Away from me, and let me hear no more.

Elean. 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 Meffenger..

Me. My Lord Protector, 'tis his Highnefs' pleasure, You do prepare to ride unto St. Alban's,

Glo. Ig

Τ

Whereas the King and Queen do mean to hawk.
Igo: come, Nell, thou wilt ride with us?
[Exit Gloucefter,
Elean. Yes, my good Lord, I'll follow prefently.
Follow I muft; I cannot go before,

While Glo'fter bears this bafe and humble mind.
Were I a man, a Duke, and next of blood,
I would remove thefe tedious ftumbling-blocks,
And smooth my way upon their headless necks.
And being a woman, I will not be flack
To play my part in Fortune's pageant.

Where are you there? Sir John! nay, fear not, man,
We are alone; here's none but thee and I.

Enter Hume.

Hume. Jefus preferve your Royal Majefty!
Eleau. What fay'ft thou Majefty? I am but Grace.
Hume. But, by the grace of God, and Hume's advice,

Your Grace's title fhall be multiply'd.

Elean. What fay'ft thou, man? haft thou as yet con- With Margery Jordan the cunning witch,

[ferr'd

Hume. This they have promised to fhew your High

And Roger Bolingbrook the conjurer ?

And will they undertake to do me good?

A fpirit rais'd from depth of under-ground,

As by your Grace fhall be propounded him.

That shall make anfwer to fuch queftions

[nefs,

Elean. It is enough, I'll think upon the questions. When from St. Alban's we do make return, We'll fee thofe things effected to the full.

Here, Hume, take this reward; make merry, man,

A

With thy confederates in this weighty caufe.

[Exit Eleanor. Hume. Hume must make merry with the Duchefs'

gold:

Marry, and fhall: but how now, Sir John Hume?
Seal up your lips, and give no words, but mùm!
The bufinefs afketh filent fecrecy.

Dame Eleanor gives gold to bring the witch.
Gold cannot come amifs, were the a devil.
Yet have I gold flies from another coaft:
I dare not fay from the rich Cardinal,

And from the great and new-made Duke of Suffolk,
Yet I do find it fo: for to be plain,

They (knowing Dame Eleanor's afpiring humour)
Have hired me to undermine the Duchefs,
And buzz thefe conjurations in her brain,
They fay, a crafty knave does need no broker;
Yet am I Suffolk's and the Cardinal's broker.
Hume, if you take not heed, you fhall go near
To call them both a pair of crafty knaves.
Well, so it stands; and thus I fear, at laft,
Hume's knavery will be the Duchefs' wreck,
And her attaintare will be Humphry's fall.
Sort how it will, I fhall have gold for all. [Exit.
SCENE V. Changes to an apartment in the palace.
Enter three or four Petitioners, Peter the armourer's
man being one.

1 Pet. My mafters, let's ftand clofe; my Lord Protector will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our fupplications in the quill.

2 Pet. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man; Jefu blefs him!

Enter Suffolk, and Queen.

1 Pet. Here a' comes, methinks, and the Queen with him. T'll be the firft, fure.

2 Pét. Come back, fool; this is the Duke of Suf folk, and not my Lord Protector.

Suf. How now, fellow, would't any thing with me?

1 Pet. I pray, my Lord, pardon me; I took ye for my Lord Protector.

Q. Mar. To my Lord Protector. [reading] Are your fupplications to his Lordfhip? let me fee them; what is thine?

1 Pet. Mine is, an't pleafe your Grace, againft John Goodman, my Lord Cardinal's man, for keeping my houfe and lands, and wife, and all from me.

Suf. Thy wife too? that's fome wrong indeed, What's your's? what's here? [Reads.] Against the Duke of Suffolk, for inclofing the commons of Long Mel ford. How now, Sir Knave?

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

Suf. [reads.] Against my master, Thomas Horner, for faying, that the Duke of York was rightful heir to

the crown.

