KING HENRY VI

I wonder why my Lord Gloucester hasn't come. It's not like him to be the last one to arrive. I wander what's keepinghim.

QUEEN MARGARET

Can't you see? Or will you not see how strangely he's behaving? How he walks like a king, how arrogant he's become lately, how proud, how bossy he is now—unlike he how he was before? We remember the time when he was mild and kind, and if we only looked at him unkindly once, he was on his knee immediately. All the court admired his humility. But if you met him now in the morning, when everyone usually greets one another, he frowns and looks at you angrily and walks by you, without bending his knee as he used to. He doesn't show us the respect we deserve. Small dogs are not noticed when they show their teeth, but great men are afraid when the lion roars. And Humphrey is not a little man in England. Notice that he's next in line to the throne, and if you fall, he will rise. It seems imprudent to me, considering how bitter he is and that he stands to gain from anything bad happening to you, that you let him come and see you in person and sit on your highness' council. He won the people's hearts by flattering them, and if he wants to start a rebellion, I'm afraid they'll all join him. Now it's the spring, and the weeds are easily pulled up. But if you let them grow, they'll cover the whole garden and choke the plants, for lack of good gardening. My love and concern for you, my husband, makes me point out that the duke is dangerous. If you think it's foolish, call it a woman's fear. If better logic can prove that I was wrong to be afraid, I will give in and say that I was wrong about the duke. My Lords of Suffolk, Buckingham, and York, disprove my accusation, if you can, or otherwise say that my words are true. 

SUFFOLK

Your highness is right to notice these things about the duke. And if the king had asked me first to say what I think, I would have said the same. The duchess, encouraged by him, plotted to murder me. Even if he isn't aware of those faults, by boasting of his nobility and high position as heir to the king, he provoked the insane and foolish duchess to plot the death of our king with her wicked ways. The water flows smoothly when the river is deep, and in his innocent appearance he is hiding his treason. The fox doesn't bark when it's about to steal the lamb. No, no, my king, you don't know what Gloucester is capable of; he's full of deceit. 

CARDINAL

Didn't he condemn some people to death for petty crimes, going outside the law?

YORK

And didn't he, during his protectorship, raise taxes throughout the country to pay our soldiers in France, but never sent it there? And the towns rose up in rebellion as a result.

BUCKINGHAM

Oh please, these are only small crimes compared to the crimes we don't now about. But time will bring those to light, to show the truth about the apparently amiable Duke Humphrey. 

KING HENRY VI

My lords, once and for all: we appreciate your concern and eagerness to cut down thorns that would injure our feet. But I'll say what I think. Our uncle Gloucester is as innocent of treasonous behavior to the crown as the sucking lamb or the harmless dove. The duke is virtuous, kind, and too loyal to dream of doing evil or to plan my downfall. 

QUEEN MARGARET

Ah, what's more dangerous than this misguided trust? Does he seem like a dove? His feathers are only borrowed, then, because he's a hateful raven. Is he a lamb? Then surely he's borrowed another skin, because he's a hungry wolf. Who can't put on a disguise in order to deceive? Be careful, my lord; the well-being of us all depends on the cutting short of that treacherous man. 

SOMERSET

I wish all health to my gracious king!

KING HENRY VI

Welcome, Lord Somerset. What's the news from France?

SOMERSET

That you have lost all your legal claim in those territories. 

KING HENRY VI

Sad news, Lord Somerset. But God's will be done!

YORK

[To himself] This news isn't good for me either, since I had hoped to rule France as I hope to rule England. My flowers are torn apart as buds and caterpillars eat my leaves away. But I will fix this situation before it's too late, or sell my title for a glorious grave. 

GLOUCESTER

Happiness to my lord the king! I am sorry, my lord, that I have been absent for so long. 

SUFFOLK

No, Gloucester, you have come too soon, unless you were more loyal than you are. I arrest you for high treason here.

