There's reafon he should be difpleas'd at it.
Look to it, Lords, let not his fmoothing words
Bewitch your hearts, be wife and circumfpect.
What though the common people favour him,
Calling him Humphry, the good Duke of Glo'fter,
Clapping their hands and crying with loud voice,
Jefu maintain your Royal Excellence,
With, God preferve the good Duke Humphry?
I fear me, Lords, for all this flattering gloss,
He will be found a dangerous Protector.
Buck. Why fhould he then protect our Sovereign,
He being of age to govern of himself?
Coufin of Somerfet, join you with me,
And all together with the Duke of Suffolk,
We'll quickly hoife Duke Humphry from his feat.
Car. This weighty business will not brook-delay.
I'll to the Duke of Suffolk prefently.
[Exit.
Som. Coufin of Buckingham, though Humphry's pride
And greatness of his place be grief to us,
Yet let us watch the haughty Cardinal:
His infolence is more intolerable
Than all the Princes in the land befide:
If Glo'fter be displac'd, he'll be Protector.
Buck. Or Somerfet or I will be Protector,
Defpight Duke Humphry, or the Cardinal.
[Exeunt Buckingham and Somerset.
Sal. Pride went before, Ambition follows him.
While thefe do labour for their own preferment,
Behoves it us to labour for the realm.
I never faw but Humphry Duke of Glo'fter
Did bear him like a noble gentleman:
Oft have I seen the haughty Cardinal
More like a foldier than a man o' th' church,
As ftout and proud as he were lord of all,
Swear like a ruffian, and demean himself
Unlike the ruler of a common-weal.
Warwick my fon, the comfort of my age!
Thy deeds, thy plainnefs, and thy house-keeping,
Have won the greatest favour of the Common's,
Excepting none but good Duke Humphry.
And brother York, thy acts in Ireland,
In bringing them to civil difcipline;
Thy late exploits done in the heart of France,
When thou wert Regent for our Sovereign;
Have made thee fear'd and honour'd of the people.
Join we together for the publick good,
In what we can to bridle and fupprefs
The pride of Suffolk, and the Cardinal,
With Somerfet's and Buckingham's ambition;
And as we may, cherish Duke Humphry's deeds,
While they do tend the profit of the land.
War. So God help Warwick, as he loves the land
And common profit of his country!
York. And fo fays York, for he hath greatest cause. Sal. Then let's make hafte, and look unto the main, a [Exeunt Warwick and Salisbury.
York. Anjou and Maine are given to the French, Paris is loft, the ftate of Normandy
Stands on a tickle point, now they are gone:
Suffolk concluded on the articles,
The Peers agreed, and Henry was well pleas'd
To change two Dukedoms for a Duke's fair daughter.
I cannot blame them all, what is't to them?
'Tis thine they give away, and not their own.
Pirates may make cheap penn'worths of their pillage,'
And purchase friends and give to courtezans,
Still revelling like Lords 'till all be gone:
(a).
War. Unto the main ? Oh father, Maine is loft,
That Maine, which by main force Warwick did win,
And would have kept, fo long as breath did last:
Main chance, father, you meant, but I meant Maine,
Which I will win from France, or else be slain.
While as the filly owner of the goods
Weeps over them, and wrings his hapless hands,
And shakes his head, and trembling stands aloof,
While all is fhar'd, and all is born away;
Ready to ftarve, and dares not touch his own.
So York must fit, and fret, and bite his tongue,
While his own lands are bargain'd for, and fold.
Methinks the realms of England, France, and Ireland,
Bear that proportion to my flesh and blood,
As did the fatal brand Althea burnt,
Unto the Prince's heart of Calydon.
Anjou and Maine both given unto the French!
Cold news for me: for I had hope of France,
Ev'n as I have of fertile England's foil.
A day will come when York fhall claim his own,
And therefore I will take the Nevills' parts,
And make a fhew of love to proud Duke Humphry;
And when I fpy advantage, claim the crown;
For that's the golden mark I seek to hit.
