Sound trumpets. Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret and ftate, the Dutchefs, Mother Jordan, Southwel, Hume and Bolingbrook, with Guard.

K. Henry. STAND forth, dame Eleanor Cobham,

Glo'fter's wife,

In fight of God and us your guilt is great;
Receive the fentence 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 burn'd to afhes,
And you three fhail be ftrangled on the gallows.
You, Madam, for you are more nobly born,
Defpoiled 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 Isle of Man.
Elean. Welcome is exile, welcome were my death.
Glou. The law thou feeft hath judg'd thee, Eleanor,
I cannot justifie 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. 'Befcech your Majefty give me leave to go; Sorrow would folace, and my age would eafe.

[go,

K. Henry. Stay, Humphry, Duke of Glo'fter; ere thou Give up thy ftaff; Henry will to himself Protector be, and God fhall be my hope, My stay, my guide, and lanthorn to my feet.

And

And go in peace, Humphry, no lefs belov'd,
Than 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 to th" King his realm.
Glou. My ftaff? here, noble Henry, is my staff:
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 Gloucefter.

Q. Mar. Why, now is Henry King, and Margʻret And Humphry Duke of Glofter scarce himself,

That bears fo fhrewd a maim; two pulls at once;

His Lady banish'd, and a limb lopt off:

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

[Queen.

Suf. Thus droops this lofty pine, and hangs his sprays, Thus Eleanor's pride dies in her younger days.

York. Lords, let him go. Please it your Majefty,
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.

Q. Mar. Ay, good my Lord; for purpofely therefore Left I the Court, to fee this quarrel try'd.

K. Henry. A' God's name fee the lifts and all things fit; Here let them end it, and God guard the right! York. I never faw a fellow worse bestead, Or more afraid to fight, than is th' appellant, The fervant of the armourer, my Lords.

5 the

SCENE

SCENE VI.

Enter at one door the Armourer and his Neighbours, drinking to him so much, that he is drunk; and he enters with a drum before him, and his staff with a fand-bag fastened to it; and at the other door bis Man, with a drum and a 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 fhall 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 mafter; 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 mony that I have. O Lord blefs me I pray God! for I am never able to deal with my mafter, he hath learn'd so 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.

(a) According to the old laws of Duels this was the manner of fighting appointed for inferior people, as thofe of a higher degree ufed the fword and lance.

Warburton.

Arm. Mafters, I am come hither as it were upon my man's inftigation, to prove him a knave and my felf an honest 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 a downright blow.

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 treason. [Dies. York. Take away his weapon: fellow, thank God, and the good wine in thy mafter's way.

6

[fight,

Peter. O God, have I overcome mine enemy in this prefence? O Peter, thou haft prevail'd in the right. K. Henry. 7 'Go, and take hence that traitor from our For by his death we do peceive his guilt. And God in juftice 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.

[Exeunt.

Enter Duke Humphry and his Men, in Mourning Cloaks.

HUS fometimes hath the brightest day a cloud;

Glou. TH

And after fummer 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.

Glou. Ten is the hour that was appointed me, To watch the coming of my punish'd Dutchess:

Unneath

Unneath may the 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 erft 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.

Enter the Dutchefs in a white Sheet, and a Taper burning in ber band, with a Sheriff and Officers, and Sir John Stanley.

Serv. So please your Grace, we'll take her from the Sheriff.

Glou. No, ftir not for your lives, let her pass by.

Elean. Come, you, my Lord, to fee my open fhame?
Now thou doft penance too. Look how they gaze,
See how the giddy multitude do point,

And nod their heads, and throw their eyes on thee.
Ah, Glofter, hide thee from their hateful looks,
And in thy clofet pent up rue my fhame,
And ban our enemies, both mine and thine.
Glou. Be patient, gentle Nell, forget this grief.
Elean. Ah, Glo'fter, teach me to forget my felf:
For whilst I think I am thy marry'd wife,
And thou a Prince, Protector of this land;
Methinks I fhould not thus be led along,
Mail'd up in fhame, with papers on my back,
And follow'd with a rabble, that rejoice
To fee my tears, and hear my deep-fetch'd groans.
The ruthless flint doth cut my tender feet,
And when I start the cruel people laugh,
And bid me be advised how I tread.
Ah, Humphry, can I bear this fhameful yoak?
Trow'st thou that e'er I'll look upon the world,
Or count them happy that enjoy the fun?
No: dark fhall be my light, and night my day.

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