Duch. Tut, this was nothing but an argument, That he that breaks a stick of Gloster's grove, Shall lose his head for his presumption.

But list to me, my Humphrey, my sweet duke:
Methought, I sat in seat of majesty,

In the cathedral church of Westminster,

And in that chair where kings and queens are crown'd; Where Henry, and dame Margaret, kneel'd to me, And on my head did set the diadem.

Glo. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright: Presumptuous dame, ill-nurtur'd Eleanor! Art thou not second woman in the realm; And the protector's wife, belov'd of him? Hast thou not worldly pleasure at command, Above the reach or compass of thy thought? And wilt thou still be hammering treachery, To tumble down thy husband, and thyself, From top of honour to disgrace's feet? Away from me, and let me hear no more. Duch. What, what, my lord! are you so choleric With Eleanor for telling but her dream? Next time, I'll keep my dreams unto myself, And not be check'd.

Glo. Nay, be not angry, I am pleas'd again.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My lord protector, 'tis his highness' pleasure,
You do prepare to ride unto Saint Alban's,
Whereas the king and queen do mean to hawk.
Glo. I go..
Come, Nell, thou wilt ride with us?
Duch. Yes, good my lord, I'll follow presently.
[Exeunt GLOSTER and Messenger.
Follow I must, I cannot go before,
While Gloster bears this base and humble mind.
Were I a man, a duke, and next of blood,

I would remove these tedious stumbling-blocks,
And smooth my way upon their headless necks:
And, being a woman, I would not be slack
To play my part in fortune's pageant.

The business asketh silent secrecy.

Dame Eleanor gives gold, to bring the witch:
Gold cannot come amiss, were she a devil.
Yet have I gold, flies from another coast:

I dare not say from the rich cardinal,

And from the great and new-made duke of Suffolk;
Yet I do find it so: for, to be plain,
They, knowing Eleanor's aspiring humour,
Have hired me to undermine the duchess,
And buz these conjurations in her brain.
They say, a crafty knave does need no broker;
Yet am I Suffolk and the cardinal's broker.
Hume, if you take not heed, you shall go near
To call them both a pair of crafty knaves.
Well, so it stands: And thus, I fear, at last,
Hume's knavery, will be the duchess' wreck ;
And her attainture will be Humphrey's fall:
Sort how it will, I shall have gold for all. [Exit.

Enter PETER, and others, with Petitions.

1 Pet. My masters, let's stand close; my lord protector will come this way by-and-by, and then we may deliver our supplications in the quill. 9 2 Pet. Marry, the lord protect him, for he's a good man! Heaven bless him!

Enter SUFFOLK, and QUEEN MARGARET. 1 Pet. Here 'a comes, methinks, and the queen with him: I'll be the first, sure.

2 Pet. Come back, fool; this is the duke of Suffolk, and not my lord protector.

Suf. How now, fellow? wouldst any thing with me? 1 Pet. I pray my lord, pardon me! I took ye for my lord protector.

Q. Mar. [Reading the superscription.] To my lord protector! are your supplications to his lordship? Let me see them: What is thine?

i Pet. Mine is, an't please your grace, against

Enter HUME.

grace.

Hume. May Heaven preserve your royal majesty
Duch. What say'st thou, majesty! I am but
Hume. But, by the grace of Heaven, and Hume's
advice,

Your grace's title shall be multiplied.

Duch. What say'st thou, man? hast thou as yet conferr'd

With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch;
And Roger Bolingbroke, the conjurer?
And will they undertake to do me good?

Hume. This they have promised,—to show your highness

A spirit rais'd from depth of under ground,
That shall make answer to such questions,
As by your grace shall be propounded him.
Duch. It is enough; I'll think upon the questions:
When from Saint Alban's we do make return,
We'll see these things effected to the full.
Here, Hume, take this reward; make merry, man,
With thy confederates in this weighty cause.
[Exit DUCHESS.
Hume. Hume must make merry with the duchess'
gold;

Marry, and shall. But how now, sir John Hume?

• Where. 7 A title frequently bestowed on the clergy.

ing my house, and lands, and wife and all, from me. Suf. Thy wife too? that is some wrong, indeed. What's yours?- What's here! [Reads.] Against the duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the commons of Melford. How now, sir knave?

2 Pet. Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.

Peter. [Presenting his petition.] Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying, That the duke of York was rightful heir to the crown.

