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Henry VI, Pt. 2: Act IV, Scene 1

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Henry VI, Pt. 2
Act IV, Scene 1

Scene 1

Coast of Kent. Seashore near Dover.

  1. Alarum within. Ord’nance goes off like as it were a fight at
  2. sea.
  1. Enter Lieutenant, a Shipmaster and his Mate, Walter
  2. Whitmore, and others; with them Suffolk, disguised, and
  3. other Gentlemen, prisoners.

Lieutenant

1 - 14
  1. The gaudy, blabbing, and remorseful day
  2. Is crept into the bosom of the sea;
  3. And now loud-howling wolves arouse the jades
  4. That drag the tragic melancholy night;
  5. Who with their drowsy, slow, and flagging wings
  6. Cleep dead men’s graves, and from their misty jaws
  7. Breathe foul contagious darkness in the air.
  8. Therefore bring forth the soldiers of our prize,
  9. For whilst our pinnace anchors in the Downs,
  10. Here shall they make their ransom on the sand,
  11. Or with their blood stain this discolored shore.
  12. Master, this prisoner freely give I thee,
  13. And thou that art his mate, make boot of this;
  14. The other, Walter Whitmore, is thy share.

First Gentleman

15
  1. What is my ransom, master? Let me know.

Shipmaster

16
  1. A thousand crowns, or else lay down your head.

Master’s Mate

17
  1. And so much shall you give, or off goes yours.

Lieutenant

18 - 22
  1. What, think you much to pay two thousand crowns,
  2. And bear the name and port of gentlemen?
  3. Cut both the villains’ throats; for die you shall.
  4. The lives of those which we have lost in fight
  5. Be counterpois’d with such a petty sum!

First Gentleman

23
  1. I’ll give it, sir, and therefore spare my life.

Second Gentleman

24
  1. And so will I, and write home for it straight.

Walter Whitmore

25 - 27
  1. I lost mine eye in laying the prize aboard,
  2. And therefore to revenge it shalt thou die,
  3. To Suffolk.
  4. And so should these, if I might have my will.

Lieutenant

28
  1. Be not so rash, take ransom, let him live.

Duke of Suffolk

29 - 30
  1. Look on my George, I am a gentleman:
  2. Rate me at what thou wilt, thou shalt be paid.

Walter Whitmore

31 - 32
  1. And so am I; my name is Walter Whitmore.
  2. How now? Why starts thou? What, doth death affright?

Duke of Suffolk

33 - 37
  1. Thy name affrights me, in whose sound is death.
  2. A cunning man did calculate my birth
  3. And told me that by water I should die:
  4. Yet let not this make thee be bloody-minded;
  5. Thy name is Gualtier, being rightly sounded.

Walter Whitmore

38 - 43
  1. Gualtier or Walter, which it is, I care not.
  2. Never yet did base dishonor blur our name
  3. But with our sword we wip’d away the blot;
  4. Therefore, when merchant-like I sell revenge,
  5. Broke be my sword, my arms torn and defac’d,
  6. And I proclaim’d a coward through the world!

Duke of Suffolk

44 - 45
  1. Stay, Whitmore, for thy prisoner is a prince,
  2. The Duke of Suffolk, William de la Pole.

Walter Whitmore

46
  1. The Duke of Suffolk muffled up in rags?

Duke of Suffolk

47 - 48
  1. Ay, but these rags are no part of the duke;
  2. Jove sometime went disguis’d, and why not I?

Lieutenant

49
  1. But Jove was never slain, as thou shalt be.

Duke of Suffolk

50 - 64
  1. Obscure and lousy swain, King Henry’s blood,
  2. The honorable blood of Lancaster,
  3. Must not be shed by such a jaded groom.
  4. Hast thou not kiss’d thy hand and held my stirrup?
  5. Bare-headed plodded by my foot-cloth mule
  6. And thought thee happy when I shook my head?
  7. How often hast thou waited at my cup,
  8. Fed from my trencher, kneel’d down at the board,
  9. When I have feasted with Queen Margaret?
  10. Remember it, and let it make thee crestfall’n,
  11. Ay, and allay this thy abortive pride:
  12. How in our voiding lobby hast thou stood
  13. And duly waited for my coming forth?
  14. This hand of mine hath writ in thy behalf,
  15. And therefore shall it charm thy riotous tongue.

Walter Whitmore

65
  1. Speak, captain, shall I stab the forlorn swain?

Lieutenant

66
  1. First let my words stab him, as he hath me.

Duke of Suffolk

67
  1. Base slave, thy words are blunt and so art thou.

Lieutenant

68 - 69
  1. Convey him hence, and on our longboat’s side
  2. Strike off his head.

Duke of Suffolk

70
  1.                      Thou dar’st not, for thy own.

