Sal. This Edmond, in the reign of Bolingbroke,
As I have read, laid claim unto the crown;

And, but for Owen Glendower, had been King;
Who kept him in captivity till he dy'd.
But to the rest

York. His eldest filter, Anne,

My mother, being heir unto the crown,
Married Richard Earl of Cambridge,
Who was the fon to Edmond Langley,
Edward the Third's fifth fon.-

By her I claim the kingdom; fhe was heir
To Roger Earl of March, who was the fon
Of Edmond Mortimer, who married Philippe,
Sole daughter unto Lionel Duke of Clarence..
So, if the iffue of the elder foa

Succeed before the younger, I am King.

29

War. What plain proceedings is more plain than this? Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt, The fourth fon; York here claims it from the third. Till Lionel's iffüe fail; his fhould not reign;. It fails not yet, but flourisheth in thee, And in thy fons, fair flips of fuch a ftock.. Then, father Salisbury, kneel we together,. And in this private plot be we the first, That shall falute our rightful Sovereign With honour of his birthright to the crown.

Both. Long live our Sov'reign Richard, England's King!

York. We thank you, Lords: but I am not your King. Till I be crown'd; and that my fword be ftain'd

With heart-blood of the houfe of Lancaster :

And that's not fuddenly to be perform'd,
But with advice and filent fecrecy.

Do you, as I do, in thefe dang'rous days,
Wink at the Duke of Suffolk's infolence,
At Beaufort's pride, at Somerset's ambition,
At Buckingham, and all the crew of them;
Till they have fnar'd the fhepherd of the flock,
That virtuous prince, the good Duke Humphry:
'Tis that they feek, and they in feeking that
Shall feek their deaths, if York can prophefy,

Sal. My Lord, here break we off; we know your

mind.

War. My heart affures me, that the Earl of Warwick
Shall one day make the Duke of York a King.
York. And, Nevil, this I do affure myself:

Richard fhall live to make the Earl of Warwick
The greatest man in England, but the King. [Exeunt.

SCENE V. Changes to a house near to Smithfield.
Sound trumpets. Enter King Henry, Queen, and Nobles;
the Duchefs, Mother Jordan, Southwell, Hume, and
Bolingbroke, under guard.

K Henry. Stand forth, Dame Eleanor Cobham,
Glofter's wife.

In fight of God and us your guilt is great;
Receive the sentence of the law for fins,
Such as by God's book are adjudg'd to death.
You four from hence to prifon, back again;
From thence unto the place of execution;
The witch in Smithfield fhall be burned to aflies,
And you three. fhall be ftrangled on the gallows.
You, Madam, for you are more nobly born,
Delpoiled of your honour in your life,
Shall after three days open penance done,
Live in your country here, in banishment,
With Sir John Stanley, in the Ifle of Man.

Elean. Welcome is exile, welcome were my death." Glo. The law thou feeft, hath judg'd thee, Eleanor; I cannot justify whom law condemns..

[Exeunt Eleanor, and the others, guarded. Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief. Ah, Humphry! this difhonour in thine age Will bring thy head with forrow to the ground. I befeech your Majefly, give me leave to go; Sorrow would folace, and my age would eafe.

K. Henry. Stay, Humphry, Duke of Glo'fter; ere Give up thy ftaff; Henry will to himself [thou go, Protector be, and God fhall be my hope, My tay, my guide, and lanthorn to my feet. And go in peace, Humphry, no lefs belov'd, 1 han when thou wert Protector to thy King.

Q Mar. I fee no reason why a King of years
Should be to be protected like a child :

God and King Henry govern England's realm:
Give up your staff, Sir, and the King his realm:
Glo. My ftaff: here, Noble Henry, is my ftaff:
As willingly do I the fame refign

As e'er thy father Henry made it mine;
And even as willing at thy feet I leave it,
As others would ambitiously receive it.
Farewel, good King; when I am dead and
May honourable peace attend thy throne.

gone

[Exit Gloucester. 2 Mar. Why, now is Henry King, and Marg’ret Queen.

