Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
|
Flourish of trumpets, then hautboys.
Enter King Henry, Duke Humphrey of Gloucester,
Salisbury, Warwick, and Cardinal Beaufort, on the one
side; Queen Margaret, Suffolk, York, Somerset, and
Buckingham, on the other. SUFFOLK
As by your high imperial Majesty
I had in charge at my depart for France,
As procurator to your Excellence,
To marry Princess Margaret for your Grace,
So, in the famous ancient city Tours, 5
In presence of the Kings of France and Sicil,
The Dukes of Orleance, Calaber, Britaigne, and
Alanson,
Seven earls, twelve barons, and twenty reverend
bishops, 10
I have performed my task and was espoused;
He kneels.
And humbly now upon my bended knee,
In sight of England and her lordly peers,
Deliver up my title in the Queen
To your most gracious hands, that are the substance 15
Of that great shadow I did represent:
The happiest gift that ever marquess gave,
The fairest queen that ever king received. | We're hanging at the palace, where Suffolk brings Margaret to meet King
Henry. The backstory? Suffolk captured Margaret during the war with
France. He figured he wouldn't let a pretty woman go to waste, so why
not give her to the king? He already negotiated a deal for her. |
KING HENRY
Suffolk, arise.—Welcome, Queen Margaret.
Suffolk rises.
I can express no kinder sign of love 20
Than this kind kiss. He kisses her.
O Lord, that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!
For Thou hast given me in this beauteous face
A world of earthly blessings to my soul, 25
If sympathy of love unite our thoughts. QUEEN MARGARET
Great king of England and my gracious lord,
The mutual conference that my mind hath had
By day, by night, waking and in my dreams,
In courtly company or at my beads, 30
With you, mine alderliefest sovereign,
Makes me the bolder to salute my king
With ruder terms, such as my wit affords
And overjoy of heart doth minister. KING HENRY
Her sight did ravish, but her grace in speech, 35
Her words yclad with wisdom’s majesty,
Makes me from wond’ring fall to weeping joys,
Such is the fullness of my heart’s content.
Lords, with one cheerful voice welcome my love. ALL kneel. Long live Queen Margaret, England’s happiness! 40 QUEEN MARGARET We thank you all. Flourish. All rise. | Henry seems pleased with Margaret and gives her a kiss to seal the deal.
Margaret salutes Henry and tells him she's overjoyed to become his
wife. Everyone cheers. |
SUFFOLK, to Gloucester
My Lord Protector, so it please your Grace,
Here are the articles of contracted peace
Between our sovereign and the French king Charles,
For eighteen months concluded by consent. 45
He hands Gloucester a paper. GLOUCESTER (reads) Imprimis, it is agreed between the
French king Charles and William de la Pole, Marquess
of Suffolk, ambassador for Henry, King of England,
that the said Henry shall espouse the Lady
Margaret, daughter unto Reignier, King of Naples, 50
Sicilia, and Jerusalem, and crown her Queen of England
ere the thirtieth of May next ensuing. Item,
that the duchy of Anjou and the county of Maine
shall be released and delivered to the King her
father— He drops the paper. 55 KING HENRY
Uncle, how now? GLOUCESTER Pardon me, gracious lord.
Some sudden qualm hath struck me at the heart
And dimmed mine eyes, that I can read no further. | Then Suffolk gets to the deal: he's arranged a contract with King Charles of France and wants to read it before the court to make sure it's okay. Gloucester begins reading it to everyone. Basically, it's a contract between the British and the French—totally boring, right? Well, it gets interesting when Gloucester gets to a line saying that some lands have to be released as part of the deal. The contract falls, since Gloucester suddenly isn't feeling so well. |
KING HENRY
Uncle of Winchester, I pray read on. 60 CARDINAL picks up the paper and reads Item, it is further
agreed between them that the duchies of
Anjou and Maine shall be released and delivered to
the King her father, and she sent over of the King of
England’s own proper cost and charges, without 65
having any dowry. | Cardinal Beaufort picks up the reading where Gloucester left off. The
contract says that certain lands (Maine and Anjou) have to be returned
to France in exchange for Margaret's hand in marriage. Since Henry
didn't pay a dowry, the lands will be her dowry. |
KING HENRY
They please us well.—Lord Marquess, kneel down. Suffolk kneels.
