Henry VI, Pt. 1
Act I, Scene 3
London. Before the Tower.
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
Unknown artist, circa 1450
- Enter Gloucester with his Serving Attendants in blue coats.
Duke of Gloucester
1 - 4- I am come to survey the Tower this day;
- Since Henry’s death, I fear, there is conveyance.
- Where be these warders, that they wait not here?
- Open the gates, ’tis Gloucester that calls.
First Warder of the Tower
5- Within.
- Who’s there, that knocks so imperiously?
Gloucester’s First Serving Attendant
6- It is the noble Duke of Gloucester.
Second Warder of the Tower
7- Within.
- Whoe’er he be, you may not be let in.
Gloucester’s First Serving Attendant
8- Villains, answer you so the Lord Protector?
First Warder of the Tower
9 - 10- Within.
- The Lord protect him! So we answer him.
- We do no otherwise than we are will’d.
Duke of Gloucester
11 - 14- Who willed you? Or whose will stands but mine?
- There’s none Protector of the realm but I.—
- Break up the gates, I’ll be your warrantize.
- Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms?
- Gloucester’s men rush at the Tower gates, and Woodvile the
- Lieutenant speaks within.
Woodvile
15- What noise is this? What traitors have we here?
Duke of Gloucester
16 - 17- Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear?
- Open the gates, here’s Gloucester that would enter.
Woodvile
18 - 21- Have patience, noble Duke, I may not open,
- The Cardinal of Winchester forbids.
- From him I have express commandment
- That thou nor none of thine shall be let in.
Duke of Gloucester
22 - 26- Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizest him ’fore me?
- Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate,
- Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne’er could brook?
- Thou art no friend to God or to the King.
- Open the gates, or I’ll shut thee out shortly.
Gloucester’s Second Serving Attendant
27 - 28- Open the gates unto the Lord Protector,
- Or we’ll burst them open, if that you come not quickly.
- Enter to the Protector at the Tower gates Winchester and his
- Men in tawny coats.
Bishop of Winchester
29- How now, ambitious Humphrey, what means this?
Duke of Gloucester
30- Peel’d priest, dost thou command me to be shut out?
Bishop of Winchester
31 - 32- I do, thou most usurping proditor,
- And not Protector, of the King or realm.
Duke of Gloucester
33 - 37- Stand back, thou manifest conspirator,
- Thou that contrivedst to murder our dead lord,
- Thou that giv’st whores indulgences to sin.
- I’ll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal’s hat,
- If thou proceed in this thy insolence.
Bishop of Winchester
38 - 40- Nay, stand thou back, I will not budge a foot:
- This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain,
- To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.
Duke of Gloucester
41 - 43- I will not slay thee, but I’ll drive thee back.
- Thy scarlet robes as a child’s bearing-cloth
- I’ll use to carry thee out of this place.
Bishop of Winchester
44- Do what thou dar’st, I beard thee to thy face.
Duke of Gloucester
45 - 51- What? Am I dar’d and bearded to my face?
- Draw, men, for all this privileged place—
- Blue coats to tawny coats! Priest, beware your beard,
- I mean to tug it and to cuff you soundly.
- Under my feet I stamp thy cardinal’s hat;
- In spite of Pope or dignities of church,
- Here by the cheeks I’ll drag thee up and down.
Bishop of Winchester
52- Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the Pope.
Duke of Gloucester
53 - 56- Winchester goose, I cry, “A rope! A rope!”
- Now beat them hence, why do you let them stay?
- Thee I’ll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep’s array.
- Out, tawny-coats! Out, scarlet hypocrite!
- Here Gloucester’s men beat out the Cardinal’s men, and enter
- in the hurly-burly the Mayor of London and his Officers.
Mayor
57 - 58- Fie, lords, that you, being supreme magistrates,
- Thus contumeliously should break the peace!
Duke of Gloucester
59 - 61- Peace, Mayor, thou know’st little of my wrongs.
- Here’s Beauford, that regards nor God nor king,
- Hath here distrain’d the Tower to his use.
Bishop of Winchester
62 - 68- Here’s Gloucester, a foe to citizens,
- One that still motions war and never peace,
- O’ercharging your free purses with large fines;
- That seeks to overthrow religion
- Because he is Protector of the realm,
- And would have armor here out of the Tower,
- To crown himself king and suppress the Prince.
Duke of Gloucester
69- I will not answer thee with words, but blows.
- Here they skirmish again.
Mayor
70 - 73- Nought rests for me in this tumultuous strife
- But to make open proclamation.
- Come, officer, as loud as e’er thou canst,
- Cry.
Officer
74- All manner of men assembled here in arms this day against God’s peace and the King’s, we charge and command you, in his Highness’ name, to repair to your several dwelling-places, and not to wear, handle, or use any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon pain of death.
Duke of Gloucester
75 - 76- Cardinal, I’ll be no breaker of the law;
- But we shall meet, and break our minds at large.
Bishop of Winchester
77 - 78- Gloucester, we’ll meet to thy cost, be sure:
- Thy heart-blood I will have for this day’s work.
Mayor
79 - 80- I’ll call for clubs, if you will not away.
- This cardinal’s more haughty than the devil.
Duke of Gloucester
81- Mayor, farewell; thou dost but what thou mayst.
Bishop of Winchester
82 - 83- Abominable Gloucester, guard thy head,
- For I intend to have it ere long.
- Exeunt, several ways, Gloucester and Winchester with their
- Servingmen.
Mayor
84 - 86- See the coast clear’d, and then we will depart.
- Good God, these nobles should such stomachs bear!
- I myself fight not once in forty year.
- Exeunt.