The Second Part of King Henry the Sixth

[She gives the DUCHESS a box on the ear]

I cry your mercy, madam; was it you?  DUCHESS. Was't I? Yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman.    Could I come near your beauty with my nails,    I could set my ten commandments in your face.  KING HENRY. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will.  DUCHESS. 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  BUCKINGHAM. Lord Cardinal, I will follow Eleanor,    And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds.    She's tickled now; her fume needs no spurs,    She'll gallop far enough to her destruction. Exit

Re-enter GLOUCESTER

  GLOUCESTER. Now, lords, my choler being overblown    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.  SUFFOLK. 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.  WARWICK. That can I witness; and a fouler fact    Did never traitor in the land commit.  SUFFOLK. Peace, headstrong Warwick!  WARWICK. Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?

Enter HORNER, the Armourer, and his man PETER, guarded

  SUFFOLK. 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?  KING HENRY. What mean'st thou, Suffolk? Tell me, what arethese?  SUFFOLK. 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.  KING HENRY. Say, man, were these thy words?

HORNER. An't shall please your Majesty, I never said nor thought any such matter. God is my witness, I am falsely accus'd by the villain.

PETER. [Holding up his hands] By these ten bones, my lords, 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.

HORNER`. 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.

  KING HENRY. Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?  GLOUCESTER. 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.  SOMERSET. I humbly thank your royal Majesty.  HORNER. And I accept the combat willingly.

PETER. 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!

GLOUCESTER. Sirrah, or you must fight or else be hang'd.

KING HENRY. 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. Flourish. Exeunt

SCENE IV. London. The DUKE OF GLOUCESTER'S garden

Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN, the witch; the two priests, HUME and SOUTHWELL; and BOLINGBROKE

HUME. Come, my masters; the Duchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises.

BOLINGBROKE. Master Hume, we are therefore provided; will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms?

HUME. Ay, what else? Fear you not her courage.

BOLINGBROKE. 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 aloft, followed by HUME

DUCHESS. Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this gear, the sooner the better.

  BOLINGBROKE. 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 do the ceremonies belonging, and make the circle;          BOLINGBROKE or SOUTHWELL reads: 'Conjuro te,' &c.     It thunders and lightens terribly; then the SPIRIT riseth]  SPIRIT. Adsum.  MARGERY JOURDAIN. 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.  SPIRIT. Ask what thou wilt; that I had said and done.  BOLINGBROKE. [Reads] 'First of the king: what shall of himbecome?'  SPIRIT. The Duke yet lives that Henry shall depose;    But him outlive, and die a violent death.             [As the SPIRIT speaks, SOUTHWELL writes the answer]  BOLINGBROKE. 'What fates await the Duke of Suffolk?'  SPIRIT. By water shall he die and take his end.  BOLINGBROKE. 'What shall befall the Duke of Somerset?'  SPIRIT. 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.  BOLINGBROKE. Descend to darkness and the burning lake;    False fiend, avoid! Thunder and lightning. Exit SPIRIT

Enter the DUKE OF YORK and the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM with guard, and break in

  YORK. Lay hands upon these traitors and their trash.    Beldam, 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.  DUCHESS. Not half so bad as thine to England's king,    Injurious Duke, that threatest where's no cause.  BUCKINGHAM. True, madam, none at all. What can you this?    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 forthcoming.    All, away!

Exeunt, above, DUCHESS and HUME, guarded; below, WITCH, SOUTHWELL and BOLINGBROKE, guarded

  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]    'The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose;    But him outlive, and die a violent death.'    Why, this is just    'Aio te, Aeacida, 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 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.  BUCKINGHAM. 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 serving-man

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

ACT II

SCENE I. Saint Albans

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 HENRY. 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.  SUFFOLK. No marvel, an it like your Majesty,    My Lord Protector's hawks do tow'r so well;    They know their master loves to be aloft,    And bears his thoughts above his falcon's pitch.  GLOUCESTER. My lord, 'tis but a base ignoble mind    That mounts no higher than a bird can soar.  CARDINAL. I thought as much; he would be above the clouds.  GLOUCESTER. Ay, my lord Cardinal, how think you by that?    Were it not good your Grace could fly to heaven?  KING HENRY. The treasury of everlasting joy!  CARDINAL. 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.

