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Henry VI, Part 1 - Act 4, scene 1
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Henry VI, Part 1 - Act 4, scene 1Act 4, scene 1
Scene 1
Synopsis:
Henry VI is crowned. Fastolf arrives with a letter from Burgundy and, because of his earlier cowardice in battle, is stripped of his Garter by Talbot and banished by Henry. The letter from Burgundy announces his defection, and Henry sends Talbot to attack him. Vernon and Basset seek royal permission to fight a duel, as in turn do their patrons York and Somerset. Henry denies permission to them. He then dons the red rose of Somerset’s party but says he inclines no more to Somerset than to York. Henry orders York and Somerset to join forces against the French.
⌜Flourish.⌝ Enter King, Gloucester, Winchester, Talbot,Exeter; York ⌜and⌝ Warwick, ⌜with white roses;⌝ Suffolk
⌜and⌝ Somerset, ⌜with red roses;⌝ Governor ⌜of Paris,
and Others.⌝
GLOUCESTER
1586 Lord Bishop, set the crown upon his head.
WINCHESTER, ⌜crowning King Henry⌝
1587 God save King Henry, of that name the Sixth!
GLOUCESTER
1588 Now, Governor of Paris, take your oath.
⌜Governor kneels.⌝
1589 That you elect no other king but him;
1590 5 Esteem none friends but such as are his friends,
1591 And none your foes but such as shall pretend
1592 Malicious practices against his state:
1593 This shall you do, so help you righteous God.
⌜Governor rises.⌝
Enter Fastolf.
FASTOLF
1594 My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Callice
1595 10 To haste unto your coronation,
1596 A letter was delivered to my hands,
1597 Writ to your Grace from th’ Duke of Burgundy.
⌜He hands the King a paper.⌝
TALBOT
1598 Shame to the Duke of Burgundy and thee!
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145
1599
I vowed, base knight, when I did meet thee next,1600 15 To tear the Garter from thy craven’s leg,
(⌜tearing it off⌝)
1601 Which I have done, because unworthily
1602 Thou wast installèd in that high degree.—
1603 Pardon me, princely Henry and the rest.
1604 This dastard, at the battle of ⌜Patay,⌝
1605 20 When but in all I was six thousand strong
1606 And that the French were almost ten to one,
1607 Before we met or that a stroke was given,
1608 Like to a trusty squire did run away;
1609 In which assault we lost twelve hundred men.
1610 25 Myself and divers gentlemen besides
1611 Were there surprised and taken prisoners.
1612 Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss,
1613 Or whether that such cowards ought to wear
1614 This ornament of knighthood—yea or no?
GLOUCESTER
1615 30 To say the truth, this fact was infamous
1616 And ill beseeming any common man,
1617 Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.
TALBOT
1618 When first this Order was ordained, my lords,
1619 Knights of the Garter were of noble birth,
1620 35 Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage,
1621 Such as were grown to credit by the wars;
1622 Not fearing death nor shrinking for distress,
1623 But always resolute in most extremes.
1624 He then that is not furnished in this sort
1625 40 Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,
1626 Profaning this most honorable Order,
1627 And should, if I were worthy to be judge,
1628 Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain
1629 That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.
KING HENRY, ⌜to Fastolf⌝
1630 45 Stain to thy countrymen, thou hear’st thy doom.
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147
1631
Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight.1632 Henceforth we banish thee on pain of death.
⌜Fastolf exits.⌝
1633 And now, ⌜my⌝ lord protector, view the letter
1634 Sent from our uncle, Duke of Burgundy.
⌜He hands the paper to Gloucester.⌝
GLOUCESTER
1635 50 What means his Grace that he hath changed his style?
1636 No more but, plain and bluntly, “To the King”!
1637 Hath he forgot he is his sovereign?
1638 Or doth this churlish superscription
1639 Pretend some alteration in good will?
1640 55 What’s here? (⌜Reads.⌝)
1641 I have upon especial cause,
1642 Moved with compassion of my country’s wrack,
1643 Together with the pitiful complaints
1644 Of such as your oppression feeds upon,
1645 60 Forsaken your pernicious faction
1646 And joined with Charles, the rightful king of France.
1647 O monstrous treachery! Can this be so?
1648 That in alliance, amity, and oaths
1649 There should be found such false dissembling guile?
KING HENRY
1650 65 What? Doth my Uncle Burgundy revolt?
GLOUCESTER
1651 He doth, my lord, and is become your foe.
KING HENRY
1652 Is that the worst this letter doth contain?
GLOUCESTER
1653 It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.
KING HENRY
1654 Why, then, Lord Talbot there shall talk with him
1655 70 And give him chastisement for this abuse.—
1656 How say you, my lord, are you not content?
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149
TALBOT 1657 Content, my liege? Yes. But that I am prevented,
1658 I should have begged I might have been employed.
KING HENRY
1659 Then gather strength and march unto him straight;
1660 75 Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason
1661 And what offense it is to flout his friends.
TALBOT
1662 I go, my lord, in heart desiring still
1663 You may behold confusion of your foes.⌜He exits.⌝
Enter Vernon, ⌜with a white rose,⌝ and Basset,
⌜with a red rose.⌝
VERNON
1664 Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign.
BASSET
1665 80 And me, my lord, grant me the combat too.
YORK, ⌜indicating Vernon⌝
1666 This is my servant; hear him, noble prince.
SOMERSET, ⌜indicating Basset⌝
1667 And this is mine, sweet Henry; favor him.
KING HENRY
1668 Be patient, lords, and give them leave to speak.—
1669 Say, gentlemen, what makes you thus exclaim,
1670 85 And wherefore crave you combat, or with whom?