Q. Mar. What say'st thou? Did the duke of York say, he was rightful heir to the crown?

Peter. That my master was? No, forsooth: my master said, That he was; and that the king was an

usurper.

Suf. Who is there? [Enter Servants.] — Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a pur- we'll hear more of your matter suivant presently: before the king. [Exeunt Servants, with PETER. Q. Mar. And as for you, that love to be protected Under the wings of our protector's grace, Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.

[Tears the Petition. Away, base cullions!' Suffolk, let them go. All. Come, let's be gone. [Exeunt Petitioners. 8 Happen.

9 With great exactness and observance of form
1 Scoundrels.

Q. Mar. My lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise,
Is this the fashion in the court of England?
Is this the government of Britain's isle,
And this the royalty of Albion's king?
What, shall king Henry be a pupil still,
Under the surly Gloster's governance?
Am I a queen in title and in style,
And must be made a subject to a duke?
I tell thee, Poole, when in the city Tours
Thou ran'st a tilt in honour of my love,

And stol'st away the ladies' hearts of France;
I thought king Henry had resembled thee,
In courage, courtship, and proportion :
But all his mind is bent to holiness,
To number Ave-Maries on his beads;
His champions are — the prophets and apostles :
His weapons, holy saws of sacred writ;
His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves
Are brazen images of canonized saints.
I would, the college of cardinals

Would choose him pope, and carry him to Rome,
And set the triple crown upon his head;
That were a state fit for his holiness.

Suf. Madam, be patient: as I was cause
Your highness came to England, so will I
In England work your grace's full content.

Q. Mar. Beside the haught protector, have we
Beaufort,

The imperious churchman; Somerset, Buckingham,
And grumbling York: and not the least of these,
But can do more in England than the king.

Suf. And he of these that can do most of all, Cannot do more in England than the Nevils: Salisbury, and Warwick, are no simple peers.

Q. Mar. Not all these lords do vex me half so much, As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife. She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies, More like an empress than duke Humphrey's wife; Strangers in court do take her for the queen : She bears a duke's revenues on her back, And in her heart she scorns her poverty: Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her? She vaunted 'mongst her minions t'other day, The very train of her worst wearing-gown Was better worth than all my father's lands, Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter. Suf. Madam, myself have lim'd a bush for her; And plac'd a quire of such enticing birds, That she will light to listen to the lays, And never mount to trouble you again. So, let her rest: and, madam, list to me; For I am bold to counsel you in this. Although we fancy not the cardinal, Yet must we join with him, and with the lords, Till we have brought duke Humphrey in disgrace. As for the duke of York, this late complaint 3 Will make but little for his benefit: So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last, And you yourself shall steer the happy helm. Enter KING HENRY, YORK, and SOMERSET, conversing with him; DUKE and DUCHESS OF GLOSTER, CARDINAL BEAUFORT, BUCKINGHAM, SALISBURY, and WARWICK.

Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this.

Q. Mar. Because the king, forsooth, will have it so. Glo. Madam, the king is old enough himself To give his censure 5; these are no woman's matters. Q. Mar. If he be old enough, what needs your grace To be protector of his excellence?

Glo. Madam, I am protector of the realm; And, at his pleasure, will resign my place.

Suf. Resign it then, and leave thine insolence. Since thou wert king, (as who is king but thou?) The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck : The dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas; And all the peers and nobles of the realm Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.

Car. The commons hast thou rack'd; the clergy's bags

Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Som. Thy sumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire,

Have cost a mass of public treasury.

Buck. Thy cruelty in execution, Upon offenders, hath exceeded law, And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Q. Mar. Thy sale of offices, and towns in France,— If they were known, as the suspect is great, Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.

[Exit GLOSTER. The QUEEN drops her fan. Give me my fan: what, minion! can you not? [Gives the DUCHESS a box on the ear. I cry you mercy, madam; Was it you? Duch. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman! K. Hen. Sweet aunt, be quiet: 'twas against her will. Duch. Against her will! Good king, look to't in time;

She'll hamper thee, and dandle thee like a baby: But shall not strike dame Eleanor unreveng'd.

[Exit DUCHESS.

Buck. Lord Cardinal, I will follow Eleanor, And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds: She's tickled now; her fume can need no spurs, She'll gallop fast enough to her destruction. [Exit BUCKINGHAM.

Re-enter GLOSTER.

