Speeches (Lines) for Duke of Buckingham in "History of Henry VI, Part II"

Winchester. So, there goes our protector in a rage.
'Tis known to you he is mine enemy,
Nay, more, an enemy unto you all,
And no great friend, I fear me, to the king.
Consider, lords, he is the next of blood,
And heir apparent to the English crown:
Had Henry got an empire by his marriage,
And all the wealthy kingdoms of the west,
There's reason he should be displeased at it.
Look to it, lords! let not his smoothing words
Bewitch your hearts; be wise and circumspect.
What though the common people favour him,
Calling him 'Humphrey, the good Duke of
Gloucester,'
Clapping their hands, and crying with loud voice,
'Jesu maintain your royal excellence!'
With 'God preserve the good Duke Humphrey!'
I fear me, lords, for all this flattering gloss,
He will be found a dangerous protector.

Duke of Buckingham. Why should he, then, protect our sovereign,
He being of age to govern of himself?
Cousin of Somerset, join you with me,
And all together, with the Duke of Suffolk,
We'll quickly hoise Duke Humphrey from his seat.

Duke/Earl of Somerset. Cousin of Buckingham, though Humphrey's pride
And greatness of his place be grief to us,
Yet let us watch the haughty cardinal:
His insolence is more intolerable
Than all the princes in the land beside:
If Gloucester be displaced, he'll be protector.

Duke of Buckingham. Or thou or I, Somerset, will be protector,
Despite Duke Humphrey or the cardinal.

Warwick. The cardinal's not my better in the field.

Duke of Buckingham. All in this presence are thy betters, Warwick.

Duke/Earl of Somerset. Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife's attire
Have cost a mass of public treasury.

Duke of Buckingham. Thy cruelty in execution
Upon offenders, hath exceeded law,
And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Eleanor. Against her will! good king, look to't in time;
She'll hamper thee, and dandle thee like a baby:
Though in this place most master wear no breeches,
She shall not strike Dame Eleanor unrevenged.

Duke of Buckingham. Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,
And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds:
She's tickled now; her fume needs no spurs,
She'll gallop far enough to her destruction.

Eleanor. Not half so bad as thine to England's king,
Injurious duke, that threatest where's no cause.

Duke of Buckingham. True, madam, none at all: what call you this?
Away with them! let them be clapp'd up close.
And kept asunder. You, madam, shall with us.
Stafford, take her to thee.
[Exeunt above DUCHESS and HUME, guarded]
We'll see your trinkets here all forthcoming.
All, away!

Richard Plantagenet - Duke of York. Lord Buckingham, methinks, you watch'd her well:
A pretty plot, well chosen to build upon!
Now, pray, my lord, let's see the devil's writ.
What have we here?
[Reads]
'The duke yet lives, that Henry shall depose;
But him outlive, and die a violent death.'
Why, this is just
'Aio te, AEacida, Romanos vincere posse.'
Well, to the rest:
'Tell me what fate awaits the Duke of Suffolk?
By water shall he die, and take his end.
What shall betide the Duke of Somerset?
Let him shun castles;
Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
Than where castles mounted stand.'
Come, come, my lords;
These oracles are hardly attain'd,
And hardly understood.
The king is now in progress towards Saint Alban's,
With him the husband of this lovely lady:
Thither go these news, as fast as horse can
carry them:
A sorry breakfast for my lord protector.

Duke of Buckingham. Your grace shall give me leave, my Lord of York,
To be the post, in hope of his reward.

Henry VI. What tidings with our cousin Buckingham?

Duke of Buckingham. Such as my heart doth tremble to unfold.
A sort of naughty persons, lewdly bent,
Under the countenance and confederacy
Of Lady Eleanor, the protector's wife,
The ringleader and head of all this rout,
Have practised dangerously against your state,
Dealing with witches and with conjurers:
Whom we have apprehended in the fact;
Raising up wicked spirits from under ground,
Demanding of King Henry's life and death,
And other of your highness' privy-council;
As more at large your grace shall understand.

Richard Plantagenet - Duke of York. And did he not, in his protectorship,
Levy great sums of money through the realm
For soldiers' pay in France, and never sent it?
By means whereof the towns each day revolted.

Duke of Buckingham. Tut, these are petty faults to faults unknown.
Which time will bring to light in smooth
Duke Humphrey.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. Far truer spoke than meant: I lose, indeed;
Beshrew the winners, for they play'd me false!
And well such losers may have leave to speak.

Duke of Buckingham. He'll wrest the sense and hold us here all day:
Lord cardinal, he is your prisoner.

Queen Margaret. Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind,
And makes it fearful and degenerate;
Think therefore on revenge and cease to weep.
But who can cease to weep and look on this?
Here may his head lie on my throbbing breast:
But where's the body that I should embrace?

Duke of Buckingham. What answer makes your grace to the rebels'
supplication?

