ACT 1
Scene 1
Flourish of trumpets, then hautboys. Enter King Henry, Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, Salisbury, Warwick, and Cardinal Beaufort, on the one side; Queen Margaret, Suffolk, York, Somerset, and Buckingham, on the other.

...ever king received.
Suffolk, arise.—Welcome, Queen Margaret.

Suffolk rises.
I can express no kinder sign of love
Than this kind kiss.He kisses her.
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.

...heart doth minister.
Her sight did ravish, but her grace in speech,
Her words yclad with wisdom’s majesty,
Makes me from wond’ring fall to weeping joys,
Such is the fullness of my heart’s content.
Lords, with one cheerful voice welcome my love.

...drops the paper.
Uncle, how now?

...read no further.
Uncle of Winchester, I pray read on.

...having any dowry.
They please us well.—Lord Marquess, kneel down.

Suffolk kneels.
We here create thee the first Duke of Suffolk
And girt thee with the sword.

Suffolk rises.
Cousin of York,
We here discharge your Grace from being regent
I’ th’ parts of France till term of eighteen months
Be full expired.—Thanks, Uncle Winchester,
Gloucester, York, Buckingham, Somerset,
Salisbury, and Warwick;
We thank you all for this great favor done
In entertainment to my princely queen.
Come, let us in, and with all speed provide
To see her coronation be performed.
King, Queen, and Suffolk exit. The rest remain.

Scene 3

...the happy helm.
Sound a sennet. Enter King Henry, Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, Cardinal, Somerset, wearing the red rose, Buckingham, Salisbury; York and Warwick, both wearing the white rose; and the Duchess of Gloucester.
For my part, noble lords, I care not which;
Or Somerset or York, all’s one to me.

...in your face.
Sweet aunt, be quiet. ’Twas against her will.

...for a traitor?
What mean’st thou, Suffolk? Tell me, what are these?

...was an usurper.
Say, man, were these thy words?

...a villain’s accusation!
Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?

...else be hanged.
Away with them to prison; and the day of
combat shall be the last of the next month.—
Come, Somerset, we’ll see thee sent away.
Flourish. They exit.

ACT 2
Scene 1

...tomorrow night. Away!
Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret, Gloucester the Lord Protector, Cardinal, and Suffolk, and Attendants, with Falconers hallowing.

...not gone out.
to Gloucester
But what a point, my lord, your falcon made,
And what a pitch she flew above the rest!
To see how God in all his creatures works!
Yea, man and birds are fain of climbing high.

...fly to heaven?
The treasury of everlasting joy.

...thy ambition, Gloucester.
I prithee peace,
Good queen, and whet not on these furious peers,
For blessèd are the peacemakers on Earth.

...of the grove.
How now, my lords?

...am with you.
Why, how now, uncle Gloucester?

...well; protect yourself.
The winds grow high; so do your stomachs, lords.
How irksome is this music to my heart!
When such strings jar, what hope of harmony?
I pray, my lords, let me compound this strife.

...his life before.
Now, God be praised, that to believing souls
Gives light in darkness, comfort in despair.

...with the man.
Great is his comfort in this earthly vale,
Although by his sight his sin be multiplied.

...the chair forward.
Good fellow, tell us here the circumstance,
That we for thee may glorify the Lord.
What, hast thou been long blind and now restored?

...have better told.
Where wert thou born?

...like your Grace.
Poor soul, God’s goodness hath been great to thee.
Let never day nor night unhallowed pass,
But still remember what the Lord hath done.

...coal-black as jet.
Why, then, thou know’st what color jet is of.

...able to stand.
O God, seest Thou this, and bearest so long?

...fly. Enter Buckingham.
What tidings with our cousin Buckingham?

...the meanest groom.
O God, what mischiefs work the wicked ones,
Heaping confusion on their own heads thereby!

...Gloucester’s honest name.
Well, for this night we will repose us here.
Tomorrow toward London back again,
To look into this business thoroughly,
And call these foul offenders to their answers,
And poise the cause in Justice’ equal scales,
Whose beam stands sure, whose rightful cause prevails.
Flourish. They exit.

