And ready are the appellant and defendant—

The armourer and his man—to enter the lists,

So please your highness to behold the fight.

QUEEN MARGARET

Ay, good my lord, for purposely therefor

Left I the court to see this quarrel tried.

KING HENRY

A God’s name, see the lists and all things fit;

Here let them end it, and God defend the right.

YORK

I never saw a fellow worse bestead,

Or more afraid to fight, than is the appellant,

The servant of this armourer, my lords.

Enter at one door Horner the armourer and his

Neighbours, drinking to him so much that he is

drunken; and he enters with a drummer before him

and ⌈carrying⌉ his staff with a sandbag fastened to

it. Enter at the other door Peter his man, also with

a drummer and a staff with sandbag, and Prentices

drinking to him

FIRST NEIGHBOUR (offering drink to Horner) Here, neighbour Horner, I drink to you in a cup of sack, and fear not, neighbour, you shall do well enough.

SECOND NEIGHBOUR (offering drink to Horner) And here, neighbour, here’s a cup of charneco.

THIRD NEIGHBOUR (offering drink to Horner) Here’s a pot of good double beer, neighbour, drink and be merry, and fear not your man. HORNER ⌈accepting the offers of drink⌉ Let it come, i’faith I’ll pledge you all, and a fig for Peter.

FIRST PRENTICE (offering drink to Peter) Here, Peter, I drink to thee, and be not afeard.

SECOND PRENTICE (offering drink to Peter) Here, Peter, here’s a pint of claret wine for thee.

THIRD PRENTICE (offering drink to Peter) And here’s a quart for me, and be merry, Peter, and fear not thy master. Fight for credit of the prentices!

PETER ⌈refusing the offers of drink⌉ I thank you all. Drink and pray for me, I pray you, for I think I have taken my last draught in this world. Here, Robin, an if I die, I give thee my apron; and, Will, thou shalt have my hammer; and here, Tom, take all the money that I have. OLord bless me, I pray God, for I am never able to deal with my master, he hath learned so much fence already.

SALISBURY Come, leave your drinking, and fall to blows. (To Peter) Sirrah, what’s thy name?

PETER Peter, forsooth.

SALISBURY Peter? What more?

PETER Thump.

SALISBURY Thump! Then see that thou thump thy master well.

HORNER Masters, I am come hither, as it were, upon my man’s instigation, to prove him a knave and myself an honest man; and touching the Duke of York, I will take my death I never meant him any ill, nor the King, nor the Queen; and therefore, Peter, have at thee with a downright blow.

YORK

Dispatch; this knave’s tongue begins to double.

Sound trumpets an alarum to the combatants. They fight and Peter hits Horner on the head and strikes him down

HORNER Hold, Peter, hold—I confess, I confess treason. He dies

YORK (to an attendant, pointing to Horner) Take away his weapon. (To Peter) Fellow, thank God and the good wine in thy master’s wame.

PETER [kneeling] O God, have I overcome mine enemy in this presence? O, Peter, thou hast prevailed in right.

KING HENRY (to attendants, pointing to Horner)

Go, take hence that traitor from our sight,

For by his death we do perceive his guilt.

And God in justice hath revealed to us

The truth and innocence of this poor fellow,

Which he had thought to have murdered wrongfully.

(To Peter) Come, fellow, follow us for thy reward.

Sound a flourish. Exeunt, some carrying Horner’s body

2.4 Enter Duke Humphrey of Gloucester and his men in mourning cloaks

GLOUCESTER

Thus sometimes hath the brightest day a cloud;

And after summer evermore succeeds

Barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold;

So cares and joys abound as seasons fleet.

Sirs, what’s o’clock?

SERVANT Ten, my lord.

GLOUCESTER

Ten is the hour that was appointed me

To watch the coming of my punished Duchess;

Uneath may she endure the flinty streets,

To tread them with her tender-feeling feet.

Sweet Nell, ill can thy noble mind abrook

The abject people gazing on thy face

With envious looks, laughing at thy shame,

That erst did follow thy proud chariot wheels

When thou didst ride in triumph through the streets.

But soft, I think she comes; and I’ll prepare

My tear-stained eyes to see her miseries.

Enter the Duchess, Dame Eleanor Cobham, barefoot,

with a white sheet about her, written verses pinned

on her back, and carrying a wax candle in her

hand; she is accompanied by the [two Sheriffs] of

London, and Sir John Stanley, and officers with bills

and halberds

SERVANT (to Gloucester) So please your grace, we’ll take her from the sheriffs.

GLOUCESTER

No, stir not for your lives, let her pass by.

DUCHESS

Come you, my lord, to see my open shame?

Now thou dost penance too. Look how they gaze,

See how the giddy multitude do point

And nod their heads, and throw their eyes on thee.

Ah, Gloucester, hide thee from their hateful looks,

And, in thy closet pent up, rue my shame,

And ban thine enemies—both mine and thine.

GLOUCESTER

Be patient, gentle Nell; forget this grief.

DUCHESS

Ah, Gloucester, teach me to forget myself;

For whilst I think I am thy married wife,

And thou a prince, Protector of this land,

Methinks I should not thus be led along,

Mailed up in shame, with papers on my back,

And followed with a rabble that rejoice

To see my tears and hear my deep-fet groans.

The ruthless flint doth cut my tender feet,

And when I start, the envious people laugh,

And bid me be advised how I tread.

Ah, Humphrey, can I bear this shameful yoke?

Trowest thou that e’er I’ll look upon the world,