And Humphry Duke of Glo'fter scarce himself,
That bears fo fhrewd a maim; two pulls at once;
His Lady banish'd, and a limb lopp'd off:

This staff of honour raught, there let it ftand,
Where belt it fits to be, in Henry's hand.

Suf. Thus droops this lofty pine, and hangs his fprays;:
Thus Eleanor's pride dies in her younger days.
York. Lords, let him go. Please it your Majesty,
This is the day appointed for the combat,
And ready are th appellant and defendant,
The armourer and his man, to enter the lifts;
So please your Highness to` behold the fight.

2. Mar. Ay, good my Lord; for purposely therefore Left I the court to fee this quarrel try'd.

K. Henry. A God's name, fee the lifts and all things Here let them end it, and God guard the right! [fit; York. I never faw a fellow worse bestead,

Or more afraid to fight, than is th' appellant
The fervant of the armourer, my Lords..

Enter at one door the armourer and his neighbours drinking to him fo much, that he is drunk; and he enters with a drum before him, and his faff, with a fand-bag fastened to it; and at the other door his man, with a drum and fand-bag, and prentices drinking to him.

1 Neigh. Here, neighbour Horner, I drink to you in a cup of fack; and fear not, neighbour you thall do well enough.

2 Neigh. And here, neighbour, here's a cup of char

neco.

3 Neigh. And here's a pot of good double beer, neighbour; drink, and fear not your man.

Arm. Let it come, i' faith, and I'll pledge you all ; and a fig for Peter.

I Pren. Here, Peter, I drink to thee, and be not afraid.

2 Pren. Be merry, Peter, and fear not thy master ; fight for the credit of the prentices.

Peter. I thank you all drink and pray for me, I pray you; for I think I have taken my laft draught in this world. Here, Robin, if I die, I give thee my apron; and Will, thou fhalt have my hammer; and here, Tom, take all the money that I have. O Lord, bless me I pray God; for I am never able to deal with my mafter, he hath learn'd fo much to fence already. Sal. Come, leave your drinking, and fall to blows. Sirrah, what's thy name?

Peter. Peter, forfooth.
Sal. Peter what more?
Peter. Thump.

Sal. Thump? Then fee thou thump thy mafter well. Arm. Mafters, I am come hither as it were upon my man's inftigation, to prove him a knave, and myself an honeft man and touching the Duke of York, I will take my death I never meant him any ill, nor the King, nor the Queen; and therefore, Peter, have at thee with

* As according to the old laws of duels, Knights were to fight with the lance and fword; fo thofe of inferior rank fought with an elon faff or battcon, to the farther end of which was fix'd a bag cranim'd hard with fand.

a downright blow, as Bevis of Southampton fell upon Afcapart.

York. Difpatch: this knave's tongue begins to double, Sound trumpets; alarum to the combatants.

[They fight, and Peter ftrikes him down. Arm. Hold, Peter, hold; I confefs, I confefs treafon. [Dies. York. Take away his weapon: fellow, thank God, and the good wine in thy mafter's way.

*

Peter. O God, have I overcome mine enemy in this O Peter, thou haft prevail'd in right. [prefence? K. Henry. Go take hence that traitor from our fight, 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 murder wrongfully. Come, fellow, follow us for thy reward.

SCENE VII.

[Exeunt.

The fireet.

Enter Duke Humphry and his men, in mourning cloaks.

Glo. Thus fometimes hath the brightest day a cloud, And, after summer, evermore fucceeds

The barren winter with his nipping cold ;
So cares and joys abound, as feafons fleet.
Sirs, what's a clock ?

Serv. Ten, my Lord.

Glo. Ten is the hour that was appointed me,
To watch the coming of my punish'd Duchess:
Unneath may she endure the flinty streets.
To tread them with her tender-feeling feet.
Sweet Nell, ill can thy noble mind a-brook
The abject people gazing on thy face,
With envious looks ftill laughing at thy fhame,
That erst did follow thy proud chariot-wheels,
When thou didst ride in triumph thro' the streets.
But foft! I think fhe comes; and I'll prepare
My tear-ftain'd eyes to fee her miferies.

* death, for defeat. Becaufe by the laws of duels, he that was defeated, was executed in confequence of it