London. A Room in the Palace.
 Enter three or four PETITIONERS, PETER, the Armourer's man, being one.

1st Petitioner	My masters, let's stand close. My Lord Protector will come 
	this way by and by, and then we may deliver our 
	supplications in the quill.

2nd Petitioner	Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man, Jesu 
	bless him!

                    Enter SUFFOLK and QUEEN MARGARET.

Peter	Here a' comes, methinks, and the queen with him. I'll be 
	the first, sure.

2nd Petitioner	Come back, fool. This is the Duke of Suffolk and not my 
	Lord Protector.

Suffolk	How now, fellow! Wouldst anything with me?

1st Petitioner	I pray, my lord, pardon me; I took ye for my Lord 
	Protector.

Margaret	[Reads.] "To my Lord Protector!"
	Are your supplications to his lordship? Let me see them. 
	What is thine?

1st Petitioner	Mine is, and't please your grace, against John Goodman, my 
	Lord Cardinal's man, for keeping my house, and lands, and 
	wife, and all, from me.

Suffolk	Thy wife too? That's some wrong indeed! What's yours? 
	What's here?
	[Reads.]	"Against the Duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the 
	commons of Melford."
	How now, sir knave!

2nd Petitioner	Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole 
	township.

Peter	[Presenting his petition.] Against my master, Thomas 
	Horner, for saying that the Duke of York was rightful heir 
	to the crown.

Margaret	What sayst thou? Did the Duke of York say he was rightful 
	heir to the crown?

Peter	That my master was? No, forsooth; my master said that he 
	was, and that the king was an usurer.

Margaret	An usurper, thou wouldst say.

Peter	Ay, forsooth, an usurper.

Suffolk	Who is there?

                              Enter SERVANT.

	Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a 
	pursuivant presently. We'll hear more of your matter before 
	the king.
													[Exit SERVANT with PETER.

Margaret	And as for you, that love to be protected
	Under the wings of our Protector's grace,
	Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.
													[Tears the supplications.
	Away, base cullions! Suffolk, let them go.

All	Come, let's be gone.
													[Exeunt PETITIONERS.

Margaret	My Lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
	Is this the fashions in the court of England?
	Is this the government of Britain's isle,
	And this the royalty of Albion's king?
	What, shall King Henry be a pupil still
	Under the surly Gloucester's governance?
	Am I a queen in title and in style,
	And must be made a subject to a duke?
	I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours
	Thou rann'st a tilt in honour of my love
	And stol'st away the ladies' hearts of France,
	I thought King Henry had resembled thee
	In courage, courtship, and proportion;
	But all his mind is bent to holiness,
	To number Ave-Maries on his beads;
	His champions are the prophets and apostles,
	His weapons holy saws of sacred writ,
	His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves
	Are brazen images of canonized saints.
	I would the College of the Cardinals
	Would choose him Pope, and carry him to Rome,
	And set the triple crown upon his head-
	That were a state fit for his holiness.

Suffolk	Madam, be patient. As I was cause
	Your highness came to England, so will I
	In England work your grace's full content.

Margaret	Beside the haughty Protector, have we Beaufort
	The imperious churchman, Somerset, Buckingham,
	And grumbling York; and not the least of these
	But can do more in England than the king.

Suffolk	And he of these that can do most of all
	Cannot do more in England than the Nevils.
	Salisbury and Warwick are no simple peers.

Margaret	Not all these lords do vex me half so much
	As that proud dame, the Lord Protector's wife.
	She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies,
	More like an empress than Duke Humphrey's wife.
	Strangers in court do take her for the queen.
	She bears a duke's revenues on her back,
	And in her heart she scorns our poverty.
	Shall I not live to be avenged on her?
	Contemptuous base-born callet as she is,
	She vaunted 'mongst her minions t'other day
	The very train of her worst wearing gown
	Was better worth than all my father's lands,
	Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter.

Suffolk	Madam, myself have limed a bush for her,
	And placed a quire of such enticing birds
	That she will light to listen to their lays,
	And never mount to trouble you again.
	So, let her rest; and, madam, list to me,
	For I am bold to counsel you in this.
	Although we fancy not the Cardinal,
	Yet must we join with him and with the lords,
	Till we have brought Duke Humphrey in disgrace.
	As for the Duke of York, this late complaint
	Will make but little for his benefit.
	So, one by one we'll weed them all at last,
	And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.

                             Sound a sennet.
         Enter the KING, GLOUCESTER, CARDINAL, BUCKINGHAM, YORK,
   SOMERSET, SALISBURY, WARWICK, and ELEANOR the Duchess of Gloucester.

King Henry	For my part, noble lords, I care not which.
	Or Somerset or York, all's one to me.

York	If York have ill demeaned himself in France,
	Then let him be denayed the Regentship.

Somerset	If Somerset be unworthy of the place,
	Let York be Regent; I will yield to him.

Warwick	Whether your grace be worthy, yea or no,
	Dispute not that; York is the worthier.

Cardinal	Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.

