Beside, I fear me, if thy thoughts were sifted,
The king, thy sovereign, is not quite exempt
From envious malice of thy swelling heart.

Win. Gloster, I do defy thee.-Lords, vouchsafe
To give me hearing what I shall reply.
If I were covetous, ambitious, or perverse,(75)
As he will have me, how am I so poor?
Or how haps it I seek not to advance

Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling?
And for dissension, who preferreth (76) peace
More than I do,-except I be provok'd?
No, my good lords, it is not that offends;
It is not that that hath incens'd the duke:
It is, because no one should sway but he;
No one but he should be about the king;
And that engenders thunder in his breast,
And makes him roar these accusations forth.
But he shall know I am as good-

Glo.

As good!

Thou bastard of my grandfather!_____(77)

Win. Ay, lordly sir; for what are you, I pray,
But one imperious in another's throne?

Glo. Am I not lord (78) protector, saucy priest?
Win. And am not I a prelate of the church?
Glo. Yes, as an outlaw in a castle keeps,
And useth it to patronage his theft.

Win. Unreverent Gloster !

Glo.

Thou art reverent

Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life.

(75) If I were covetous, ambitious, or perverse,] “I suppose this redundant line originally stood, 'Were I covetous, ambitious,' &c." STEEVENS. -Mr. Collier's Ms. Corrector alters "or perverse" to "proud."

(76) preferreth] Mr. Collier's Ms. Corrector reads "preserveth."-See note 85.

"Read

But he shall know I am as good—
Glo.

Thou bastard of my grandfather!—]

As good!

as good as he.

Glo. As good, thou,' &c."

Walker's Crit. Exam., &c., vol. iii. p. 151.

(78) lord] Added by Walker (Crit. Exam., &c., vol. iii. p. 152).

Win. This Rome shall remedy.(79)

War.

Roam thither, then.(80)

Som. My lord, it were your duty to forbear. War. Ay, see the bishop be not overborne. Som. Methinks my lord should be religious, And know the office that belongs to such.

War. Methinks his lordship should be humbler ;
It fitteth not a prelate so to plead.

Som. Yes, when his holy state is touch'd so near.
War. State holy or unhallow'd, what of that?

Is not his grace protector to the king?

Plan. [aside] Plantagenet, I see, must hold his tongue, Lest it be said, "Speak, sirrah, when you should; Must your bold verdict enter talk with lords?"

Else would I have a fling at Winchester.

K. Hen. Uncles of Gloster and of Winchester,
The special watchmen of our English weal,
I would prevail, if prayers might prevail,
To join your hearts in love and amity.
O what a scandal is it to our crown,
That two such noble peers as ye should jar!
Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell
Civil dissension is a viperous worm

That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.

[A noise within, "Down with the tawny-coats!"

What tumult's this?

War.

An uproar, I dare warrant,

Begun through malice of the bishop's men.

[A noise again within, "Stones! stones!"

Enter the Mayor of London, attended.

May. O, my good lords, and virtuous Henry,

(79) This Rome shall remedy.] The folio has "Rome shall remedie this.'

(80) War. Roam thither, then, &c.] So Theobald distributed the dialogue. The folio has

"Warw. Roame thither then.

My Lord, it were your dutie to forbeare.

Som. I, see the Bishop be not ouer-borne:
Me thinkes my Lord should," &c.

Pity the city of London, pity us!

The bishop (81) and the Duke of Gloster's men,
Forbidden late to carry any weapon,

Have fill'd their pockets full of pebble-stones,
And, banding themselves in contráry parts,
Do pelt so fast at one another's pate,(82)

That many have their giddy brains knock'd out:
Our windows are broke down in every street,

And we, for fear, compell'd to shut our shops.

Enter, skirmishing, the Serving-men of GLOSTER and WINCHESTER with bloody pates.

K. Hen. We charge you, on allegiance to ourself,
To hold your slaughtering hands and keep the peace.—
Pray, uncle Gloster, mitigate this strife.

First Serv. Nay, if we be

Forbidden stones, we'll fall to't with our teeth.

Sec. Serv. Do what ye dare, we are as resolute.

[Skirmish again.

Glo. You of my household, leave this peevish broil,

And set this unaccustom'd fight aside.

