The Second Part of King Henry the Sixth - Уильям Шекспир

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PETITIONER. 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.

      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!

      SECOND 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.

      QUEEN. What say'st 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.

      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

        QUEEN. 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

        QUEEN. 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 ran'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.

        QUEEN. 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.

        QUEEN. 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 aveng'd 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 lim'd a bush for her,

          And plac'd a quire of such enticing birds

          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,

          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, DUKE HUMPHREY, CARDINAL BEAUFORT, BUCKINGHAM, YORK, SOMERSET, SALISBURY, WARWICK, and 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 demean'd himself in France,

          Then let him be denay'd 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 preferr'd in this.

        QUEEN. 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.

        QUEEN. If he be old enough, what needs your Grace

          To be Protector of his Excellence?

        GLOUCESTER.

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