Act V

SCENE I. Castle in Normandy. King's Chamber. HENRY, ROGER OF YORK, FOLIOT, JOCELYN OF SALISBURY: -

ROGER OF YORK: Nay, nay, my liege, He rides abroad with armed followers, Hath broken all his promises to thyself, Cursed and anathematised us right and left, Stirr'd up a party there against your son-- HENRY: Roger of York, you always hated him, Even when you both were boys at Theobald's. ROGER OF YORK: I always hated boundless arrogance. In mine own cause I strove against him there, And in thy cause I strive against him now. HENRY: I cannot think he moves against my son, Knowing right well with what a tenderness He loved my son. ROGER OF YORK: Before you made him king. But Becket ever moves against a king. The Church is all--the crime to be a king. We trust your Royal Grace, lord of more land Than any crown in Europe, will not yield To lay your neck beneath your citizens' heel. HENRY: Not to a Gregory of my throning! No. FOLIOT: My royal liege, in aiming at your love, It may be sometimes I have overshot My duties to our Holy Mother Church, Tho' all the world allows I fall no inch Behind this Becket, rather go beyond In scourgings, macerations, mortifyings, Fasts, disciplines that clear the spiritual eye, And break the soul from earth. Let all that be. I boast not: but you know thro' all this quarrel I still have cleaved to the crown, in hope the crown Would cleave to me that but obey'd the crown, Crowning your son; for which our loyal service, And since we likewise swore to obey the customs, York and myself, and our good Salisbury here, Are push'd from out communion of the Church. JOCELYN OF SALISBURY: Becket hath trodden on us like worms, my liege; Trodden one half dead; one half, but half-alive, Cries to the King. HENRY (aside). Take care o' thyself, O King. JOCELYN OF SALISBURY: Being so crush'd and so humiliated we scarcely dare to bless the food we eat because of BECKET. HENRY: What would ye have me do? ROGER OF YORK: Summon your barons; take their counsel: yet I know--could swear--as long as Becket breathes, Your Grace will never have one quiet hour. HENRY: What?... Ay ... but pray you do not work upon me. I see your drift ... it may be so ... and yet You know me easily anger'd. Will you hence? He shall absolve you ... you shall have redress. I have a dizzying headache. Let me rest. I'll call you by and by. [Exeunt ROGER OF YORK, FOLIOT, and JOCELYN OF SALISBURY: Would he were dead! I have lost all love for him. If God would take him in some sudden way--would he were dead. [Lies down. PAGE (entering). My liege, the Queen of England. HENRY: God's eyes! [Starting up. Enter ELEANOR: ELEANOR: Of England? Say of Aquitaine. I am no Queen of England. I had dream'd I was the bride of England, and a queen. HENRY: And,--while you dream'd you were the bride of England,--stirring her baby-king against me? ha! ELEANOR: The brideless Becket is thy king and mine: I will go live and die in Aquitaine. HENRY: Except I clap thee into prison here,