Third Serv. My lord, we know your grace to be a man Just and upright; and, for your royal birth,

Inferior to none but to his majesty :

And, ere that we will suffer such a prince,

So kind a father of the commonweal,

To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate,

We, and our wives and children, all will fight,
And have (8) our bodies slaughter'd by thy foes.

First Serv. Ay, and the very parings of our nails
Shall pitch a field when we are dead. [Skirmish again.
Stay, stay, I say ! (84)

Glo.

An if you love me, as you say you do,

(81) bishop] Has been altered to "bishop's:" but compare, in the next play, act i. sc. 2, "Yet am I Suffolk and the cardinal's broker." (2) pate,] Altered by Pope and Mr. Collier's Ms. Corrector to "pates." have] Walker (Crit. Exam., &c., vol. iii. p. 152) would read

"leave."
(84) I say Seems to be an interpolation.

Let me persuade you to forbear awhile.

K. Hen. O how this discord doth afflict my soul!—

Can you, my Lord of Winchester, behold

My sighs and tears, and will not once relent?

Who should be pitiful, if you be not?

Or who should study to prefer (85) a peace,

If holy churchmen take delight in broils?

War. My lord protector, yield; (86)-yield, Winchester ;Except you mean, with obstinate repulse,

To slay your sovereign, and destroy the realm.
You see what mischief, and what murder too,
Hath been enacted through your enmity;
Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood.

Win. He shall submit, or I will never yield.
Glo. Compassion on the king commands me stoop;
Or I would see his heart out, ere the priest

Should ever get that privilege of me.

War. Behold, my Lord of Winchester, the duke
Hath banish'd moody discontented fury,
As by his smoothed brows it doth appear:
Why look you still so stern and tragical?

Glo. Here, Winchester, I offer thee my hand.

K. Hen. Fie, uncle Beaufort! I have heard you preach

That malice was a great and grievous sin;

And will not you maintain the thing you teach,

But prove a chief offender in the same?

War. Sweet king!-the bishop hath a kindly gird.—

For shame, my Lord of Winchester, relent!

What, shall a child instruct you what to do?

Win. Well, Duke of Gloster, I will yield to thee;

Love for thy love, and hand for hand I give.

Glo. [aside] Ay, but, I fear me, with a hollow heart.— See here, my friends and loving countrymen ;

This token serveth for a flag of truce
Betwixt ourselves and all our followers:

So help me God, as I dissemble not!

(85) prefer] Mr. Collier's Ms. Corrector substitutes "preserve."-See note 76.

(86) My lord protector, yield;] The folio has "Yeeld my Lord Protector."

Win. [aside] So help me God, as I intend it not!
K. Hen. O loving uncle, kind Duke of Gloster,"
(87)
How joyful am I made by this contráct!—
Away, my masters! trouble us no more;
But join in friendship, as your lords have done.
First Serv. Content; I'll to the surgeon's.

Sec. Serv.

And so will I.

Third Serv. And I will see what physic the tavern affords.. [Exeunt Serving-men, Mayor, &c.

War. Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign

Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet.

We do exhibit to your majesty.

Glo. Well urg'd, my Lord of Warwick:-for, sweet prince,

An if your grace mark every circumstance,

You have great reason to do Richard right;

Especially for those occasions

At Eltham-place I told your majesty.

K. Hen. And those occasions, uncle, were of force: Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is,

That Richard be restorèd to his blood.

War. Let Richard be restored to his blood;
So shall his father's wrongs be recompens'd.
Win. As will the rest, so willeth Winchester.
K. Hen. If Richard will be true, not that alone,(88)
But all the whole inheritance I give

That doth belong unto the house of York,
From whence you spring by lineal descent.

Plan. Thy humble servant vows obedience
And faithful service till the point of death.(9)

($7) O loving uncle, kind Duke of Gloster,] Various additions have been made to this line, under the idea that it wanted a syllable; but see note 37, and the work of Walker there cited.

(*) not that alone,] So the second folio.-The first folio has "not that all alone."

(89)

Thy humble servant vows obedience

And faithful service till the point of death.]

So Pope. The folio has "And humble seruice, till," &c.-In the first line Mr. Collier's Ms. Corrector substitutes "Thy honour'd servant," &c. ; but in such cases the error generally lies in the repetition of the word.

VOL. V.

D