Nor fhall proud Lancafter ufurp my right,
Nor hold the scepter in his childish fift,
Nor wear the diadem upon his head,
Whose church-like humour fits not for a crown.
Then, York, be ftill a while, 'till time do ferve:
Watch thou, and wake when others be afleep,
To pry into the fecrets of the State;
"Till Henry 'furfeit in the joys of love,
With his new bride and England's dear bought Queen, And Humphry with the Peers be fall'n at jars.
Then will I raise aloft the milk-white rofe,
With whose sweet smell the air fhall be perfum'd;
And in my standard bear the arms of York,
To grapple with the houfe of Lancaster;
And force perforce I'll make him yield the crown,
Whose bookish rule hath pull'd fair England down.
[Exit York.
The Duke of Gloucefter's house.
Enter Duke Humphry, and his Wife Eleanor.
Elean. WHY droops my Lord, like over-ripen'd com
Hanging the head with Ceres' plenteous load?
Why doth the great Duke Humphry knit his brows,
As frowning at the favours of the world?
Why are thine eyes fixt to the fullen earth,
Gazing at that which feems to dim thy fight?
What feeft thou there? King Henry's diadem,
Inchas'd with all the honours of the world?
If fo, gaze on, and grovel on thy face,
Until thy head be circled with the fame.
Put forth thy hand, reach at the glorious gold:
What, is't too fhort? I'll lengthen it with mine.
And having both together heav'd it up,
We'll both together lift our heads to heav'n;
And never more abase our fight fo low,
As to vouchfafe one glance unto the ground.
Glou. O Nell, fweet Nell, if thou doft love thy Lord,
Banish the canker of ambitious thoughts:
And may that thought, when I imagine ill
Against my King and nephew virtuous Henry,
Be my laft breathing in this mortal world!
My troublous dreams this night do make me fad.
Elean. What dream'd my Lord? tell me, and I'll requite
With sweet rehearsal of my morning's dream.
Glou. Methought this staff, mine office-badge in Court, Was broke in twain; by whom, I have forgot; But, as I think, it was by th' Cardinal;
And on the pieces of the broken wand
Were plac'd the heads of Edmund Duke of Somerset,
And William de la Pole first Duke of Suffolk.
This was the dream; what it doth bode, God knows.
Elean. Tut, this was nothing but an argument
That he that breaks a ftick of Glo'fter's grove,
Shall lofe his head for his prefumption.
But lift to me, my Humphry, my sweet Duke:
Methought I fat in feat of Majefty,
In the Cathedral church of Westminster,
And in that chair where Kings and Queens are crown'd; Where Henry and Margaret kneel'd to me,
And on my head did fet the diadem.
Glou. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright:
Prefumptuous dame, ill-natur'd Eleanor,
Art thou not fecond woman in the realm,
And the Protector's wife, belov'd of him?
Haft thou not wordly pleafure at command,
Above the reach or compafs of thy thought?
And wilt thou ftill be hammering treachery,
To tumble down thy husband and thy felf
From top of honour to difgrace's feet?
Away from me, and let me hear no more!
Elean. What, what, my Lord, are you so cholerick
With Eleanor, for telling but her dream?
Next time I'll keep my dreams unto my self,
And not be check❜d.
Glou. Nay, be not angry, I am pleas'd again.
Mef. My Lord Protector, 'tis his Highness' pleasure, You do prepare to ride unto St. Albans,
Whereas the King and Queen do mean to hawk.
Glou. I go: come, Nell, thou too wilt ride with us? [Exit Gloucefter. Elean. Yes, my good Lord, I'll follow presently. Follow I muft, I cannot go before,
While Glofter bears this bafe and humble mind.
Were I a man, a Duke, and next of blood,
I would remove thefe tedious ftumbling-blocks,
And smooth my way upon their headless necks:
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