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

To be the post, in hope of his reward.

80

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

Enter a Servingman.

Invite my Lords of Salisbury and Warwick
To sup with me to-morrow night. Away!

[Exeunt.

[blocks in formation]

Enter the King, Queen, Gloucester, Cardinal, and Suffolk, with Falconers halloing.

Queen. 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. King. 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; 10
They know their master loves to be aloft,

And bears his thoughts above his falcon's pitch. Glou. My lord, 'tis but a base ignoble mind

That mounts no higher than a bird can soar. Car. I thought as much; he would be above the clouds.

1. flying at the brook, hawking water-fowl.-C. H. H.

Glou. Aye, my lord cardinal? how think you by that?

Were it not good your grace could fly to heaven?

King. The treasury of everlasting joy.

Car. Thy heaven is on earth; thine eyes and thoughts

Beat on a crown, the treasure of thy heart; 20
Pernicious protector, dangerous peer,

That smooth'st it so with king and common-
weal!

Glou. 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.

Glou. As who, my lord?

Suf.

Why, as you, my lord,

30

An't like your lordly lord-protectorship. Glou. Why, Suffolk, England knows thine insolence.

Queen. And thy ambition, Gloucester.

24. "Tantæne animis cælestibus iræ?" "Is such resentment found in heavenly minds?" (Æneid, i. 15). Omitted by Pope.-I. G.

26. "With such holiness can you do it"; omitted by Pope. Warburton, "With such holiness can you not do it?"; Johnson, "A churchman, with such," &c.; Collier MS., “And with such holiness you well can do it"; the old play "dote" for "do it." Many emendations have been proposed. If the original reading is retained, it must be considered ironical.-I. G.

29. "you"; Pope, “yourself.”—I. G.

King. I prithee, 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! Glou. [Aside to Car.] Faith, holy uncle, would 'twere come to that!

Car. [Aside to Glou.] Marry, when thou darest. Glou. [Aside to Car.] Make up no factious numbers for the matter;

In thine own person answer thy abuse.

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Car. [Aside to Glou.] Aye, where thou darest not peep: an if thou darest,

This evening, on the east side of the grove.

King. How now, my lords!

Car.

Believe me, cousin Gloucester,

Had not your man put up the fowl so sud

denly,

We had had more sport.

[Aside to Glou.] Come with thy two-hand sword.

Glou. True, uncle.

Car. [Aside to Glou.] Are you advised? the east side of the grove?

King.

Glou. [Aside to Car.]. Cardinal, I am with you. Why, how now, uncle Gloucester! Glou. Talking of hawking; nothing else, my lord.

50

[Aside to Car.] Now, by God's mother, priest, I'll shave your crown for this,

Or all my fence shall fail.

34. "furious"; F. 2, "too-too furious.”—I. G.

47-49. given in Ff. to Gloster; corrected by Theobald:-I. G.

Car. [Aside to Glou.] Medice, teipsum―

Protector, see to 't well, protect yourself.

King. 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 a Townsman of Saint Alban's, crying 'A miracle!'

Glou. What means this noise?

Fellow, what miracle dost thou proclaim? 60 Towns. A miracle! a miracle!

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

Within this half-hour, hath received his sight;
A man that ne'er saw in his life before.

King. Now, God be praised, that to believing souls
Gives light in darkness, comfort in despair!

Enter the Mayor of Saint Alban's and his brethren, bearing Simpcox, between two in a chair, Simpcox's Wife following.

Car. Here comes the townsmen on procession,
To present your highness with the man.
King. Great is his comfort in this earthly vale, 70

54. "Medico, teipsum-"; "Physician, heal thyself"; from the Vulgate (Luke iv. 23). Ff. read "Medice teipsum"; Rowe, "Medice cura teipsum”; &c. omitted by Pope.—I. G.

69. "To present your highness with the man"; Pope reads, "Before your highness to present the man"; Capell, "Come to present your highness with the man," &c.-I. G.

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