Taste of your wine, and see what cates you have; Count. With all my heart; and think me honored To feast so great a warrior in my house. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. London. The Temple Garden. Enter the Earls of SOMERSET, SUFFOLK, and WARWICK, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, VERNON, and another Lawyer.1 Plan. Great lords, and gentlemen, what means this silence? Dare no man answer in a case of truth? Suff. Within the Temple hall we were too loud. The garden here is more convenient. Plan. Then say at once, if I maintained the truth, Or, else, was wrangling Somerset in the error? Suff. 'Faith, I have been a truant in the law; Som. Judge you, my lord of Warwick, then be tween us. War. Between two hawks, which flies the higher pitch, Between two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth, Plan. Tut, tut, here is a mannerly forbearance. The truth appears so naked on my side, That any purblind eye may find it out. Som. And on my side it is so well apparelled, 1 We should read a lawyer. This lawyer was probably Roger Nevyle, who was afterwards hanged. See W. Wyrcester, p. 478. So clear, so shining, and so evident, That it will glimmer through a blind man's eye. Plan. Since you are tongue-tied, and so loath to speak, In dumb significants' proclaim your thoughts: If he suppose that I have pleaded truth, But dare maintain the party of the truth, Pluck a red rose from off this thorn with me. War. I love no colors; and, without all color Of base, insinuating flattery, I pluck this white rose with Plantagenet. Suff. I pluck this red rose, with young Somerset ; And say withal, I think he held the right. Ver. Stay, lords and gentlemen; and pluck no more, Till you conclude-that he, upon whose side The fewest roses are cropped from the tree, Shall yield the other in the right opinion. Som. Good master Vernon, it is well objected; If I have fewest, I subscribe in silence. Plan. And I. Ver. Then, for the truth and plainness of the case, I pluck this pale and maiden blossom here, Giving my verdict on the white rose side. Som. Prick not your finger as you pluck it off; Ver. If I, my lord, for my opinion bleed, Som. Well, well, come on. Who else? [TO SOMERSET. In sign whereof, I pluck a white rose too. 1 Signs or tokens. 2 Colors is here used ambiguously for tints and deceits. Plan. Now, Somerset, where is your argument? Som. Here, in my scabbard; meditating that, Shall dye your white rose in a bloody red. Plan. Mean time, your cheeks do counterfeit our roses; For pale they look with fear, as witnessing Som. No, Plantagenet, 'Tis not for fear; but anger,—that thy cheeks Whiles thy consuming canker eats his falsehood. roses, That shall maintain what I have said is true, Plan. Now, by this maiden blossom in my hand, I scorn thee and thy faction,' peevish boy. Suff. Turn not thy scorns this way, Plantagenet. Plan. Proud Poole, I will; and scorn both him and thee. Suff. I'll turn my part thereof into thy throat. Som. Away, away, good William De-la-Poole ! We grace the yeoman, by conversing with him. War. Now, by God's will, thou wrong'st him, Som erset ! 2 His grandfather was Lionel, duke of Clarence, 1 Theobald altered fashion, which is the reading of the old copy, to faction. Warburton contends that "by fashion is meant the badge of the red rose." 2 The Poet mistakes. Plantagenet's paternal grandfather was Edmund of Langley, duke of York. His maternal grandfather was Roger Mortimer, earl of March, who was the son of Philippa, the daughter of Lionel, duke of Clarence. The duke, therefore, was his maternal great great grandfather. Plan. He bears him on the place's privilege,1 Or durst not, for his craven heart, say thus. Som. By him that made me, I'll maintain my words On any plot of ground in Christendom. Was not thy father, Richard, earl of Cambridge, Plan. My father was attached, not attainted; Until it wither with me to my grave, Or flourish to the height of my degree. OF Suff. Go forward, and be choked with thy ambition! And so farewell, until I meet thee next. [Exit. Som. Have with thee, Poole.-Farewell, ambitious Richard. [Exit Plan. How I am braved, and must perforce endure it! War. This blot, that they object against your house, 1 It does not appear that the Temple had any privilege of sanctuary at this time, being then, as now, the residence of law students. The author might imagine it to have derived some such privilege from the knights templars, or knights hospitallers, both religious orders, its former inhabitants. 2 Exempt for excluded. 3 Partaker, in ancient language, signifies one who takes part with another; an accomplice, a confederate. Shall be wiped out in the next parliament, Plan. Good master Vernon, I am bound to you, Plan. Thanks, gentle sir. Come, let us four to dinner. I dare say, This quarrel will drink blood another day. [Exeunt SCENE V. The same. A Room in the Tower. Enter MORTIMER,' brought in a chair by two Keepers. And these gray locks, the pursuivants of death, Argue the end of Edmund Mortimer. These eyes-like lamps whose wasting oil is spent- Weak shoulders, overborne with burdening grief, 1 This is at variance with the strict truth of history. Edmund Mortimer, who was trusted and employed by Henry V. throughout his reign, died of the plague in his own castle at Trim, in Ireland, in 1424-5; being then only thirty-two years old. 2 Exigent is here used for end. |