Kenilworth Castle. | |
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Trumpets sounded. Enter KING HENRY, QUEEN MARGARET, and SOMERSET, on the terrace. | |
| K. Hen. Was ever king that joy’d an earthly throne, | |
| And could command no more content than I? | 4 |
| No sooner was I crept out of my cradle | |
| But I was made a king at nine months old: | |
| Was never subject long’d to be a king | |
| As I do long and wish to be a subject. | 8 |
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Enter BUCKINGHAM and Old CLIFFORD. | |
| Buck. Health, and glad tidings, to your majesty! | |
| K. Hen. Why, Buckingham, is the traitor Cade surpris’d? | |
| Or is he but retir’d to make him strong? | 12 |
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Enter, below, a number of CADE’S followers, with halters about their necks. | |
| Clif. He’s fied, my lord, and all his powers do yield; | |
| And humbly thus, with halters on their necks, | |
| Expect your highness’ doom, of life, or death. | 16 |
| K. Hen. Then, heaven, set ope thy everlasting gates, | |
| To entertain my vows of thanks and praise! | |
| Soldiers, this day have you redeem’d your lives, | |
| And show’d how well you love your prince and country: | 20 |
| Continue still in this so good a mind, | |
| And Henry, though he be infortunate, | |
| Assure yourselves, will never be unkind: | |
| And so, with thanks and pardon to you all, | 24 |
| I do dismiss you to your several countries. | |
| All. God save the king! God save the king! | |
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Enter a Messenger. | |
| Mess. Please it your Grace to be advertised, | 28 |
| The Duke of York is newly come from Ireland; | |
| And with a puissant and a mighty power | |
| Of Gallowglasses, and stout kerns, | |
| Is marching hitherward in proud array; | 32 |
| And still proclaimeth, as he comes along, | |
| His arms are only to remove from thee | |
| The Duke of Somerset, whom he terms a traitor. | |
| K. Hen. Thus stands my state, ’twixt Cade and York distress’d; | 36 |
| Like to a ship, that, having scap’d a tempest, | |
| Is straightway calm’d, and boarded with a pirate. | |
| But now is Cade driven back, his men dispers’d; | |
| And now is York in arms to second him. | 40 |
| I pray thee, Buckingham, go and meet him, | |
| And ask him what’s the reason of these arms. | |
| Tell him I’ll send Duke Edmund to the Tower; | |
| And, Somerset, we will commit thee thither, | 44 |
| Until his army be dismiss’d from him. | |
| Som. My lord, | |
| I’ll yield myself to prison willingly, | |
| Or unto death, to do my country good. | 48 |
| K. Hen. In any case, be not too rough in terms; | |
| For he is fierce and cannot brook hard language. | |
| Buck. I will, my lord; and doubt not so to deal | |
| As all things shall redound unto your good. | 52 |
| K. Hen. Come, wife, let’s in, and learn to govern better; | |
| For yet may England curse my wretched reign. [Exeunt. | |