Lieutenant

71
  1. Yes, Poole.

Duke of Suffolk

72
  1.             Poole?

Lieutenant

73 - 106
  1.        Poole! Sir Poole! Lord!
  2. Ay, kennel, puddle, sink, whose filth and dirt
  3. Troubles the silver spring where England drinks.
  4. Now will I dam up this thy yawning mouth
  5. For swallowing the treasure of the realm.
  6. Thy lips that kiss’d the Queen shall sweep the ground,
  7. And thou that smil’dst at good Duke Humphrey’s death
  8. Against the senseless winds shall grin in vain,
  9. Who in contempt shall hiss at thee again;
  10. And wedded be thou to the hags of hell,
  11. For daring to affy a mighty lord
  12. Unto the daughter of a worthless king,
  13. Having neither subject, wealth, nor diadem.
  14. By devilish policy art thou grown great,
  15. And like ambitious Sylla, overgorg’d
  16. With gobbets of thy mother’s bleeding heart.
  17. By thee Anjou and Maine were sold to France.
  18. The false revolting Normans thorough thee
  19. Disdain to call us lord, and Picardy
  20. Hath slain their governors, surpris’d our forts,
  21. And sent the ragged soldiers wounded home.
  22. The princely Warwick, and the Nevils all,
  23. Whose dreadful swords were never drawn in vain,
  24. As hating thee, are rising up in arms;
  25. And now the house of York, thrust from the crown
  26. By shameful murder of a guiltless king
  27. And lofty, proud, encroaching tyranny,
  28. Burns with revenging fire, whose hopeful colors
  29. Advance our half-fac’d sun, striving to shine,
  30. Under the which is writ, Invitis nubibus.”
  31. The commons here in Kent are up in arms,
  32. And to conclude, reproach and beggary
  33. Is crept into the palace of our king,
  34. And all by thee. Away, convey him hence.

Duke of Suffolk

107 - 115
  1. O that I were a god, to shoot forth thunder
  2. Upon these paltry, servile, abject drudges!
    Apr 20, 2020 Miko
    lowly or servile
  3. Small things make base men proud. This villain here,
  4. Being captain of a pinnace, threatens more
  5. Than Bargulus the strong Illyrian pirate.
  6. Drones suck not eagles’ blood, but rob beehives.
  7. It is impossible that I should die
  8. By such a lowly vassal as thyself.
  9. Thy words move rage and not remorse in me.

Lieutenant

116
  1. Ay, but my deeds shall stay thy fury soon.

Duke of Suffolk

117 - 118
  1. I go of message from the Queen to France;
  2. I charge thee waft me safely cross the Channel.

Walter Whitmore

119
  1. Come, Suffolk, I must waft thee to thy death.

Duke of Suffolk

120
  1. Pene gelidus timor occupat artus: it is thee I fear.

Walter Whitmore

121 - 122
  1. Thou shalt have cause to fear before I leave thee.
  2. What, are ye daunted now? Now will ye stoop?

First Gentleman

123
  1. My gracious lord, entreat him, speak him fair.

Duke of Suffolk

124 - 133
  1. Suffolk’s imperial tongue is stern and rough,
  2. Us’d to command, untaught to plead for favor.
  3. Far be it we should honor such as these
  4. With humble suit. No, rather let my head
  5. Stoop to the block than these knees bow to any
  6. Save to the God of heaven and to my king;
  7. And sooner dance upon a bloody pole
  8. Than stand uncover’d to the vulgar groom.
  9. True nobility is exempt from fear:
  10. More can I bear than you dare execute.

Lieutenant

134
  1. Hale him away, and let him talk no more.

Duke of Suffolk

135 - 141
  1. Come, soldiers, show what cruelty ye can,
  2. That this my death may never be forgot!
  3. Great men oft die by vild besonians:
  4. A Roman sworder and bandetto slave
  5. Murder’d sweet Tully; Brutus’ bastard hand
  6. Stabb’d Julius Caesar; savage islanders
  7. Pompey the Great; and Suffolk dies by pirates.
  1. Exit Walter Whitmore with Suffolk.

Lieutenant

142 - 144
  1. And as for these whose ransom we have set,
  2. It is our pleasure one of them depart;
  3. Therefore come you with us and let him go.
  1. Exeunt Lieutenant and the rest. Manet the First Gentleman.
  1. Enter Walter Whitmore with the body of Suffolk.

Walter Whitmore

145 - 146
  1. There let his head and lifeless body lie,
  2. Until the Queen his mistress bury it.
  1. Exit Walter.

First Gentleman

147 - 150
  1. O barbarous and bloody spectacle!
  2. His body will I bear unto the King.
  3. If he revenge it not, yet will his friends;
  4. So will the Queen, that living held him dear.
  1. Exit with the body.
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