Hor. Hold, Peter, hold! I confess, I confess trea son. [Dies. York. Take away his weapon :-Fellow, thank God, and the good wine in thy master's way. Peter. O God! have I overcome mine enemies in this presence? O Peter, thou hast prevailed in right! K. Hen. Go, take hence that traitor from our sight; For, by his death, we do perceive his guilt: And God, in justice, hath reveal'd to us The truth and innocence of this poor fellow, Which he had thought to have murder'd wrongfully.Come, fellow, follow us for thy reward. SCENE IV. The same. A street. [Exeunt. Enter Gloster and Servants, in mourning cloaks. Glo. Thus, sometimes, hath the brightest day a cloud; And, after summer, ever more succeeds Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold: Serv. Ten, my lord. Glo. Ten is the hour that was appointed me, To watch the coming of my punish'd duchess : Uneath may she endure the flinty streets, To tread them with her tender-feeling feet. Sweet Nell, ill can thy noble mind abrook The abject people, gazing on thy face, With envious looks still laughing at thy shame; That erst did follow thy proud chariot wheels, When thou didst ride in triumph through the streets. But, soft! I think, she comes; and I'll prepare My tear-stain'd eyes to see her miseries. 1. Enter the Duchess of Gloster, in a white sheet, with papers pinn'd upon her back, her feet bare, and a taper burning in her hand; Sir JOHN STANLEY, a Sheriff, and Officers. Serv. So please your grace, we'll take her from the sheriff. Glo. No, stir not, for your lives; let her pass by. Duch. Come you, my lord, to see my open shame? Now thou dost penance too. Look, how they gaze! See, how the giddy multitude do point, And nod their heads, and throw their eyes on thee! But be thou mild, and blush not at my shame; power, Glo. Ah, Nell, forbear; thou aimest all awry; I must offend, before I be attainted: And had I twenty times so many foes, And each of them had twenty times their All these could not procure me any scathe, So long as I am loyal, true, and crimeless. Would'st have me rescue thee from this reproach? Why, yet thy scandal were not wip'd away, But I in danger for the breach of law. Thy greatest help is quiet, gentle Nell: I pray thee, sort thy heart to patience; These few days' wonder will be quickly worn. Enter a Herald. Her. I summon your grace to his majesty's parliament, holden at Bury the first of this next month. Glo. And my consent ne'er ask'd herein before! This is close dealing.Well, I will be there. [Exit Herald. My Nell, I take my leave:-and, master sheriff, Let not her penance exceed the king's commission. Sher. An't please your grace, here my commission stays: And sir John Stanley is appointed now To take her with him to the isle of Man. Glo. Must you, sir John, protect my lady here? Stan. So am I given in charge, may't please your grace. Glo. Entreat her not the worse, in that I pray You do it her. And so, sir John, farewell. Duch. What gone, my lord; and bid me not farewell? Glo. Witness my tears, I cannot stay to speak. For none abides with me: my joy is-death; Duch. That's bad enough, for I am but reproach: And shall I then be us'd reproachfully? Stan. Like to a duchess, and duke Humphrey's lady, According to that state you shall be used. Duch. Sheriff, farewell, and better than I fare; Although thou hast been conduct of my shame! Sher. It is my office; and, madam, pardon me. Duch. Ay, ay, farewell; thy office is discharg❜d:Come, Stanley, shall we go? Stan. Madam, your penance done, throw off this sheet, And go we to attire you for our journey. Duch. My shame will not be shifted with my sheet : No, it will hang upon my richest robes, And show itself, attire me how I can. Go, lead the way; I long to see my prison. [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I.-The Abbey at Bury. Enter, to the Parliament, King HENRY, Queen MARGARET, Cardinal BEAUFORT, Suffolk, York, Buckingham, and Others. K. Hen. I muse, my lord of Gloster is not come : "Tis not his wont to be the hindmost mau, Whate'er occasion keeps him from us now. Q. Mar. Can you not see? or will you not observe The strangeness of his alter'd countenance? With what a majesty he bears himself; How insolent of late he is become, How proud, perémptory, and unlike himself? We know the time, since he was mild and affable; That all the court admir'd him for submission : Respecting what a rancorous mind he bears, |