Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Away with them to prison; and the day

Of combat shall be the last of next month.-

Come, Somerset, we’ll see thee sent away.

 

King Henry

King Henry the Sixth Part II         Act I Scene iii, Line 220

It seems a little arbitrary that Henry is assigning the day of combat to be the last day of next month. I wonder where that comes from? Also, I added the line about Somerset (which doesn't have anything to do with the combat) because this is the end of the scene, so it didn’t feel right leaving that last line out.

So apparently combat will be the way to settle the question of which of these two guys is telling the truth. They are a couple of nearly anonymous henchmen. The first, Thomas Horner, is being accused of treason for saying that Richard, Duke of York was the rightful king of England. The accuser, the guy who heard him say this, is his servant, Peter; no last name - just Peter. Another Peter; can you believe it?

Anyway, since it’s a case of he said, he said, and there are no witnesses, the only solution is for these two to fight it out. And that’s what they’ll settle on the day of combat, the last of next month. They both get to sit in prison until then.

Now Peter’s got but two lines in the play, and they’re both kind of interesting, so we’ll take a look at them.
He gets some stage direction for his first line which is after Thomas Horner calls him a liar, saying he never spoke the traitorous words.

[holding up his hands]
By these ten bones, my lords, he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were scouring my Lord of York’s armour.

So, he’s swearing on his ten fingers that Horner said what he said he said. That seems a little odd – swearing on his ten fingers?

And his other line is after he’s been told that he’ll have to do combat with Thomas Horner to decide who’s telling the truth.

Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God’s sake, pity my case! The spite of man prevaileth against me. O Lord, have mercy upon me! I shall never be able to fight a blow: O Lord, my heart!

I’m not quite clear to me why he cant’ fight. Is it because he has ten boney fingers? Or perhaps because he won’t fight his master? Or maybe he’s just a puny little guy who doesn’t stand a chance against Thomas Horner? Or is he saying that his heart will give out?

I’m pretty sure, though not positive, that we never get to see these two again, so that we’ll never know what happens. Their fate is of little consequence. Their part in the play was to bring up the question of the Duke of Gloster’s fidelity to the king. To be sure, the Duke and the question of his fidelity will certainly come up again.

Meantime, sounds like Peter No-Last-Name is a lover, not a fighter. He also sounds a little like Fred Sanford. Remember Fred Sanford? My heart! I’m coming to see you, Elizabeth!

Sanford And Son: This Is The Big One! - YouTube

  

Fred Sanford, Fred Sanford. That name rings a bell.

Hmmm, Fred Sanford…