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.

Enter a Servant.

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

ACT II.

And what a pitch she flew above the rest!-
To see how God in all his creatures works!
*Yea, man and birds, are fain3 of climbing high.
Suff. 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.
Glos. My lord, 'tis but a base ignoble mind
com-That mounts no higher than a bird can soar.
'Car. I thought as much; he'd be above the
clouds.

'Beldame, I think, we watch'd you at an inch.'What, madam, are you there? the king and monweal

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. [Ex. Duch. 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!
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, acida, Romanos vincere posse.

Well, to the rest:

[Reads.

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.
'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!

Rewarded.

The falconer's term for hawking at water-fowl.

6

'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 iræ ?

Churchmen so hot? good uncle, hide such malice;
With such holiness can you do it?

'Suff. No malice, sir; no more than well be

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 peace-makers 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

*Or all my fence' shall fail.

*Car. Medice, teipsum;

[Aside.

"Protector, see to't well, protect yourself. [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!"

Suff. Come to the king, and tell him what
miracle.

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 breth-
ren; 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 circum

stance,

That we for thee may glorify the Lord.
What, has thou been born blind, and now restor'd?
Simp. Born blind, an't please your grace.
Wife. Ay, indeed, was he.

Suff. What woman is this?

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,
'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 oftener, in my sleep
By good Saint Alban; who said,-Simpcox, come;
Come, offer at my shrine, and I will help thee.

Wife. Most true, forsooth; and many time
and oft

(1) Fence is the art of defence.

'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?

Suff. And yet, I think, jet did he never see.
Glo. But cloaks and gowns, before this day, a

many.

To name the several colours we do wear.
Sight may distinguish of colours; but suddenly
To nominate them all, 's impossible.-
My lords, Saint Alban here hath done a miracle;
And would ye not think that cunning to be great,
That could restore this cripple to his legs?

Simp. O, master, that you could!

Glo. My masters of Saint Albans have you not beadles in vour town, and things called whips? May. Yes, my lord, if it please your grace. Glo. Then send for one presently. May. Sirrah, go fetch the beadle hither straight. [Exit an attendant.

Glo. Now fetch me a stool hither by and by. [A stool brought out.] Now, sirrah, if you mean to save 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.

Re-enter Attendant, with the Beadle.

Glo. Well, sir, we must have you find your legs. Sirrah beadle, whip him till he leap over that same 1stool.

Bead. I will, my lord.-Come on, sirrah; off SCENE_II.-London. The Duke of York's garwith your doublet quickly. den. Enter York, Salisbury, and Warwick."

Simp. Alas, master, what shall I do? I am not able to stand.

[After the Beadle hath hit him once, he leaps over the stool, and runs away; and the people follow, and cry, miracle!

*K. Hen. O God, seest thou this, and bear'st so long?

* Q. Mar. It made me laugh to see the villain

run.

*Glo. Follow the knave; and take this drab away. *Wife. Alas, sir, we did it for pure need. Glo. Let them be whipped through every market town, till they come to Berwick, whence they [Exeunt Mayor, Beadle, Wife, &c. 'Car. Duke Humphrey has done a miracle to-day. 'Suff. True; made the lame to leap, and fly

came.

away.

Glo. But you have done more miracles than I; • You made, in a day, my lord, whole towns to fly. Enter Buckingham.

'K. Hen. What tidings with our cousin ingham?

"York. Now, my good lords of Salisbury and Warwick,

Our simple supper ended, give me leave,
In this close walk, to satisfy myself,
'In craving your opinion of my title,
Which is infallible to England's crown.
* Sal. My lord, I long to hear it at full.
War. Sweet York, begin: and if thy claim be
good,

The Nevils are thy subjects to command.
York. Then thus:-

Edward the Third, my lords, had seven sons:
The first, Edward the Black Prince, prince of
Wales;

The second, William of Hatfield; and the third,
Lionel, duke of Clarence; next to whom,
'Was John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster:
The fifth, was Edmund Langley, duke of York
The sixth, was Thomas of Woodstock, duke of
Gloster;

Buck-William of Windsor was the seventh, and last.
Edward, the Black Prince, died before his father;
And left behind him Richard, his only son,
'Who, after Edward the Third's death, reign'd
as king;

'Buck. Such as my heart doth tremble to unfold. 'A sort of naughty persons, lewdly bent,"Under the countenance and confederacy 'Of lady Eleanor, the protector's wife, "The ringleader and head of all this rout,'Have practis'd dangerously against your state, 'Dealing with witches, and with conjurors: 'Whom we have apprehended in the fact; 'Raising up wicked spirits from under ground, 'Demanding of king Henry's life and death, 'And other of your highness' privy council, 'As more at large your grace shall understand.

Car. And so, my lord protector, by this means
"Your lady is forthcoming yet at London.
"This news, I think, hath turn'd your weapon's
edge;

"Tis like, my lord, you will not keep your hour.
[Aside to Gloster.
"Glo. Ambitious churchman, leave to afflict my
heart!

