The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, William Shakespeare [book recommendations based on other books txt] 📗

it is your policy To save your subjects from such massacre And ruthless slaughters as are daily seen By our proceeding in hostility;

And therefore take this compact of a truce, Although you break it when your pleasure serves.

WARWICK. How say’st thou, Charles? Shall our condition stand?

CHARLES. It shall;

Only reserv’d, you claim no interest

In any of our towns of garrison.

YORK. Then swear allegiance to his Majesty: As thou art knight, never to disobey

Nor be rebellious to the crown of England Thou, nor thy nobles, to the crown of England.

[CHARLES and the rest give tokens of fealty]

So, now dismiss your army when ye please; Hang up your ensigns, let your drums be still, For here we entertain a solemn peace. Exeunt

SCENE 5.

 

London. The palace Enter SUFFOLK, in conference with the KING, GLOUCESTER and EXETER

 

KING HENRY. Your wondrous rare description, noble Earl, Of beauteous Margaret hath astonish’d me.

Her virtues, graced with external gifts, Do breed love’s settled passions in my heart; And like as rigour of tempestuous gusts Provokes the mightiest hulk against the tide, So am I driven by breath of her renown Either to suffer shipwreck or arrive

Where I may have fruition of her love.

SUFFOLK. Tush, my good lord! This superficial tale Is but a preface of her worthy praise.

The chief perfections of that lovely dame, Had I sufficient skill to utter them, Would make a volume of enticing lines, Able to ravish any dull conceit;

And, which is more, she is not so divine, So full-replete with choice of all delights, But with as humble lowliness of mind

She is content to be at your command

Command, I mean, of virtuous intents, To love and honour Henry as her lord.

KING HENRY. And otherwise will Henry ne’er presume.

Therefore, my Lord Protector, give consent That Margaret may be England’s royal Queen.

GLOUCESTER. So should I give consent to flatter sin.

You know, my lord, your Highness is betroth’d Unto another lady of esteem.

How shall we then dispense with that contract, And not deface your honour with reproach?

SUFFOLK. As doth a ruler with unlawful oaths; Or one that at a triumph, having vow’d To try his strength, forsaketh yet the lists By reason of his adversary’s odds:

A poor earl’s daughter is unequal odds, And therefore may be broke without offence.

GLOUCESTER. Why, what, I pray, is Margaret more than that?

Her father is no better than an earl, Although in glorious titles he excel.

SUFFOLK. Yes, my lord, her father is a king, The King of Naples and Jerusalem;

And of such great authority in France As his alliance will confirm our peace, And keep the Frenchmen in allegiance.

GLOUCESTER. And so the Earl of Armagnac may do, Because he is near kinsman unto Charles.

EXETER. Beside, his wealth doth warrant a liberal dower; Where Reignier sooner will receive than give.

SUFFOLK. A dow’r, my lords! Disgrace not so your king, That he should be so abject, base, and poor, To choose for wealth and not for perfect love.

Henry is able to enrich his queen,

And not to seek a queen to make him rich.

So worthless peasants bargain for their wives, As market-men for oxen, sheep, or horse.

Marriage is a matter of more worth

Than to be dealt in by attorneyship;

Not whom we will, but whom his Grace affects, Must be companion of his nuptial bed.

And therefore, lords, since he affects her most, It most of all these reasons bindeth us In our opinions she should be preferr’d; For what is wedlock forced but a hell, An age of discord and continual strife?

Whereas the contrary bringeth bliss,

And is a pattern of celestial peace.

Whom should we match with Henry, being a king, But Margaret, that is daughter to a king?

Her peerless feature, joined with her birth, Approves her fit for none but for a king; Her valiant courage and undaunted spirit, More than in women commonly is seen,

Will answer our hope in issue of a king; For Henry, son unto a conqueror,

Is likely to beget more conquerors,

If with a lady of so high resolve

As is fair Margaret he be link’d in love.

