Speeches (Lines) for Winchester in "History of Henry VI, Part I"

Duke of Exeter. We mourn in black: why mourn we not in blood?
Henry is dead and never shall revive:
Upon a wooden coffin we attend,
And death's dishonourable victory
We with our stately presence glorify,
Like captives bound to a triumphant car.
What! shall we curse the planets of mishap
That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?
Or shall we think the subtle-witted French
Conjurers and sorcerers, that afraid of him
By magic verses have contrived his end?

Winchester. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings.
Unto the French the dreadful judgement-day
So dreadful will not be as was his sight.
The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought:
The church's prayers made him so prosperous.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. The church! where is it? Had not churchmen pray'd,
His thread of life had not so soon decay'd:
None do you like but an effeminate prince,
Whom, like a school-boy, you may over-awe.

Winchester. Gloucester, whate'er we like, thou art protector
And lookest to command the prince and realm.
Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe,
More than God or religious churchmen may.

Messenger. My gracious lords, to add to your laments,
Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's hearse,
I must inform you of a dismal fight
Betwixt the stout Lord Talbot and the French.

Winchester. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't so?

Duke of Exeter. To Eltham will I, where the young king is,
Being ordain'd his special governor,
And for his safety there I'll best devise.

Winchester. Each hath his place and function to attend:
I am left out; for me nothing remains.
But long I will not be Jack out of office:
The king from Eltham I intend to steal
And sit at chiefest stern of public weal.

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 BISHOP]
OF WINCHESTER and his men in tawny coats]

Winchester. How now, ambitious Humphry! what means this?

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of 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.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of 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.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of 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.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of 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.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of 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.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of 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.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of 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 BISHOP OF]
WINCHESTER with their Serving-men]

Richard Plantagenet - Duke of York. And peace, no war, befall thy parting soul!
In prison hast thou spent a pilgrimage
And like a hermit overpass'd thy days.
Well, I will lock his counsel in my breast;
And what I do imagine let that rest.
Keepers, convey him hence, and I myself
Will see his burial better than his life.
[Exeunt Gaolers, bearing out the body of MORTIMER]
Here dies the dusky torch of Mortimer,
Choked with ambition of the meaner sort:
And for those wrongs, those bitter injuries,
Which Somerset hath offer'd to my house:
I doubt not but with honour to redress;
And therefore haste I to the parliament,
Either to be restored to my blood,
Or make my ill the advantage of my good.

Winchester. Comest thou with deep premeditated lines,
With written pamphlets studiously devised,
Humphrey of Gloucester? If thou canst accuse,
Or aught intend'st to lay unto my charge,
Do it without invention, suddenly;
As I with sudden and extemporal speech
Purpose to answer what thou canst object.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. Presumptuous priest! this place commands my patience,
Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonour'd me.
Think not, although in writing I preferr'd
The manner of thy vile outrageous crimes,
That therefore I have forged, or am not able
Verbatim to rehearse the method of my pen:
No, prelate; such is thy audacious wickedness,
Thy lewd, pestiferous and dissentious pranks,
As very infants prattle of thy pride.
Thou art a most pernicious usurer,
Forward by nature, enemy to peace;
Lascivious, wanton, more than well beseems
A man of thy profession and degree;
And for thy treachery, what's more manifest?
In that thou laid'st a trap to take my life,
As well at London bridge as at the Tower.
Beside, I fear me, if thy thoughts were sifted,
The king, thy sovereign, is not quite exempt
From envious malice of thy swelling heart.

Winchester. Gloucester, I do defy thee. Lords, vouchsafe
To give me hearing what I shall reply.
If I were covetous, ambitious or perverse,
As he will have me, how am I so poor?
Or how haps it I seek not to advance
Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling?
And for dissension, who preferreth peace
More than I do?--except I be provoked.
No, my good lords, it is not that offends;
It is not that that hath incensed the duke:
It is, because no one should sway but he;
No one but he should be about the king;
And that engenders thunder in his breast
And makes him roar these accusations forth.
But he shall know I am as good--

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. As good!
Thou bastard of my grandfather!

Winchester. Ay, lordly sir; for what are you, I pray,
But one imperious in another's throne?

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. Am I not protector, saucy priest?

Winchester. And am not I a prelate of the church?

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. Yes, as an outlaw in a castle keeps
And useth it to patronage his theft.

Winchester. Unreverent Gloster!

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. Thou art reverent
Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life.

Winchester. Rome shall remedy this.

Warwick. Yield, my lord protector; yield, Winchester;
Except you mean with obstinate repulse
To slay your sovereign and destroy the realm.
You see what mischief and what murder too
Hath been enacted through your enmity;
Then be at peace except ye thirst for blood.

Winchester. He shall submit, or I will never yield.

Warwick. Sweet king! the bishop hath a kindly gird.
For shame, my lord of Winchester, relent!
What, shall a child instruct you what to do?

Winchester. Well, Duke of Gloucester, I will yield to thee;
Love for thy love and hand for hand I give.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. [Aside] Ay, but, I fear me, with a hollow heart.--
See here, my friends and loving countrymen,
This token serveth for a flag of truce
Betwixt ourselves and all our followers:
So help me God, as I dissemble not!

Winchester. [Aside] So help me God, as I intend it not!

Warwick. Let Richard be restored to his blood;
So shall his father's wrongs be recompensed.

Winchester. As will the rest, so willeth Winchester.

Humphrey of Lancaster - Duke of Gloucester. Lord bishop, set the crown upon his head.

Winchester. God save King Henry, of that name the sixth!

Henry VI. In argument and proof of which contract,
Bear her this jewel, pledge of my affection.
And so, my lord protector, see them guarded
And safely brought to Dover; where inshipp'd
Commit them to the fortune of the sea.

Winchester. Stay, my lord legate: you shall first receive
The sum of money which I promised
Should be deliver'd to his holiness
For clothing me in these grave ornaments.

Legate. I will attend upon your lordship's leisure.

Winchester. [Aside] Now Winchester will not submit, I trow,
Or be inferior to the proudest peer.
Humphrey of Gloucester, thou shalt well perceive
That, neither in birth or for authority,
The bishop will be overborne by thee:
I'll either make thee stoop and bend thy knee,
Or sack this country with a mutiny.

Richard Plantagenet - Duke of York. Break thou in pieces and consume to ashes,
Thou foul accursed minister of hell!

Winchester. Lord regent, I do greet your excellence
With letters of commission from the king.
For know, my lords, the states of Christendom,
Moved with remorse of these outrageous broils,
Have earnestly implored a general peace
Betwixt our nation and the aspiring French;
And here at hand the Dauphin and his train
Approacheth, to confer about some matter.

Richard Plantagenet - Duke of York. Speak, Winchester; for boiling choler chokes
The hollow passage of my poison'd voice,
By sight of these our baleful enemies.

Winchester. Charles, and the rest, it is enacted thus:
That, in regard King Henry gives consent,
Of mere compassion and of lenity,
To ease your country of distressful war,
And suffer you to breathe in fruitful peace,
You shall become true liegemen to his crown:
And Charles, upon condition thou wilt swear
To pay him tribute, submit thyself,
Thou shalt be placed as viceroy under him,
And still enjoy thy regal dignity.