That she will light to listen to their lays",
And never mount to trouble you again.
So, let her rest; and, madam, list to me,
For I am bold to counsel you in this.
Although we fancy not the cardinal,

Yet must we join with him, and with the lords,
Till we have brought duke Humphrey in disgrace.
As for the duke of York, this late complaint

Will make but little for his benefit:

So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last,
And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.

Enter King HENRY, YORK, and SOMERSET; Duke and Duchess of GLOSTER, Cardinal BEAUFORT, BUCKINGHAM, SALISBURY, and WARWICK.

K. Hen. For my part, noble lords, I care not which; Or Somerset, or York, all's one to me.

York. If York have ill demean'd himself in France, Then let him be denay'd the regentship.

Som. If Somerset be unworthy of the place, Let York be regent; I will yield to him.

War. Whether your grace be worthy, yea, or no,
Dispute not that York is the worthier.

Car. Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.
War. The cardinal's not my better in the field.
Buck. All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.
War. Warwick may live to be the best of all.
Sal. Peace, son!-and show some reason, Buckingham,
Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this.

Q. Mar. Because the king, forsooth, will have it so.
Glo. Madam, the king is old enough himself

To give his censure'.

4

These are no women's matters.

to listen to THEIR lays,] So the corr. fo. 1632, and not "the lays" as in the folio, 1623: it is clearly, though not necessarily, right, the abridgment of "their" having been misprinted the.

5 So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last,] The corr. fo. 1632 makes this part of the scene conclude with a rhyming couplet by altering this line as follows :"So, one by one, we will weed all the realm;"

Perhaps it was so spoken or written, but we adhere to what was printed.

6 Then let him be DENAY'D the regentship.] To employ the verb "to denay" for to deny was not unusual. In "Twelfth-Night," Vol. ii. p. 675, we have had "denay" used as a substantive, for denial.

7 To give his CENSURE.] "Censure was of old generally used merely in the sense of opinion, judgment, or decision. We have seen it twice in this sense in "As You Like It," A. iv. sc. 1.

Q. Mar. If he be old enough, what needs your grace To be protector of his excellence ?

Glo. Madam, I am protector of the realm,
And, at his pleasure, will resign my place.

Suf. Resign it, then, and leave thine insolence.
Since thou wert king, (as who is king but thou?)
The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck :
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas,
And all the peers and nobles of the realm
Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.

Car. The commons hast thou rack'd; the clergy's bags
Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Som. Thy sumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire, Have cost a mass of public treasury.

Buck. Thy cruelty, in execution
Upon offenders, hath exceeded law,
And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Q. Mar. Thy sale of offices, and towns in France,
If they were known, as the suspect is great,
Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.

[Exit GLOSTER The Queen drops her fan. Give me my fan: what, minion! can you not?

I

[Giving the Duchess a box on the ear.

cry you mercy, madam: was it you 1 ? Duch. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud French-woman: Could I come near your beauty with my nails,

I'd set my ten commandments in your face.

K. Hen. Sweet aunt, be quiet: 'twas against her will. Duch. Against her will! Good king, look to't in time; She'll hamper thee, and dandle thee like a baby: Though in this place most master wear no breeches, She shall not strike dame Eleanor unreveng'd'.

[Exit Duchess.

8 She shall not strike dame Eleanor unreveng'd.] We give this part of the scene as it stands in "The First Part of the Contention," 1594. It is to be observed, that it there follows the accusation of York.

66

"The Queene lets fall her glove, and hits the Dutches of Gloster a boxe

on the eare.

Queene. Give me my glove: why, minnion, can you not see?

I cry you mercy, madame, I did mistake.

I did not thinke it had bene you.

"Elnor. Did you not, proud French-woman?

Could I come neare your daintie visage with my nayles,

I'de set my ten commandments in your face.

[She strikes her.

[King.

Buck. Lord Cardinal, I will follow Eleanor, And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds: She's tickled now; her fume can need no spurs', She'll gallop fast enough to her destruction'.

Re-enter GLOSTER.

[Exit BUCKINGHAM.

Glo. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown
With walking once about the quadrangle,

I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
As for your spiteful false objections,
Prove them, and I lie open to the law;
But God in mercy so deal with my soul,
As I in duty love my king and country.
But, to the matter that we have in hand.—
I say, my sovereign, York is meetest 'man
To be your regent in the realm of France.

Suf. Before we make election, give me leave
To show some reason, of no little force,
That York is most unmeet of any man.

York. I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet.
First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride:
Next, if I be appointed for the place,
My lord of Somerset will keep me there',
Without discharge, money, or furniture,
Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands.
Last time I danc'd attendance on his will,
Till Paris was besieg'd, famish'd, and lost.

