King Henry VI, Part 2 | Page 8

head.--

[Exit Gloster. The Queen drops her fan..]
Give me my fan. What minion! can ye not?
[She gives the Duchess a box on the ear.]
I cry your mercy, madam; was it you?
DUCHESS.
Was 't I! yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman.
Could I
come near your beauty with my nails,
I'd set my ten commandments
in your face.
KING.
Sweet aunt, be quiet; 't was against her will.
DUCHESS.
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.]
BUCKINGHAM.
Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,
And listen
after Humphrey, how he proceeds.
She's tickled now; her fume needs
no spurs,
She'll gallop far enough to her destruction.
[Exit.]
[Re-enter GLOSTER.]
GLOSTER.
Now, lords, my choler being overblown
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.

SUFFOLK.
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 here,
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.
WARWICK.
That can I witness; and a fouler fact
Did never traitor
in the land commit.
SUFFOLK.
Peace, headstrong Warwick!
WARWICK.
Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?
[Enter HORNER and his man PETER, guarded.]
SUFFOLK.
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?
KING.
What mean'st thou, Suffolk? tell me, what are these?
SUFFOLK.
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.
KING.
Say, man, were these thy words?
HORNER.
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.

PETER.
By these ten bones, my lords, 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.
HORNER.
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.
KING.
Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?
GLOSTER.
This doom, my lord, if I may judge:
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.
SOMERSET.
I humbly thank your royal Majesty.
HORNER.
And I accept the combat willingly.
PETER.
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!
GLOSTER.
Sirrah, or you must fight or else be hang'd.
KING.
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.
[Flourish. Exeunt.]

SCENE IV. Gloster's Garden
[Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN, HUME, SOUTHWELL, and
BOLINGBROKE.]
HUME.
Come, my masters; the duchess, I tell you, expects

performance of your promises.
BOLINGBROKE.
Master Hume, we are therefore provided;
will
her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms?
HUME.
Ay, what else? fear you not her courage.
BOLINGBROKE.
I have heard her reported to be a woman of an
invincible spirit: but it shall be convenient, Master Hume, that you be
by her aloft while we be busy below; and so, I pray you go, in God's
name, and leave us.--[Exit Hume.] Mother Jourdain, be you
prostrate
and grovel on the earth.--John Southwell, read you; and let us to our
work.
[Enter DUCHESS aloft, HUME following.]
DUCHESS.
Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this gear

the sooner the better.
BOLINGBROKE.
Patience, good lady, wizards know their times:

Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night,
The time of night when
Troy was set on fire,
The time when screech-owls cry and ban-dogs
howl
And spirits walk