Mor. This caufe, fair nephew, that imprifon'd me, › And hath detain'd me all my flow'ring youth Within a loathfome dungeon, there to pine, Was curfed inftrument of his decease.
Plan. Discover more at large what cause that was,
For I am ignorant and cannot guefs.
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 coufin Richard, Edward's fon,
The firft-begotten, and the lawful heir
Of Edward King, the third of that defcent.
During whofe 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 the Third Edward; whereas Bolingbroke
From John of Gaunt doth bring his pedigree,
Being but the fourth of that heroic line.
But mark; as in this haughty great attempt
They laboured to plant the rightful heir,
I lost my liberty, and they their lives.
Long after this, when Henry the Fifth
After 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 distress
Levied an army, weening to redeem
And re-inftal 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 supprest.
Plan. Of which, my Lord, your honour is the laft.
Mor. True; and thou feeft that I no iflue 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 lefs 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 from 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 paffage of your age!
Mor. Thou doft then wrong me, as that flaughter doth Which giveth many wounds when one will kill.
Mourn not, except thou forrow for my good;
Only give order for my funeral.
And fo farewel; and fair befal thy hopes,
And profp'rous be thy life, in peace and war!
Plan. And peace, no war, befal thy parting foul!
In prifon haft thou spent a pilgrimage,
And like a hermit over-paft thy days.
Well I will lock his counfel in my breast,
And what I do imagine let that reft.
Keepers, convey him hence, and I
my felf
Will fee his burial better than his life.
Here dies the dufky torch of Mortimer,
Choak'd with th' ambition of a meaner fort.
And for those wrongs, those bitter injuries
Which Somerfet hath offer'd to my house,
I doubt not but with honour to redress them.
And therefore hafte I to the Parliament;
Either to be restored to my blood,
Or make my ill th' advantage of my good.
Being made a tool by the Percies and others to countenance
ACT III. SCENE I
The PARLIAMENT, Flourish. Enter King Henry, Exeter, Gloucester, Winchefter, Warwick, Somerfet, Suffolk, and Richard Plantagenet. Gloucester offers to put up a bill: Winchester fnatches it, and tears it.
Win. With written pamphlets studiously devis'd ?
OM'ST thou with deep premeditated lines,
Humphry of Glofter, if thou canft accufe
Or ought intend ft to lay unto my charge,
Do it without invention fuddenly;
As I with fudden and extemporal fpeech
Purpose to answer what thou canst object.
Glou. Prefumptuous Prieft, this place commands my pa-
Or thou fhould't find thou haft dishonour'd me.
Think not, although in writing I prefer'd
The manner of thy vile outragious 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 leud, peftif'rous, and diffentious pranks,
The 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 treach'ry, what's more manifeft?
In that thou laid'ft 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 Sovereign is not quite exempt
From envious malice of thy fwelling heart.
Win. Glafter, I do defie thee. Lords, vouchsafe
To give me hearing what I fhall reply.
If I were covetous, perverse, ambitious,
As he will have me; how am I fo poor?
How haps it then I feek not to advance
Or raife my felf, but keep my wonted calling?
And for diffention, 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 which hath incens'd 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 accufations forth.
But he fhall know I am as good
Thou baftard of my grandfather!
Win. Ay, lordly Sir; for what are you, I pray,
But one imperious in another's throne?
Glou. Am not I then Protector, fawcy Priest?
Win. And am not I a Prelate of the church?
Glou. Yes, as an out-law in a caftle keeps,
And ufeth it to patronage his theft.
Win. Unrev'rend Glo'fter!
Glou. Thou art reverend
Touching thy fpiritual function, not thy life.
Win. This Rome fhall remedy.
Glou. Go thither then..
War. My Lord, it were your duty to forbear. [To Win. Som. I'll fee the Bishop be not over-born :
Methinks my Lord fhould be religious,
And know the office that belongs to fuch.
War. Methinks his Lordship should be humbler then,
It fitteth not a Prelate fo to plead.
Som. Yes, when his holy state is touch'd fo near. War. State holy or unhallow'd, what of that? Is not his Grace Protector to the King?
Rich. Plantagenet I fee must hold his tongue,
Left it be faid, Speak, firrab, when you should;
Muft your bold verdiet enter talk with Lords?
Elfe would I have a fling at Winchester.
K. Henry. Uncles of Glo'fter 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.
Oh, what a scandal is it to our crown,
That two fuch noble Peers as ye fhould jar!
Believe me, Lords, my tender years can tell
Civil diffention is a vip'rous worm,
That gnaws the bowels of the common-wealth.
[A noife within, Down with the tawny coat.
K. Henry. What tumult's this?
War. An uproar, I dare warrant,
Begun through malice of the Bishop's men,
[A noife again, Stones, Stones,
SCENE II. Enter Mayor.
Mayor. O my good Lords, and virtuous Henry,
Pity the city London, pity us;
The Bishop's and the Duke of Glofter's men,
Forbidden late to carry any weapon,
Have fill'd their pockets full of pebble ftones;
And banding themfelves in contrary parts,
Do pelt fo faft at one another's pates,
That many have their giddy brains knock'd out:
Our windows are broke down in ev'ry street,
And we for fear compell'd to shut our shops.
Enter feveral in fkirmish with bloody pates.
K. Henry. We charge you on allegiance to our felves,
To hold your flaught'ring hands and keep the peace :
Pray, uncle Glo'fter, mitigate this ftrife.
1 Serv. Nay, if we be forbidden ftones, we'll fall to it with our teeth.
2 Serv. Do what ye dare, we are as refolute. [Skirmish again. Glo. You of my houshold, leave this peevish broil, And fet this unaccustom'd fight afide.
3 Serv. My Lord, we know your Grace to be a man Juft and upright; and for your royal birth
Inferior to none but his Majefty:
And ere that we will fuffer fuch a Prince,
So kind a father of the common-weal,
To be difgraced by an Inkhorn-mate,
We and our wives and children all will fight,
And have our bodies flaughter'd by thy foes.
1 Serv. Ay, and the very paring of our nails Shall pitch a field when we are dead.
And if you love me as you fay you do,
Let me perfwade you to forbear a while.
K. Henry. O, how this difcord doth afflict my foul!
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