GLOUCESTER

Well, Suffolk, you won't see me blush nor change my expression in response to this arrest. A heart as free of crime as mine is not easily frightened. The purest spring is not so free from mud as I am clear from treason to my king. Who can accuse me? What am I guilty of?

YORK

It's thought, my lord, that you took bribes from France, and as protector withheld the soldiers' pay, and due to that his highness has lost France.

GLOUCESTER

Is it only thought that I did this? Who thinks it then? I never robbed the soldiers of their pay, nor have I ever taken one penny in bribes from France. So God help me, I've stayed awake night by night, thinking how I can do good for England. Let that coin that I got unfairly from the king, or any other coin that I have taken for my own use, be brought to court on the day of my trial! No, I have paid out many pounds from my own personal wealth to the army, because I didn't want to tax the needy poor. And I've never asked for compensation. 

CARDINAL

It serves you well, my lord, to say as much.

GLOUCESTER

I say no more than truth, so God help me!

YORK

You came up with illegal tortures that were never heard of before for criminals during your protectorship, so that England became infamous for tyranny.

GLOUCESTER

It's well known that while I was protector, my only fault was pity and that I would be weakened by a criminal's tears, thinking that humble words of penance were payment enough for their crime. Unless it were a bloody murderer, or a wicked thief that robbed poor travelers, I never gave them appropriate punishment. Although indeed I did punish murder, that bloody sin, even more severely than other offences.

SUFFOLK

My lord, these accusations are small and they can be quickly answered. But there are bigger crimes that you are accused of, and you can't excuse yourself from those so easily. I arrest you in his highness' name, and make the lord cardinal your jailer until your trial.

KING HENRY VI

My lord Gloucester, I do hope that you will clear yourself from all this suspicion. My conscience tells me you are innocent. 

GLOUCESTER

Ah, gracious lord, these are dangerous days. Virtue is choked by evil ambition and charity is pursued by jealousy. Filthy bribery is common practice and justice is exiled from your highness' land. I know their plot is to take my life, and if my death can make this island happy, and mean the end of their tyranny, I would pay the price of my death willingly. But my death would only be a prologue to their play, since thousands more, that don't expect it yet, won't put an end to this tragedy. Beaufort's red sparkling eyes reveal the evil of his heart, and Suffolk's frowns show his hate; merciless Buckingham reveals the malice he feels in his heart with his sharp words; and stubborn York, that reaches for the moon, whose overreaching arm I have pulled back, wants to kill me with these false accusations. And you, my queen, have joined with them to accuse me of dishonorable behavior for no reason, and have done your best to turn my dearest king against me. And all of you have put your heads together—I have noticed your secret meetings—to end my guiltless life. I know I won't lack false witnesses to condemn me, nor an abundance of supposed "treasons" to make me look guilty. The ancient proverb fits well here: "It is easy to find a stick to beat a dog."

CARDINAL

My lord, his ranting is intolerable. If those that are trying to save your royal life from treason and murder can be criticized, rebuked and berated this way, and the offender given free opportunity to say such things, it will make them less likely to have so much care for you.

SUFFOLK

Hasn't he insulted our queen with humiliating words (although they were skillfully expressed), as if she had bribed some of us to falsely accuse him in order to bring him down?

QUEEN MARGARET

But I can let the loser insult me all he likes.

GLOUCESTER

That's more truthful than you meant! I lose, indeed; curse the winners because they have played me falsely! And so the losers can speak. 

BUCKINGHAM

He'll twist the meaning and keep us here all day. Lord cardinal, he is your prisoner.

CARDINAL

Sirs, take away the duke and make sure he's guarded well. 

GLOUCESTER

Ah! And so King Henry throws away his crutch before his legs are strong enough to hold his body up. So the shepherd is beaten from your side, and wolves are growling over who will eat you first. Ah, I wish that my fear was wrong! Ah, if only it were! I am afraid, good King Henry, that your downfall will come soon!