With walking once about the quadrangle,
Glo. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown,

I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
As for your spiteful false objections,
Prove them, and I lie open to the law:
But Heaven in mercy so deal with my soul,
As I in duty love my king and country!
But, to the matter that we have in hand: -
I say, my sovereign, York is meetest man
To be your regent in the realm of France.

Suf. Before we make election, give me leave
To show some reason, of no little force,
That York is most unmeet of any man.
York. I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet.
First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride:

5 Censure here means simple judgment or opinion.

Next, if I be appointed for the place,
My lord of Somerset will keep me here,
Without discharge, money, or furniture,
Till France be won into the dauphin's hands.
Last time, I danc'd attendance on his will,
Till Paris was besieg'd, famish'd, and lost.

War. That I can witness, and a fouler fact
Did never traitor in the land commit.
Suf. Peace, head-strong Warwick !

Enter Servants of SUFFOLK, bringing in HORNER

and PETER.

Suf. Because here is a man accus'd of treason: Pray heaven the duke of York excuse himself! York. Doth any one accuse York for a traitor? K. Hen. What mean'st thou, Suffolk? tell me : What are these?

Suf. Please it your majesty, this is the man That doth accuse his master of high treason: His words were these ;- -that Richard, duke of York, Was rightful heir unto the English crown; And that your majesty was an usurper.

K. Hen. Say, man, were these thy words? Hor. An't shall please your majesty, I never said nor thought any such matter: I am falsely accused by the villain.

Pet. By these ten bones, my lords, [Holding up his hands.] he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were scouring my lord of York's

armour.

York. Base dunghill villain, and mechanical,
I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech:
I do beseech your royal majesty,

Let him have all the rigour of the law.

Hor. Alas, my lord, hang me, if ever I spake the words. My accuser is my prentice: and when I did correct him for his fault the other day, he did vow upon his knees he would be even with me: I have good witness of this; therefore, I beseech your majesty, do not cast away an honest man for a villain's accusation.

K. Hen. Uncle, what shall we say to this in law? Glo. This doom, my lord, if I may judge: Let Somerset be regent o'er the French, Because in York this breeds suspicion : And let these have a day appointed them For single combat in convenient place; For he hath witness of his servant's malice: This is the law, and this duke Humphrey's doom. K. Hen. Then be it so. My lord of Somerset, We make your grace lord regent o'er the French. Som. I humbly thank your royal majesty. Hor. And accept the combat willingly.

Pet. Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for heaven's sake, pity my case! the spite of man prevaileth against me. I shall never be able to fight a blow: my heart!

Glo. Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd.
K. Hen. Away with them to prison, and the day

Of combat shall be the last of the next month.
Come, Somerset, we'll see thee sent away.

[Exeunt. SCENE IV. - The Duke of Gloster's Garden. Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN, HUME, SOUTHWELL, and BOLINGBroke.

Hume. Come, my masters; the duchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises.

you; and let us to our work.

Enter DUCHESS, above.

Duch. Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this geer 7; the sooner the better.

Boling. Patience, good lady; wizards know their times :

Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night,
The time of night, when Troy was set on fire;
The time when screech-owls cry, and ban-dogs 9
howl,

And spirits walk, and ghosts break up their graves,

That time best fits the work we have in hand.
Madam, sit you, and fear not; whom we raise,
We will make fast within a hallow'd verge.

[Here they perform the ceremonies appertaining,
and make the circle; BOLINGBROKE, or SOUTH-
WELL, reads, Conjuro te, &c. It thunders and
lightens terribly; then the Spirit riseth.]
Spir. Adsum.

M. Jourd. Asmath, answer that I shall ask; For, till thou speak, thou shalt not pass from hence. Spir. Ask what thou wilt: - That I had said and done!

Boling. First, of the king. What shall of him become? [Reading out of a paper. Spir. The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose; But him outlive, and die a violent death.

[As the Spirit speaks, SOUTHWELL writes the

answer.

Boling. What fate awaits the duke of Suffolk? Spir. By water shall he die, and take his end. Boling. What shall befall the duke of Somerset ? Spir. Let him shun castles;

Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains,

Than where castles mounted stand.
Have done! for more I hardly can endure.
Boling. False fiend, avoid!

[Thunder and lightning. Spirit descends. Enter YORK and BUCKINGHAM, hastily, with their Guards, and others.

York. Lay hands upon these traitors, and their trash. Beldame, I think, we watch'd you at an inch. — What, madam, are you there? the king and com

monweal

My lord protector will, I doubt it not,
Are deeply indebted for this piece of pains:
See you well guerdon'd9 for these good deserts.

