'York. Then, Buckingham, I do dismiss my powers. 'Soldiers, I thank you all; disperse yourselves; * Meet me to-morrow in Saint George's field, You shall have pay, and every thing you wish. * And let my sovereign, virtuous Henry, * Command my eldest son,-nay, all my sons, *As pledges of my fealty and love, * I'll send them all as willing as I live; * Lands, goods, horse, armour, any thing I have *Is his to use, so Somerset may die. 'Buck. York, I commend this kind submission: "We twain will go into his highness' tent. Enter King HENRY, attended. 'K. Hen. Buckingham, doth York intend no harm to us, That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm ? * York. In all submission and humility, * York doth present himself unto your highness. *K. Hen. Then what intend these forces thou dost bring? York. To heave the traitor Somerset from hence; And fight against that monstrous rebel, Cade, 'Who since I heard to be discomfited. Enter IDEN, with CADE's Head. Iden. If one so rude, and of so mean condition, May pass into the presence of a king, May_pass Lo, I present your grace a traitor's head, The head of Čade, whom I in combat slew. 'K. Hen. The head of Cade?-Great God, how just art thou!- 'O, let me view his visage being dead, 'That living wrought me such exceeding trouble. . Tell me, my friend, art thou the man that slew him? Iden. I was, an't like your majesty. K. Hen. How art thou call'd? and what is thy degree? • Iden. Alexander Iden, that's my name; A poor esquire of Kent, that loves his king. * Buck. So please it you, my lord, 'twere not amiss * He were created knight for his good service. We give thee for reward a thousand marks; K. Hen. See, Buckingham! Somerset comes 'Go, bid her hide him quickly from the duke, Enter Queen MARGARET and SOMERSET. 'Q. Mar. For thousand Yorks he shall not hide his head, 'But boldly stand, and front him to his face. • York. How now! Is Somerset at liberty? Then, York, unloose thy long-imprison'd thoughts, And let thy tongue be equal with thy heart. 'Shall I endure the sight of Somerset ? False king! why hast thou broken faith with me, Knowing how hardly I can brook abuse? King did I call thee? no, thou art not king; 'Not fit to govern and rule multitudes, 'Which dar'st not, no, nor canst not rule a traitor. • That head of thine doth not become a crown; Thy hand is made to grasp a palmer's staff, And not to grace an awful princely scepter. That gold must round engirt these brows of mine; Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles' spear, Is able with the change to kill and cure. • Here is a hand to hold a scepter up, And with the same to act controlling laws. Give place; by heaven, thou shalt rule no more 'O'er him, whom heaven created for thy ruler. Som. O monstrous traitor!-I arrest thee, York, "Of capital treason 'gainst the king and crown: *Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace. *York. Would'st have me kneel? first lest me ask of these, * If they can brook I bow a knee to man.* Sirrahi, call in my sons to be my bail; [Erit an Attendant. * I know, ere they will have me go to ward, * They'll pawn their swords for my enfranchisement. 'Q. Mar. Call hither Clifford; bid him come amain, *To say, if that the bastard boys of York Enter EDWARD and RICHARD PLANTAGENET, with Forces, at one Side; at the other, with Forces also, old CLIFFORD and his Son. *See, where they come; I'll warrant they'll make it good. Q. Mar. And here comes Clifford, to deny their bail. Clif. Health and all happiness to my lord the king! [Kneels. 'York. I thank thee, Clifford: Say, what news with thee? Nay, do not fright us with an angry look: "We are thy sovereign, Clifford, kneel again; For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee. Clif. This is my king, York, I do not mistake; 'But thou mistak'st me much, to think I do :To bedlam with him! is the man grown mad? 'K. Hen. Ay, Clifford; a bedlam and ambitious humour 'Makes him oppose himself against his king. Clif. He is a traitor; let him to the Tower, 'And chop away that factious pate of his. Q. Mar. He is arrested, but will not obey; His sons, he says, shall give their words for him. "York. Will you not, sons? Edw. Ay, noble father, if our words will serve. Rich. And if words will not, then our weapons shall. * Clif. Why, what a brood of traitors have we here! * York. Look in a glass, and call thy image so; * I am thy king, and thou a false-heart traitor. 'Call hither to the stake my two brave bears, * That, with the very shaking of their chains, *They may astonish these fell lurking curs; * Bid Salisbury, and Warwick, come to me. Drums. Enter WARWICK and SALISBURY, with Forces. Clif. Are these thy bears? we'll bait thy bears to death, And manacle the bear-ward in their chains, 6 Call hither to the stake my two brave bears,— Bid Salisbury, and Warwick, come-] The Nevils, earls of Warwick, had a bear and ragged staff for their cognizance. If thou dar'st bring them to the baiting-place. * Rich. Oft have I seen a hot o'erweening cur * Run back and bite, because he was withheld; * Who, being suffer'd' with the bear's fell paw, * Hath clapp'd his tail between his legs, and cry'd: * And such a piece of service will you do, * If you oppose yourselves to match lord Warwick. * Člif. Hence, heap of wrath, foul indigested lump, * As crooked in thy manners as thy shape! * York. Nay, we shall heat you thoroughly anon. * Clif. Take heed, lest by your heat you burn yourselves. * K. Hen. Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot to bow? * Old Salisbury,-shame to thy silver hair, * Thou mad misleader of thy brain-sick son! * What, wilt thou on thy death-bed play the ruffian, *And seek for sorrow with thy spectacles? * O, where is faith? O, where is loyalty? * If it be banish'd from the frosty head, *Where shall it find a harbour in the earth ?*Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war, * And shame thine honourable age with blood? * Why art thou old, and want'st experience? * Or wherefore dost abuse it, if thou hast it? * For shame! in duty bend thy knee to me, * That bows unto the grave with mickle age. *Sal. My lord, I have consider'd with myself *The title of this most renowned duke; * And in my conscience do repute his grace * The rightful heir to England's royal seat. * K. Hen. Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto me? 7 -being suffer'd-] Being suffer'd to approach to the bear's fell paw. Such may be the meaning. I am not, however, sure, but the poet meant, being in a state of sufferance or pain, MALONE |