We here create thee the first Duke of Suffolk
And girt thee with the sword. Suffolk rises. Cousin
of York, 70
We here discharge your Grace from being regent
I’ th’ parts of France till term of eighteen months
Be full expired.—Thanks, Uncle Winchester,
Gloucester, York, Buckingham, Somerset,
Salisbury, and Warwick; 75
We thank you all for this great favor done
In entertainment to my princely queen.
Come, let us in, and with all speed provide
To see her coronation be performed.
King, Queen, and Suffolk exit.
The rest remain. | Henry is happy with the deal and promotes Suffolk to duke on the spot.
He wants to be alone with Suffolk and Margaret so they can get ready for
her coronation day; the three of them leave. |
GLOUCESTER
Brave peers of England, pillars of the state, 80
To you Duke Humphrey must unload his grief,
Your grief, the common grief of all the land.
What, did my brother Henry spend his youth,
His valor, coin, and people in the wars?
Did he so often lodge in open field, 85
In winter’s cold and summer’s parching heat,
To conquer France, his true inheritance?
And did my brother Bedford toil his wits
To keep by policy what Henry got?
Have you yourselves, Somerset, Buckingham, 90
Brave York, Salisbury, and victorious Warwick,
Received deep scars in France and Normandy?
Or hath mine uncle Beaufort and myself,
With all the learnèd council of the realm,
Studied so long, sat in the Council House, 95
Early and late, debating to and fro
How France and Frenchmen might be kept in awe,
And had his Highness in his infancy
Crowned in Paris in despite of foes?
And shall these labors and these honors die? 100
Shall Henry’s conquest, Bedford’s vigilance,
Your deeds of war, and all our counsel die?
O peers of England, shameful is this league,
Fatal this marriage, cancelling your fame,
Blotting your names from books of memory, 105
Razing the characters of your renown,
Defacing monuments of conquered France,
Undoing all, as all had never been! | Once Henry's gone, Gloucester starts talking to the other lords and nobles in court. Is no one else totally bummed by this deal with France? Gloucester is angry about the contract, and he can't believe Henry is just letting the lands in France go so easily. Gloucester tells the others that Henry's father (that would be Henry V) worked really hard to get those lands, and now their king is just letting them go without a second thought. (If you want to catch up with this story, head on over to Henry V for more.) |
CARDINAL
Nephew, what means this passionate discourse,
This peroration with such circumstance? 110
For France, ’tis ours, and we will keep it still. GLOUCESTER
Ay, uncle, we will keep it if we can,
But now it is impossible we should.
Suffolk, the new-made duke that rules the roast,
Hath given the duchy of Anjou and Maine 115
Unto the poor King Reignier, whose large style
Agrees not with the leanness of his purse. SALISBURY
Now, by the death of Him that died for all,
These counties were the keys of Normandy.
But wherefore weeps Warwick, my valiant son? 120 WARWICK
For grief that they are past recovery;
For, were there hope to conquer them again,
My sword should shed hot blood, mine eyes no
tears.
Anjou and Maine? Myself did win them both! 125
Those provinces these arms of mine did conquer.
And are the cities that I got with wounds
Delivered up again with peaceful words?
Mort Dieu! YORK
For Suffolk’s duke, may he be suffocate 130
That dims the honor of this warlike isle!
France should have torn and rent my very heart
Before I would have yielded to this league.
I never read but England’s kings have had
Large sums of gold and dowries with their wives; 135
And our King Henry gives away his own
To match with her that brings no vantages. | Warwick, Salisbury, and York agree: they think the lands Henry gave up
are important to keep if England wants to keep ruling France—they're
worried that England could lose control. As if that weren't enough, they
can't remember an English king paying so much for a bride. |
GLOUCESTER
A proper jest, and never heard before,
That Suffolk should demand a whole fifteenth
For costs and charges in transporting her! 140
She should have stayed in France and starved in
France
Before— CARDINAL
My lord of Gloucester, now you grow too hot.
