To blush and beautify the cheek again.
But fee, his face is black and full of blood,
His eye-balls further out than when he liv'd,
Staring full ghaftly, like a strangled man ;
His hair up-rear'd, his noftrils ftretch'd with ftruggling,
His hands abroad difplay'd, as one that graspt
And tugg'd for life, and was by ftrength fubdu'd.
Look on the fheets; his hair, you fee, is fticking;
His well-proportion'd beard made rough and rugged,-
Like to the fummer's corn by tempeft lodg'd:
It cannot be but he was murther'd here:
The leaft of all thefe figns were probable.
Suf. Why, Warwick, who should do the Duke to death? My felf and Beaufort had him in protection,
And we, I hope, Sirs, are no murtherers.
War. But both of you had vow'd Duke Humphry's death, And you forfooth had the good Duke to keep: 'Tis like you would not feaft him like a friend, And 'tis well feen he found an enemy.
Q.Mar. Then you belike fufpect these Noblemen, As guilty of Duke Humphry's timeless death.
War. Who finds the heifer dead and bleeding fresh,
And fees faft by a butcher with an ax,
But will fufpect 'twas he that made the flaughter?
Who finds the partridge in the puttock's neft,
But may imagine how the bird was dead,
Although the kite foar with unbloodied beak?
Even fo fufpicious is this tragedy.
Q.Mar, Are you the butcher, Suffolk ? where's the knife?
Is Beaufort term'd a kite? where are his talons?
Suf. I wear no knife to flaughter fleeping men,
But here's a 'vengeful fword, rufted with ease,
That fhall be fcoured in his ranc'rous heart,
That flanders me with murther's crimson badge.
Say if thou dar'ft, proud Lord of Warwickshire,
That I am faulty in Duke Humphry's death.
War. What dares not Warwick, if falfe Suffolk dare him? Q.Mar. He dares not calm his contumelious fpirit, Nor ceafe to be an arrogant controller,
Though Suffolk dare him twenty thousand times.
War. Madam, be ftill; with rev'rence may I fay; For ev'ry word you speak in his behalf,
Is flander to your royal dignity.
Suf. Blunt-witted Lord, ignoble in demeanour,
If ever Lady wrong'd her Lord fo much,
Thy mother took into her blameful bed
Some ftern untutor❜d churl; and noble stock
Was graft with crab-tree flip, whose fruit thou art,
And never of the Nevills' noble race.
War. But that the guilt of murther bucklers thee,
And I fhould rob the death's-man of his fee,
Quitting thee thereby of ten thousand shames,
And that my Sovereign's prefence makes me mild,
I would, falfe murd'rous coward, on thy knee
Make thee beg pardon for thy paffed fpeech,
And say it was thy mother that thou meant'ft;
That thou thy felf was born in baftardy:
And after all this fearful homage done,
Give thee thy hire, and fend thy foul to hell,
Pernicious blood-fucker of fleeping men!
Suf. Thou shalt be waking while I fhed thy blood,
If from this prefence thou dar'ft go with me.
War. Away! ev'n now, or I will drag thee hence:
Unworthy though thou art, I'll cope with thee,
And do fome service to Duke Humphry's ghoft.
[Exeunt Suffolk and Warwick,
SCENE VII.
K. Henry. What stronger breast-plate than a heart un
Thrice is he arm'd that hath his quarrel just ;
And he but naked (though lock'd up in steel)
Whose confcience with injuftice is corrupted.
Q. Mar. What noife is this?
Enter Suffolk and Warwick, with their weapons drawn. K. Henry. Why, how now, Lords? your wrathful weapons drawn
Here in our presence! dare you be fo bold?
Why, what tumultuous clamour have we here?
Suf. The trait'rous Warwick with the men of Bury Set all upon me, mighty Sovereign.
Sal. Sirs, ftand apart, the King fhall know your mind.
Dread Lord, the Commons fend you word by me,
Unless Lord Suffolk ftrait be put to death,
Or banished fair England's territories,
They will by violence tear him from your palace,
And torture him with grievous ling'ring death.
They fay, by him the good Duke Humphry dy'd;
They fay, in him they fear your Highness' death;
And mere inftinct of love and loyalty,
(Free from a ftubborn oppofite intent,
As being thought to contradict your liking)
Makes them thus forward in his banishment.
They fay, in care of your moft Royal perfon,
That if your Highnefs fhould intend to fleep,
And charge that no man fhould disturb your reft,
In pain of your diflike, or pain of death;
Yet notwithstanding fuch a ftrange edict,
Were there a ferpent feen with forked tongue.