Duch. Not half so bad as thine to England's king, Injurious duke; that threat'st where is no cause. Buck. True, madam, none at all. What call you this? [Showing her the papers. Away with them; let them be clapp'd up close,

6 By exorcise, Shakspeare invariably means to raise spirits, and not to lay them. 8 Watch-dogs.

7 Matter or business. 9 Rewarded.

And kept asunder: — You, madam, shall with us: —
Stafford, take her to thee.
[Exit DUCHESS from above.
We'll see your trinkets here all forth-coming;
All.-Away!

[Exeunt Guards, with SOUTHWELL, BOLING-
BROKE, &c.

York. Lord Buckingham, methinks, you watch'd her well:

A pretty plot, well chosen to build upon!
Now pray, my lord, let's see the devil's writ.
What have we here?

The duke yet lives, that Henry shall depose:
But him outlive, and die a violent death.
Why, this is just,

Aio te, Eacida, Romanos vincere posse.
Well, to the rest :

Tell me, what fate awaits the duke of Suffolk?
By water shall he die, and take his end.
What shall betide the duke of Somerset ?

[Reads.

SCENE I. Saint Alban's.

Enter KING HENRY, QUEEN MARGARET, GLOSTER,
CARDINAL, and SUFFOLK, with Falconers hollaing.
Q. Mar. Believe me, lords, for flying at the brook',
I saw not better sport these seven years' day:
Yet, by your leave, the wind was very high;
And, ten to one, old Joan had not gone out.

K. Hen. But what a point, my lord, your falcon made,

And what a pitch she flew above the rest! -
To see how God in all his creatures works!
Yea, man and birds, are fain of climbing high.
Suf. No marvel, an it like your majesty,
My lord protector's hawks do tower so well;
They know their master loves to be aloft,
And bears his thoughts above his falcon's pitch.
Glo. My lord, 'tis but a base ignoble mind
That mounts no higher than a bird can soar.
Car. I thought as much; he'd be above the clouds.
Glo. Ay, my lord cardinal; How think you by that?
Were it not good, your grace could fly to heaven?
K. Hen. The treasury of everlasting joy!
Car. Thy heaven is on earth; thine eyes and thoughts
Beat on a crown, the treasure of thy heart;
Pernicious protector, dangerous peer,
That smooth'st it so with king and commonweal!
Glo. What, cardinal, is your priesthood grown
peremptory?

Tantæne animis cœlestibus iræ?
Churchmen so hot? good uncle, hide such malice;
With such holiness can you do it?

Suf. No malice, sir; no more than well becomes
So good a quarrel, and so bad a peer.
Glo. As who, my lord?
Suf.
Why, as you, my lord;
An't like your lordly lord-protectorship.
Glo. Why, Suffolk, England knows thine insolence.
Q. Mar. And thy ambition, Gloster.
K. Hen.
I pr'ythee, peace,
Good queen; and whet not on these furious peers,
For blessed are the peacemakers on earth.

1 The falconer's term for hawking at water-fowl.
2 Fond.

Car. Let me blessed for the peace I make, Against this proud protector with my sword! Glo. 'Faith, holy uncle, 'would 'twere come to that! [Aside to the Cardinal. Car. Marry, when thou dar'st. [Aside. Glo. Make up no factious numbers for the matter, In thine own person answer thy abuse. [Aside. Car. Ay, where thou dar'st not peep: an if thou dar'st,

This evening on the east side of the grove.
K. Hen. How now, my lords?
Car.

[Aside.

Believe me, cousin Gloster,

Had not your man put up the fowl so suddenly,
We had had more sport -
sword.

Come with thy two-hand
[Aside to GLOSter.

Glo. True, uncle.
Car. Are you advis'd?.
Glo. Cardinal, I am with you.
K. Hen.

the east side of the grove? [Aside. Why, how now, uncle Gloster? Glo. Talking of hawking; nothing else, my lord.K. Hen. The winds grow high; so do your stomachs, lords.

How irksome is this musick to my heart!
When such strings jar, what hope of harmony?
I pray, my lords, let me compound this strife.
Enter an Inhabitant of Saint Alban's, crying,
A Miracle!

Glo. What means this noise?
Fellow, what miracle dost thou proclaim?
Inhab. A miracle! a miracle!

