5

1 Ptt. My mafters, let's ftand clofe; my lord 10 protector will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our fupplications in the quill 2. 2 Pet. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man! Jefu bless him!

Enter Suffolk, and Queen.

1 Pet. Here a' comes, methinks, and the queen with him I'll be the first, fure.

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

Saf. How now, fellow? wouldft any thing 20

with me?

1 Pet. I pray, my lord, pardon me! I took ye for my lord protector.

2. Mar. For my lord protector! are your fupplications to his lordship? Let me fee them: 25 what is thine?

1 Pet. Mine is, an't please your grace, against John Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my houfe, and lands, and wife and all, from

me.

Suf. Thy wife too? that is fome wrong, indeed. What's your's? what's here! [reads.] Against the duke of Suffolk for enclosing the commons of Melford.~~ How now, fir knave?

30

2 Pet. Alas, fir, I am but a poor petitioner of 35 our whole township.

Peter. Against my mafter, Thomas Horner, for faying, That the duke of York was rightful heir to the crown.

|Away, base 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 still,
Under the furly Gloster's governance?
Am I a queen in title and in ftyle,
And must be made a subject to a duke?
tell thee, Poole, when in the city Tours
Thou ran'ft a tilt in honour of my love,
And ftol'ft 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 faws of facred writ;
His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves
Are brazen images of canoniz'd faints.
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 state fit for his holiness.

Suf. Madam, be patient: as I was caufe
Your highness came to England, fo will I
In England work your grace's full content.
2. Mar. Befide the haught protector, have we
Beaufort,

The imperious churchman; Somerfet, 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 fimple peers.

2. Mar. Not all these lords do vex me half fo much,

ladies,

As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife. 2. Mar. What fay'ft thou? Did the duke of 40 She sweeps it through the court with troops of York fay, he was rightful heir to the crown? Peter. That my mistress was? No, forfooth my master said, That he was; and that the king was an ufurper.

More like an emprefs, 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 the fcorns our poverty:
Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her?
Contemptuous base-born callat as the is,
She vaunted 'mongst her minions t'other day,
The very train of her worst wearing-gown
50 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 fuch enticing birds,

Suf. Who is there?-Take this fellow in, and 45 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 protector's grace, Begin your fuits anew, and fue to him.

[Tears the petitions. |

1 i. e. happen. 2 Mr. Steevens thinks, that the phrafe in the quill, or in quill, implies no more than our written or penn'd fupplications. Mr. Tollet fsupposes it may mean, with great exactness and obfervance of form, or with the utmost punctilio of ceremony; that it seems to be taken from part of the dress of our ancestors, whofe ruffs were quilled; and that while these were worn, it might be the vogue to say, fuch a thing is in the quill, i. e. in the reigning mode of tafte, as it has been fince cuftomary to use the fimilar phrase of a thing being in print, to express the fame circumftance of exactnefs. Another critic and commentator, however, conjectures, that this may be supposed to have been a phrase formerly in ufe, and the fame with the French en quille, which is faid of a man when he stands upright upon his feet without ftirring from the place. The proper fenfe of quille in French is a ninepin, and in fome parts of England nine-pins are fill called cayls. Quelle in the old British-language allo fignifies any piece of wood fet upright.

That

War. Warwick may live to be the best of all.
Sal. Peace, fon;-and fhew some reason, Buck-30
ingham,

Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this.

2. Mar. Because the king, forfooth, will have it Glo. Madam, the king is old enough himself To give his cenfure 2: thefe are no women's 35 [grace

2. Mar. If he be old enough, what needs your 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 fovereignty.
Car. The commons haft thou rack'd; the
clergy's bags

[attire,

Are lank and lean with thy extortions.
Som. Thy fumptuous buildings, and thy wife's 50
Have coft a mass of publick treasury.

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

2. Mar. Thy fale of offices, and towns in France, 55 If they were known, as the fufpect is great,Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.

[Exit Glofter. The Queen drops her fan. Give me my fan: What, minion! can you not? [Gives the Dutchefs a box on the car. 60 I cry you mercy, madam; Was it you ?

