And was beheaded. Thus the Mortimers,
In whom the title rested, were suppressed.
Plantagenet. Of which, my lord, your honour is
the last.
Mortimer. True; and thou seest that I no issue
have,
And that my fainting words do warrant death.
Thou art my heir; the rest I wish thee gather.
But yet be wary in thy studious care.
Plantagenet. Thy grave admonishments prevail
with me.
But yet, methinks, my father's execution
Was nothing less than bloody tyranny.
Mortimer. With silence, nephew, be thou politic.
Strong-fixëd is the house of Lancaster
And like a mountain, not to be removed.
But now thy uncle is removing hence;
As princes do their courts, when they are cloyed
With long continuance in a settled place.
Plantagenet. O, uncle, would some part of my
young years Might but redeem the
passage
of
Mortimer. Thou dost then wrong me, as that
slaughterer doth
Which giveth many wounds when one will kill.
Mourn not, except thou sorrow for my good;
Only give order for my funeral.
And so farewell, and fair be all thy hopes
And prosperous be thy life in peace and war! [Dies.
Plantagenet. And peace, no war, befall thy part-
ing soul!
In prison hast thou spent a pilgrimage,
And like a hermit overpassed 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 see his burial better than his life.
[Exeunt Gaolers, bearing out the body
of Mortimer.
Here dies the dusky torch of Mortimer,
Choked with ambition of the meaner sort.
And for those wrongs, those bitter injuries,
Which Somerset hath offered to my house,
I doubt not but with honour to redress;
And therefore haste I to the parliament,
Either to be restored to my blood,
Or make my will the advantage of my good. [Exit.
SCENE I. London. The Parliament-house.
Flourish. Enter KING HENRY, EXETER, GLOUCESTER, WARWICK, SOMERSET, and SUFFOLK; the BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, and others. GLOUCESTER offers to put up a bill; WINCHESTER snatches it, tears it.
Winchester. Comest thou with deep premeditated
lines,
With written pamphlets studiously devised,
Humphrey of Gloucester? If thou canst accuse,
Or aught intendest to lay unto my charge,
Do it without invention, suddenly;
As I with sudden and extemporal speech
Purpose to answer what thou canst object.
Gloucester. Presumptuous priest! this place com-
mands my patience,
Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonoured me.
Think not, although in writing I preferred
The manner of thy vile outrageous crimes,
That therefore I have forged, or am not able
Verbatim to rehearse the method of my pen.
No, prelate; such is thy audacious wickedness,
Thy lewd, pestiferous, and dissentious pranks,
As very infants prattle of thy pride.
Thou art a most pernicious usurer,
Froward by nature, enemy to peace,
Lascivious, wanton, more than well beseems
A man of thy profession and degree.
And for thy treachery, what's more manifest,
In that thou laidest a trap to take my life,
As well at London bridge as at the Tower?
Beside, I fear me, if thy thoughts were sifted,
The king, thy sovereign, is not quite exempt
From envious malice of thy swelling heart.
Winchester. Gloucester, I do defy thee.---Lords,
vouchsafe
To give me hearing what I shall reply.
Were I ambitious, covetous, or perverse,
As he will have me, how am I so poor?
30
Or how haps it I seek not to advance
Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling?
And for dissension, who preferreth peace
More than I do, except I be provoked?
No, my good lords, it is not that offends;
6. extemporal, extemporary.
10. preferred, brought forward.
It is not that that hath incensed the duke.
It is, because no one should sway but he;
No one but he should be about the king.
And that engenders thunder in his breast,
And makes him roar these accusations forth,
But he shall know I am as good-
Gloucester.
As good!
Thou bastard of my grandfather!
Winchester. Ay, lordly sir; for what are you, I
pray, But one imperious in another's throne?
Gloucester. Am I not protector, saucy priest? Winchester. And am not I a prelate of the church?
Gloucester. Yes, as an outlaw in a castle keeps,
And useth it to patronage his theft.
Winchester. Unreverent Gloucester!
Gloucester.
Thou art reverent Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life.
50 Winchester. Rome shall remedy this. Warwick
Roam thither, then! Somerset. My lord, it were your duty to forbear. Warwick. Ay, see the bishop be not overborne.
Somerset. Methinks my lord should be religious, And know the office that belongs to such. Warwick. Methinks his lordship should be hum
bler; It fitteth not a prelate so to plead. Somerset. Yes, when his holy state is touched so
near. Warwick. State holy or unhallowed, what of that? Is not his grace protector to the king?
60 49. reverent, reverend.
Plantagenet. [Aside.] Plantagenet, I see, must hold
his tongue, Lest it be aid “Speak, sirrah, when you should; Must your
bold verdict enter talk with lords?' Else would I have a Aing at Winchester.
King. Uncles of Gloucester and of Winchester, The special watchmen of our English weal, I would prevail, if prayers might prevail, To join your hearts in love and amity. o, what a scandal is it to our crown, That two such noble peers as ye should jar! 70 Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell Civil dissension is a viperous worm That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.
[A noise within, ' Down with the tawny-coats!' What tumult's this?
Warwick. An uproar, I dare warrant, Begun through malice of the bishop's men.
[A noise again, 'Stones! stones!'
Enter the Mayor of LONDON.
Mayor. O, my good lords, and virtuous Henry,
Pity the city of London, pity us!
The bishop and the Duke of Gloucester's men,
Forbidden late to carry any weapon,
Have filled their pockets full of pebble stones,
And banding themselves in contrary parts,
Do pelt so fast at one another’s pate,
That many have their giddy brains knocked out.
Our windows are broke down in every street,
And we, for fear, compelled to shut our shops.
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