Act I, Scene 3

The palace.

[Enter three or four Petitioners, PETER, the] [p]Armourer's man, being one]

• First 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. 390

• Second 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. 395

• Second Petitioner. Come back, fool; this is the Duke of Suffolk, and
  not my lord protector.

• Earl of Suffolk. How now, fellow! would'st anything with me?

• First Petitioner. I pray, my lord, pardon me; I took ye for my lord
  protector. 400

• Queen Margaret. [Reading] 'To my Lord Protector!' Are your
  supplications to his lordship? Let me see them:
  what is thine?

• First Petitioner. Mine is, an't please your grace, against John
  Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my 405
  house, and lands, and wife and all, from me.

• Earl of Suffolk. Thy wife, too! that's some wrong, indeed. What's
  yours? What's here!
  [Reads]
  'Against the Duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the 410
  commons of Melford.' How now, sir knave!

• Second Petitioner. Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.

• Peter. [Giving his petition] Against my master, Thomas
  Horner, for saying that the Duke of York was rightful
  heir to the crown. 415

• Queen 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 usurper.

• Earl of Suffolk. Who is there? 420
  [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]

• Queen 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 supplication]
  Away, base cullions! Suffolk, let them go. 430

• All. Come, let's be gone.

[Exeunt]

• Queen Margaret. My Lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
  Is this the fashion in the court of England?
  Is this the government of Britain's isle, 435
  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? 440
  I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours
  Thou ran'st a tilt in honour of my love
  And stolest away the ladies' hearts of France,
  I thought King Henry had resembled thee
  In courage, courtship and proportion: 445
  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 450
  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. 455

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

• Queen Margaret. Beside the haughty protector, have we Beaufort,
  The imperious churchman, Somerset, Buckingham, 460
  And grumbling York: and not the least of these
  But can do more in England than the king.

• Earl of 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. 465

• Queen 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: 470
  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, 475
  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.

• Earl of Suffolk. Madam, myself have limed a bush for her,
  And placed a quire of such enticing birds, 480
  That she will light to listen to the 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, 485
  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, 490
  And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.
  [Sound a sennet. Enter KING HENRY VI, GLOUCESTER,]
  CARDINAL, BUCKINGHAM, YORK, SOMERSET, SALISBURY,
  WARWICK, and the DUCHESS]

• Henry VI. For my part, noble lords, I care not which; 495
  Or Somerset or York, all's one to me.

• Richard Plantagenet (Duke of Gloucester). If York have ill demean'd himself in France,
  Then let him be denay'd the regentship.

• Duke/Earl of Somerset. If Somerset be unworthy of the place,
  Let York be regent; I will yield to him. 500

• Earl of Warwick. Whether your grace be worthy, yea or no,
  Dispute not that: York is the worthier.

• Winchester. Ambitious Warwick, let thy betters speak.

• Earl of Warwick. The cardinal's not my better in the field.

• Duke of Buckingham. All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick. 505

• Earl of Warwick. Warwick may live to be the best of all.

• Earl of Salisbury. Peace, son! and show some reason, Buckingham,
  Why Somerset should be preferred in this.

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

• Duke of Gloucester. Madam, the king is old enough himself 510
  To give his censure: these are no women's matters.

• Queen Margaret. If he be old enough, what needs your grace
  To be protector of his excellence?

• Duke of Gloucester. Madam, I am protector of the realm;
  And, at his pleasure, will resign my place. 515

• Earl of Suffolk. Resign it then and leave thine insolence.
  Since thou wert king—as who is king but thou?—
  The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck;
  The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas;
  And all the peers and nobles of the realm 520
  Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.

• Winchester. The commons hast thou rack'd; the clergy's bags
  Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

• Duke/Earl of Somerset. Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife's attire
  Have cost a mass of public treasury. 525

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

• Queen Margaret. They sale of offices and towns in France,
  If they were known, as the suspect is great, 530
  Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.
  [Exit GLOUCESTER. QUEEN MARGARET drops her fan]
  Give me my fan: what, minion! can ye not?
  [She gives the DUCHESS a box on the ear]
  I cry you mercy, madam; was it you? 535

• 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.

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

• Eleanor. Against her will! good king, look to't in time; 540
  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]

• Duke of Buckingham. Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor, 545
  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]

• Duke of Gloucester. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown
  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: 555
  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. 560

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

• Richard Plantagenet (Duke of Gloucester). I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet:
  First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride; 565
  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 570
  Till Paris was besieged, famish'd, and lost.

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

• Earl of Suffolk. Peace, headstrong Warwick!

• Earl of Warwick. Image of pride, why should I hold my peace? 575
  [Enter HORNER, the Armourer, and his man]
  PETER, guarded]

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

• Richard Plantagenet (Duke of Gloucester). Doth any one accuse York for a traitor? 580

• Henry VI. What mean'st thou, Suffolk; tell me, what are these?

• Earl of 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 585
  And that your majesty was a usurper.

• Henry VI. Say, man, were these thy words?

• Thomas Horner. An't shall please your majesty, I never said nor
  thought any such matter: God is my witness, I am
  falsely accused by the villain. 590

• 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.

• Richard Plantagenet (Duke of Gloucester). Base dunghill villain and mechanical,
  I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech. 595
  I do beseech your royal majesty,
  Let him have all the rigor of the law.

• Thomas 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 600
  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.

• Henry VI. Uncle, what shall we say to this in law? 605

• Duke of Gloucester. This doom, my lord, if I may judge:
  Let Somerset be regent over the French,
  Because in York this breeds suspicion:
  And let these have a day appointed them
  For single combat in convenient place, 610
  For he hath witness of his servant's malice:
  This is the law, and this Duke Humphrey's doom.

• Duke/Earl of Somerset. I humbly thank your royal majesty.

• Thomas Horner. And I accept the combat willingly.

• Peter. Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God's sake, pity 615
  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!

• Duke of Gloucester. Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd.

• Henry VI. Away with them to prison; and the day of combat 620
  shall be the last of the next month. Come,
  Somerset, we'll see thee sent away.

[Flourish. Exeunt]