Chapter: SCENE 5.

                         London. The palace

            Enter SUFFOLK, in conference with the KING,
                     GLOUCESTER and EXETER

  KING HENRY. Your wondrous rare description, noble Earl,
    Of beauteous Margaret hath astonish'd me.
    Her virtues, graced with external gifts,
    Do breed love's settled passions in my heart;
    And like as rigour of tempestuous gusts
    Provokes the mightiest hulk against the tide,
    So am I driven by breath of her renown
    Either to suffer shipwreck or arrive
    Where I may have fruition of her love.
  SUFFOLK. Tush, my good lord! This superficial tale
    Is but a preface of her worthy praise.
    The chief perfections of that lovely dame,
    Had I sufficient skill to utter them,
    Would make a volume of enticing lines,
    Able to ravish any dull conceit;
    And, which is more, she is not so divine,
    So full-replete with choice of all delights,
    But with as humble lowliness of mind
    She is content to be at your command
    Command, I mean, of virtuous intents,
    To love and honour Henry as her lord.
  KING HENRY. And otherwise will Henry ne'er presume.
    Therefore, my Lord Protector, give consent
    That Margaret may be England's royal Queen.
  GLOUCESTER. So should I give consent to flatter sin.
    You know, my lord, your Highness is betroth'd
    Unto another lady of esteem.
    How shall we then dispense with that contract,
    And not deface your honour with reproach?
  SUFFOLK. As doth a ruler with unlawful oaths;
    Or one that at a triumph, having vow'd
    To try his strength, forsaketh yet the lists
    By reason of his adversary's odds:
    A poor earl's daughter is unequal odds,
    And therefore may be broke without offence.
  GLOUCESTER. Why, what, I pray, is Margaret more than
    that?
    Her father is no better than an earl,
    Although in glorious titles he excel.
  SUFFOLK. Yes, my lord, her father is a king,
    The King of Naples and Jerusalem;
    And of such great authority in France
    As his alliance will confirm our peace,
    And keep the Frenchmen in allegiance.
  GLOUCESTER. And so the Earl of Armagnac may do,
    Because he is near kinsman unto Charles.
  EXETER. Beside, his wealth doth warrant a liberal dower;
    Where Reignier sooner will receive than give.
  SUFFOLK. A dow'r, my lords! Disgrace not so your king,
    That he should be so abject, base, and poor,
    To choose for wealth and not for perfect love.
    Henry is able to enrich his queen,
    And not to seek a queen to make him rich.
    So worthless peasants bargain for their wives,
    As market-men for oxen, sheep, or horse.
    Marriage is a matter of more worth
    Than to be dealt in by attorneyship;
    Not whom we will, but whom his Grace affects,
    Must be companion of his nuptial bed.
    And therefore, lords, since he affects her most,
    It most of all these reasons bindeth us
    In our opinions she should be preferr'd;
    For what is wedlock forced but a hell,
    An age of discord and continual strife?
    Whereas the contrary bringeth bliss,
    And is a pattern of celestial peace.
    Whom should we match with Henry, being a king,
    But Margaret, that is daughter to a king?
    Her peerless feature, joined with her birth,
    Approves her fit for none but for a king;
    Her valiant courage and undaunted spirit,
    More than in women commonly is seen,
    Will answer our hope in issue of a king;
    For Henry, son unto a conqueror,
    Is likely to beget more conquerors,
    If with a lady of so high resolve
    As is fair Margaret he be link'd in love.
    Then yield, my lords; and here conclude with me
    That Margaret shall be Queen, and none but she.
  KING HENRY. Whether it be through force of your report,
    My noble Lord of Suffolk, or for that
    My tender youth was never yet attaint
    With any passion of inflaming love,
    I cannot tell; but this I am assur'd,
    I feel such sharp dissension in my breast,
    Such fierce alarums both of hope and fear,
    As I am sick with working of my thoughts.
    Take therefore shipping; post, my lord, to France;
    Agree to any covenants; and procure
    That Lady Margaret do vouchsafe to come
    To cross the seas to England, and be crown'd
    King Henry's faithful and anointed queen.
    For your expenses and sufficient charge,
    Among the people gather up a tenth.
    Be gone, I say; for till you do return
    I rest perplexed with a thousand cares.
    And you, good uncle, banish all offence:
    If you do censure me by what you were,
    Not what you are, I know it will excuse
    This sudden execution of my will.
    And so conduct me where, from company,
    I may revolve and ruminate my grief.                    Exit
  GLOUCESTER. Ay, grief, I fear me, both at first and last.
                                    Exeunt GLOUCESTER and EXETER
  SUFFOLK. Thus Suffolk hath prevail'd; and thus he goes,
    As did the youthful Paris once to Greece,
    With hope to find the like event in love
    But prosper better than the Troyan did.
    Margaret shall now be Queen, and rule the King;
    But I will rule both her, the King, and realm.          Exit



THE END

 Richard, Duke of York is seen with Warwick and a Shepherd, Joan's father. Richard asks for Joan to be brought in, so that she can be burnt at the stake. The Shepherd is distraught at the prospect of his daughter's death and offers to die with her. But Joan repudiates her father, insisting that she is no daughter of his since she was born of more aristocratic blood. The Shepherd insists that the whole parish can testify that he is Joan's father. Richard and Warwick chide her for denying her father. Joan accuses the English of bribing the Shepherd to claim parentage in order to undermine her authority. When Joan refuses to kneel for her father's blessing, he curses her and urges the English to burn her. Richard tells the guards to take her away. Joan says she is descended from kings and returns to her early claim that she was chosen by God to work His miracles on earth. She denies ever having had anything to do with evil spirits and insists that she is still a pure virgin. Her death at the hands of the English will, she says, bring down heaven's vengeance on them. Richard again orders the guards to take her away. Warwick adds a request that enough faggots are put on the fire to ensure that she dies quickly, so as to shorten her suffering. Joan then tells the English nobles that they cannot execute her because she is pregnant. The nobles suggest that Charles is the father, but Joan says that it is Alencon. The fetus of a condemned female prisoner was seen as innocent and her execution would have been postponed until after the child was born. Richard cynically says he expected such a ruse from her and that he would wish any child of Alencon to die with its mother. Joan then claims that the father is Reignier. Warwick says this is intolerable as Reignier is married. Richard and Warwick point out that Joan has had many lovers and yet recently claimed to be a virgin. Richard says that she is plainly a whore and her pleas for mercy are vain. Joan curses England before she is led out and Richard curses her in return as an agent of the devil. Winchester, now a cardinal, enters. He has brought letters from Henry VI. The rulers of various countries want England to declare peace with France. Richard, Duke of York bitterly regrets that so many English nobles and soldiers have been killed for what he sees as an ignoble peace treaty. He laments the English losses in France in the recent wars and foresees that England will lose all its French territories. But Warwick says that any peace treaty will be so designed as to give little away to the French. Charles and the French nobles enter and ask about the conditions of the peace treaty. Richard is too angry to speak and urges Winchester to carry out the negotiations. Winchester tells the French that in return for an end of English hostilities, the French must swear allegiance to Henry VI. Charles would be made Vice-Regent under Henry. Charles scorns the offer, saying that in France he is already viewed as king of over half of the country. He does not want to give this up in return for being a subordinate ruler of the whole of France. Richard says he has no choice: he must submit to England's offer or the English will make unceasing war on France. Reignier advises Charles to agree to England's terms. Alencon agrees, saying Charles should accept the terms and go back on his word when it suits him. Charles agrees to the terms of the treaty, except that the French will retain control of their garrison towns. Richard declares peace and tells them to dismiss their armies. .

