Last time, I danced attendance on his will,
Till Paris was besieged, famish'd, and lost.
War. That I can 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 accused 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.
K. Hen. Then be it so. My lord of Somerset,
We make your grace lord regent o'er the French.
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.

SCENE IV-The same. The Duke of GLOSTER'S Garden.

Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN, HUME, SOUTHWELL, and BOLINGBROKE.

Hume. Come, my masters; the duchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises.

Boling. Master Hume, we are therefore provided: Will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms?

Hume. Ay; what else? fear you not her courage.

Boling. I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible spirit: But it shall be convenient, master Hume, that you be by her aloft, while we be busy below; and so, I pray you, go in God's name, and leave us. [Exit HUME.] Mother Jourdain, be you prostrate, and grovel on the earth:-John Southwell, read you; and let us to our work.

Enter DUCHESS, above.

Duch. Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this geer; the sooner the better.

Boling. Patience, good lady; wizards know their times: 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 appertaining, and make the Circle; BOLINGBROKE, or SOUTHWELL, reads, Conjuro, te, &c. It thunders and lightens terribly; then the SPIRIT riseth. Spir. Adsum.

M. Jourd. Asmath.

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:t-That I had said and done!
Boling. First, of the king. What shall of him become?

[Reading out of a paper.

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 fate awaits the duke of Suffolk?

Spir. By water shall he die, and take his end.

Boling. What shall befall the duke of Somerset ?
Spir. Let him shun castles;

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, and

others.

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 commonweal
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.-
We'll see your trinkets here all forth-coming;
All.-Away!

[Exit DUCHESS from above.

[Exeunt Guards, with SOUTH., BOLING., &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?

The duke yet lives, that Henry shall depose;
But him outlive, and die a violent death.

Why, this is just,

Aio te, Eacida, Romanos vincere posse.
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 hardily attain'd,

And hardly understood.

The king is now in progress toward 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.

[Reads.

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!

[Exeunt.

*Rewarded.

ACT II.

SCENE I-St. Albans.

Enter KING HENRY, QUEEN MARGARET, GLOSTER, 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 faint 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?

Tantane animis cœlestíbus 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.

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!

Car. Marry, when thou dar'st.

* Hawking at water fowl. VOL. III.

[Aside to the CARDINAL.

† Fond.

L

[Aside.

Flutter.

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.
K. Hen. How now, my lords?

[Aside.

Car. Believe me, cousin Gloster,

Had not your man put up the fowl so suddenly,

We had had more sport.-Come with thy two-hand sword.

Glo. True, uncle.

Car. Are you advised?-the east side of the grove?
Glo. Cardinal, I am with you.

[Aside, to GLO.

[Aside.

K. Hen. Why, how now, uncle Gloster?

Glo. Talking of hawking; nothing else, my lord.—

Now, by God's mother, priest, I'll shave your crown for this,

Or all my fence* shall fail.

Car. Medice teipsum ;

Protector, see to't well, protect yourself.

[Aside.

[Aside.

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 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 received his sight;

A man that ne'er saw in his life before.

K. Hen. Now, God be praised! 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,
That we for thee may glorify the Lord.

What, hast thou been long blind, and now restored ?
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.

*Fence is the art of defence.