GLOUCESTER. What, Cardinal, is your priesthood grown peremptory?

    Tantaene animis coelestibus irae?    Churchmen so hot? Good uncle, hide such malice;    With such holiness can you do it?  SUFFOLK. No malice, sir; no more than well becomes    So good a quarrel and so bad a peer.  GLOUCESTER. As who, my lord?  SUFFOLK. Why, as you, my lord,    An't like your lordly Lord's Protectorship.  GLOUCESTER. Why, Suffolk, England knows thine insolence.  QUEEN. And thy ambition, Gloucester.  KING HENRY. I prithee, peace,    Good Queen, and whet not on these furious peers;    For blessed are the peacemakers on earth.  CARDINAL. Let me be blessed for the peace I make    Against this proud Protector with my sword!

GLOUCESTER. [Aside to CARDINAL] Faith, holy uncle, would 'twere come to that!

  CARDINAL. [Aside to GLOUCESTER] Marry, when thou dar'st.

GLOUCESTER. [Aside to CARDINAL] Make up no factious numbers for the matter;

In thine own person answer thy abuse.

CARDINAL. [Aside to GLOUCESTER] Ay, where thou dar'st not peep;

an if thou dar'st, This evening on the east side of the grove.

  KING HENRY. How now, my lords!

CARDINAL. Believe me, cousin Gloucester, Had not your man put up the fowl so suddenly, We had had more sport. [Aside to GLOUCESTER] Come with thy two-hand sword.

  GLOUCESTER. True, uncle.

CARDINAL. [Aside to GLOUCESTER] Are ye advis'd? The east side of the grove?

  GLOUCESTER. [Aside to CARDINAL] Cardinal, I am with you.  KING HENRY. Why, how now, uncle Gloucester!  GLOUCESTER. Talking of hawking; nothing else, my lord.    [Aside to CARDINAL] Now, by God's Mother, priest,    I'll shave your crown for this,    Or all my fence shall fail.  CARDINAL. [Aside to GLOUCESTER] Medice, teipsum;    Protector, see to't well; protect yourself.  KING HENRY. 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 Albans, crying 'A miracle!'

  GLOUCESTER. What means this noise?    Fellow, what miracle dost thou proclaim?  TOWNSMAN. A miracle! A miracle!  SUFFOLK. Come to the King, and tell him what miracle.  TOWNSMAN. 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.

KING HENRY. 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, bearing Simpcox between two in a chair;

his WIFE and a multitude following

  CARDINAL. Here comes the townsmen on procession    To present your Highness with the man.  KING HENRY. Great is his comfort in this earthly vale,    Although by his sight his sin be multiplied.  GLOUCESTER. Stand by, my masters; bring him near the King;    His Highness' pleasure is to talk with him.  KING HENRY. Good fellow, tell us here the circumstance,    That we for thee may glorify the Lord.    What, hast thou been long blind and now restor'd?  SIMPCOX. Born blind, an't please your Grace.  WIFE. Ay indeed was he.  SUFFOLK. What woman is this?  WIFE. His wife, an't like your worship.

GLOUCESTER. Hadst thou been his mother, thou couldst have better told.

  KING HENRY. Where wert thou born?  SIMPCOX. At Berwick in the north, an't like your Grace.  KING HENRY. Poor soul, God's goodness hath been great to thee.    Let never day nor night unhallowed pass,    But still remember what the Lord hath done.  QUEEN. Tell me, good fellow, cam'st thou here by chance,    Or of devotion, to this holy shrine?  SIMPCOX. God knows, of pure devotion; being call'd    A hundred times and oft'ner, 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    Myself have heard a voice to call him so.  CARDINAL. What, art thou lame?  SIMPCOX. Ay, God Almighty help me!  SUFFOLK. How cam'st thou so?  SIMPCOX. A fall off of a tree.

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