Pernicious bloodsucker of sleeping men! Suf. Thou shalt be waking, while I shed thy blood,

If from this presence thou dar'st go with me. War. Away even now, or I will drag thee hence: }

* Unworthy though thou art, I'll cope with thee, And do some service to Duke Humphrey's ghost. [Exeunt SUFFOLK and WARWICK. *K. Hen. What stronger breastplate than a heart untainted?

*Thrice is he arm'd, that hath his quarrel just; *And he but naked, though lock'd up in steel, * Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted. [A noise within.

Q. Mar. What noise is this?

Re-enter SUFFOLK and WARWICK, with their weapons drawn.

'K. Hen. Why, how now, Lords? your wrathful weapons drawn Here in our presence? dare you be so bold? Why what tumultuous clamour have we here? Suf. The traitorous Warwick, with the men of Bury, Set all upon me, mighty Sovereign,

Noise of a crowd within. Re-enter SALISBURY.

* Sal. Sirs, stand apart; the King shall know your mind. [Speaking to those within. Dread Lord, the commons send you word by me, Upless false Suffolk straight be done to death, Or banished fair England's territories,

They will by violence tear him from your

palace,

And torture him with grievous ling'ring death. They say, by him the good Duke Humphrey

died;

They say, in him they fear your Highness' death;

And mere instinct of love, and loyalty,
Free from a stubborn opposite intent,

As being thought to contradict your liking, Makes them thus forward in his banishment. They say, in care of your most royal person, That, if your Highness should intend to sleep, * And charge that no man should disturb your rest,

* In pain of your dislike, or pain of death; Yet, notwithstanding such a strait edict, * Were there a serpent seen, with forked tongue, *That slily glided towards your Majesty, ⭑ It were but necessary you were wak'd; *Lest, being suffer'd in that harmful slumber, The mortal worm might make the sleep eternal: And therefore do they cry, though you forbid, That they will guard you, we'r you will,

or no,

From such fell serpents as false Suffolk is; With whose envenomed and fatal sting, *Your loving uncle, twenty times his worth, They say, is shamefally bereft of life. Commons. [within.] An answer from the King, my Lord of Salisbury. Suf. 'Tis like, the commons, rude unpolish'd hinds,

Could send such message to their Sovereign: But you, my Lord, were glad to be employ'd, To show how quaint an orator you are:

But all the honor Salisbury bath won,
Is that he was the lord ambassador,
Sent from a sort of tinkers to the King.
Commons. [within,] An answer from the King,
or we'll all break in.

K. Hen. Go, Salisbury, and tell them all
from me,

6 I thank them for their tender loving care:
And had I not been 'cited so by them.
Yet did I purpose as they do intreat;

For, sure, my thoughts do hourly prophecy "Mischance unto my state hy Suffolk's means. < And therefore, by his Majesty I swear, Whose far unworthy deputy I am,

He shall not breathe infection in this air
But three days longer, on the pain of death.
[Exit SALISBURY.
Q. Mar. O Henry, let me plead for gentle
Suffolk!

K. Hen. Ungentle Queen, to call him gentle
Suffolk.

No more, I say; if thou dost plead for him,
Thon wilt but add increase unto my wrath.
Had I but said, 1 would have kept my word;
But, when I swear, it is irrevocable:

*If after three days' space, thou here be'st found * On any ground that I am ruler of,

*The world shall not be ransom for thy life.

Come, Warwick, come, good Warwick, go with me;

I have great matters to impart to thee,

[Exeunt K. HENRY, WARWICK, Lords, &c. Q. Mar. Mischance, and sorrow, go along with you!

Heart's discontent, and sour affliction,
Be playfellow's to keep you company!

'There's two of you; the devil make a third! And threefold vengeance tend upon your steps! *Suf. Cease, gentle Queen, these execrations, · And let thy Suffolk take his heavy leave.

'Q. Mar. Fie, coward woman, and soft-hearted wretch!

'Hast thou not spirit to curse thine enemies?
Suf. A plague upon them! wherefore should I
curse them?

Would curses kill, as doth the mandrake's groan,
I would invent as bitter-searching terms,
* As curst, as harsh, and horrible to hear,
Deliver'd strongly through my fixed teeth,
With full as many signs of deadly hate,
As lean-fac'd Envy in her loathsome cave:
My tongue should stumble in mine earnest words;
Mine eyes should sparkle like the beaten flint;
My hair be fix'd on end, as one distract;
Ay, every joiut should seem to curse and ban:
And even now my burden'd heart would break,
Should I not curse them. Poison be their drink!
Gall, worse than gall, the daintiest that they
taste!

Their sweetest shade, a grove of cypress trees!
Their chiefest prospect, murdering basilisks!
Their softest touch, as smart as lizards' stings!
Their musick, frightful as the serpent's hiss:
And boding scritch owls make the concert full!
All the foul terrors in dark-seated hell -

Q. Mar. Enough, sweet Suffolk; thou torment'st thyself;

* And these dread curses like the sun 'gainst

glass,

*Or like an overcharged gun,

recoil,

* And turn the force of them upon thyself.

Suf. You bade me ban,' and will you bid me leave?

Now, by the ground that I am banish'd from, Well could I curse away a winter's night, Though standing naked on a mountain top, Where biting cold would never let grass grow, And think it but a minute spent in sport.

Q. Mar. O, let me entreat thee, cease! Give me thy hand,

That I may dew it with my mournful tears; *Nor let the rain of heaven wet this place, To wash away my woeful monuments. O, could this kiss be printed in thy hand; [kisses his hand. That thou might'st think upon these by the seal, • Through whom a thousand sighs are breath'd for thee!

So, get thee gone, that I may know my grief; 'Tis but surmis'd whilst thou art standing by, As one that surfeits thinking on a want. • I will repeal thee, or, be well assur'd, Adventure to be banished myself:

* And banished I am, if but from thee.> * Go, speak not to me; even now be gone. O, go not yet! Even thus two friends con◄

demn'd

* Embrace, and kiss, and take ten thousand leaves,

*Lother a hundred times to part than die.

* Yet now farewell; and farewell life with thee! Suf. Thus is poor Suffolk ten times banished, Once by the King, and three times thrice by thee, *Tis not the land I care for, wert thou hence; * A wilderness is populous enough,

So Suffolk had thy heavenly company:

* For where thou art, there is the world itself,