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GLOUCESTER.

Compassion on the king commands me stoop;

Or I would see his heart out, ere the priest

Should ever get that privilege of me.

WARWICK.

Behold, my Lord of Winchester, the duke

Hath banish'd moody discontented fury,

As by his smoothed brows it doth appear:

Why look you still so stem and tragical?

GLOUCESTER.

Here, Winchester, I offer thee my hand.

KING.

Fie, uncle Beaufort! I have heard you preach

That malice was a great and grievous sin;

And will not you maintain the thing you teach,

But prove a chief offender in the same?

WARWICK.

Sweet king! the bishop hath a kindly gird.

For shame, my lord of Winchester, relent!

What, shall a child instruct you what to do?

WINCHESTER.

Well, Duke of Gloucester, I will yield to thee;

Love for thy love and hand for hand I give.

GLOUCESTER.

[Aside] Aye, but, I fear me, with a hollow heart.—

See here, my friends and loving countrymen;

This token serveth for a flag of truce

Betwixt ourselves and all our followers:

So help me God, as I dissemble not!

WINCHESTER.

[Aside] So help me God, as I intend it not!

KING.

O loving uncle, kind Duke of Gloucester,

How joyful am I made by this contract!

Away, my masters! trouble us no more;

But join in friendship, as your lords have done.

FIRST SERVING-MAN.

Content: I'll to the surgeon's.

SECOND SERVING-MAN.

And so will I.

THIRD SERVING-MAN.

And I will see what physic the tavern affords.

[Exeunt Serving-men, Mayor, &C.]

WARWICK.

Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign;

Which in the right of Richard Plantagenet.

We do exhibit to your majesty.

GLOUCESTER.

Well urged, my Lord of Warwick: for, sweet prince,

An if your Grace mark every circumstance,

You have great reason to do Richard right:

Especially for those occasions

At Eltham place I told your majesty.

KING.

And those occasions, uncle, were of force;

Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is

That Richard be restored to his blood.

WARWICK.

Let Richard be restored to his blood;

So shall his father's wrongs be recompensed.

WINCHESTER.

As will the rest, so willeth Winchester.

KING.

If Richard will be true, not that alone

But all the whole inheritance I give

That doth belong unto the house of York,

From whence you spring by lineal descent.

PLANTAGENET.

Thy humble servant vows obedience

And humble service till the point of death.

KING.

Stoop then and set your knee against my foot;

And, in reguerdon of that duty done,

I girt thee with the valiant sword of York:

Rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet,

And rise created princely Duke of York.

PLANTAGENET.

And so thrive Richard as thy foes may fall!

And as my duty springs, so perish they

That grudge one thought against your majesty!

ALL.

Welcome, high prince, the mighty Duke of York!

SOMERSET.

[Aside] Perish, base prince, ignoble Duke of York!

GLOUCESTER.

Now will it best avail your majesty

To cross the seas and to be crown'd in France:

The presence of a king engenders love

Amongst his subjects and his loyal friends,

As it disanimates his enemies.

KING.

When Gloucester says the word, King Henry goes;

For friendly counsel cuts off many foes.

GLOUCESTER.

Your ships already are in readiness.

[Sennet. Flourish. Exeunt all but Exeter.]

EXETER.

Aye, we may march in England or in France,

Not seeing what is likely to ensue.

This late dissension grown betwixt the peers

Burns under feigned ashes of forged love,

And will at last break out into a flame;

As fest'red members rot but by degree,

Till bones and flesh and sinews fall away,

So will this base and envious discord breed.

And now I fear that fatal prophecy

Which in the time of Henry named the fifth

Was in the mouth of every sucking babe;

That Henry born at Monmouth should win all

And Henry born at Windsor lose all:

Which is so plain, that Exeter doth wish

His days may finish ere that hapless time.

[Exit.]

SCENE II. France. Before Rouen.

[Enter La Pucelle disguised, with four Soldiers with sacks