Drive you to break your necks, or hang your felves!
[Exit guarded.
York. Break thou in pieces, and confume to afhes,
Thou foul accurfed minifter of hell!
Enter Cardinal of Winchester.
Car. Lord Regent, I do greet your Excellence
With letters of Commiffion from the King.
For know, my lords, the ftates of Chriftendom,
Mov'd with remorse of these outrageous broils,
Have earnestly implor'd a gen'ral Peace
Betwixt our nation and th' aspiring French;
And fee at hand the Dauphin, and his train,
Approaching to confer about fome matters.
York. Is all our travel turn'd to this effect?
After the flaughter of fo many Peers,
So many Captains, gentlemen and foldiers,
That in this quarrel have been overthrown,
And fold their bodies for their country's benefit,
Shall we at last conclude effeminate Peace?
Have we not loft most part of all the towns,
By treason, falfhood, and by treachery,
Our great progenitors had conquered?
Oh, Warwick, Warwick! I foresee with grief
The utter lofs of all the realm of France.
War. Be patient, York; if we conclude a Peace;
It shall be with fuch ftrict and fevere covenants,
As little fhall the Frenchmen gain thereby.
Enter Charles, Alanson, Baftard, and Reignier.
Char. Since, lords of England, it is thus agreed,
That peaceful Truce fhall be proclaim'd in France
We come to be informed by your felves,
What the conditions of that league must be.
York. Speak, Winchester; for boiling choler chokes
The hollow paffage of my prifon'd voice,
By fight of these our baleful enemies.
Win. Charles and the reft, it is enacted thus That in regard King Henry gives confent,
Of meer compaffion and of lenity,
To eafe your Country of distressful war,
And fuffer you to breathe in fruitful Peace;
You shall become true liegemen to his Crown.
And Charles, upon condition thou wilt fwear
Το pay him tribute and fubmit thy felf,
Thou shalt be plac'd as Viceroy under him;
And ftill enjoy thy regal dignity.
Alan. Muft he be then a fhadow of himself?
Adorn his temples with a Coronet,
And yet in fubftance and authority
Retain but privilege of a private man?
This proffer is abfurd and reafonlefs.
Char. 'Tis known, already that I am poffeft
Of more than half the Gallian Territories,
And therein rev'renc'd for their lawful King.
Shall I, for lucre of the reft un-vanquish'd,
Detract fo much from that prerogative,
As to be call'd but Viceroy of the whole?
No, lord-Ambaffador, I'll rather keep
That which I have, than, coveting for more,
Be caft from poffibility of all.
York. Infulting Charles, haft thou by fecret means Us'd interceffion to obtain a League;
And now the matter grows to compromife,
Stand'ft thou aloof upon comparison?
Either accept the title thou ufurp❜ft,
Of benefit proceeding from our King,
And not of any challenge of defert,
Or we will plague thee with inceffant wars.
Reig. My lord, you do not well in obftinacy
To cavil in the courfe of this Contract:
If once it be neglected, ten to one,
We fhall not find like opportunity.
Alan. To fay the truth, it is your policy,
To fave your Subjects from fuch maffacre,
And ruthless flaughters, as are daily feen
By our proceeding in hoftility,
And therefore take this compact of a Truce,
Although you break it, when your pleasure serves.
War. How fay'ft thou, Charles? fhall our Condition
Only referv'd, you claim no interest
In any of our towns of garrifon.
York. Then fwear 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.
So now difmifs your army, when you please :
Hang up your enfigns, let your drums be ftill,
For here we entertain a folemn Peace.
SCENE changes to England.
Enter Suffolk, in Conference with King Henry;
Gloucester, and Exeter.
K. Henry. YOUR wondrous rare description, noble
Of beauteous Margaret hath aftonish'd me:
Her virtues, graced with external gifts,
Do breed love's fettled paffions in my heart.
And, like as rigour of tempeftuous gufts
Provokes the mightiest hulk against the tide,
So am I driv'n by breath of her renown,
Either to fuffer fhipwreck, or arrive
Where I may have fruition of her love.
Suf. Tufh, my good lord, this fuperficial tale
Is but a preface to her worthy praife:
The chief perfections of that lovely dame,
(Had I fufficient fkill to utter them,)
Would make a volume of inticing lines,
Able to ravish any dull, conceit.
And, which is more, fhe is not fo 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 chafte intents,
To love and honour Henry as her lord.
K. Henry. And otherwise will Henry ne'er prefume:
Therefore, my lord Protector, give confent,
That Margret may be England's Royal Queen.
Glou. So fhould I give confent to flatter fin.
You know, my lord, your Highness is betroth'd
Unto another lady of esteem:
How fhall we then dispense with that Contract,
And not deface your honour with reproach?
Suf. As doth a Ruler with unlawful oaths;
Or one, that at a triumph having vow'd
To try his ftrength, forlaketh yet the Lifts
By reason of his adverfary's odds.
A poor Earl's daughter is unequal odds;
And therefore may be broke without offence.
Glou. Why, what, I pray, is Margret more than that ?
Her father is no better than an Earl,
Although in glorious titles he excel.
Suf. Yes, my good lord, her father is a King,
The King of Naples and Ferufalem;
And of fuch great Authority in France,
That his Alliance will confirm our Peace;
And keep the Frenchmen in allegiance.
Glou. And fo the Earl of Armagnac may do,
Because he is near kinfman unto Charles.
Exe. Befide, his wealth doth warrant lib'ral Dow'r,
While Reignier fooner will receive, than give.
Suf. A Dow'r, my lords! difgrace not fo your King,
That he should be fo abject, bafe and poor,
To chufe for wealth, and not for perfect love.
Henry is able to enrich his Queen;
And not to feek a Queen, to make him rich.
So worthless peasants bargain for their wives,
As market-men for Oxen, Sheep or Horse.
But marriage is a matter of more worth,
Than to be dealt in by Attorney fhip:
Not whom we will, but whom his Grace affects,
Must be companion of his nuptial bed.
And therefore, lords, fince he affects her moft,
It most of all these reasons bindeth us,
In our opinions fhe fhould be preferr'd;
For what is wedlock forced, but a hell,
An age of difcord and continual ftrife?
Whereas the contrary bringeth forth Blifs,
And is a pattern of celeftial Peace.
Whom fhould we match with Henry, being a King,
But Margret, 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 fpirit,
(More than in woman commonly is feen,)
Answer our hope in Iffue of a King:
For Henry, fon unto a Conqueror,
Is likely to beget more Conquerors;
If with a lady of fo high refolve,
As is fair Margret, he be link'd in love.
Then yield, my lords, and here conclude with me,
That Margret fhall be Queen, and none but she.
K. 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 paffion of inflaming love,
I cannot tell; but this I am affur'd,
I feel such sharp diffention in my breaft,
Such fierce alarums both of hope and fear,
As I am fick with working of my thoughts.
Take therefore shipping; poft, my lord, to France ;
Agree to any Covenants; and procure,
That lady Marg'ret do vouchfafe to come
To cross the feas to England; and be crown'd
King Henry's faithful and anointed Queen.
For your expences and fufficient charge,
Among the people gather up a tenth.
Be gone, I fay; for 'till you do return,
I am perplexed with a thousand cares.
And you, good Uncle, banish all offence:
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