Strong-fixed is the house of Lancaster, As princes do their courts, when they are cloy'd Plan. O, uncle, 'would some part of my young years, Might but redeem the passage of your age ! Mor. Thou dost then wrong me; as the slaught'rer doth, Which giveth many wounds, when one will kill. And so farewell; and fair be all thy hopes! [Dies. Plan. And peace, no war, befal thy parting soul! In prison hast thou spent a pilgrimage, [Exeunt Keepers, bearing out MORTIMER. Or make my ill3 the advantage of my good. [Exit. 3 Or make my ill-] my ill, is my ill usage. ACT III. SCENE I. The same, The Parliament-House. Flourish. Enter King HENRY, EXETER, GLoster, WARWICK, SOMERSET, and SUFFOLK; the Bishop Winchester, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, and Others. GLOSTER offers to put up a Bill;* Winchester snatches it, and tears it. Win. Com'st thou with deep premeditated lines, As I with sudden and extemporal speech Glo. Presumptuous priest ! this place commands Or thou should'st find thou hast dishonour'd me. 4 put up a Bill;] i. e. articles of accusation, for in this sense the word bill was sometimes used. As well at London bridge, as at the Tower? Win. Gloster, I do defy thee.-Lords, vouchsafe To give me hearing what I shall reply. Glo. Win. Ay, lordly sir; For what are you, I pray, But one imperious in another's throne? Glo. Am I not the protector, saucy priest? Win. Unreverent Gloster! Glo. Thou art reverent Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life. Roam thither then." 5 Thou bastard of my grandfather!] The bishop of Winchester was an illegitimate son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, by Catharine Swynford, whom the Duke afterwards married. • Roam thither then.] Roam to Rome. To roam is supposed to Som. My lord, it were your duty to forbear. War. Ay, see the bishop be not overborne. Som. Methinks, my lord should be religious, And know the office that belongs to such. War. Methinks, his lordship should be humbler; It fitteth not a prelate so to plead. Som. Yes, when his holy state is touch'd so near. War. State holy, or unhallow'd, what of that? Is not his grace protector to the king? Plan. Plantagenet, I see, must hold his tongue; Lest it be said, Speak, sirrah, when you should; Must your bold verdict enter talk with lords? Else would I have a fling at Winchester. Aside. K. Hen. Uncles of Gloster, 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! Believe me, lords, my tender years can tell, Civil dissention is a viperous worm, That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth.[A noise 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 Noise again; Stones! Stones! Enter the Mayor of London, attended. May. O, my good lords,-and virtuous Henry,Pity the city of London, pity us! The bishop and the duke of Gloster's men, Forbidden late to carry any weapon, be derived from the cant of vagabonds, who often pretended a pilgrimage to Rome. JOHNSON. Have fill'd their pockets full of pebble-stones; That many have their giddy brains knock'd out: Enter, skirmishing, the Retainers of GLOSTER and Winchester, with bloody pates. K. Hen. We charge you, on allegiance to ourself, To hold your slaught'ring hands, and keep the peace. Pray, uncle Gloster, mitigate this strife. 1 Serv. Nay, if we be Forbidden stones, we'll fall to it with our teeth. 2 Serv. Do what ye dare, we are as resolute. [Skirmish again. Glo. You of my household, leave this peevish broil, And set this unaccustom'd fight' aside. 1 Serv. My lord, we know your grace to be a man Just and upright; and, for your royal birth, 8 And, ere that we will suffer such a prince, 8 2 Serv. Ay, and the very parings of our nails 7- unaccustom'd fight-] Unaccustom'd is unseemly, indecent. an inkhorn mate,] A bookman. It was a term of reproach at the time towards men of learning, or men affecting to be learned. |