It was the pleasure of my lord the King. 145 GLOUCESTER
My lord of Winchester, I know your mind.
’Tis not my speeches that you do mislike,
But ’tis my presence that doth trouble you.
Rancor will out. Proud prelate, in thy face
I see thy fury. If I longer stay, 150
We shall begin our ancient bickerings.—
Lordings, farewell; and say, when I am gone,
I prophesied France will be lost ere long.
Gloucester exits. | Warwick, Salisbury, and York all pretty much agree that Margaret and this deal are bad news. Then Cardinal Beaufort speaks up and tells these bros to calm down; he thinks they're being too quick to judge. Gloucester doesn't take that very well. Actually, he gets enraged. Why? He tells the Beaufort that his criticism has nothing to do with what he's saying—Beaufort just doesn't like him, that's all. He gets up to leave, but before he does, he reminds everyone that he prophesized that France would soon be lost. |
CARDINAL
So, there goes our Protector in a rage.
’Tis known to you he is mine enemy, 155
Nay, more, an enemy unto you all,
And no great friend, I fear me, to the King.
Consider, lords, he is the next of blood
And heir apparent to the English crown.
Had Henry got an empire by his marriage, 160
And all the wealthy kingdoms of the West,
There’s reason he should be displeased at it.
Look to it, lords. Let not his smoothing words
Bewitch your hearts; be wise and circumspect.
What though the common people favor him, 165
Calling him “Humphrey, the good Duke of
Gloucester,”
Clapping their hands and crying with loud voice
“Jesu maintain your royal Excellence!”
With “God preserve the good Duke Humphrey!” 170
I fear me, lords, for all this flattering gloss,
He will be found a dangerous Protector. | After Gloucester leaves, Cardinal Beaufort tells the other men that it's true: he doesn't like Gloucester one bit. Oh, and by the way, he thinks Gloucester is abusing his power and trying to become king. Brain snack: Gloucester is Protector of England because Henry got crowned king when he was just a baby. Since babies can't rule, Gloucester was appointed Protector, or guardian, of Henry and England until Henry would be old enough to rule. |
BUCKINGHAM
Why should he, then, protect our sovereign,
He being of age to govern of himself?—
Cousin of Somerset, join you with me, 175
And all together, with the Duke of Suffolk,
We’ll quickly hoise Duke Humphrey from his seat. CARDINAL
This weighty business will not brook delay.
I’ll to the Duke of Suffolk presently. Cardinal exits. SOMERSET
Cousin of Buckingham, though Humphrey’s pride 180
And greatness of his place be grief to us,
Yet let us watch the haughty cardinal.
His insolence is more intolerable
Than all the princes’ in the land besides.
If Gloucester be displaced, he’ll be Protector. 185 BUCKINGHAM
Or thou or I, Somerset, will be Protector,
Despite Duke Humphrey or the Cardinal. Buckingham and Somerset exit. | Buckingham agrees with Beaufort on this one. Why does Henry need a protector now that he's old enough to rule himself? Seems a bit unnecessary, right? So Beaufort leaves to go tell Suffolk about this; together, they'll triple-tag-team Gloucester and get rid of his Protector title. Then Somerset warns Buckingham about the dangers of helping to get rid of Gloucester. It's a bad idea, man: Cardinal Beaufort is just after the Protector title himself. He's not actually trying to help Henry; he's removing the competition to make way for himself. Buckingham thinks someone else would make a good Protector—someone like himself, or like Somerset. With that, the two men leave. |
SALISBURY
Pride went before; Ambition follows him.
While these do labor for their own preferment,
Behooves it us to labor for the realm. 190
I never saw but Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester,
Did bear him like a noble gentleman.
