SCENE III. London. Before the Tower. The First part of King Henry the Sixth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VI, part 1  | Act 1, Scene 3 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE III. London. Before the Tower. 

 Enter GLOUCESTER, with his Serving-men in blue coats  GLOUCESTER  I am come to survey the Tower this day: 

 Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance. 

 Where be these warders, that they wait not here? 

 Open the gates; 'tis Gloucester that calls. 

 First Warder  [Within]  Who's there that knocks so imperiously? 

 First Serving-Man	It is the noble Duke of Gloucester. 

 Second Warder  [Within]  Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in. 

 First Serving-Man	Villains, answer you so the lord protector? 

 First Warder  [Within]  The Lord protect him! so we answer him: 

 We do no otherwise than we are will'd. 

 GLOUCESTER  Who willed you? or whose will stands but mine? 

 There's none protector of the realm but I. 

 Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize. 

 Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms? 



 Gloucester's men rush at the Tower Gates, and WOODVILE the Lieutenant speaks within  WOODVILE  What noise is this? what traitors have we here? 

 GLOUCESTER  Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear? 

 Open the gates; here's Gloucester that would enter. 

 WOODVILE  Have patience, noble duke; I may not open; 

 The Cardinal of Winchester forbids: 

 From him I have express commandment 

 That thou nor none of thine shall be let in. 

 GLOUCESTER  Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizest him 'fore me? 

 Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate, 

 Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne'er could brook? 

 Thou art no friend to God or to the king: 

 Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly. 

 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  BISHOP 

 OF WINCHESTER  How now, ambitious Humphry! what means this? 

 GLOUCESTER  Peel'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut out? 

 BISHOP 

 OF WINCHESTER  I do, thou most usurping proditor, 

 And not protector, of the king or realm. 

 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. 

 BISHOP 

 OF 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. 

 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. 

 BISHOP 

 OF WINCHESTER  Do what thou darest; I beard thee to thy face. 

 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. 

 BISHOP 

 OF WINCHESTER  Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the pope. 

 GLOUCESTER  Winchester goose, I cry, a rope! a rope! 

 Now beat them hence; why do you let them stay? 

 Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array. 

 Out, tawny coats! out, scarlet hypocrite! 



 Here GLOUCESTER's men beat out BISHOP OF  WINCHESTER's men, and enter in the hurly- burly the Mayor of London and his Officers  Mayor  Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates, 

 Thus contumeliously should break the peace! 

 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. 

 BISHOP 

 OF 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. 

 GLOUCESTER  I will not answer thee with words, but blows. 



 Here they skirmish again  Mayor  Naught rests for me in this tumultuous strife 

 But to make open proclamation: 

 Come, officer; as loud as e'er thou canst, 

 Cry. 

 Officer  All manner of men assembled here in arms this day 

 against God's peace and the king's, we charge and 

 command you, in his highness' name, to repair to 

 your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, 

 handle, or use any sword, weapon, or dagger, 

 henceforward, upon pain of death. 

 GLOUCESTER  Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law: 

 But we shall meet, and break our minds at large. 

 BISHOP 

 OF WINCHESTER  Gloucester, we will meet; to thy cost, be sure: 

 Thy heart-blood I will have for this day's work. 

 Mayor  I'll call for clubs, if you will not away. 

 This cardinal's more haughty than the devil. 

 GLOUCESTER  Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou mayst. 

 BISHOP 

 OF 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  Mayor  See the coast clear'd, and then we will depart. 

 Good God, these nobles should such stomachs bear! 

 I myself fight not once in forty year. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VI, part 1  | Act 1, Scene 3 

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