Then yield, my lords; and here conclude with me That Margaret shall be Queen, and none but she.

KING HENRY. Whether it be through force of your report, My noble Lord of Suffolk, or for that My tender youth was never yet attaint With any passion of inflaming love,

I cannot tell; but this I am assur’d, I feel such sharp dissension in my breast, Such fierce alarums both of hope and fear, As I am sick with working of my thoughts.

Take therefore shipping; post, my lord, to France; Agree to any covenants; and procure

That Lady Margaret do vouchsafe to come To cross the seas to England, and be crown’d King Henry’s faithful and anointed queen.

For your expenses and sufficient charge, Among the people gather up a tenth.

Be gone, I say; for till you do return I rest perplexed with a thousand cares.

And you, good uncle, banish all offence: If you do censure me by what you were, Not what you are, I know it will excuse This sudden execution of my will.

And so conduct me where, from company, I may revolve and ruminate my grief. Exit GLOUCESTER. Ay, grief, I fear me, both at first and last.

Exeunt GLOUCESTER and EXETER

SUFFOLK. Thus Suffolk hath prevail’d; and thus he goes, As did the youthful Paris once to Greece, With hope to find the like event in love But prosper better than the Troyan did.

Margaret shall now be Queen, and rule the King; But I will rule both her, the King, and realm. Exit THE END

 

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1591

 

THE SECOND PART OF KING HENRY THE SIXTH

 

by William Shakespeare

 

Dramatis Personae

 

KING HENRY THE SIXTH

HUMPHREY, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, his uncle CARDINAL BEAUFORT, BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, great-uncle to the King RICHARD PLANTAGENET, DUKE OF YORK

EDWARD and RICHARD, his sons

DUKE OF SOMERSET

DUKE OF SUFFOLK

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

LORD CLIFFORD

YOUNG CLIFFORD, his son

EARL OF SALISBURY

EARL OF WARWICK

LORD SCALES

LORD SAY

SIR HUMPHREY STAFFORD

WILLIAM STAFFORD, his brother

SIR JOHN STANLEY

VAUX

MATTHEW GOFFE

A LIEUTENANT, a SHIPMASTER, a MASTER’S MATE, and WALTER WHITMORE

TWO GENTLEMEN, prisoners with Suffolk

JOHN HUME and JOHN SOUTHWELL, two priests ROGER BOLINGBROKE, a conjurer

A SPIRIT raised by him

THOMAS HORNER, an armourer

PETER, his man

CLERK OF CHATHAM

MAYOR OF SAINT ALBANS

SAUNDER SIMPCOX, an impostor

ALEXANDER IDEN, a Kentish gentleman

JACK CADE, a rebel

GEORGE BEVIS, JOHN HOLLAND, DICK THE BUTCHER, SMITH THE WEAVER, MICHAEL, &c., followers of Cade

TWO MURDERERS

 

MARGARET, Queen to King Henry

ELEANOR, Duchess of Gloucester

MARGERY JOURDAIN, a witch

WIFE to SIMPCOX

 

Lords, Ladies, and Attendants; Petitioners, Aldermen, a Herald, a Beadle, a Sheriff, Officers, Citizens, Prentices, Falconers, Guards, Soldiers, Messengers, &c.

 

<<THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM

SHAKESPEARE IS COPYRIGHT 1990-1993 BY WORLD LIBRARY, INC., AND IS

PROVIDED BY PROJECT GUTENBERG ETEXT OF ILLINOIS BENEDICTINE COLLEGE

WITH PERMISSION. ELECTRONIC AND MACHINE READABLE COPIES MAY BE

DISTRIBUTED SO LONG AS SUCH COPIES (1) ARE FOR YOUR OR OTHERS

PERSONAL USE ONLY, AND (2) ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED OR USED

COMMERCIALLY. PROHIBITED COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION INCLUDES BY ANY

SERVICE THAT CHARGES FOR DOWNLOAD TIME OR FOR MEMBERSHIP.>>

 

SCENE:

England

 

ACT I. SCENE I.