1 i. e. the complaint of Peter the armourer's man against his master, for faying that York was the rightful king. 2 i. e. judgement or opinion.

I did correct him for his fault the other day, he did 10 We will make faft within a hallow'd verge.
vow upon his knees he would be even with me:
I have good witness of this; therefore, I befeech
your majefty, do not caft away an honeft man for
a villain's accufation.

By the eternal God, whofe name and power
Thou trembleft at, answer that I fhall afk;

20 For, 'till thou speak, thou shalt not país from hence.
Spirit. Afk what thou wilt:-That I had faid

the etymology of the word ban-dogs is unfettled. They feem, however, to have been defigned by poets to fignify fome terrific beings whofe office it was to make night bideous. 3 i. e. rewarded.

2. Mar. BEL

ELIEVE 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 2.
K. Henry. But what a point, my lord, your falcon
made,

And what a pitch fhe flew above the reft!-
To fee how God in all his creatures works!
Yea, man and birds are fain 3 of climbing high.
Suf. No marvel, an it like your majesty,
My lord protector's hawks do tower so well;
They know, their mafter loves to be aloft,
And bears his thoughts above his falcon's pitch.
Glo. My lord, 'tis but a bafe ignoble mind
That mounts no higher than a bird can foar.
Car. I thought as much; he'd be above the
clouds.

25

30

35

Suf. No malice, fir; no more than well becomes So good a quarrel, and fo bad a peer.

Glo. As who, my lord?

Suf. Why, as yourself, my lord;
An't like your lordly lord-protectorship.

[lence.

Glo. Why, Suffolk, England knows thine info2. Mar. And thy ambition, Glofter.

K. Henry. I pr'ythee, peace, good queen; And whet not on these too too furious peers, For bleffed are the peace-makers on earth.

Car. Let me be bleffed for the peace I make, Against this proud protector, with my sword! Glo. Faith, holy uncle, 'would 'twere

[that? 45
Glo. Ay, my lord cardinal; How think you by
Were it not good, your grace could fly to heaven?
K. Henry. The treasury of everlasting joy!
Car. Thy heaven is on earth; thine eyes and
thoughts

Beat 4 on a crown, the treasure of thy heart;
Pernicious protector, dangerous peer,

That smooth'ft it fo with king and common-weal!
Glo. What, cardinal, is your priesthood grown fo
Tantæne animis cæleftibus iræ ?

This evening, on the eaft fide of the grove..
K. Henry. How now, my lords?

Car. Believe me, coufin Glofter,

Afide.

Had not your man put up the fowl fo fuddenly,
We'd had more fport.-Come with thy two-hand
fword.
[Afide to Glofter.

Glo. True, uncle.

50 Are you advis'd?-the east fide of the grove? Cardinal, I am with you.

[Afide.

K. Henry. Why, how now, uncle Glofter?
Glo. Talking of hawking; nothing else, my

lord.

[for this,

[Afide.

[peremptory? 55 Now, by God's mother, prieft, I'll shave your crown
Or all my fence 5 fhall fail.
Car. [afide] Medice, teipfum ;

Churchmen fo hot? good uncle, hide fuch malice;
With fuch holiness can you do it?

This is the falconer's term for hawking at water-fowl. 2 The meaning, according to Dr. Johnfon, is, that the wind being high, it was ten to one that the old hawk had flown quite away; a trick which hawks often play their mafters in windy weather; while Dr. Percy fays, that the paffage fignifies, that the wind was fo high, it was ten to one that old Joan would not have taken her flight at the game. Utrum horum mavis accipe. 3 i. c. glad. 4 To bait or beat (batbe) is a term in falconry.

5 Fence is the art of defence.

Protector,

Protector, fee to't well, protect yourself.

K. Henry. The winds grow high; fo do your
ftomachs, lords.

How irksome is this mufic to my heart!
When fuch strings jar, what hopes of harmony? S
I pray, my lords, let me compound this strife.
Enter one, crying, A miracle!

Glo. What means this noife?
Fellow, what miracle doft thou proclaim?

One. A miracle! a miracle!

Suf. Come to the king, and tell him what miracle.
One. Forfooth, a blind man at saint Alban's shrine,
Within this half-hour, hath receiv'd his fight;
A man, that ne'er faw in his life before.