Scene 3

...but the King.
Sound trumpets. Enter King Henry and State (Queen Margaret, Gloucester, York, Salisbury, Suffolk, and Others) with Guard, to banish the Duchess of Gloucester, who is accompanied by Margery Jourdain, Southwell, Hume, and Bolingbroke, all guarded.
Stand forth, Dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloucester’s wife.
In sight of God and us, your guilt is great.
Receive the sentence of the law for sins
Such as by God’s book are adjudged to death. To Jourdain, Southwell, Hume, and Bolingbroke.
You four, from hence to prison back again;
From thence unto the place of execution:
The witch in Smithfield shall be burnt to ashes,
And you three shall be strangled on the gallows.
To Duchess
You, madam, for you are more nobly born,
Despoilèd of your honor in your life,
Shall, after three days’ open penance done,
Live in your country here in banishment
With Sir John Stanley in the Isle of Man.

...age would ease.
Stay, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. Ere thou go,
Give up thy staff. Henry will to himself
Protector be; and God shall be my hope,
My stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet.
And go in peace, Humphrey, no less beloved
Than when thou wert Protector to thy king.

...attend thy throne.
Henry picks up the staff.

...this quarrel tried.
I’ God’s name, see the lists and all things fit.
Here let them end it, and God defend the right!

...prevailed in right!
Go, take hence that traitor from our sight;
For by his death we do perceive his guilt.
And God in justice hath revealed to us
The truth and innocence of this poor fellow,
Which he had thought to have murdered wrongfully.—
Come, fellow, follow us for thy reward.
Sound a flourish. They exit, bearing Horner’s body.

ACT 3
Scene 1

...see my prison.
Sound a sennet. Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret, Cardinal, Suffolk, York, Buckingham, Salisbury, and Warwick, and Others to the Parliament.
I muse my lord of Gloucester is not come.
’Tis not his wont to be the hindmost man,
Whate’er occasion keeps him from us now.

...Duke Humphrey.
My lords, at once: the care you have of us
To mow down thorns that would annoy our foot
Is worthy praise; but, shall I speak my conscience,
Our kinsman Gloucester is as innocent
From meaning treason to our royal person
As is the sucking lamb or harmless dove.
The Duke is virtuous, mild, and too well given
To dream on evil or to work my downfall.

...my gracious sovereign!
Welcome, Lord Somerset. What news from France?

...All is lost.
Cold news, Lord Somerset; but God’s will be done.

...time of trial.
My lord of Gloucester, ’tis my special hope
That you will clear yourself from all suspense.
My conscience tells me you are innocent.

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

...leave the Parliament?
Ay, Margaret. My heart is drowned 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 honor, truth, and loyalty;
And yet, good Humphrey, is the hour to come
That e’er I proved thee false or feared 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 strains,
Bearing it to the bloody slaughterhouse,
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 naught but wail her darling’s loss,
Even so myself bewails good Gloucester’s case
With sad unhelpful tears, and with dimmed eyes
Look after him and cannot do him good,
So mighty are his vowèd enemies.
His fortunes I will weep and, ’twixt each groan,
Say “Who’s a traitor, Gloucester he is none.”
He exits, with Buckingham, Salisbury, Warwick, and Others. Somerset steps aside.

Scene 2

...Away, be gone.
Sound trumpets. Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret, Cardinal, Somerset, with Attendants.
Go, call our uncle to our presence straight.
Say we intend to try his Grace today
If he be guilty, as ’tis publishèd.

...my noble lord.
Lords, take your places; and, I pray you all,
Proceed no straiter ’gainst our uncle Gloucester
Than from true evidence of good esteem
He be approved in practice culpable.

...him of suspicion!
I thank thee, Meg. These words content me much.

Enter Suffolk.
How now? Why look’st thou pale? Why tremblest thou?
Where is our uncle? What’s the matter, Suffolk?

...speak a word.
King Henry swoons.

...ope thine eyes!
King Henry stirs.

...Madam, be patient.
O heavenly God!

