King Henry VI, First Part. Уильям Шекспир

shortly.

SERVING-MEN

      Open the gates unto the lord protector,

      Or we 'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly.

      [Enter to the Protector at the Tower Gates Winchester and his men in tawny coats.]

WINCHESTER

      How now, ambitious Humphry! what means this?

GLOUCESTER

      Peel'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut out?

WINCHESTER

      I do, thou most usurping proditor,

      And not protector, of the king or realm.

GLOUCESTER

      Stand back, thou manifest conspirator,

      Thou that contrivedst to murder our dead lord;

      Thou that givest whores indulgences to sin:

      I 'll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal's hat,

      If thou proceed in this thy insolence.

WINCHESTER

      Nay, stand thou back; I will not budge a foot:

      This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain,

      To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

GLOUCESTER

      I will not slay thee, but I 'll drive thee back:

      Thy scarlet robes as a child's bearing-cloth

      I 'll use to carry thee out of this place.

WINCHESTER

      Do what thou darest; I beard thee to thy face.

GLOUCESTER

      What! am I dared and bearded to my face?

      Draw, men, for all this privileged place;

      Blue coats to tawny coats. Priest, beware your beard;

      I mean to tug it and to cuff you soundly:

      Under my feet I stamp thy cardinal's hat:

      In spite of pope or dignities of church,

      Here by the cheeks I 'll drag thee up and down.

      WINCHESTER. Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the pope.

GLOUCESTER

      Winchester goose, I cry, a rope! a rope!

      Now beat them hence; why do you let them stay?

      Thee I 'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array.

      Out, tawny coats! out, scarlet hypocrite!

      Here Gloucester's men beat out the Cardinal's

      men, and enter in the hurly-burly the Mayor of

      London and his Officers.

MAYOR

      Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates,

      Thus contumeliously should break the peace!

GLOUCESTER

      Peace, mayor! thou know'st little of my wrongs:

      Here's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king,

      Hath here distrain'd the Tower to his use.

WINCHESTER

      Here's Gloucester, a foe to citizens,

      One that still motions war and never peace,

      O'ercharging your free purses with large fines,

      That seeks to overthrow religion,

      Because he is protector of the realm,

      And would have armour here out of the Tower,

      To crown himself king and suppress the prince.

GLOUCESTER

      I will not answer thee with words, but blows.

      Here they skirmish again.

MAYOR

      Nought rests for me in this tumultuous strife

      But to make open proclamation:

      Come, officer; as loud as e'er thou canst:

      Cry.

      OFFICER. All manner of men assembled here in arms this day against God's peace and the king's, we charge and command you, in his highness' name, to repair to your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, handle, or use any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon pain of death.

GLOUCESTER

      Cardinal, I 'll be no breaker of the law;

      But we shall meet, and break our minds at large.

WINCHESTER

      Gloucester, we will meet; to thy cost, be sure;

      Thy heart-blood I will have for this day's work.

MAYOR

      I 'll call for clubs, if you will not away.

      This Cardinal's more haughty than the devil.

GLOUCESTER

      Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou mayst.

WINCHESTER

      Abominable Gloucester, guard thy head;

      For I intend to have it ere long.

      [Exeunt, severally, Gloucester and Winchester with their Serving-men.]

MAYOR

      See the coast clear'd, and then we will depart.

      Good God, these nobles should such stomachs bear!

      I myself fight not once in forty year.

      [Exeunt.]

      SCENE IV. Orleans

      [Enter, on the walls, a Master Gunner and his Boy.]

MASTER GUNNER

      Sirrah, thou know'st how Orleans is besieged,

      And how the English have the suburbs won.

BOY

      Father, I know; and oft have shot at them,

      Howe'er unfortunate I miss'd my aim.

MASTER GUNNER

      But now thou shalt not. Be thou ruled by me:

      Chief master-gunner am I of this town;

      Something I must do to procure me grace.

      The prince's espials have informed me

      How the English, in the suburbs close intrench'd,

      Wont through a secret grate of iron bars

      In yonder tower to overpeer the city,

      And thence discover how with most advantage

      They may vex us with shot or with assault.

      To intercept this inconvenience,

      A piece of ordnance 'gainst it I have placed;

      And even these three days have I watch'd,

      If I could see them.

      Now do thou watch, for I can stay no longer.

      If thou spy'st any, run and bring me word;

      And thou shalt find me at the governor's.

      [Exit.]

BOY

      Father, I warrant you; take you no care;

      I'll never trouble you, if I may spy them.

      [Exit.]

      [Enter, on the turrets, the Lords Salisbury and Talbot, Sir William Glansdale, Sir Thomas Gargrave, and others.]

SALISBURY

      Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd!

      How wert thou handled being prisoner?

      Or