[fouls

10

K. Henry. Now, God be prais'd! that to believing 15 Gives light in darkness, comfort in despair! Enter the Mayor of Saint Albans, and his brethren, bearing Simpcox between two in a chair, Simpcox's wife following.

Car. Here come the townsmen on proceffion, 20 To prefent your highness with the man.

K. Henry. Great is his comfort in this earthly vale,
Though by his fight his fin be multiply'd. [king,

Gb. Stand by, my mafters, bring him near the
His highness' pleasure is to talk with him. [stance, 25
K. Henry. Good fellow, tell us here the circum-
That we for thee may glorify the Lord.
What, haft thou been long blind, and now reftor'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. Had'st thou been his mother, thou could'ft

have better told.

K. Henry. Where wert thou born?

Simp. Yes, mafter, clear as day; I thank God, and faint Alban.

[cloak of?
Glo. Say'ft thou me fo? What colour is this
Simp. Red, mafter; red as blood. [gown of?
Glo. Why, that's well faid: what colour is my
Simp. Black, forfooth; coal-black, as jet.
K. Henry. Why then, thou know'ft what co-
lour jet is of?

Suf. And yet, I think, jet did he never fee.
Gh. But cloaks, and gowns, before this day, a

Għ. Then, Saunder, fit there, the lyingest knave
In Chriftendom. If thou hadst been born blind,
Thou might'ft as well have known all our names,
as thus

To name the feveral colours we do wear.
Sight may diftinguish colours; but suddenly
To nominate them all, it is impoffible.

My lords, faint Alban here hath done a miracle;
30 Would ye not think that cunning to be great,
That could restore this cripple to his legs again?
Simp. O, mafter, that you could!

[grace. 35

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

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

Queen. Tell me, good fellow, cam'ft thou here

140

Or of devotion, to this holy shrine? [by chance,
Simp. God knows, of pure devotion; being call'd
A hundred times, and oftener, in my fleep
By good faint Alban; who faid,—Saunder, come; 45
Come, offer at my fhrine, and I will help thee.
Wife. Moft true, forfooth; and many time and oft
Myfelf have heard a voice to call him fo.

Car. What, art thou lame?

Simp. Ay, God Almighty help me!
Suf. How cam'st thou fo?

Simp. A fall off of a tree.

Wife. A plum-tree, mafter.

Glo. How long haft thou been blind?
Simp. O, born fo, mafter.

Gle. What, and would'st 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. Mafs, thou lov'dst plums well, that would'st
venture fo.

Glo. My mafters of faint Alban's,
Have you not beadles in your town, and things
Call'd whips?

Mayor. Yes, my lord, if it pleafe your grace.
Glo. Then fend for one presently.

Mayor. Sirrah, go fetch the beadle hither straight.
[Exit Meffenger.

Glo. Now fetch me a ftool hither by and by. Now, firrah, if you mean to fave 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.

Enter a Beadle, with whips.

Glo. Well, fir, we must have you find your legs. Sirrah beadle, whip him 'till he leap over that fame ftool.

Bead. I will, my lord.-Come on, firrah; off 50 with your doublet quickly.

55

[damfons, 60
Simp. Alas, good mafter, my wife defir'd fome
And made me climb, with danger of my life.
Gls. A fubtle knave! but yet it shall not serve.
Let me fee thine eyes:wink now;-now open
In my opinion, yet thou fee`ft not well. [them:-65

Simp. Alas, mafter, what shall I do? I am not able to ftand.

[After the Beadle bath bit bim once, he leaps over the fool, and runs away; and the people follow and cry, A Miracle!

K. Henry. O God, feest thou this, and bear'st so

long?

Queen. It made me laugh, to fee the villain run.
Glo. Follow the knave; and take this drab away.
Wife. Alas, fir, we did it for pure need. [town
Glo. Let them be whipt through every market
Until they come to Berwick, whence they came.
[Exit Beadle, with the woman, &c.
Car. Duke Humphrey has done a miracle to-day.
Suf. True; made the lame to leap, and fly away.
Ppa
Gia.