...Gracious Henry, comfort!
What, doth my lord of Suffolk comfort me?
Came he right now to sing a raven’s note,
Whose dismal tune bereft my vital powers,
And thinks he that the chirping of a wren,
By crying comfort from a hollow breast,
Can chase away the first-conceivèd sound?
Hide not thy poison with such sugared words.
Lay not thy hands on me. Forbear, I say!
Their touch affrights me as a serpent’s sting.
Thou baleful messenger, out of my sight!
Upon thy eyeballs, murderous Tyranny
Sits in grim majesty to fright the world.
Look not upon me, for thine eyes are wounding.
Yet do not go away. Come, basilisk,
And kill the innocent gazer with thy sight;
For in the shade of death I shall find joy,
In life but double death, now Gloucester’s dead.

...crowned with infamy!
Ah, woe is me for Gloucester, wretched man!

...of his death.
That he is dead, good Warwick, ’tis too true;
But how he died God knows, not Henry.
Enter his chamber, view his breathless corpse,
And comment then upon his sudden death.

...till I return.
O Thou that judgest all things, stay my thoughts,
My thoughts that labor to persuade my soul
Some violent hands were laid on Humphrey’s life.
If my suspect be false, forgive me, God,
For judgment only doth belong to Thee.
Fain would I go to chafe his paly lips
With twenty thousand kisses, and to drain
Upon his face an ocean of salt tears,
To tell my love unto his dumb deaf trunk
And with my fingers feel his hand unfeeling;
But all in vain are these mean obsequies.
And to survey his dead and earthy image,
What were it but to make my sorrow greater?

...View this body.
That is to see how deep my grave is made,
For with his soul fled all my worldly solace;
For seeing him, I see my life in death.

...Duke Humphrey’s ghost.
What stronger breastplate than a heart untainted?
Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just,
And he but naked, though locked up in steel,
Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted.

...their weapons drawn.
Why, how now, lords? Your wrathful weapons drawn
Here in our presence? Dare you be so bold?
Why, what tumultuous clamor have we here?

...all break in.
Go, Salisbury, and tell them all from me,
I thank them for their tender loving care;
And, had I not been cited so by them,
Yet did I purpose as they do entreat.
For, sure, my thoughts do hourly prophesy
Mischance unto my state by Suffolk’s means.
And therefore, by His Majesty I swear,
Whose far unworthy deputy I am,
He shall not breathe infection in this air
But three days longer, on the pain of death.

...for gentle Suffolk!
Ungentle queen to call him gentle Suffolk!
No more, I say. If thou dost plead for him,
Thou wilt but add increase unto my wrath.
Had I but said, I would have kept my word;
But when I swear, it is irrevocable.
To Suffolk.
If, after three days’ space, thou here be’st 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.
All but the Queen and Suffolk exit.

Scene 3

...way for me.
Enter King Henry, Salisbury and Warwick, to the Cardinal in bed, raving and staring.
How fares my lord? Speak, Beaufort, to thy sovereign.

...feel no pain.
Ah, what a sign it is of evil life,
Where Death’s approach is seen so terrible!

...bought of him.
O, Thou eternal mover of the heavens,
Look with a gentle eye upon this wretch!
O, beat away the busy meddling fiend
That lays strong siege unto this wretch’s soul,
And from his bosom purge this black despair!

...him pass peaceably.
Peace to his soul, if God’s good pleasure be!—
Lord Card’nal, if thou think’st on heaven’s bliss,
Hold up thy hand; make signal of thy hope.

The Cardinal dies.
He dies and makes no sign. O, God forgive him!

...a monstrous life.
Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all.
Close up his eyes, and draw the curtain close,
And let us all to meditation.
After the curtains are closed around the bed, they exit. The bed is removed.

ACT 4
Scene 4

...march towards London.
Enter King Henry, with a supplication, and Queen Margaret with Suffolk’s head, the Duke of Buckingham, and the Lord Saye.

...rebels’ supplication?
I’ll send some holy bishop to entreat,
For God forbid so many simple souls
Should perish by the sword! And I myself,
Rather than bloody war shall cut them short,
Will parley with Jack Cade, their general.
But stay, I’ll read it over once again.
He reads.