Henry VI. O graceless men! they know not what they do.

Duke of Buckingham. My gracious lord, return to Killingworth,
Until a power be raised to put them down.

Messenger. Jack Cade hath gotten London bridge:
The citizens fly and forsake their houses:
The rascal people, thirsting after prey,
Join with the traitor, and they jointly swear
To spoil the city and your royal court.

Duke of Buckingham. Then linger not, my lord, away, take horse.

Henry VI. Farewell, my lord: trust not the Kentish rebels.

Duke of Buckingham. Trust nobody, for fear you be betray'd.

Jack Cade. Up Fish Street! down Saint Magnus' Corner! Kill
and knock down! throw them into Thames!
[Sound a parley]
What noise is this I hear? Dare any be so bold to
sound retreat or parley, when I command them kill?

Duke of Buckingham. Ay, here they be that dare and will disturb thee:
Know, Cade, we come ambassadors from the king
Unto the commons whom thou hast misled;
And here pronounce free pardon to them all
That will forsake thee and go home in peace.

Jack Cade. Was ever feather so lightly blown to and fro as this
multitude? The name of Henry the Fifth hales them
to an hundred mischiefs, and makes them leave me
desolate. I see them lay their heads together to
surprise me. My sword make way for me, for here is
no staying. In despite of the devils and hell, have
through the very middest of you? and heavens and
honour be witness, that no want of resolution in me.
but only my followers' base and ignominious
treasons, makes me betake me to my heels.

Duke of Buckingham. What, is he fled? Go some, and follow him;
And he that brings his head unto the king
Shall have a thousand crowns for his reward.
[Exeunt some of them]
Follow me, soldiers: we'll devise a mean
To reconcile you all unto the king.

Henry VI. Was ever king that joy'd an earthly throne,
And could command no more content than I?
No sooner was I crept out of my cradle
But I was made a king, at nine months old.
Was never subject long'd to be a king
As I do long and wish to be a subject.

Duke of Buckingham. Health and glad tidings to your majesty!

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

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

Richard Plantagenet - Duke of York. From Ireland thus comes York to claim his right,
And pluck the crown from feeble Henry's head:
Ring, bells, aloud; burn, bonfires, clear and bright,
To entertain great England's lawful king.
Ah! sancta majestas, who would not buy thee dear?
Let them obey that know not how to rule;
This hand was made to handle naught but gold.
I cannot give due action to my words,
Except a sword or sceptre balance it:
A sceptre shall it have, have I a soul,
On which I'll toss the flower-de-luce of France.
[Enter BUCKINGHAM]
Whom have we here? Buckingham, to disturb me?
The king hath sent him, sure: I must dissemble.

Duke of Buckingham. York, if thou meanest well, I greet thee well.

Richard Plantagenet - Duke of York. Humphrey of Buckingham, I accept thy greeting.
Art thou a messenger, or come of pleasure?

Duke of Buckingham. A messenger from Henry, our dread liege,
To know the reason of these arms in peace;
Or why thou, being a subject as I am,
Against thy oath and true allegiance sworn,
Should raise so great a power without his leave,
Or dare to bring thy force so near the court.

Richard Plantagenet - Duke of York. [Aside] Scarce can I speak, my choler is so great:
O, I could hew up rocks and fight with flint,
I am so angry at these abject terms;
And now, like Ajax Telamonius,
On sheep or oxen could I spend my fury.
I am far better born than is the king,
More like a king, more kingly in my thoughts:
But I must make fair weather yet a while,
Till Henry be more weak and I more strong,--
Buckingham, I prithee, pardon me,
That I have given no answer all this while;
My mind was troubled with deep melancholy.
The cause why I have brought this army hither
Is to remove proud Somerset from the king,
Seditious to his grace and to the state.

Duke of Buckingham. That is too much presumption on thy part:
But if thy arms be to no other end,
The king hath yielded unto thy demand:
The Duke of Somerset is in the Tower.

Richard Plantagenet - Duke of York. Upon thine honour, is he prisoner?

Duke of Buckingham. Upon mine honour, he is prisoner.

Richard Plantagenet - Duke of York. Then, Buckingham, I do dismiss my powers.
Soldiers, I thank you all; disperse yourselves;
Meet me to-morrow in St. George's field,
You shall have pay and every thing you wish.
And let my sovereign, virtuous Henry,
Command my eldest son, nay, all my sons,
As pledges of my fealty and love;
I'll send them all as willing as I live:
Lands, goods, horse, armour, any thing I have,
Is his to use, so Somerset may die.

Duke of Buckingham. York, I commend this kind submission:
We twain will go into his highness' tent.

Alexander Iden. Alexander Iden, that's my name;
A poor esquire of Kent, that loves his king.

Duke of Buckingham. So please it you, my lord, 'twere not amiss
He were created knight for his good service.