Glo. O Nell, sweet Nell, if thou dost love Banish the canker of ambitious thoughts: Duch. What dream'd my lord? tell me, and With sweet rehearsal of my morning's dream. Was broke in twain, by whom, I have forgot, And William de la Poole first duke of Suffolk. Duch. Tut, this was nothing but an argu- That he that breaks a stick of Gloster's grove, Glo. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide out. Presumptuous dame, ill-nurtur'd* Eleanor ! leric With Eleanor, for telling but her dream? Glo. Nay, be not angry, I am pleas'd again. Mess. My lord protector, 'tis his highness' You do prepare to ride unto Saint Albans, hawk. sently. [Exeunt GLOSTER and Messenger. We are alone; here none but thee, and I. Hume. Jesu preserve your royal majesty! * Ill-educated. Duch. What say'st thou, majesty! I am but grace. Hume. But, by the grace of God, and Hume's Your grace's title shall be multiplied. With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch; Hume. This they have promised,-to show A spirit rais'd from depth of under ground, tions: When from Saint Albans we do make return, Hume. Hume must make merry with the du- Yet I do find it so: for, to be plain, [mour, [Exit. SCENE III.-The same.-A Room in the Enter PETER, and others, with Petitions. 2 Pet. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man! Jesu bless him! Enter SUFFOLK, and Queen MARGARET. 1 Pet. Here 'a comes, methinks, and the queen with him: I'll be the first, sure. 2 Pet. Come back, fool; this is the duke of Suffolk, and not my lord protector. Suf. How now, fellow? would'st any thing with me? 1 Pet. I pray, 7, my lord, pardon me! I took ye for my ford protector. Q. Mar. [Reading the superscription.] To my lord protector! are your supplications to his lordship? Let me see them: What is thine? 1 Pet. Mine is, an't please your grace, against John Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my house, and lands, and wife, and all, from me. * Let the issue be what it will. + With great exactness and observance of form. Suf. Thy wife too? that is some wrong, in- | deed.-What's yours?-What's here! [Reads.] Against the duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the commons of Melford.-How now, sir knave? 2 Pet. Alas, Sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township. Peter. [Presenting his petition.] Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying, That the duke of York was rightful heir to the crown. Q. Mar. What say'st thou? Did the duke of York say, he was rightful heir to the crown? Peter. That my master was? No, forsooth: my master said, That he was; and that the king was an usurper. Suf. Who is there? [Enter Servants.]-Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a pursuivant presently:-we'll hear more of your matter before the king. [Exeunt Servants, with PETER. Q. Mar. And as for you, that love to be protected Under the wings of our protector's grace, Begin your suits anew, and sue to him. [Tears the Petition. Away, base cullions!*-Suffolk, let them go. All. Come, let's be gone. [Exeunt PETITIONERS. Q. Mar. My lord of Suffolk, say, is this the Is this the fashion in the court of England? Suf. Madam, be patient: as I was cause The imperious churchman; Somerset, Buck- Cannot do more in England than the Nevils: As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife. She vaunted 'mongst her minions t'other day, ter. Suf. Madam, myself have lim'd a bush for And plac'd a quire of such enticing birds, As for the duke of York,-this late complaint Enter King HENRY, YORK, and SOMERSET, K. Hen. For my part, noble lords, I care Or Somerset, or York, all's one to me. Then let him be denay'd+ the regentship. 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 inso lence. [thou?) Since thou wert king, (as who is king, but 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 Are lank and lean with thy extortions. Have cost a mass of public treasury. 1. e. The complaint of Peter the armourer's man Censure here means simply judgement or opinion. 1 Upon offenders, hath exceeded law, Q. Mar. Thy sale of offices, and towns in 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? [Gives 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, 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 fast 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 un meet. First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride: War. That I can witness; and a fouler fact Did never traitor in the land commit. Suf. Peace, head-strong 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 trea 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. 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 sume.-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. Buck. True madam, none at all. What call us: you this? [Showing her the papers. Away with them; let them be clapp'd up close, And kept asunder:-You, madam, shall with Stafford, take her to thee.[Exit DUCHESS from above. We'll see your trinkets here all forth-coming; All-Away! [Exeunt Guards, with SOUTH. BOLING. &c. York. Lord Buckingham, methinks, you watch'd her well: A pretty plot, well chosen to build upon! The duke yet lives, that Henry shall depose; Aio te, Facida, Romanos vincere posse. * Village-dogs. Well, to the rest: Tell me what fate awaits the duke of Suffolk? Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains, A sorry breakfast for my lord protector. To be the post, in hope of his reward. Enter a SERVANT. Invite my lords of Salisbury, and Warwick, To sup with me to-morrow night.-Away! [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I.-Saint 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. + Rewarded. + Fond. K. Hen. I pr'ythee, peace, [peers, Good queen; and whet not on these furious 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, [ly, Had not your man put up the fowl so suddenWe had had more sport.-Come with thy twohand sword. [Aside to GLO. Glo. True, uncle. Car. Are you advis'd?-the east side of the grove? Glo. Cardinal, I am with you. [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. [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, Glo. What means this noise? Suf. Come to the king, and tell him what 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. Cur. 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. cumstance, That we for thee may glorify the Lord. What, hast thou been long blind, and now restor❜d? Simp. Born blind, an't please your grace. Wife. Ay, indeed, was he. Suf. What woman is this? Fence is the art of defence. Wife. His wife, an't like your worship. Glo. Had'st 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. Hen. Poor soul! God's goodness hath been great to thee: Let never day nor night unhallow'd pass, Or of devotion, to this holy shrine? 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. Simp. Ay, God Almighty help me! Glo. How long hast thou been blind? Glo. What, and would'st climb a tree? Wife. Too true; and bought his climbing very dear. Glo. 'Mass, thou lov❜dst plums well, that would'st venture 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? Simp. Black, forsooth; coal-black, as jet. K. Hen. Why then, thou know'st what colour jet is of?" Suf. And yet, I think, jet did he never see. Glo. But cloaks, and gowns, before this day, a many. Wife. Never, before this day, in all his life. Glo. Nor his? Simp. No, indeed, master. Simp. Saunder Simpcox, an if it please you, master. |