Enter an Inhabitant of Saint Albans, 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 shrine, Within this half hour, hath receiv'd his sight; A man, that ne'er saw in his life before. K. Hen. Now, God be prais'd! that to believing souls Gives light in darkness, comfort in despair! Enter the Mayor of Saint Albans, and his Brethren; and SIMPCOX, borne between two Persons in a chair; his Wife and a great multitude following. Car. Here come the townsmen on procession, To present your highness with the man. 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, What, hast thou been long blind, and now restor❜d? 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 Let never day nor night unhallow'd pass, [thee: 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 oftner, 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! Simp. A fall off of a tree. Wife. A plum-tree, master. Glo. How long hast thou been blind? Glo. What, and wouldst climb a tree? Simp. But that in all my life, when I was a youth. ture so. Simp. Alas, good master, my wife desir'd some damsons, And made me climb, with danger of my life. Glo. A subtle knave! but yet it shall not serve.— Let me see thine eyes :-wink now ;-now open them :— In my opinion yet thou see'st not well. Simp. Yes, master, clear as day; I thank God, and Saint Alban. Glo. Say'st thou me so? What colour is this cloak of? Simp. Red, master; red as blood. Glo. Why, that's well said: What colour is my gown of? K. Hen. Why then, thou know'st what colour jet is of? Simp. Alas, master, I know not. Glo. What's his name? Simp. I know not. Glo. Nor his ? Simp. No, indeed, master. Glo. What's thine own name? Simp. Saunder Simpcox, an if it please you, master. Sight may distinguish of colours; but suddenly My lords, Saint Alban here hath done a miracle; Glo. My masters of Saint Albans, have you not beadles in your town, and things called whips? May. Yes, my lord, if it please your grace. [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. Sir Glo. Well, sir, we must have you find your legs. rah beadle, whip him till he leap over that same stool. Bead. I will, my lord.-Come on, sirrah; off with your doublet quickly. 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, see'st thou this, and bear'st so long? 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 of naughty persons, lewdly bent,Under the countenance and confederacy Of lady Eleanor, the protector's wife, The ringleader 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; [2] Lewdly, in this place, and some others, does not signify wantonly, but wick edly. A sort is a company. STEEVENS. Raising up wicked spirits from under ground, Or to the meanest groom. K. Hen. O God, what mischiefs work the wicked ones; Heaping confusion on their own heads thereby! Q. Mar. Gloster, see here the tainture of thy nest; And, look, thyself be faultless, thou wert best. Glo. Madam, for myself, to heaven I do appeal, I banish her, my bed, and company; And give her, as a prey, to law, and shame, That hath dishonour'd Gloster's honest name. K. Hen. Well, for this night, we will repose us here: To-morrow, toward London, back again, To look into this business thoroughly, And call these foul offenders to their answers; And poise the cause in justice' equal scales, Whose beam stands sure, whose rightful cause prevails. SCENE II. [Flourish. Exeunt. London. The Duke of YORK's Garden. Enter YORK, SALISBURY, and WARWICK. York. Now, my good lords of Salisbury and Warwick, Our simple supper ended, give me leave, In this close walk, to satisfy myself, In craving your opinion of my title, Which is infallible, to England's crown. Sal. My lord, I long to hear it at full. [3] That is, Your lady is in custody. JOHNSON.. War. Sweet York, begin: and if thy claim be good, The Nevils are thy subjects to command. York. Then thus : Edward the Third, my lords, had seven sons: The first, Edward the Black Prince, prince of Wales; York. Which now they hold by force, and not by right; Sal. But William of Hatfield died without an heir. As I have read, laid claim unto the crown; York. His eldest sister, Anne, My mother being heir unto the crown, Married Richard, earl of Cambridge; who was son |