And her Attainture will be Humphry's Fall: ? Sort how it will, I fhall have gold for all.

SCENE

VII.

Changes to an Apartment in the Palace.

[Exit.

Enter three or four Petitioners, Peter the Armourer's

1 Pet.

M'

man being one.

Y mafters, let's ftand clofe; my Lord Protector will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our fupplications in quill. 2 Pet. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man, Jefu blefs him!

1 Pet. Here a'comes, methinks, and the Queens with him. I'll be the firft, fure.

2 Pet. Come back, fool, this is the Duke of Suffolk, and not my Lord Protector.

Suf. How now, fellow, wouldft any thing with me? 1 Pet. I pray, my Lord, pardon me; I took ye for my Lord Protector.

Q. Mar. To my Lord Protector. [reading.] Are your fupplications to his lordship? Let me fee them; what

is thine?

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

Suf. Thy wife too? that's fome wrong, indeed. What's yours? what's here? [reads.] Against the Duke of Suffolk, for inclofing the Commons of Long Melford. How now, Sir Knave?

7 Sort how it will.] Let the iffae be what it will.

In quill]-This is Sir T

Hanmer's reading, the reft have in the quill.

2 Pet. Alas, Sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole Township.

Suf. [reads.] Against my mafter, Thomas Horner, for faying, that the Duke of York was rightful heir to the Crown.

Q. Mar. What did the Duke of York fay, he was rightful heir to the Crown?

Peter. That my mafter was? no, forfooth; my mafter faid, that he was; and that the King was an ufurper.

Suf. Who is there?-Take this fellow in, and fend for his master with a purfuivant, presently; we'll hear more of your matter before the King.

[Exit Peter guarded. Q. Mar. And as for you, that love to be protected Under the wings of our Protector's Grace,

Begin your fuits anew, and fue to him.

[Tears the fupplications. Away, bafe cullions.-Suffolk, let them go.

All. Come, let's be gone. [Exeunt Petitioners.
Q. Mar. My lord of Suffolk, fay, is this the guife?
Is this the fashion in the Court of England?
Is this the government of Britain's ille?
And this the royalty of Albion's King!
What! fhall King Henry be a Pupil ftill,
Under the furly Glo'fter's governance?
Am I a Queen in title and in ftyle,
And must be made a Subject to a Duke?
I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours
Thou ran'ft a-tilt in honour of my love,
And stol'ft 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 Apoftles;
His weapons holy Saws of facred Writ;
His study is his tilt-yard; and his loves

Are

Are brazen images of canoniz'd faints.
I would, the College of the Cardinals.
Would chufe him Pope, and carry him to Rome,
And fet the triple Crown upon his head;
That were a ftate fit for his holiness!

Suf. Madam, be patient; as I was the caufe
Your Highness came to England, fo will I
In England work your Grace's full content.

Q. Mar. Befide the proud Protector, have we
Beauford

Th'imperious Churchman; Somerfet, Buckingham,
And grumbling York; and not the leaft of thefe
But can do more in England, than the King.

Suf. And he of thefe, that can do most of all,
Cannot do more in England than the Nevills;
Salib'ry and Warwick are no fimple Peers.

Q. Mar. Not all thefe Lords do vex me half fo much,

As that proud Dame, the Lord Protector's wife;
She fweeps it through the Court with troops of ladies,
More like an Emprefs than Duke Humphry's wife.
Strangers in Court do take her for the Queen;
She bears a Duke's revenues on her back,
And in her heart the fcorns our poverty.
Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her?
Contemptuous, bafe born, Callat as she is,
She vaunted 'mongft 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!
Suf. Madam, myfelf have lim'd a bufh for her,
And plac'd a quire of fuch enticing birds,
That he will light to liften to their lays?
And never mount to trouble you again,
So, let her reft; and, Madam, lift to me;
For I am bold to counfel you, in this;
Although we fancy not the Cardinal,

Yet muit we join with him and with the Lords,
VOL. V.

C

Till

Till we have brought Duke Humphry in difgrace.
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 fhall fteer the happy Realm.

To them enter King Henry, Duke Humphry, Cardinal, Buckingham, York, Salisbury, Warwick, and the Dutchess of Gloucester.

K. Henry. For my part, noble Lords, I care not which.

Or Somerset, or York. All's one to me.

York. If York have ill demean'd himself in France, Then let him be deny'd the Regentship.

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

War. Whether your Grace be worthy, yea or no, Difpute not that; York is the worthier.

Cer. Ambitious Warwick, let thy Betters fpeak. War. The Cardinal's not my better in the field. Buck. All in this Prefence are thy betters, Warwick. War. Warwick may live to be the best of all. Sal. Peace, Son; and fhew fome reafon, Buckingham, Why Somerfet fhould be preferr'd in this.

Q. Mor. Because the King, forfooth, will have it fo. Glo. Madam, the King is old enough himself To give his Cenfure. Thefe are no woman's matters. Q. Mar. If he be old enough, what needs your

Grace

To be Protector of his Excellence?

Glo. Madam, I am Protector of the Realm; And, at his pledfure, will refign my place.

That is, the complaint of B.ter the armourer's man agaist his mafter, for faying that or was the rightful king.

His cenfure.] Through all thefe plays cenfure is ufed in an indifferent fenfe, fimply for judg ment or opinion.

Suf

Suf. Refign it then, and leave thine infolence.
Since thou wert King, as who is King, but thou?
The Common-wealth hath daily run to wreck.
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the feas,
And all the Peers, and Nobles of the Realm,
Have been as bond-men to thy fov'reignty.

Car. The Commons haft thou rack'd; the Clergy's bags

Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Som. Thy fumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire, Have coft a mals of publick treafury.

Buck. Thy cruelty in execution

Upon Offenders hath exceeded law;
And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Q. Mar. Thy fale of offices and towns in France,
If they were known, as the fuípect is great,
Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.

[Exit Glo'fter. The Queen drops her fan. Give me my fan; what, minion? can ye not?

[Gives the Dutchefs a box on the ear. I cry you mercy, Madam; was it you?

Elean. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud French

woman:

Could I come near your beauty with

my nails, I'd fet my ten commandments in your face.

K. Henry. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas againft her will.

Elean. Against her will?-Good King, look to't in time,

She'll hamper thee and dandle thee like a baby. Though in this place moft Mafter wears no breeches, She fhall not strike Dame Eleanor unreveng'd.

[Exit Eleanor. Buck. Lord Cardinal, I'll follow Eleanor, And liften after Humphry, how he proceeds. She's tickled now, her fume can need no fpurs; She'll gallop faft enough to her deftruction.

C 2

[Exit Buckingham. SCENE