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 distress,
Levied an army; weening to redeem,
And have install'd me in the diadem:
But, as the rest, fo fell that noble earl,
And was beheaded. Thus the Mortimers,
In whom the title refted, were fupprefs'd.
PLAN. Of which, my lord, your honour is the laft.
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 lefs than bloody tyranny.
MOR. With filence, nephew, be thou politick i
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 fettled place.
PLAN. O, uncle, 'would fome part of my young years
Might but redeem the passage of your age!
[doth, 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!
And profperous be thy life, in peace, and war!
PLAN. And peace, no war, befal thy parting foul!
In prison haft thou spent a pilgrimage,
And like a hermit overpass'd thy days.
Well, I will lock his counfel in my breaft;
And what I do imagine, let that reft.--
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.
SCENE I. The fame. The Parliament-Houfe. Flourish. Enter King HENRY, EXETER, GLOSTER, WARWICK, SOMERSET, and SUFFOLK; the Bishop of WINCHESTER, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, and Others. GLOSTER offers to put up a bill; WINCHESTER fnatches it, and tears it.
WIN. Com'st thou with deep premeditated lines,
With written pamphlets ftudioufly devis'd,
Humphry of Glofter? if thou canst accuse,
Or aught intend'st 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 prieft! this place commands my patience,
Or thou should'ft 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 diffentious pranks,
As very infants prattle of thy pride.
Thou art a moft pernicious ufurer;
Froward by nature, enemy to peace;
Lascivious, wanton, more than well befeems
A man of thy profession, and degree ;
And for thy treachery, 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. Glofter, I do defy thee.-Lords, vouchfafe
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 feek 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 sway but he;
No one, but he, fhould 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, I pray,
But one imperious in another's throne?
GLO. Am I not the protector, faucy priest?
WIN. And am I not a prelate of the church?
GLO. Yes, as an outlaw in a castle keeps,
And useth it to patronage his theft.
WIN. Unreverent Glofter!
GLO. Thou art reverent
Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life.
WIN. This Rome fhall remedy.
WAR. Roam thither then.
SOM. My lord, it were your duty to forbear.
WAR. Ay, see the bishop be not overborne.
SOM. Methinks, my lord fhould be religious,
And know the office that belongs to fuch.
WAR. Methinks, his lordship should be humbler;
It fitteth not a prelate fo to plead.
SOM. Yes, when his holy ftate is touch'd fo near.
WAR. State holy, or unhallow'd, what of that?
Is not his grace protector to the king?
PLAN. Plantagenet, I fee, muft hold his tongue;
Left it be faid, Speak, firrah, when you should;
Muft your bold verdict enter talk with lords?
Elfe would I have a fling at Winchester.
K. HEN. Uncles of Glofter, 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 fuch noble peers as ye, should jar!
Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell,
Civil diffenfion is a viperous worm,
That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.-
[A noife within; Down with the tawny coats!
What tumult's this?
WAR. An uproar, I dare warrant,
Begun through malice of the bishop's men.
[A noife again; Stones! Stones!
Enter the MAYOR of London, attended.
Mar. O, my good lords, and virtuous Henry,—
Pity the city of London, pity us!
The bishop and the duke of Glofter's men,
Forbidden late to carry any weapon,
Have fill'd their pockets full of pebble-ftones;
And, banding themselves in contráry parts,
- Do pelt fo faft at one another's pate,
That many have their giddy brains knock'd out :
Our windows are broke down in every street,
And we, for fear, compell'd to fhut our fhops..
Enter, fkirmishing, the retainers of GLOSTER and
WINCHESTER, with bloody pates.
K. HEN. We charge you, on allegiance to ourself, To hold your flaught'ring hands, and keep the peace. Pray, uncle Glofter, mitigate this ftrife.
Forbidden ftones, we'll fall to it with our teeth.
2 SERV. Do what ye dare, we are as refolute.
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