a woman's fear; Which fear if better reasons can supplant, I will subscribe, and say I wrong'd the Duke.

My Lord of Suffolk, Buckingham, and York, Reprove my allegation if you can, Or else conclude my words effectual.

SUFFOLK. Well hath your Highness seen into this duke; And had I first been put to speak my mind, I think I should have told your Grace's tale.

The d.u.c.h.ess, by his subornation, Upon my life, began her devilish practices; Or if he were not privy to those faults, Yet by reputing of his high descent- As next the King he was successive heir- And such high vaunts of his n.o.bility, Did instigate the bedlam brainsick d.u.c.h.ess By wicked means to frame our sovereign's fall.

Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep, And in his simple show he harbours treason.

The fox barks not when he would steal the lamb.

No, no, my sovereign, Gloucester is a man Unsounded yet, and full of deep deceit.

CARDINAL. Did he not, contrary to form of law, Devise strange deaths for small offences done?

YORK. And did he not, in his protectorship, Levy great sums of money through the realm For soldiers' pay in France, and never sent it?

By means whereof the towns each day revolted.

BUCKINGHAM. Tut, these are petty faults to faults unknown Which time will bring to light in smooth Duke Humphrey.

KING HENRY. My lords, at once: the care you have of us, To mow down thorns that would annoy our foot, Is worthy praise; but shall I speak my conscience?

Our kinsman Gloucester is as innocent From meaning treason to our royal person As is the sucking lamb or harmless dove: The Duke is virtuous, mild, and too well given To dream on evil or to work my downfall.

QUEEN. Ah, what's more dangerous than this fond affiance?

Seems he a dove? His feathers are but borrow'd, For he's disposed as the hateful raven.

Is he a lamb? His skin is surely lent him, For he's inclin'd as is the ravenous wolf.

Who cannot steal a shape that means deceit?

Take heed, my lord; the welfare of us all Hangs on the cutting short that fraudful man.

Enter SOMERSET

SOMERSET. All health unto my gracious sovereign!

KING HENRY. Welcome, Lord Somerset. What news from France?

SOMERSET. That all your interest in those territories Is utterly bereft you; all is lost.

KING HENRY. Cold news, Lord Somerset; but G.o.d's will be done!

YORK. [Aside] Cold news for me; for I had hope of France As firmly as I hope for fertile England.

Thus are my blossoms blasted in the bud, And caterpillars eat my leaves away; But I will remedy this gear ere long, Or sell my t.i.tle for a glorious grave.

Enter GLOUCESTER

GLOUCESTER. All happiness unto my lord the King!

Pardon, my liege, that I have stay'd so long.

SUFFOLK. Nay, Gloucester, know that thou art come too soon, Unless thou wert more loyal than thou art.

I do arrest thee of high treason here.

GLOUCESTER. Well, Suffolk, thou shalt not see me blush Nor change my countenance for this arrest: A heart unspotted is not easily daunted.

The purest spring is not so free from mud As I am clear from treason to my sovereign.

Who can accuse me? Wherein am I guilty?

YORK. 'Tis thought, my lord, that you took bribes of France And, being Protector, stay'd the soldiers' pay; By means whereof his Highness hath lost France.

GLOUCESTER. Is it but thought so? What are they that think it?

I never robb'd the soldiers of their pay Nor ever had one penny bribe from France.

So help me G.o.d, as I have watch'd the night- Ay, night by night- in studying good for England!

That doit that e'er I wrested from the King, Or any groat I h.o.a.rded to my use, Be brought against me at my trial-day!

No; many a pound of mine own proper store, Because I would not tax the needy commons, Have I dispursed to the garrisons, And never ask'd for rest.i.tution.

CARDINAL. It serves you well, my lord, to say so much.

GLOUCESTER. I say no more than truth, so help me G.o.d!

YORK. In your protectorship you did devise Strange tortures for offenders, never heard of, That England was defam'd by tyranny.

GLOUCESTER. Why, 'tis well known that whiles I was Protector Pity was all the fault that was in me; For I should melt at an offender's tears, And lowly words were ransom for their fault.

Unless it were a b.l.o.o.d.y murderer, Or foul felonious thief that fleec'd poor pa.s.sengers, I never gave them condign punishment.

Murder indeed, that b.l.o.o.d.y sin, I tortur'd Above the felon or what trespa.s.s else.