...behold the same?
Lord Saye, Jack Cade hath sworn to have thy head.

...shall have his.
How now, madam?
Still lamenting and mourning for Suffolk’s death?
I fear me, love, if that I had been dead,
Thou wouldst not have mourned so much for me.

...Enter a Messenger.
How now, what news? Why com’st thou in such haste?

...intend their death.
O, graceless men, they know not what they do!

...be soon appeased!
Lord Saye, the traitors hateth thee;
Therefore away with us to Killingworth.

...Away! Take horse!
Come, Margaret. God, our hope, will succor us.

...Suffolk is deceased.
to Saye
Farewell, my lord. Trust not the Kentish rebels.

...bold and resolute.
They exit.

Scene 9

...unto the King.
Sound trumpets. Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret, and Somerset on the terrace, aloft.
Was ever king that joyed an earthly throne
And could command no more content than I?
No sooner was I crept out of my cradle
But I was made a king at nine months old.
Was never subject longed to be a king
As I do long and wish to be a subject!

...to your Majesty!
Why, Buckingham, is the traitor Cade surprised,
Or is he but retired to make him strong?

...life or death.
Then, heaven, set ope thy everlasting gates
To entertain my vows of thanks and praise!
Soldiers, this day have you redeemed your lives
And showed how well you love your prince and country.
Continue still in this so good a mind,
And Henry, though he be infortunate,
Assure yourselves, will never be unkind.
And so with thanks and pardon to you all,
I do dismiss you to your several countries.

...terms a traitor.
Thus stands my state, ’twixt Cade and York distressed,
Like to a ship that, having scaped a tempest,
Is straightway calmed and boarded with a pirate.
But now is Cade driven back, his men dispersed,
And now is York in arms to second him.
I pray thee, Buckingham, go and meet him,
And ask him what’s the reason of these arms.
Tell him I’ll send Duke Edmund to the Tower.—
And, Somerset, we will commit thee thither
Until his army be dismissed from him.

...my country good.
to Buckingham
In any case, be not too rough in terms,
For he is fierce and cannot brook hard language.

...unto your good.
Come, wife, let’s in, and learn to govern better,
For yet may England curse my wretched reign.
Flourish. They exit.

ACT 5
Scene 1

...arm in arm.
Enter King Henry and Attendants.
Buckingham, doth York intend no harm to us
That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm?

...unto your Highness.
Then what intends these forces thou dost bring?

...in combat slew.
The head of Cade? Great God, how just art Thou!
O, let me view his visage, being dead,
That living wrought me such exceeding trouble.
Tell me, my friend, art thou the man that slew him?

...like your Majesty.
How art thou called? And what is thy degree?

...his good service.
Iden, kneel down.

He kneels.
Rise up a knight.

He rises.
We give thee for reward a thousand marks,
And will that thou henceforth attend on us.

...the red rose.
aside to Buckingham
See, Buckingham, Somerset comes with th’ Queen.
Go bid her hide him quickly from the Duke.

...man grown mad?
Ay, Clifford, a bedlam and ambitious humor
Makes him oppose himself against his king.

...you burn yourselves.
Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot to bow?—
Old Salisbury, shame to thy silver hair,
Thou mad misleader of thy brainsick son!
What, wilt thou on thy deathbed play the ruffian
And seek for sorrow with thy spectacles?
O, where is faith? O, where is loyalty?
If it be banished from the frosty head,
Where shall it find a harbor in the earth?
Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,
And shame thine honorable age with blood?
Why art thou old and want’st experience?
Or wherefore dost abuse it, if thou hast it?
For shame! In duty bend thy knee to me
That bows unto the grave with mickle age.

...England’s royal seat.
Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto me?

... I have.
Canst thou dispense with heaven for such an oath?

...needs no sophister.
to an Attendant
Call Buckingham, and bid him arm himself.

...sup in hell.
They exit separately.

Scene 2

...but princes kill.
Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret, both wearing the red rose, and Others.

...For shame, away!
Can we outrun the heavens? Good Margaret, stay!

...my lord, away!
They exit.