KING HENRY VI

My lords, do or undo whatever you think best, as if I were here.

QUEEN MARGARET

What? Will your highness leave the parliament?

KING HENRY VI

Yes, Margaret. My heart is drowned with grief. Its flood begins to flow in my eyes and my body is encircled with misery. What's more miserable than unhappiness? Ah, uncle Humphrey! I see the image of honor, truth and loyalty in your face. And good Humphrey, the time has not yet come when I ever found you disloyal or was worried about your faith. What angry star now envies your position, that these great lords and our queen Margaret want the destruction of your harmless life? You never wronged them, nor wronged any man. And just like the butcher takes away the calf and binds the poor thing, beating it when it tries to get away and taking it to the bloody slaughter-house, so they have taken him here without pity. And just as the mother runs up and down, looking for where her harmless young one went, and can do nothing but cry after losing her, so I cry at the case of the good Gloucester with sad unhelpful tears, looking after him with blurred eyes. I look after him, but I can't help him because my sworn enemies are so powerful. I will cry at his fortunes and in between each groan, I will say :"Who's a traitor? Not Gloucester."

QUEEN MARGARET

Noble lords, cold snow melts with the sun's hot rays. My husband Henry knows nothing about politics. He is full of foolish pity, and Gloucester's false appearance deceives him like the mournful crocodile entices pitying passengers with sorrow, or like the snake in the grass stings a child who likes his shining skin—and thinks that because it's beautiful it's safe to touch. Believe me, lords, if any of you are wiser than me—and yet I judge that my own intellect is good—this Gloucester should quickly depart this life, to rid us of the fear we have of him. 

CARDINAL

His death is good politics. But we still need an excuse for his death. If it's appropriate, he will be condemned by law.

SUFFOLK

But I think that no matter what clever strategy we come up with, the king will continually try to save his life and the people may perhaps rebel to save him. And anyway, we only have some scant evidence besides our suspicions to show that he should die.

YORK

So based on what you just said, you'd rather not have him die.

SUFFOLK

Ah, York, there is no man alive so eager to see him dead! 

YORK

It's York who has more reasons to want him dead. But, my lord cardinal, and you, my Lord of Suffolk, say what you think and speak it from your souls. Isn't placing Duke Humphrey as the king's protector just as bad as sending a hungry eagle to guard the chicken from a bird of prey? 

QUEEN MARGARET

That poor chicken would be sure to die. 

SUFFOLK

That's true, madam. And wouldn't it be then mad to make the fox the keeper of the sheep? We've accused him of being a cunning murderer—so should we foolishly let him slip from our grasp, simply because he had yet to kill one of the sheep? No, let him die. Because he's a fox, he is an enemy to the flock by nature, even before his jaws are colored with blood. It's the same with Humphrey, who we've proven is a threat to the king. And do not insist on some crafty scheme to kill him. Let it be by any kind of traps, or by a secret plot, sleeping or awake—it doesn't matter how, as long as he's dead. It's a good trick to catch him first, before he has the chance to trick us.

QUEEN MARGARET

Three times noble Suffolk, you speak decisively. 

SUFFOLK

Not decisively, unless it is actually done. Because things are often said that are not always meant. But to show that my heart believes what I've said—seeing that the deed is worthy, and that I do it to save my king from his enemy—say the word and I will kill him. 

CARDINAL

But I'd want him dead, my Lord of Suffolk, before you have time to arrange a priest to be there. Say that you agree and approve the act, and I'll provide his executioner, since I hold the safety of my king so dear.

SUFFOLK

Here's my hand. This is a good deed.

QUEEN MARGARET

I agree.

YORK

And now that the three of us agree, it doesn't matter who questions our judgement. 

POST

Great lords, I have come quickly from Ireland to report that the rebels are up in arms and have started fighting the Englishmen. Send assistance, lords and stop the rebellion at an early stage, before the wound becomes impossible to heal. Since it's a new injury, there's still hope of help.