Oft have I seen the haughty cardinal,
More like a soldier than a man o’ th’ Church,
As stout and proud as he were lord of all, 195
Swear like a ruffian and demean himself
Unlike the ruler of a commonweal.—
Warwick, my son, the comfort of my age,
Thy deeds, thy plainness, and thy housekeeping
Hath won the greatest favor of the Commons, 200
Excepting none but good Duke Humphrey.—
And, brother York, thy acts in Ireland,
In bringing them to civil discipline,
Thy late exploits done in the heart of France,
When thou wert regent for our sovereign, 205
Have made thee feared and honored of the people.
Join we together for the public good
In what we can to bridle and suppress
The pride of Suffolk and the Cardinal,
With Somerset’s and Buckingham’s ambition; 210
And, as we may, cherish Duke Humphrey’s deeds
While they do tend the profit of the land. WARWICK
So God help Warwick, as he loves the land
And common profit of his country! YORK
And so says York—aside for he hath greatest 215
cause. SALISBURY
Then let’s make haste away and look unto the main. WARWICK
Unto the main? O father, Maine is lost!
That Maine which by main force Warwick did win
And would have kept so long as breath did last! 220
Main chance, father, you meant; but I meant Maine,
Which I will win from France or else be slain. Warwick and Salisbury exit. | Now it's Salisbury's turn to talk. He tells Warwick and York that those
men are ambitious and prideful. He, Warwick, and York should take them
all out by creating their own team—that way, they might be able to help
Henry and England. Sounds good to the others, so Warwick and Salisbury
take off. |
York remains. YORK
Anjou and Maine are given to the French;
Paris is lost; the state of Normandy
Stands on a tickle point now they are gone. 225
Suffolk concluded on the articles,
The peers agreed, and Henry was well pleased
To change two dukedoms for a duke’s fair daughter.
I cannot blame them all. What is ’t to them?
’Tis thine they give away, and not their own. 230
Pirates may make cheap pennyworths of their
pillage,
And purchase friends, and give to courtesans,
Still reveling like lords till all be gone;
Whileas the silly owner of the goods 235
Weeps over them, and wrings his hapless hands,
And shakes his head, and trembling stands aloof,
While all is shared and all is borne away,
Ready to starve, and dare not touch his own.
So York must sit and fret and bite his tongue 240
While his own lands are bargained for and sold.
Methinks the realms of England, France, and
Ireland
Bear that proportion to my flesh and blood
As did the fatal brand Althaea burnt 245
Unto the Prince’s heart of Calydon.
Anjou and Maine both given unto the French!
Cold news for me, for I had hope of France,
Even as I have of fertile England’s soil.
A day will come when York shall claim his own; 250
And therefore I will take the Nevilles’ parts
And make a show of love to proud Duke Humphrey,
And, when I spy advantage, claim the crown,
For that’s the golden mark I seek to hit.
Nor shall proud Lancaster usurp my right, 255
Nor hold the scepter in his childish fist,
Nor wear the diadem upon his head,
Whose churchlike humors fits not for a crown.
Then, York, be still awhile till time do serve.
Watch thou and wake, when others be asleep, 260
To pry into the secrets of the state
Till Henry, surfeiting in joys of love
With his new bride and England’s dear-bought
queen,
And Humphrey with the peers be fall’n at jars. 265
Then will I raise aloft the milk-white rose,
With whose sweet smell the air shall be perfumed,
And in my standard bear the arms of York,
To grapple with the house of Lancaster;
And force perforce I’ll make him yield the crown, 270
Whose bookish rule hath pulled fair England down. York exits. | There's scheming all over the place here. York is left alone on stage and thinks over what's just happened. He's not just angry like the other nobles; he thinks those lands weren't Henry's to give away.
Huh? York's argument goes a little something like this: the king owns the lands; therefore, he should be king, not Henry. Now before you go thinking York's lost it, we should point out that he does actually have a claim to the throne. Henry's granddad actually stole the throne from Richard II, and York descended from Richard II's brother. Since Richard II didn't have any kids of his own, the crown would have been passed along to his brother, and it would have eventually made its way down to York. Basically, York thinks he deserves to be king more than the current crown-holder. Now, that's a problem. But back to the show: York decides he'll side with Warwick and Salisbury… for now. When the time is right, he'll seize the crown himself. |