2. Mar. What! did the Duke of York fay, he was rightful heir to the crown?

Peter. That my master was? no, forfooth; my mafter faid, that he was; and that the King was an ufurper.

Suf. Who is there? -Take this fellow in, and fend for his mafter with a pursuivant, presently; we'll hear more of your matter before the King.

[Exit Peter guarded. 2. Mar. And as for you that love to be protected Under the wings of our Frotector's Grace,

Begin your fuits anew, and fue to him.

[Tears the fupplications.

Away, bafe cullions: Suffolk, let them go.

All. Come, let's be gone. [Exeunt Petitioners. 2. Mar. My Lord of Suffolk, fay, is this the guife? Is this the fashion in the court of England? Is this the government of Britain's ifle? And this the royalty of Albion's King? What! fhall King Henry be a pupil fill, Under the furly Glo'fter's governance ? Am I a Queen in title and in ftyle, And must be made a fubject to a Duke? I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours Thou ran'ft a tilt in honour of my love,

And

A

And ftol'ft away the ladies' hearts of France;
I thought King Henry had refembled 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 faws of facred writ;
His ftudy is his tilt-yard; and his loves
Are brazen images of canoniz'd faints.
I would the college of the Cardinals
Would chufe him Pope, and carry him to Rome,
And fet the triple crown upon his head;
That were a ftate fit for his holinefs!

Suf. Madam, be patient; as I was the caufe
Your Highness came to England, fo will I
In England work your Grace's full content.

2. Mar. Befide the proud Protector, have we Beaufort Th' imperious churchman; Somerfet, Buckingham, And grumbling York; and not the leaft of thefe 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 Nevills; Salisb'ry and Warwick are no fimple Peers.

2. Mar. Not all thefe Lords do vex me half fo much, As that proud dame, the Lord Protector's wife. She sweeps it through the court with troops of ladies, More like an Emprefs than Duke Humphry's wife. Strangers in court do take her for the Queen; She bears a Duke's revenues on her back, And in her heart fhe fcorns our poverty. Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her? Contemptuous, bafe-born callot, as fhe is, She vaunted 'mongst her minions t'other day, The very train of her worft-wearing gown Was better worth than all my father's lands, Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter ! Suff. Madam, myfelf have lim'd a bufh for her, And place'd a quire of fuch enticing birds, That the will light to liften to their lays, And never mount to trouble you again. So let her reft; and, Madam, liit to me; For I am bold to counfel you in this;

Although

Although we fancy not the Cardinal,

Yet mult we join with him and with the Lords,
Till we have brought Duke Humphry in difgrace.
As for the Duke of York, this late complaint
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 realm.

To them enter King Henry, Duke Humphry, Cardinal, Buckingham, York, Somerfet, Salisbury, Warwick, and the Duchefs of Gloucefter.

K. Henry. Formy part, Noble Lords, I care not which, Or Somerset, or York, all's one to me.

York. If York have ill demean'd himself in France, Then let him be deny'd the regentship.

Som. If Somerset be unworthy of the place, Let York be Regent, I will yield to him.

War. Whether your Grace be worthy, yea or no, Difpute not that; York is the worthier.

Car. Ambitious Warwick. let thy betters fpeak. War. The Cardinal's not my better in the field. Buck. All in this prefence are thy betters, Warwick. War. Warwick may live to be the best of all. Sal. Peace, fon; and fhew fome reafon, Buckingham, Why Somerfet fhould be preferr'd in this.

2. Mar. Because the King, forfooth, will have it fo. Glo. Madam, the King is old enough himself To give his cenfure: thefe are no woman's matters. 2. 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 refign my place.

Suf. Refign it then, and leave thine infolence.

Since thou wert King, (as who is King but thou ?),
The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck..
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the feas,
And all the peers and nobles of the realm
Have been as bondmen to thy fov`reignty.

Car. The commons haft thou rack'd; the clergy's bags Are lank and lean with thy extortions.