William Shakespeare: King Henry VI, Second Part

ACT II 3. SCENE III. A Hall of Justice.

[Sound trumpets. Enter the KING, the QUEEN, GLOSTER,
YORK, SUFFOLK, and SALISBURY; the DUCHESS OF GLOSTER,
MARGERY JOURDAIN, SOUTHWELL, HUME, and BOLINGBROKE,
under guard.]

KING.
Stand forth, Dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloster's wife.
In sight of God and us, your guilt is great;
Receive the sentence of the law for sins
Such as by God's book are adjudg'd to death.--
You four, from hence to prison back again,
From thence unto the place of execution.
The witch in Smithfield shall be burn'd to ashes,
And you three shall be strangled on the gallows.--
You, madam, for you are more nobly born,
Despoiled of your honour in your life,
Shall, after three days' open penance done,
Live in your country here in banishment,
With Sir John Stanley, in the Isle of Man.

DUCHESS.
Welcome is banishment; welcome were my death.

GLOSTER.
Eleanor, the law, thou seest, hath judged thee;
I cannot justify whom the law condemns.--

[Exeunt Duchess and the other prisoners, guarded..]

Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief.
Ah, Humphrey, this dishonour in thine age
Will bring thy head with sorrow to the ground!--
I beseech your majesty, give me leave to go;
Sorrow would solace, and mine age would ease.

KING.
Stay, Humphrey Duke of Gloster.
Ere thou go,
Give up thy staff; Henry will to himself
Protector be, and God shall be my hope,
My stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet.
And go in peace, Humphrey, no less belov'd
Than when thou wert protector to thy king.

QUEEN.
I see no reason why a king of years
Should be to be protected like a child.--
God and King Henry govern England's realm.
Give up your staff, sir, and the king his realm.

GLOSTER.
My staff? Here, noble Henry, is my staff.
As willingly do I the same resign
As e'er thy father Henry made it mine;
And even as willingly at thy feet I leave it
As others would ambitiously receive it.
Farewell, good king; when I am dead and gone,
May honourable peace attend thy throne!

[Exit.]