King Henry VI, Part 1 | Page 6

ceaseth to enlarge itself?Till by broad spreading it disperse to nought.?With Henry's death the English circle ends;?Dispersed are the glories it included.?Now am I like that proud insulting ship?Which Caesar and his fortune bare at once.?CHARLES. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove??Thou with an eagle art inspired then.?Helen, the mother of great Constantine,?Nor yet Saint Philip's daughters were like thee.?Bright star of Venus, fall'n down on the earth,?How may I reverently worship thee enough??ALENCON. Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege.?REIGNIER. Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours;?Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd.?CHARLES. Presently we'll try. Come, let's away about it.?No prophet will I trust if she prove false. Exeunt
SCENE 3.
London. Before the Tower gates
Enter the DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, with his serving-men
in blue coats
GLOUCESTER. I am come to survey the Tower this day;?Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance.?Where be these warders that they wait not here??Open the gates; 'tis Gloucester that calls.?FIRST WARDER. [Within] Who's there that knocks so?imperiously??FIRST SERVING-MAN. It is the noble Duke of Gloucester.?SECOND WARDER. [Within] Whoe'er he be, you may not be?let in.?FIRST SERVING-MAN. Villains, answer you so the Lord?Protector??FIRST WARDER. [Within] The Lord protect him! so we?answer him.?We do no otherwise than we are will'd.?GLOUCESTER. Who willed you, or whose will stands but?mine??There's none Protector of the realm but I.?Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize.?Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms?
[GLOUCESTER'S men rush at the Tower gates, and
WOODVILLE the Lieutenant speaks within]
WOODVILLE. [Within] What noise is this? What traitors?have we here??GLOUCESTER. Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear??Open the gates; here's Gloucester that would enter.?WOODVILLE. [Within] Have patience, noble Duke, I may?not open;?The Cardinal of Winchester forbids.?From him I have express commandment?That thou nor none of thine shall be let in.?GLOUCESTER. Faint-hearted Woodville, prizest him fore me? Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate?Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne'er could brook!?Thou art no friend to God or to the King.?Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly.?SERVING-MEN. Open the gates unto the Lord Protector,?Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly.
Enter to the PROTECTOR at the Tower gates WINCHESTER
and his men in tawny coats
WINCHESTER. How now, ambitious Humphry! What means?this??GLOUCESTER. Peel'd priest, dost thou command me to be?shut out??WINCHESTER. I do, thou most usurping proditor,?And not Protector of the King or realm.?GLOUCESTER. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator,?Thou that contrived'st to murder our dead lord;?Thou that giv'st whores indulgences to sin.?I'll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal's hat,?If thou proceed in this thy insolence.?WINCHESTER. Nay, stand thou back; I will not budge a foot. This be Damascus; be thou cursed Cain,?To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.?GLOUCESTER. I will not slay thee, but I'll drive thee back. Thy scarlet robes as a child's bearing-cloth?I'll use to carry thee out of this place.?WINCHESTER. Do what thou dar'st; I beard thee to thy face. GLOUCESTER. What! am I dar'd and bearded to my face??Draw, men, for all this privileged place?Blue-coats to tawny-coats. Priest, beware your beard;?I mean to tug it, and to cuff you soundly;?Under my feet I stamp thy cardinal's hat;?In spite of Pope or dignities of church,?Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down.?WINCHESTER. Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the?Pope.?GLOUCESTER. Winchester goose! I cry 'A rope, a rope!'?Now beat them hence; why do you let them stay??Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array.?Out, tawny-coats! Out, scarlet hypocrite!
Here GLOUCESTER'S men beat out the CARDINAL'S?men; and enter in the hurly burly the MAYOR OF
LONDON and his OFFICERS
MAYOR. Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates,?Thus contumeliously should break the peace!?GLOUCESTER. Peace, Mayor! thou know'st little of my wrongs: Here's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor King,?Hath here distrain'd the Tower to his use.?WINCHESTER. Here's Gloucester, a foe to citizens;?One that still motions war and never peace,?O'ercharging your free purses with large fines;?That seeks to overthrow religion,?Because he is Protector of the realm,?And would have armour here out of the Tower,?To crown himself King and suppress the Prince.?GLOUCESTER. I will not answer thee with words, but blows.
[Here they skirmish again] MAYOR. Nought rests for me in this tumultuous strife?But to make open proclamation.?Come, officer, as loud as e'er thou canst,?Cry.?OFFICER. [Cries] All manner of men assembled here in arms this day against God's peace and the King's, we charge?and command you, in his Highness' name, to repair to?your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, handle, or use, any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon?pain of death.?GLOUCESTER. Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law;?But we shall meet and