Warwick	The Cardinal's not my better in the field.

Buckingham	All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.

Warwick	Warwick may live to be the best of all.

Salisbury	Peace, son; and show some reason, Buckingham,
	Why Somerset should be preferred in this.

Margaret	Because the king, forsooth, will have it so.

Gloucester	Madam, the king is old enough himself
	To give his censure. These are no women's matters.

Margaret	If he be old enough, what needs your grace
	To be Protector of his excellence?

Gloucester	Madam, I am Protector of the realm,
	And at his pleasure will resign my place.

Suffolk	Resign it then, and leave thine insolence.
	Since thou wert king - as who is king but thou?-
	The commonwealth hath daily run to wrack,
	The Dauphin hath prevailed beyond the seas,
	And all the peers and nobles of the realm
	Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.

Cardinal	The commons hast thou racked; the clergy's bags
	Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Somerset	Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife's attire
	Have cost a mass of public treasury.

Buckingham	Thy cruelty in execution
	Upon offenders hath exceeded law,
	And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Margaret	Thy sale of offices and towns in France,
	If they were known, as the suspect is great,
	Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.
													[Exit GLOUCESTER.
													[MARGARET drops her fan.
	Give me my fan. What, minion, can ye not?
								 [She gives ELEANOR a box on the ear.
	I cry you mercy, madam - was it you?

Eleanor	Was't I? Yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman.
	Could I come near your beauty with my nails,
	I'd set my ten commandments in your face.

King Henry	Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will.

Eleanor	Against her will? Good king, look to't in time;
	She'll hamper thee and dandle thee like a baby.
	Though in this place most master wear no breeches,
	She shall not strike Dame Eleanor unrevenged.
													[Exit.
Buckingham	Lord Cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,
	And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds.
	She's tickled now; her fume needs no spurs,
	She'll gallop far enough to her destruction.
													[Exit.
                           Re-enter GLOUCESTER.

Gloucester	Now, lords, my choler being overblown
	With walking once about the quadrangle,
	I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
	As for your spiteful false objections,
	Prove them, and I lie open to the law;
	But God in mercy so deal with my soul
	As I in duty love my king and country!
	But to the matter that we have in hand.
	I say, my sovereign, York is meetest man
	To be your Regent in the realm of France.

Suffolk	Before we make election, give me leave
	To show some reason of no little force
	That York is most unmeet of any man.

York	I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet:
	First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride;
	Next, if I be appointed for the place,
	My Lord of Somerset will keep me here
	Without discharge, money, or furniture,
	Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands.
	Last time I danced attendance on his will
	Till Paris was besieged, famished, and lost.

Warwick	That can I witness; and a fouler fact
	Did never traitor in the land commit.

Suffolk	Peace, headstrong Warwick!

Warwick	Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?

          Enter HORNER the Armourer, and his man PETER, guarded.

Suffolk	Because here is a man accused of treason.
	Pray God the Duke of York excuse himself!

York	Doth anyone accuse York for a traitor?

King Henry	What mean'st thou, Suffolk? Tell me, what are these?

Suffolk	Please it your majesty, this is the man
	That doth accuse his master of high treason.
	His words were these: that Richard Duke of York
	Was rightful heir unto the English crown,
	And that your majesty was an usurper.

King Henry	Say, man, were these thy words?

Horner	And't shall please your majesty, I never said nor thought 
	any such matter. God is my witness, I am falsely accused by 
	the villain.

Peter	By these ten bones, my lords, he did speak them to me in 
	the garret one night as we were scouring my Lord of York's 
	armour.

York	Base dunghill villain and mechanical,
	I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech.
	I do beseech your royal majesty,
	Let him have all the rigour of the law.

Horner	Alas, my lord, hang me if ever I spake the words. My 
	accuser is my prentice; and when I did correct him for his 
	fault the other day, he did vow upon his knees he would be 
	even with me; I have good witness of this. Therefore I 
	beseech your majesty, do not cast away an honest man for a 
	villain's accusation.

King Henry	Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?

Gloucester	This doom, my lord, if I may judge:
	Let Somerset be Regent o'er the French,
	Because in York this breeds suspicion;
	And let these have a day appointed them
	For single combat in convenient place;
	For he hath witness of his servant's malice.
	This is the law, and this Duke Humphrey's doom.

King Henry	Then be it so my Lord of Somerset.
	We make your grace Regent over the French,
	And to defend our rights 'gainst foreign foes,
	And so do good unto the realm of France.

Somerset	I humbly thank your royal majesty.

Horner	And I accept the combat willingly.

Peter	Alas, my lord, I cannot fight. For God's sake, pity my 
	case; the spite of man prevaileth against me. O Lord, have 
	mercy upon me! I shall never be able to fight a blow. O 
	Lord, my heart!

Gloucester	Sirrah, or you must fight or else be hanged.

King Henry	Away with them to prison; and the day of combat be the last 
	of the next month. Come, Somerset, we'll see thee sent 
	away.
													[Flourish. Exeunt.
