_King._ Ay, Margaret; my heart is drown’d with grief, Whose flood begins to flow within mine eyes, My body round engirt with misery,   ·bca200· For what’s more miserable than discontent? Ah, uncle Humphrey! in thy face I see The map of honour, truth and loyalty: And yet, good Humphrey, is the hour to come That e’er I proved thee false or fear’d thy faith.   ·bca205· What louring star now envies thy estate, That these great lords and Margaret our queen Do seek subversion of thy harmless life? Thou never didst them wrong nor no man wrong;   [bca209] And as the butcher takes away the calf   ·bca210· And binds the wretch and beats it when it strays,   [bca211] Bearing it to the bloody slaughter-house, Even so remorseless have they borne him hence; And as the dam runs lowing up and down, Looking the way her harmless young one went,   ·bca215· And can do nought but wail her darling’s loss, Even so myself bewails good Gloucester’s case   [bca217] With sad unhelpful tears, and with dimm’d eyes   [bca218] Look after him and cannot do him good, So mighty are his vowed enemies.   ·bca220· His fortunes I will weep and ’twixt each groan Say ‘Who’s a traitor? Gloucester he is none.’   [bca222] [_Exeunt all but Queen, Cardinal Beaufort, Suffolk, and York. Somerset remains apart._ _Queen._ Free lords, cold snow melts with the sun’s hot beams.   [bca223] Henry my lord is cold in great affairs, Too full of foolish pity, and Gloucester’s show   [bca225] Beguiles him as the mournful crocodile With sorrow snares relenting passengers, Or as the snake roll’d in a flowering bank,   [bca228] With shining checker’d slough, doth sting a child That for the beauty thinks it excellent.   ·bca230· Believe me, lords, were none more wise than I-- And yet herein I judge mine own wit good--   [bca232] This Gloucester should be quickly rid the world, To rid us from the fear we have of him. _Car._ That he should die is worthy policy;   ·bca235· But yet we want a colour for his death: ’Tis meet he be condemn’d by course of law. _Suf._ But, in my mind, that were no policy: The king will labour still to save his life, The commons haply rise, to save his life;   ·bca240· And yet we have but trivial argument,   [bca241] More than mistrust, that shows him worthy death. _York._ So that, by this, you would not have him die. _Suf._ Ah, York, no man alive so fain as I! _York._ ’Tis York that hath more reason for his death.   [bca245] But, my lord cardinal, and you, my lord of Suffolk,   [bca246] Say as you think, and speak it from your souls, Were’t not all one, an empty eagle were set To guard the chicken from a hungry kite,   [bca249] As place Duke Humphrey for the king’s protector?   ·bca250· _Queen._ So the poor chicken should be sure of death.