Q. Mar. Because the king, forsooth, will have it so. Glo. Madam, the king is old enough himself/ To give his censure. These are no women's mat

ters.

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? [Giving the Duchess a box on the ear. I cry you mercy, madam: was it you! Duch. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud French

woman:

Could I come near your beauty with my nails,
I'd set my ten commandments in your face.

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 :
Though in this place most master wear no breeches,
She 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 far enough to her destruction.

[Exit BUCKINGHAM.

Re-enter GLOSTER.

Glo. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown With walking once about the quadrangle, I come to talk of commonwealth affairs. As for your spiteful false objections, Prove them, and I lie open to the law; But God 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: 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 can I witness; and a fouler fact
Did never traitor in the land commit.

Suf. Peace, headstrong Warwick!
War. Image of pride, why should I hold my
peace?

Enter Servants of SUFFOLK, bringing in HORNER and PETER.

Suf. Because here is a man accus'd of treason: Pray God, 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. God is my witness, 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. Som. I humbly thank your royal majesty. Hor. And I accept the combat willingly. Pet. 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!

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.

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
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 belonging, and
make the circle; BOLINGBROKE, or SOUTH-
WELL, reads, Conjuro te, &c. It thunders
and lightens terribly; then the Spirit riseth.
Spir. Adsum!

By the eternal God, whose name and power
Thou tremblest at, 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?

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 fates await the duke of Suffolk ? Spir. By water shall he die, and take his end. Boling. What shall befall the duke of Somerset?

Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
Than where castles mounted stand.

Have done, for more I hardly can endure.
Boling. Descend to darkness, and the burning
lake:
False fiend, avoid!

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

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 common-weal

Are deeply indebted for this piece of pains:
My lord protector will, I doubt it not,
See you well guerdon'd 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,
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, BOLINGBROKE, &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?

[Reads.

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 ?—
Let him shun castles;

Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains,
Than where castles mounted stand."
Come, come, my lords;

These oracles are hardly attain'd,
And hardly understood.

The king is now in progress towards Saint Albans;
With him the husband of this lovely lady:
Thither go these news, as fast as horse can carry
them;

A sorry breakfast for my lord protector.

Buck. Your grace shall give me leave, my lord of York,

To be the post in hope of his reward.

York. At your pleasure, my good lord.-Who's within there, ho!

Enter a Servant.

Invite my lords of Salisbury, and Warwick,
To sup with me to-morrow night.-Away. [Exeuni

ACT II,

SCENE I.-Saint Albans.

Enter King HENRY, Queen MARGARET, GLOS TER, 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 ira?

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.

Car. Let me be 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. [Aside. K. Hen. How now, my lords!

Car.

Believe me, cousin Gloster, Had not your man put up the fowl so suddenly, We had had more sport.-Come with thy twohand sword. [Aside to GLOSTER.

Glo. True, uncle.

K. Hen. The winds grow high; so do your stomachs, lords.

How irksome is this music to my heart!
When such strings jar, what hope of harmony?
I pray, my lords, let me compound this strife.
Enter one, crying, "A miracle!"

Glo. What means this noise?

Fellow, what miracle dost thou proclaim?

One. A miracle! a miracle!

Suf. Come to the king, and tell him what miracle. One. Forsooth, a blind man at Saint Albans' 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.

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

Glo. Hadst thou been his mother, thou could'st have better told.

K. Hen. Where wert thou born?

Simp. At Berwick, in the north, an't like your grace.

K. Ken. 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,