Henry VI, Part II by William Shakespeare (trending books to read TXT) 📕

thus King Henry throws away his crutch
Before his legs be firm to bear his body.
Thus is the shepherd beaten from thy side
And wolves are gnarling who shall gnaw thee first.
Ah, that my fear were false! ah, that it were!
For, good King Henry, thy decay I fear. Exit, guarded. King

My lords, what to your wisdoms seemeth best,
Do or undo, as if ourself were here.

Queen What, will your highness leave the parliament? King

Ay, Margaret; my heart is drown’d with grief,
Whose flood begins to flow within mine eyes,
My body round engirt with misery,
For what’s more miserable than discontent?
Ah, uncle Humphrey! in thy face I see
The map of honour, truth and loyalty:
And yet, good Humphrey, is the hour to come
That e’er I proved thee false or fear’d thy faith.
What louring star now envies thy estate,
That these great lords and Margaret our queen
Do seek subversion of thy harmless life?
Thou never didst them wrong nor no man wrong;
And as the butcher takes away the calf
And binds the wretch and beats it when it strays,
Bearing it to the bloody slaughter-house,
Even so remorseless have they borne him hence;
And as the dam runs lowing up and down,
Looking the way her harmless young one went,
And can do nought but wail her darling’s loss,
Even so myself bewails good Gloucester’s case
With sad unhelpful tears, and with dimm’d eyes
Look after him and cannot do him good,
So mighty are his vowed enemies.
His fortunes I will weep and ’twixt each groan
Say “Who’s a traitor? Gloucester he is none.” Exeunt all but Queen, Cardinal Beaufort, Suffolk, and York; Somerset remains apart.

Queen

Free lords, cold snow melts with the sun’s hot beams.
Henry my lord is cold in great affairs,
Too full of foolish pity, and Gloucester’s show
Beguiles him as the mournful crocodile
With sorrow snares relenting passengers,
Or as the snake roll’d in a flowering bank,
With shining checker’d slough, doth sting a child
That for the beauty thinks it excellent.
Believe me, lords, were none more wise than I⁠—
And yet herein I judge mine own wit good⁠—
This Gloucester should be quickly rid the world,
To rid us of the fear we have of him.

Cardinal

That he should die is worthy policy;
But yet we want a colour for his death:
’Tis meet he be condemn’d by course of law.

Suffolk

But, in my mind, that were no policy:
The king will labour still to save his life,
The commons haply rise, to save his life;
And yet we have but trivial argument,
More than mistrust, that shows him worthy death.

York So that, by this, you would not have him die. Suffolk Ah, York, no man alive so fain as I! York

’Tis York that hath more reason for his death.
But, my lord cardinal, and you, my Lord of Suffolk,
Say as you think, and speak it from your souls,
Were’t not all one, an empty eagle were set
To guard the chicken from a hungry kite,
As place Duke Humphrey for the king’s protector?

Queen So the poor chicken should be sure of death. Suffolk

Madam, ’tis true; and were’t not madness, then,
To make the fox surveyor of the fold?
Who being accused a crafty murderer,
His guilt should be but idly posted over,
Because his purpose is not executed.
No; let him die, in that he is a fox,
By nature proved an enemy to the flock,
Before his chaps be stain’d with crimson blood,
As Humphrey, proved by reasons, to my liege.
And do not stand on quillets how to slay him:
Be it by gins, by snares, by subtlety,
Sleeping or waking, ’tis no matter how,
So he be dead; for that is good deceit
Which mates him first that first intends deceit.

Queen Thrice-noble Suffolk, ’tis resolutely spoke. Suffolk

Not resolute, except so much were done;
For things are often spoke and seldom meant:
But that my heart accordeth with my tongue,
Seeing the deed is meritorious,
And to preserve my sovereign from his foe,
Say but the word, and I will be his priest.

Cardinal

But I would have him dead, my Lord of Suffolk,
Ere you can take due orders for a priest:
Say you consent and censure well the deed,
And I’ll provide his executioner,
I tender so the safety of my liege.

Suffolk Here is my hand, the deed is worthy doing. Queen And so say I. York

And I: and now we three have spoke it,
It skills not greatly who impugns our doom.

Enter a Post. Post

Great lords, from Ireland am I come amain,
To signify that rebels there are up
And put the Englishmen unto the sword:
Send succours, lords, and stop the rage betime,
Before the wound do grow uncurable;
For, being green, there is great hope of help.

Cardinal

A breach that craves a quick expedient stop!
What counsel give you in this weighty cause?

York

That Somerset be sent as regent thither:
’Tis meet that lucky ruler be employ’d;
Witness the fortune he hath had in France.

Somerset

If York, with all his far-fet policy,
Had been the regent there instead of me,
He never would have stay’d in France so long.

York

No, not to lose it all, as thou hast done:
I rather would have lost my life betimes
Than bring a burthen of dishonour home
By staying there so long till all were lost.
Show me one scar character’d on thy skin:
Men’s flesh preserved so whole do seldom win.

Queen

Nay, then, this spark will prove a raging fire,
If wind and fuel be brought to feed it with:
No more, good York; sweet Somerset, be still:
Thy fortune, York, hadst thou been regent there,
Might happily have proved far worse than his.

York What, worse than nought? nay, then, a shame take all! Somerset And, in the number, thee that wishest shame! Cardinal

My Lord of York, try what your fortune is.
The uncivil kerns of Ireland are in arms
And temper clay with blood of Englishmen:
To Ireland will you lead a band of men,
Collected choicely, from each county some,
And try your hap against the Irishmen?

York I will, my lord, so please his majesty. Suffolk

Why, our authority is his consent,
And what we do establish he confirms:
Then, noble York, take thou this task in hand.

York

I am content: provide me soldiers, lords,
Whiles I take order for mine own affairs.

Suffolk