SAL. Come, leave your drinking, and fall to blows.-Sirrah, what's thy name? PETER. Peter, forsooth.

SAL. Peter! what more?

PETER. Thump.

SAL. Thump! then see thou thump thy master well.

HOR. Masters, I am come hither, as it were, upon my man's instigation, to prove him a knave and myself 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, [as Bevis of Southampton fell upon Ascapart.a]

YORK. Despatch;-this knave's tongue begins to double.
Sound trumpets alarum to the combatants.

[Alarum. They fight, and PETER strikes down his master.

HOR. Hold, Peter, hold! I confess, I confess treason.

[Dies.

YORK. Take away his weapon:-Fellow, thank God, and the good wine in thy

master's way.

PETER. O God! have I overcome mine enemies in this presence? O Peter,

thou hast prevailed in right!

K. HEN. Go, take hence that traitor from our sight;

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 have murther'd wrongfully.
Come, fellow, follow us for thy reward.

SCENE IV.-The same. A Street.

Enter GLOSTER and Servants, in mourning cloaks.

GLO. Thus, sometimes, hath the brightest day a cloud;

And after summer evermore succeeds

Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold:
So cares and joys abound as seasons fleet.
Sirs, what's o'clock?

[Exeunt.

a The words in brackets are not in the folio, but are found in The First Part of the Contention.' The story of Bevis and Ascapart was a favourite legend.

b Uneath not easily.

See Illustrations of Act II.
Envious-malicious.

That erst did follow thy proud chariot wheels,

When thou didst ride in triumph through the streets.
But soft! I think she comes; and I'll prepare

My tear-stain'd eyes to see her miseries.

Enter the DUCHESS OF GLOSTER, in a white sheet, with papers pinned upon her back, her feet bare, and a taper burning in her hand; SIR JOHN STANLEY, a Sheriff, and Officers.

SERV. So please your grace, we 'll take her from the sheriff.

GLO. No, stir not, for your lives; let her pass by.

DUCH. Come you, my lord, to see my open shame?
Now thou dost penance too. Look, how they gaze!
See, how the giddy multitude do point,

And nod their heads, and throw their eyes on thee!
Ah, Gloster, hide thee from their hateful looks :
And in thy closet pent up rue my shame,
And ban thine enemies, both mine and thine.
GLO. Be patient, gentle Nell; forget this grief.
DUCH. Ah, Gloster, teach me to forget myself:

For, whilst I think I am thy married wife,
And thou a prince, protector of this land,
Methinks I should not thus be led along,
Mail'd up in shame, with papers on my back;
And follow'd with a rabble, that rejoice
To see my tears, and hear my deep-feta groans.
The ruthless flint doth cut my tender feet;
And when I start the envious people laugh,
And bid me be advised how I tread.

Ah, Humphrey, can I bear this shameful yoke?
Trowest thou that e'er I 'll look upon the world;
Or count them happy that enjoy the sun?
No; dark shall be my light, and night my day;
To think upon my pomp shall be my hell.
Sometime I'll say, I am duke Humphrey's wife ;
And he a prince, and ruler of the land:
Yet so he rul'd, and such a prince he was,
As he stood by, whilst I, his forlorn duchess,
Was made a wonder, and a pointing stock,

To every idle rascal follower.

But be thou mild, and blush not at my shame;
Nor stir at nothing, till the axe of death.

Hang over thee, as sure it shortly will.

For Suffolk, he that can do all in all

a Deep-fet-deep-fetched.

With her, that hateth thee, and hates us all,—
And York, and impious Beaufort, that false priest,
Have all lim'd bushes to betray thy wings,

And, fly thou how thou canst, they 'll tangle thee:
But fear not thou until thy foot be snar'd,
Nor never seek prevention of thy foes.
GLO. Ah, Nell, forbear; thou aimest all awry;
I must offend before I be attainted:
And had I twenty times so many foes,

And each of them had twenty times their power,
All these could not procure me any scatha,
So long as I am loyal, true, and crimeless.
Wouldst have me rescue thee from this reproach?
Why, yet thy scandal were not wip'd away,
But I in danger for the breach of law.
Thy greatest help is quiet, gentle Nell:
I pray thee, sort thy heart to patience;

These few days' wonder will be quickly worn.

Enter a Herald.

HER. I summon your grace to his majesty's parliament, holden at Bury the

first of this next month.

GLO. And my consent ne'er ask'd herein before!

This is close dealing.-Well, I will be there.
My Nell, I take my leave :-and, master sheriff,
Let not her penance exceed the king's commission.

SHER. An 't please your grace, here my commission stays:
And sir John Stanley is appointed now

To take her with him to the isle of Man.

GLO. Must you, sir John, protect my lady here?

STAN. So am I given in charge, may 't please your grace.

GLO. Entreat her not the worse, in that I pray

You use her well:

The world may laugh again; and I may live
To do you kindness, if you do it her.

And so, sir John, farewell.

[Exit Herald.

[Exeunt GLO. and Servants.

DUCH. What, gone, my lord; and bid me not farewell?
GLO. Witness my tears, I cannot stay to speak.
DUCH. Art thou gone too? All comfort go with thee,

For none abides with me: my joy is-death;
Death, at whose name I oft have been afeard,
Because I wish'd this world's eternity.—
Stanley, I prithee, go, and take me hence;

I care not whither, for I beg no favour,

a Scath-harm.

Only convey me where thou art commanded.
STAN. Why, madam, that is to the isle of Man;
There to be used according to your state.
DUCH. That's bad enough, for I am but reproach:
And shall I then be used reproachfully?
STAN. Like to a duchess, and duke Humphrey's lady,
According to that state you shall be used.
DUCH. Sheriff, farewell, and better than I fare;
Although thou hast been conduct of my shame!
SHER. It is my office; and, madam, pardon me.
DUCH. Ay, ay, farewell; thy office is discharg'd.
Come, Stanley, shall we go?

STAN. Madam, your penance done, throw off this sheet,

And go we to attire you for our journey.

DUCH. My shame will not be shifted with my

No, it will hang upon my richest robes,
And show itself, attire me how I can.
Go, lead the way; I long to see my prison.

sheet;

[Exeunt.

Enter to the Parliament, KING HENRY, QUEEN MARGARET, CARDINAL BEAUFORT, SUFFOLK, YORK, BUCKINGHAM, and others.

K. HEN. I musea, my lord of Gloster is not come :
"T is not his wont to be the hindmost man,
Whate'er occasion keeps him from us now.

Q. MAR. Can you not see? or will you not observe
The strangeness of his alter'd countenance?

a I muse--I wonder.