CARDINAL

A rebellion that needs to be stopped quickly! [To YORK] What advice do you give in this pressing matter? 

YORK

That Somerset should be sent there as a regent. It's appropriate that we send a"lucky" ruler, since his luck in France has been so great so far.

SOMERSET

If York, with all his incompetent policies, had been the regent there instead of me, he would have never stayed in France so long.

YORK

No, and I wouldn't have lost it all, as you have done. I would have rather lost my life before bringing a burden of dishonor home by staying there so long until it was all lost. Show me one scar on your skin! Men without battle scars don't tend to win very often.

QUEEN MARGARET

No, this spark will ignite into a raging fire if we feed it with wind and fuel. No more, good York; sweet Somerset, be calm. If you had been there, York, you luck might have perhaps been worse than his.

YORK

What do you mean? Worse than nothing? No, then we would have all died of shame!

SOMERSET

And you with them all, since you brought shame on yourself! 

CARDINAL

My lord of York, put your luck to the test. The rebellious Irish soldiers are ready to fight and they're killing Englishmen. Will you lead a carefully selected group of men (some from each county) to Ireland and try your luck against the Irishmen?

YORK

I will, my lord, if his majesty gives permission. 

SUFFOLK

Well, we'll give permission for him; what we order, he confirms. Then, noble York, carry out this task. 

YORK

I am happy with it. Provide me soldiers, lords, while I put my own affairs in order.

SUFFOLK

That's a task that I will take care of, Lord York. But now let's come back to the false Duke Humphrey. 

CARDINAL

No more about him. I will deal with him so that he won't trouble us from now on. And so let's go our separate ways, since the day is almost over. Lord Suffolk, you and I must talk about that event.

YORK

My Lord of Suffolk, within fourteen days I'll expect my soldiers at Bristol. From there I'll ship them all to Ireland. 

SUFFOLK

I'll see that it's all arranged, my Lord of York.

YORK

Now or never, York. Gather your fearful thoughts, and exchange uncertainty for determination. Be that which you hope to be, or die trying, since life is worth nothing without it. Low-born men are afraid; don't let fear find shelter in a royal heart. Thoughts come my way faster than spring-time showers , and there is not a thought which doesn't relate to kingship. My brain is busier than the hard-working spider that weaves laborious snares to trap his enemies. Well, nobles, well, it's strategically done—to send me away with an army. I am afraid that you are only keeping your enemies too close, like a hungry snake that you warm with embraces until it stings you on the heart. I needed soldiers and you will give them to me. I take them kindly—and yet know that you've put sharp weapons in a madman's hands. While I build up a mighty army in Ireland, I'll also start some black storm in England which will blow ten thousand souls to heaven or hell. And this cruel tempest won't stop raging until the crown on my head—like the transparent beams of the golden sun—come out and calm the anger of this mad storm. To work on my behalf, I have persuaded a headstrong Kentishman, John Cade of Ashford, to rouse a rebellion, as well as he can, to fight for the title of John Mortimer. I saw this stubborn Cade in Ireland as he stood against a group of Irish soldiers. He fought for so long, until his thighs were almost pierced by arrows. And as he was rescued in the end, I saw him nimbly dancing like a wild Morisco, shaking the bloody arrows as if they were bells. He often spied on the enemy, pretending to be a wild-haired cunning Irish soldier, and he came back to me undiscovered and gave me information on their plans. That devil will be my substitute. Since John Mortimer is now dead, he looks like him in face, bearing and in speech. By this I'll bring the common people over to my side, so that they support the house of York and my claim to the throne. Even if he's arrested and tortured, I know that no pain they can inflict upon him will make him say that I persuaded him to start the rebellion. Let's say that he's successful, as it's very likely that he will be. Then I'll come back from Ireland with my army, and reap the harvest that the rogue has sown. Then Humphrey will be dead, and Henry put aside, and I'll be next in line.