HENRY THE SIXTH PART 3

Act 3 Scene 1

(Enter two Gamekeepers, with crossbows in their hands)
l1l	First Gamekeeper	 Under this thick-grown brake we’ll shroud ourselves,
l2l		For through this laund anon the deer will come,
l3l		And in this covert will we make our stand,
l4l		Culling the principal of all the deer.
l5l	Second Gamekeeper	I’ll stay above the hill, so both may shoot.
l6l	First Gamekeeper	That cannot be—the noise of thy crossbow
l7l		Will scare the herd, and so my shoot is lost.
l8l		Here stand we both, and aim we at the best.
l9l		And, for the time shall not seem tedious,
l10l		I’ll tell thee what befell me on a day
l11l		In this self place where now we mean to stand.
l12l	First Gamekeeper	Here comes a man—let’s stay till he be past.
		( 12 They stand apart.)
l13l		Enter King Henry, disguised, carrying a prayer-book
	King Henry	 From Scotland am I stolen, even of pure love,
l14l		To greet mine own land with my wishful sight.
l15l		No, Harry, Harry—’tis no land of thine.
l16l		Thy place is filled, thy sceptre wrung from thee,
l17l		Thy balm washed off wherewith thou wast anointed.
l18l		No bending knee will call thee Caesar now,
l19l		No humble suitors press to speak for right,
l20l		No, not a man comes for redress of thee—
l21l		For how can I help them and not myself?
l22l	First Gamekeeper	(to the Second Gamekeeper)
		 Ay, here’s a deer whose skin’s a keeper’s fee:
l23l		This is the quondam king—let’s seize upon him.
l24l	King Henry	Let me embrace thee, sour adversity,
l25l		For wise men say it is the wisest course.
l26l	Second Gamekeeper	(to the First Gamekeeper)
		 Why linger we? Let us lay hands upon him.
l27l	First Gamekeeper	(to the Second Gamekeeper)
		 Forbear awhile—we’ll hear a little more.
l28l	King Henry	My queen and son are gone to France for aid,
l29l		And, as I hear, the great commanding Warwick
l30l		Is thither gone to crave the French King’s sister
l31l		To wife for Edward. If this news be true,
l32l		Poor Queen and son, your labour is but lost—
l33l		For Warwick is a subtle orator,
l34l		And Louis a prince soon won with moving words.
l35l		By this account, then, Margaret may win him—
l36l		For she’s a woman to be pitied much.
l37l		Her sighs will make a batt’ry in his breast,
l38l		Her tears will pierce into a marble heart,
l39l		The tiger will be mild whiles she doth mourn,
l40l		And Nero will be tainted with remorse
l41l		To hear and see her plaints, her brinish tears.
l42l		Ay, but she’s come to beg# Warwick to give.
l43l		She on his left side, craving aid for Henry#
l44l		He on his right, asking a wife for Edward.
l45l		She weeps and says her Henry is deposed,
l46l		He smiles and says his Edward is installed#
l47l		That she, poor wretch, for grief can speak no more,
l48l		Whiles Warwick tells his title, smooths the wrong,
l49l		Inferreth arguments of mighty strength,
l50l		And in conclusion wins the King from her
l51l		With promise of his sister and what else
l52l		To strengthen and support King Edward’s place.
l53l		O, Margaret, thus ’twill be# and thou, poor soul,
l54l		Art then forsaken, as thou went’st forlorn.
l55l	Second Gamekeeper	(coming forward)
		 Say, what art thou that talk’st of kings and queens?
l56l	King Henry	More than I seem, and less than I was born to:
l57l		A man at least, for less I should not be#
l58l		And men may talk of kings, and why not I?
l59l	Second Gamekeeper	Ay, but thou talk’st as if thou wert a king.
l60l	King Henry	Why, so I am, in mind—and that’s enough.
l61l	Second Gamekeeper	But if thou be a king, where is thy crown?
l62l	King Henry	My crown is in my heart, not on my head#
l63l		Not decked with diamonds and Indian stones,
l64l		Nor to be seen. My crown is called content—
l65l		A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.
l66l	Second Gamekeeper	Well, if you be a king crowned with content,
l67l		Your crown content and you must be contented
l68l		To go along with us—for, as we think,
l69l		You are the king King Edward hath deposed,
l70l		And we his subjects sworn in all allegiance
l71l		Will apprehend you as his enemy.
l72l	King Henry	But did you never swear and break an oath?
l73l	Second Gamekeeper	No—never such an oath, nor will not now.
l74l	King Henry	Where did you dwell when I was King of England?
l75l	Second Gamekeeper	Here in this country, where we now remain.
l76l	King Henry	I was anointed king at nine months old,
l77l		My father and my grandfather were kings,
l78l		And you were sworn true subjects unto me—
l79l		And tell me, then, have you not broke your oaths?
l80l	First Gamekeeper	No, for we were subjects but while you were king.
l81l	King Henry	Why, am I dead? Do I not breathe a man?
l82l		Ah, simple men, you know not what you swear.
l83l		Look as I blow this feather from my face,
l84l		And as the air blows it to me again,
l85l		Obeying with my wind when I do blow,
l86l		And yielding to another when it blows,
l87l		Commanded always by the greater gust—
l88l		Such is the lightness of you common men.
l89l		But do not break your oaths, for of that sin
l90l		My mild entreaty shall not make you guilty.
l91l		Go where you will, the King shall be commanded#
l92l		And be you kings, command, and I’ll obey.
l93l	First Gamekeeper	We are true subjects to the King, King Edward.
l94l	King Henry	So would you be again to Henry,
l95l		If he were seated as King Edward is.
l96l	First Gamekeeper	We charge you, in God’s name and in the King’s,
l97l		To go with us unto the officers.
l98l	King Henry	In God’s name, lead# your king’s name be obeyed#
l99l		And what God will, that let your king perform#
l100l		And what he will I humbly yield unto.
		(Exeunt)