*Sorrow and grief have vanquish'd all my powers:
*And, vanquish'd as I am, I yield to thee,
*Or to the meanest groom.

*K. Hen. O God, what mischiefs work the
wicked ones;

*Heaping confusion on their own heads thereby! Q. Mar. Gloster, see here the tainture of thy nest;

Till Henry Bolingbroke, duke of Lancaster, 'The eldest son and heir of John of Gaunt,

་

Crown'd by the name of Henry the Fourth, 'Seiz'd on the realm; depos'd the rightful king; 'Sent his poor queen to France, from whence she

came,

And him to Pomfret; where, as all you know, 'Harmless Richard was murder'd traitorously." * War. Father, the duke hath told the truth; Thus got the house of Lancaster the crown. *York. Which now they hold by force, and not by right;

For Richard, the first son's heir, being dead, *The issue of the next son should have reign'd. *Sal. But William of Hatfield died without an heir. *York. The third son, duke of Clarence (from

.

whose line

I claim the crown,) had issue-Philippe, a
daughter,

*Who married Edmund Mortimer, earl of March:
Edmund had issue-Roger, earl of March:
*Roger had issue-Edmund, Anne, and Eleanor.
'Sal. This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke,
As I have read, laid claim unto the crown;
'And, but for Owen Glendower, had been king,
Who kept him in captivity, till he died.
But, to the rest.
'York.
His eldest sister, Anne,
'My mother being heir unto the crown,
Married Richard, earl of Cambridge; who was son
To Edmund Langley, Edward the Third's fifth son.
'By her I claim the kingdom: she was heir
'To Roger, earl of March; who was the son
'Of Edmund Mortimer; who married Philippe,
'Sole daughter unto Lionel, duke of Clarence:
So, if the issue of the elder son
'Succeed before the younger, I am king.
'War. What plain proceedings are more plain
than this?

* And, look, thyself be faultless, thou wert best.
Glo. Madam, for myself, to heaven I do appeal,*
"How I have lov'd my king, and commonweal:
'And, for my wife, I know not how it stands;
'Sorry I am to hear what I have heard:
'Noble she is; but if she have forgot
'Honour and virtue, and convers'd with such
C As, like to pitch, defile nobility,
'I banish her, my bed, and company;
'And give her, as a prey, to law, and shame,
"That hath dishonour'd Gloster's honest name.
'K. Hen. Well, for this night, we will repose
us here:

"To-morrow, toward London, back again,
To look into this business thoroughly,

'And call these foul offenders to their answers; And poise the cause in justice' equal scales,

'Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt,
The fourth son; York claims it from the third.
'Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign:

Whose beam stands sure, whose rightful causeIt fails not yet; but flourishes in thee,
[Flourish. Exeunt.

prevails.

And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock.-
(3) i. e. Your lady is in custody. (4) Weigh.

S

York. And, Nevil, this do I assure myself,'Richard shall live to make the earl of Warwick 'The greatest man in England but the king. [Exe. SCENE III.-The same. A hall of justice. Trumpets sounded. Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret, Gloster, York, Suffolk, and Salisbury; Here let them end it, and God defend the right! the Duchess of Gloster, Margery Jourdain, *York. I never saw a fellow worse bested, Southwell, Hume, and Bolingbroke, underOr more afraid to fight, than is the appellant, guard.

Peter. I thank you all: drink, and pray for me, I pray you; for, I think, I have taken my last draught in this world.*-Here, Robin, an if I die, I give thee my apron; and, Will, thou shalt have 'Will bring thy head with sorrow to the ground!-my hammer :-and here, Tom, take all the money

and myself an honest man: * and touching the] * duke of York,-will take my death, I never meant him any ill, nor the king, nor the queen: * And, therefore, Peter, have at thee with a downright blow, as Bevis of Southampton fell upon Ascapart.

*York. Despatch :-this knave's tongue begins
to double.

* Sound trumpets, alarum to the combatants.
[Alarum. They fight, and Peter strikes

Ah, Humphrey, can I bear this shameful yoke? Trow'st thou, that e'er I'll look upon the world, * Or count them happy, that enjoy the stin? *No; dark shall be my light, and night my day; To think upon my pomp, shall be my hell. Sometime I'll say, I am duke Humphrey's wife;

Hor. Hold, Peter, hold! I confess, I confess And he a prince, and ruler of the land:

[Dies. Yet so he rul'd, and such a prince he was, -Fellow, As he stood by, whilst I, his forlorn duchess, Was made a wonder, and a pointing-stock, To every idle rascal follower."

But be thou mild, and blush not at my shame ;
Nor stir at nothing, till the axe of death
Hang over thee, as, sure, it shortly will.
For Suffolk,-he that can do all in all
With her, that hateth thee, and hates us all,--
And York, and impious Beaufort, that false priest,
Have all lim'd bushes to betray thy wings,
wrong-And, fly thou how thou canst, they'll tangle thee:
But fear not thou, until thy foot be snar'd,
[Exeunt. * Nor never seek prevention of thy foes.

¡ on me.