VERNON
1671 With him, my lord, for he hath done me wrong.
BASSET
1672 And I with him, for he hath done me wrong.
KING HENRY
1673 What is that wrong whereof you both complain?
1674 First let me know, and then I’ll answer you.
BASSET
1675 90 Crossing the sea from England into France,
1676 This fellow here with envious carping tongue
1677 Upbraided me about the rose I wear,
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151
1678
Saying the sanguine color of the leaves1679 Did represent my master’s blushing cheeks
1680 95 When stubbornly he did repugn the truth
1681 About a certain question in the law
1682 Argued betwixt the Duke of York and him,
1683 With other vile and ignominious terms.
1684 In confutation of which rude reproach,
1685 100 And in defense of my lord’s worthiness,
1686 I crave the benefit of law of arms.
VERNON
1687 And that is my petition, noble lord;
1688 For though he seem with forgèd quaint conceit
1689 To set a gloss upon his bold intent,
1690 105 Yet know, my lord, I was provoked by him,
1691 And he first took exceptions at this badge,
1692 Pronouncing that the paleness of this flower
1693 Bewrayed the faintness of my master’s heart.
YORK
1694 Will not this malice, Somerset, be left?
SOMERSET
1695 110 Your private grudge, my Lord of York, will out,
1696 Though ne’er so cunningly you smother it.
KING HENRY
1697 Good Lord, what madness rules in brainsick men
1698 When for so slight and frivolous a cause
1699 Such factious emulations shall arise!
1700 115 Good cousins both, of York and Somerset,
1701 Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace.
YORK
1702 Let this dissension first be tried by fight,
1703 And then your Highness shall command a peace.
SOMERSET
1704 The quarrel toucheth none but us alone;
1705 120 Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then.
YORK, ⌜throwing down a gage⌝
1706 There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset.
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153
VERNON, ⌜to Somerset⌝ 1707 Nay, let it rest where it began at first.
BASSET, ⌜to Somerset⌝
1708 Confirm it so, mine honorable lord.
GLOUCESTER
1709 Confirm it so? Confounded be your strife,
1710 125 And perish you with your audacious prate!
1711 Presumptuous vassals, are you not ashamed
1712 With this immodest clamorous outrage
1713 To trouble and disturb the King and us?—
1714 And you, my lords, methinks you do not well
1715 130 To bear with their perverse objections,
1716 Much less to take occasion from their mouths
1717 To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves.
1718 Let me persuade you take a better course.
EXETER
1719 It grieves his Highness. Good my lords, be friends.
KING HENRY
1720 135 Come hither, you that would be combatants:
1721 Henceforth I charge you, as you love our favor,
1722 Quite to forget this quarrel and the cause.—
1723 And you, my lords, remember where we are:
1724 In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation.
1725 140 If they perceive dissension in our looks,
1726 And that within ourselves we disagree,
1727 How will their grudging stomachs be provoked
1728 To willful disobedience and rebel!
1729 Besides, what infamy will there arise
1730 145 When foreign princes shall be certified
1731 That for a toy, a thing of no regard,
1732 King Henry’s peers and chief nobility
1733 Destroyed themselves and lost the realm of France!
1734 O, think upon the conquest of my father,
1735 150 My tender years, and let us not forgo
1736 That for a trifle that was bought with blood.
1737 Let me be umpire in this doubtful strife.
p.
155
1738
I see no reason if I wear this rose1739 That anyone should therefore be suspicious
1740 155 I more incline to Somerset than York.
⌜He puts on a red rose.⌝
1741 Both are my kinsmen, and I love them both.
1742 As well they may upbraid me with my crown
1743 Because, forsooth, the King of Scots is crowned.
1744 But your discretions better can persuade
1745 160 Than I am able to instruct or teach;
1746 And therefore, as we hither came in peace,
1747 So let us still continue peace and love.
1748 Cousin of York, we institute your Grace
1749 To be our regent in these parts of France;—
1750 165 And good my Lord of Somerset, unite
1751 Your troops of horsemen with his bands of foot;
1752 And like true subjects, sons of your progenitors,
1753 Go cheerfully together and digest
1754 Your angry choler on your enemies.
1755 170 Ourself, my lord protector, and the rest,
1756 After some respite, will return to Callice;
1757 From thence to England, where I hope ere long
1758 To be presented, by your victories,
1759 With Charles, Alanson, and that traitorous rout.
Flourish. All but York, Warwick, Exeter, Vernon exit.
WARWICK
1760 175 My Lord of York, I promise you the King
1761 Prettily, methought, did play the orator.
YORK
1762 And so he did, but yet I like it not
1763 In that he wears the badge of Somerset.
WARWICK
1764 Tush, that was but his fancy; blame him not.
1765 180 I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm.
YORK
1766 And if ⌜iwis⌝ he did—but let it rest.
1767 Other affairs must now be managèd.
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⌜York, Warwick and Vernon⌝ exit.Exeter remains.
EXETER
1768 Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice,
1769 For had the passions of thy heart burst out,
1770 185 I fear we should have seen deciphered there
1771 More rancorous spite, more furious raging broils,
1772 Than yet can be imagined or supposed.
1773 But howsoe’er, no simple man that sees
1774 This jarring discord of nobility,
1775 190 This shouldering of each other in the court,
1776 This factious bandying of their favorites,
1777 But ⌜sees⌝ it doth presage some ill event.
1778 ’Tis much when scepters are in children’s hands,
1779 But more when envy breeds unkind division:
1780 195 There comes the ruin; there begins confusion.
He exits.