SCENE I. Paris. A hall of state. Enter KING HENRY VI, GLOUCESTER, BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, YORK, SUFFOLK, SOMERSET, WARWICK, TALBOT, EXETER, the Governor, of Paris, and others GLOUCESTER Lord bishop, set the crown upon his head.
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER God save King Henry, of that name the sixth! GLOUCESTER Now, governor of Paris, take your oath, That you elect no other king but him;Esteem none friends but such as are his friends, And none your foes but such as shall pretend Malicious practises against his state:
This shall ye do, so help you righteous God!
Enter FASTOLFE FASTOLFE My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais, To haste unto your coronation, A letter was deliver'd to my hands, Writ to your grace from the Duke of Burgundy. TALBOT Shame to the Duke of Burgundy and thee!
I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next, To tear the garter from thy craven's leg, Plucking it off Which I have done, because unworthily Thou wast installed in that high degree.
Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest This dastard, at the battle of Patay, When but in all I was six thousand strong And that the French were almost ten to one, Before we met or that a stroke was given, Like to a trusty squire did run away:
In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;Myself and divers gentlemen beside Were there surprised and taken prisoners.
Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;Or whether that such cowards ought to wear This ornament of knighthood, yea or no. GLOUCESTER To say the truth, this fact was infamous And ill beseeming any common man, Much more a knight, a captain and a leader. TALBOT When first this order was ordain'd, my lords, Knights of the garter were of noble birth, Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage, Such as were grown to credit by the wars;Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress, But always resolute in most extremes.
He then that is not furnish'd in this sort Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight, Profaning this most honourable order, And should, if I were worthy to be judge, Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain That doth presume to boast of gentle blood. KING HENRY VI Stain to thy countrymen, thou hear'st thy doom!
Be packing, therefore, thou that wast a knight:
Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death.
Exit FASTOLFE
And now, my lord protector, view the letter Sent from our uncle Duke of Burgundy. GLOUCESTER What means his grace, that he hath changed his style?
No more but, plain and bluntly, 'To the king!'
Hath he forgot he is his sovereign?
Or doth this churlish superscription Pretend some alteration in good will?
What's here?
Reads 'I have, upon especial cause, Moved with compassion of my country's wreck, Together with the pitiful complaints Of such as your oppression feeds upon, Forsaken your pernicious faction And join'd with Charles, the rightful King of France.'
O monstrous treachery! can this be so, That in alliance, amity and oaths, There should be found such false dissembling guile? KING HENRY VI What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt? GLOUCESTER He doth, my lord, and is become your foe. KING HENRY VI Is that the worst this letter doth contain? GLOUCESTER It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes. KING HENRY VI Why, then, Lord Talbot there shall talk with him And give him chastisement for this abuse.
How say you, my lord? are you not content? TALBOT Content, my liege! yes, but that I am prevented, I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd. KING HENRY VI Then gather strength and march unto him straight:
Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason And what offence it is to flout his friends. TALBOT I go, my lord, in heart desiring still You may behold confusion of your foes.
Exit Enter VERNON and BASSET VERNON Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign. BASSET And me, my lord, grant me the combat too. YORK This is my servant: hear him, noble prince. SOMERSET And this is mine: sweet Henry, favour him. KING HENRY VI Be patient, lords; and give them leave to speak.
Say, gentlemen, what makes you thus exclaim?
And wherefore crave you combat? or with whom? VERNON With him, my lord; for he hath done me wrong. BASSET And I with him; for he hath done me wrong. KING HENRY VI What is that wrong whereof you both complain?
First let me know, and then I'll answer you. BASSET Crossing the sea from England into France, This fellow here, with envious carping tongue, Upbraided me about the rose I wear;Saying, the sanguine colour of the leaves Did represent my master's blushing cheeks, When stubbornly he did repugn the truth About a certain question in the law Argued betwixt the Duke of York and him;With other vile and ignominious terms:
In confutation of which rude reproach And in defence of my lord's worthiness, I crave the benefit of law of arms. VERNON And that is my petition, noble lord:
For though he seem with forged quaint conceit To set a gloss upon his bold intent, Yet know, my lord, I was provoked by him;And he first took exceptions at this badge, Pronouncing that the paleness of this flower Bewray'd the faintness of my master's heart. YORK Will not this malice, Somerset, be left? SOMERSET Your private grudge, my Lord of York, will out, Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it. KING HENRY VI Good Lord, what madness rules in brainsick men, When for so slight and frivolous a cause Such factious emulations shall arise!
Good cousins both, of York and Somerset, Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace. YORK Let this dissension first be tried by fight, And then your highness shall command a peace. SOMERSET The quarrel toucheth none but us alone;Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then. YORK There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset. VERNON Nay, let it rest where it began at first. BASSET Confirm it so, mine honourable lord. GLOUCESTER Confirm it so! Confounded be your strife!
And perish ye, with your audacious prate!
Presumptuous vassals, are you not ashamed With this immodest clamorous outrage To trouble and disturb the king and us?