"King. Be pacient, gentle aunt:

It was against her will.

"Elnor. Against her will! good king, sheele dandle thee, If thou wilt alwaies thus be rulde by her.

But let it rest: as sure as I do live,

She shall not strike dame Elnor unrevengde.

I would not for a thousand pounds of gold,

"King. Beleeve me, my love, thou wart much to blame.

My noble unckle had bene here in place!"

[Exit Elnor.

"She's tickled now; her fume CAN need no spurs,] "Can" is from the second folio: it probably dropped out from the first in the press.

- 1 She'll gallop FAST enough to her destruction.] It is "far enough" in the folios, and amended to "fast enough" in the corr. fo. 1632. Pope made the same change in his edition.

2 My lord of Somerset will keep me THERE,] i. e. In France: it is printed here in the old impressions; but wrongly, since York is referring to the manner in which he shall be treated while Regent in France, as indeed he had before been treated. Here is made "there" in the corr. fo. 1632.

War. That can I witness; and a fouler fact

Did never traitor in the land commit.

Suf. Peace, headstrong Warwick!

War. Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?

Enter Servants of SUFFOLK, bringing in HORNER and PETER.

Suf. Because here is a man accus'd of treason:

Pray God, the duke of York excuse himself!

York. Doth any one accuse York for a traitor?

K. Hen. What mean'st thou, Suffolk? tell me, what are these?

Suf. Please it your majesty, this is the man

That doth accuse his master of high treason.

His words were these:-that Richard, duke of York,
Was rightful heir unto the English crown,

And that your majesty was an usurper.

K. Hen. Say; man, were these thy words?

Hor. An't shall please your majesty, I never said, nor thought, any such matter. God is my witness, I am falsely accused by the villain.

Pet. By these ten bones3, my lords, [Holding up his hands.] he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were scouring my lord of York's armour.

York. Base dunghill villain, and mechanical, I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech.I do beseech your royal majesty,

Let him have all the rigour of the law.

Hor. Alas! my lord, hang me, if ever I spake the words. My accuser is my prentice; and when I did correct him for his fault the other day, he did vow upon his knees he would be even with me. I have good witness of this: therefore, I beseech your majesty, do not cast away an honest man for a villain's accusation.

K. Hen. Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?
Glo. This doom, my gracious lord, if I may judge * :-

3 By these ten bones,] Steevens, in needless illustration of this common expression, quotes from Wager's interlude, "The Longer thou Livest the more Fool thou art," and gives it the date of 1570. This is misleading, for the piece has no date. (See Extr. from Stat. Registers, i. 191.) Mr. Singer, quoting, as usual, second-hand, naturally falls into Steevens's error.

This doom, my GRACIOUS lord, if I may judge:-] The word "gracious" is from the corr. fo. 1632: it had, probably, been accidentally omitted, for the whole of Gloster's speech is regular with the exception of this line. It would be the natural epithet on the occasion.

Let Somerset be regent o'er the French,
Because in York this breeds suspicion;
And let these have a day appointed them
For single combat in convenient place,
For he hath witness of his servant's malice.
This is the law, and this duke Humphrey's doom.
Som. I humbly thank your royal majesty'.
Hor. And I accept the combat willingly.

Pet. Alas! my lord, I cannot fight: for God's sake, pity my case! the spite of man prevaileth against me. O, Lord have mercy upon me! I shall never be able to fight a blow. O Lord, my heart!

Glo. Sirrah, or you must fight or else be hang'd. K. Hen. Away with them to prison; and the day Of combat shall be the last of the next month.Come, Somerset, we'll see thee sent away.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

The Same. The Duke of GLOSTER'S Garden.

Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN', HUME, SOUTHWELL, and
BOLINGBROKE.

Hume. Come, my masters: the duchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises.

Boling. Master Hume, we are therefore provided. Will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms?

5 I humbly thank your royal majesty.] Before this line the "First Part of the Contention," 1594, has this passage:

66

King. Then, be it so my lord of Somerset,

We make your grace Regent over the French,
And to defend our rights 'gainst forraine foes,

And so do good unto the realme of France.

Make hast, my lord; 'tis time that you were gone:
The time of truse, I thinke, is full expirde."

Some editors have inserted the two first lines in their text, but if any part be taken we ought surely to take the whole. Malone followed the folio, 1623, and we adopt the same course for the same reason, viz. that it is likely the King expressed his assent to Gloster's "doom" by an inclination of the head, upon which Somerset returned his thanks.

the spite of man prevaileth against me.] The corr. fo. 1632 has "the spite of this man," but the change is injurious.

7 Enter Margery Jourdain,] Bolingbroke calls her "mother Jordan" in the folio; but in the stage-directions and in the prefixes, she is only styled “witch.”