That flily glided tow'rds your Majefty,
It were but neceffary you were wak'd;
Left being fuffer'd in that harmless flumber,
The mortal worm might make the fleep eternal.
And therefore do they cry, though you forbid,
That they will guard you whe'r you will or no,
From fuch fell ferpents as falfe Suffolk is;
With whofe invenomed and fatal fting
Your loving uncle, twenty times his worth,
They fay, is fhamefully bereft of life.
Commons within. An anfwer from the King, my Lord of Salisbury.
Suf. 'Tis like the Commons, rude unpolish'd hinds,
Could fend fuch meffage to their Sovereign:
But you, my Lord, were glad to be employ'd,
To fhew how queint an orator you are,
But all the honour Salisbury hath won,
Is, that he was the lord ambaffador-
Sent from a fort of tinkers to the King.
Within. An answer from the King, or we will all break in,
K. Henry. Go, Salisbury, and tell them all from me,
I thank them for their tender loving care;
And had I not been cited fo by them,
Yet did I purpose as they do intreat;
For fure my thoughts do hourly prophefie.
Mifchance unto my state by Suffolk's means
And therefore by his Majefty I swear,
Whofe far-unworthy Deputy I am,
He shall not breathe infection in this air
But three days longer, on the pain of death.
Q.Mar. Oh Henry, let me plead for gentle Suffolk!
K. Henry. Ungentle Queen, to call him gentle Suffolk.
No more I fay: if thou doft plead for him,
Thou wilt but add increase unto my wrath.
Had I but faid, I would have kept my word;
But when I fwear, it is irrevocable:
If after three days space thou here be'ft found,
On any ground that I am ruler of,
The world shall not be ransom for thy life.
Come, Warwick, come, good Warwick, go with me;
I have great matters to impart to thee.
[Exeunt King, Warwick, &c. SCENE VIII. Manent Queen and Suffolk.. Q. Mar. Mifchance and forrow go along with you! Heart's difcontent and four affliction
Be play-fellows to keep you company!
There's two of you, the devil make a third,
And three-fold vengeance tend upon your fteps!
Suf. Ceafe, gentle Queen, thefe execrations,
And let thy Suffolk take his heavy leave.
Q.Mar. Fie, coward woman, and foft-hearted wretch,
Haft thou not fpirit to curfe thine enemy?
[them? Suf. A plague upon them; wherefore fhould I curfe Would curfes kill as doth the mandrake's groan, I would invent as bitter fearching terms, As curft, as harsh and horrible to hear, Deliver'd ftrongly through my fixed teeth, With full as many figns of deadly hate, As lean-fac'd envy in her loathfome cave,
My tongue should stumble in mine earnest words,
Mine eyes should sparkle like the beaten flint,
Mine hair be fixt on end like one diftract:
Ay, ev'ry joint should seem to curfe and ban.
And even now my burthen'd heart would break,
Should I not curfe them. Poison be their drink,
Gall, worse than gall, the daintiest thing they tafte,
Their sweetest fhade a grove of cypress trees,
Their chiefeft prospect murd'ring bafilifks,
Their fofteft touch as fmart as lizards ftings,
Their mufick frightful as the ferpent's hifs,
And boading fcreech-owls make the confort full!
All the foul terrors in dark-feated hell-
Q.Mar. Enough, sweet Suffolk, thou torment'ft thy felf," And thefe dread curfes like the fun 'gainst glass,
Or like an over-charged gun, recoil,
And turn the force of them upon thy felf.
Suf. You bad me ban, and will you bid me leave?
Now by the ground that I am banish'd from,
Well could I curfe away a winter's night,
Though standing naked on a mountain-top,
Where biting cold would never let grafs grow,
And think it but a minute spent in sport.
Q. Mar. Oh, let me intreat thee cease; give me thy hand, That I may dew it with my mournful tears;
Nor let the rain of heaven wet this place,
To wash away my woful monuments!
Oh, could this kifs be printed in thy hand,
That thou might'ft think on these lips by the feal,
Through which a thousand fighs are breath'd for thee!
So get thee gone, that I may know my grief;
"Tis but furmis'd whilft thou art ftanding by:
As one that furfeits, thinking on a want.
I will repeal thee, or, be well affured,
Adventure to be banished my self:
And banished I am, if but from thee.
Go, fpeak not to me: even now be gone
Oh, go not yet-Ev'n thus two friends condemn'd
Embrace and kifs, and take ten thousand leaves,
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