Suf. Come to the king, and tell him what miracle.
Inhab. Forsooth, a blind man at Saint Alban's

K. Hen. Great is his comfort in this earthly vale, Although by his sight his sin be multiplied.

Glo. Stand by, my masters, bring him near the king, His highness' pleasure is to talk with him.

K. Hen. Good fellow, tell us here the circumstance, That we for thee may glorify the Lord. What, hast thou been long blind, and now restor❜d? Simp. Born blind, an't please your grace. Wife. Ay, indeed was he.

Suf. What woman is this?

Wife. His wife, an't like your worship.

Glo. Hadst thou been his mother, thou couldst have better told.

K. Hen. Where wert thou born?

Simp. At Berwick in the north, an't like your grace. K. Hen. Poor soul! God's goodness hath been great to thee:

Let never day nor night unhallow'd pass,
But still remember what the Lord hath done.

Q. Mar. Tell me, good fellow, cam'st thou here by chance,

Or of devotion, to this holy shrine?

Simp. God knows, of pure devotion; being call'd A hundred times, and oft'ner, in my sleep By good saint Alban; who said, Simpcox come; Come, offer at my shrine, and I will help thee.

Wife. Most true, forsooth; and many time and oft Myself have heard a voice to call him so. Car. What, art thou lame? Simp.

Ay, God Almighty help me!

Suf. How cam'st thou so? Simp.

Wife. A plum-tree, master. Glo.

A fall off a tree.

How long hast thou been blind? Simp. O, born so, master. Glo.

What, and wouldst climb a tree? Simp. But that in all my life, when I was a youth. Wife. Too true; and bought his climbing very dear. Glo. 'Mass, thou lov'dst plums well, that wouldst

In Christendom. If thou hadst been born blind,
Thou mightst as well have known our names, as thus
To name the several colours we do wear.
Sight may distinguish of colours; but suddenly
To nominate them all 's impossible.
My lords, saint Alban here hath done a miracle;
And would ye not think that cunning to be great
That could restore this cripple to his legs?

Simp. O, master, that you could!

Glo. My masters of Saint Alban's, have you not beadles in your town, and things called whips? May. Yes, my lord, if it please your grace. Glo. Then send for one presently.

May. Sirrah, go fetch the beadle hither straight. [Exit an Attendant. Glo. Now fetch me a stool hither by-and-by. [A stool brought out.] Now, sirrah, if you mean to save yourself from whipping, leap me over this stool, and run away.

Simp. Alas, master, I am not able to stand alone: You go about to torture me in vain.

Re-enter Attendant, with the Beadle. Glo. Well, sir, we must have you find your legs. Sirrah beadle, whip him till he leap over that same stool.

Bead. I will, my lord. with your doublet quickly.

Come on, sirrah; off

Simp. Alas, master, what shall I do? I am not able to stand.

[After the Beadle hath hit him once, he leaps over the stool, and runs away; and the People follow, and cry, A Miracle! K. Hen. O God, seest thou this, and bear'st so long? Q. Mar. It made me laugh to see the villain run. Glo. Follow the knave; and take this drab away. Wife. Alas, sir, we did it for pure need. Glo. Let them be whipped through every market town, till they come to Berwick, whence they came. [Exeunt Mayor, Beadle, Wife, &c.

Car. Duke Humphrey has done a miracle to-day. Suf. True; made the lame to leap, and fly away. Glo. But you have done more miracles than I; You made, in a day, my lord, whole towns to fly. Enter BUCKINGHAM.

K. Hen. What tidings with our cousin Buckingham?

Buck. Such as my heart doth tremble to unfold. A sort 3 of naughty persons, vilely bent, Under the countenance and confederacy Of lady Eleanor, the protector's wife, The ring-leader and head of all this rout, Have practis'd dangerously against your state, Dealing with witches; and with conjurers: Whom we have apprehended in the fact; Raising up wicked spirits from under ground, Demanding of king Henry's life and death, And other of your highness' privy council, As more at large your grace shall understand.

Car. And so, my lord protector, by this means Your lady is forthcoming yet at London. This news, I think, hath turn'd your weapon's edge; 'Tis like, my lord you will not keep your hour. [Aside to GLOSter.

Go. Ambitious churchman, leave to afflict my

heart!

Sorrow and grief have vanquish'd all my powers:
And, vanquish'd as I am, I yield to thee,
Or to the meanest groom.

3 A company.