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My mind was troubled with deep melancholy.

The cause why I have brought this army hither

Is to remove proud Somerset from the king,

Seditious to his grace and to the state.

BUCKINGHAM.

That is too much presumption on thy part;

But if thy arms be to no other end,

The king hath yielded unto thy demand.

The Duke of Somerset is in the Tower.

YORK.

Upon thine honour, is he prisoner?

BUCKINGHAM.

Upon mine honour, he is prisoner.

YORK.

Then, Buckingham, I do dismiss my powers.—

Soldiers, I thank you all; disperse yourselves;

Meet me to-morrow in Saint George's field,

You shall have pay and everything you wish.—

And let my sovereign, virtuous Henry,

Command my eldest son, nay, all my sons,

As pledges of my fealty and love,

I'll send them all as willing as I live;

Lands, goods, horse, armour, anything I have,

Is his to use, so Somerset may die.

BUCKINGHAM.

York, I commend this kind submission;

We twain will go into his highness' tent.

[Enter KING and Attendants.]

KING.

Buckingham, doth York intend no harm to us,

That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm?

YORK.

In all submission and humility

York doth present himself unto your highness.

KING.

Then what intends these forces thou dost bring?

YORK.

To heave the traitor Somerset from hence,

And fight against that monstrous rebel Cade,

Who since I heard to be discomfited.

[Enter IDEN, with CADE's head.]

IDEN.

If one so rude and of so mean condition

May pass into the presence of a king,

Lo, I present your grace a traitor's head,

The head of Cade, whom I in combat slew.

KING.

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?

IDEN.

I was, an 't like your majesty.

KING.

How art thou call'd? and what is thy degree?

IDEN.

Alexander Iden, that's my name;

A poor esquire of Kent, that loves his king.

BUCKINGHAM.

So please it you, my lord, 't were not amiss

He were created knight for his good service.

KING.

Iden, kneel down. [He kneels.] Rise up a knight.

We give thee for reward a thousand marks,

And will that thou thenceforth attend on us.

IDEN.

May Iden live to merit such a bounty,

And never live but true unto his liege!

[Rises.]

[Enter QUEEN and SOMERSET.]

KING.

See, Buckingham, Somerset comes with the queen.

Go, bid her hide him quickly from the duke.

QUEEN.

For thousand Yorks he shall not hide his head,

But boldly stand and front him to his face.

YORK.

How now! is Somerset at liberty?

Then, York, unloose thy long-imprisoned thoughts,

And let thy tongue be equal with thy heart.

Shall I endure the sight of Somerset?

False king! why hast thou broken faith with me,

Knowing how hardly I can brook abuse?

King did I call thee? no, thou art not king,

Not fit to govern and rule multitudes,

Which dar'st not, no, nor canst not rule a traitor.

That head of thine doth not become a crown;

Thy hand is made to grasp a palmer's staff,

And not to grace an awful princely sceptre.

That gold must round engirt these brows of mine,

Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles' spear,

Is able with the change to kill and cure.

Here is a hand to hold a sceptre up

And with the same to act controlling laws.

Give place; by heaven, thou shalt rule no more

O'er him whom heaven created for thy ruler.

SOMERSET.

O monstrous traitor!—I arrest thee, York,

Of capital treason 'gainst the king and crown.

Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace.

YORK.

Wouldst have me kneel? first let me ask of these

If they can brook I bow a knee to man.—

Sirrah, call in my sons to be my bail.—

[Exit Attendant.]

I know, ere thy will have me go to ward,

They'll pawn their swords for my enfranchisement.

QUEEN.

Call hither Clifford; bid him come amain,

To say if that the bastard boys of York

Shall be the surety for their traitor father.

[Exit Buckingham.]

YORK.

O blood-bespotted Neapolitan,

Outcast of Naples, England's bloody scourge!