William Shakespeare: King Henry VI, Second Part

ACT IV. 9. SCENE IX. Kenilworth Castle. (continued)

KING.
Thus stands my state, 'twixt Cade and York distress'd,
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.--
I pray thee, Buckingham, go and meet him,
And ask him wha t's the reason of these arms.
Tell him I'll send Duke Edmund to the Tower;--
And, Somerset, we will commit thee thither,
Until his army be dismiss'd from him.

SOMERSET.
My lord,
I'll yield myself to prison willingly,
Or unto death, to do my country good.

KING.
In any case, be not too rough in terms,
For he is fierce and cannot brook hard language.

BUCKINGHAM.
I will, my lord, and doubt not so to deal
As all things shall redound unto your good.

KING.
Come, wife, let's in, and learn to govern better;
For yet may England curse my wretched reign.

[Flourish. Exeunt.]