Plan. Discover more at large what cause that was; For I am ignorant, and cannot guess.
Mor. I will; if that my fading breath permit,
And death approach not ere my tale be done.
Henry the fourth, grandfather to this king,
Depos'd his nephew Richard; Edward's fon,
The first-begotten, and the lawful heir
Of Edward king, the third of that descent :
During whose reign, the Percies of the north,
Finding his ufurpation most unjust,
Endeavour'd my advancement to the throne:
The reafon mov'd thefe warlike lords to this,
Was-for that (young king Richard thus remov'd,
Leaving no heir begotten of his body,)
I was the next by birth and parentage;
For by my mother I derived am
From Lionel duke of Clarence, the third fon
To king Edward the third, whereas he,
From John of Gaunt doth bring his pedigree,
Being but fourth of that heroick line.
But mark; as, in this haughty great attempt,
They laboured to plant the rightful heir,
I loft my liberty, and they their lives.
Long after this, when Henry the fifth,-
Succeeding his father Bolingbroke,-did reign,
Thy father, earl of Cambridge,-then deriv'd
From famous Edmund Langley, duke of York,➡
Marrying my fifter, that thy mother was,
Again, in pity of my hard diftress,
Levied an army; weening to redeem,
And have install'd me in the diadem:
But, as the reft, fo fell that noble earl,
And was beheaded. Thus the Mortimers,
In whom the title refted, were suppress'd.
Plan. Of which, my lord, your honour is the last.
Mor. True; and thou feeft, that I no iffue have;
And that my fainting words do warrant death:
Thou art my heir; the reft I wish thee gather:
But yet be wary in thy ftudious care.
Plan. Thy grave admonishments prevail with me:
But yet, methinks, my father's execution
Was nothing less than bloody tyranny.
Mor. With filence, nephew, be thou politick;
Strong-fixed is the house of Lancaster,
And, like a mountain, not to be remov’d.
But now thy uncle is removing hence;
As princes do their courts, when they are cloy'd
With long continuance in a settled place.
Plan. O, uncle, 'would fome part of my young years
Might but redeem the passage of your age!
Mor. Thou doft then wrong me; as the flaught'rer
Which giveth many wounds, when one will kill.
Mourn not, except thou forrow for my good;
Only, give order for my funeral;
And fo farewell; and fair be all thy hopes!
Plan. And peace, no war, befal thy parting foul!
And profperous be thy life, in peace and war!
In prifon haft thou spent a pilgrimage,
And like a hermit overpass'd thy days.—
Well, I will lock his counsel in my breast ;
And what I do imagine, let that rest.—
Keepers, convey him hence; and I myself
Will fee his burial better than his life.-
[Exeunt Keepers, bearing out MORTIMER.
Here dies the dusky torch of Mortimer,
Chok'd with ambition of the meaner fort:-
And, for those wrongs, those bitter injuries,
Which Somerset hath offer'd to my house,-
I doubt not, but with honour to redress:
And therefore hafte I to the parliament;
Either to be restored to my blood,
Or make my ill the advantage of my good.
The fame. The Parliament House.
Flourish. Enter King HENRY, EXETER, GLOSTER, WarWICK, SOMERSET, and SUFFOLK; the Bishop of Winchefter, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, and Others. GLOSTER offers to put up a bill; Winchester snatches it, and
Win. Com'st thou with deep premeditated lines,
With written pamphlets ftudiously devis'd,
Humphrey of Glofter? if thou canst accuse,
Or aught intend'ft to lay unto my charge,
Do it without invention fuddenly;
As I with fudden and extemporal speech
Purpose to answer what thou canst object.
Glo. Prefumptuous priest! this place commands my
Or thou fhould't find thou haft dishonour'd me.
Think not, although in writing I preferr'd
The manner of thy vile outrageous crimes,
That therefore I have forg'd, or am not able
Verbatim to rehearse the method of my pen:
No, prelate; fuch is thy audacious wickedness,
Thy lewd, peftiferous, and diffenfious pranks,
As very infants prattle of thy pride.
Thou art a moft pernicious ufurer;
Froward by nature, enemy to peace;
Lafcivious, wanton, more than well befeems
A man of thy profeffion, and degree;
And for thy treachery, What's more manifeft?
In that thou laid’st a trap to take my life,
As well at London bridge, as at the Tower?
Befide, I fear me, if thy, thoughts were fifted,
The king, thy fovereign, is not quite exempt
From envious malice of thy fwelling heart.
Win. Glofter, I do defy thee.-Lords, vouchsafe
To give me hearing what I fhall reply.
If I were covetous, ambitious, or perverse,
As he will have me, How am I fo poor?
Or how haps it, I seek not to advance
Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling?
And for diffenfion, Who preferreth peace
More than I do,-except I be provok'd?
No, my good lords, it is not that offends;
It is not that, that hath incens'd the duke:
It is, because no one should fway but he;
No one, but he, should be about the king;
And that engenders thunder in his breast,
And makes him roar these accufations forth.
But he fhall know, I am as good-
Thou bastard of my grandfather!
Win. Ay, lordly fir; for what are you, But one imperious in another's throne?
Glo. Am I not the protector, faucy priest? Win. And am not I a prelate of the church? Glo. Yes, as an outlaw in a castle keeps, And ufeth it to patronage his theft.
Win. Unreverent Glofter!
Touching thy fpiritual function, not thy life.
Win. This Rome shall remedy.
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