London. The palace

 

Flourish of trumpets; then hautboys. Enter the KING, DUKE HUMPHREY

OF GLOUCESTER, SALISBURY, WARWICK, and CARDINAL BEAUFORT, on the one side; the QUEEN, SUFFOLK, YORK, SOMERSET, and BUCKINGHAM, on the other SUFFOLK. As by your high imperial Majesty I had in charge at my depart for France, As procurator to your Excellence,

To marry Princess Margaret for your Grace; So, in the famous ancient city Tours, In presence of the Kings of France and Sicil, The Dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Bretagne, and Alencon, Seven earls, twelve barons, and twenty reverend bishops, I have perform’d my task, and was espous’d; And humbly now upon my bended knee,

In sight of England and her lordly peers, Deliver up my title in the Queen

To your most gracious hands, that are the substance Of that great shadow I did represent: The happiest gift that ever marquis gave, The fairest queen that ever king receiv’d.

KING HENRY. Suffolk, arise. Welcome, Queen Margaret: I can express no kinder sign of love

Than this kind kiss. O Lord, that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!

For thou hast given me in this beauteous face A world of earthly blessings to my soul, If sympathy of love unite our thoughts.

QUEEN. Great King of England, and my gracious lord, The mutual conference that my mind hath had, By day, by night, waking and in my dreams, In courtly company or at my beads,

With you, mine alder-liefest sovereign, Makes me the bolder to salute my king With ruder terms, such as my wit affords And overjoy of heart doth minister.

KING HENRY. Her sight did ravish, but her grace in speech, Her words y-clad with wisdom’s majesty, Makes me from wond’ring fall to weeping joys, Such is the fulness of my heart’s content.

Lords, with one cheerful voice welcome my love.

ALL. [Kneeling] Long live Queen Margaret, England’s happiness!

QUEEN. We thank you all. [Flourish]

SUFFOLK. My Lord Protector, so it please your Grace, Here are the articles of contracted peace Between our sovereign and the French King Charles, For eighteen months concluded by consent.

GLOUCESTER. [Reads] ‘Imprimis: It is agreed between the French King Charles and William de la Pole, Marquess of Suffolk, ambassador for Henry King of England, that the said Henry shall espouse the Lady Margaret, daughter unto Reignier King of Naples, Sicilia, and Jerusalem, and crown her Queen of England ere the thirtieth of May next ensuing.

Item: That the duchy of Anjou and the county of Maine shall be released and delivered to the King her father’-

[Lets the paper fall]

KING HENRY. Uncle, how now!

GLOUCESTER. Pardon me, gracious lord;

Some sudden qualm hath struck me at the heart, And dimm’d mine eyes, that I can read no further.

KING HENRY. Uncle of Winchester, I pray read on.

CARDINAL. [Reads] ‘Item: It is further agreed between them that the duchies of Anjou and Maine shall be released and delivered over to the King her father, and she sent over of the King of England’s own proper cost and charges, without having any dowry.’

KING HENRY. They please us well. Lord Marquess, kneel down.

We here create thee the first Duke of Suffolk, And girt thee with the sword. Cousin of York, We here discharge your Grace from being Regent I’ th’ parts of France, till term of eighteen months Be full expir’d. Thanks, uncle Winchester, Gloucester, York, Buckingham, Somerset, Salisbury, and Warwick;

We thank you all for this great favour done In entertainment to my princely queen.

Come, let us in, and with all speed provide To see her coronation be perform’d.

Exeunt KING, QUEEN, and SUFFOLK

GLOUCESTER. Brave peers of England, pillars of the state, To you Duke Humphrey must unload his grief Your grief, the common grief of all the land.

What! did my brother Henry spend his youth, His valour, coin, and people, in the wars?

Did he so often lodge