Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.

[Exit Glou.

Give me my fan; what, minion? can ye not?

[She gives the Dutchefs a box on the ear. was it you?

I cry you mercy, Madam

Elean. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud French-woman : Could I come near your beauty with my nails,

I'd fet my ten commandments in your face.

K. Henry. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will.
Elean. Against her will, good King? look to't in time,
She'll hamper thee and dandle thee like a baby :
Though in this place moft Mafter wears no breeches,
She fhall not ftrike dame Eleanor unrevenged. [Exit Eleanor.
Buck. Lord Cardinal, I'll follow Eleanor,

And liften after Humphry, how he proceeds:
She's tickled now, her fume can need no fpurs,
She'll gallop faft enough to her destruction.

[Exit Buckingham.
SCENE VII. Re-enter Duke Humphry.
Glou. Now, Lords, my choler being over-blown
With walking once about the Quadrangle,
I come to talk of common-wealth affairs.
As for your fpiteful false objections,
Prove them, and I lye open to the law.
But God in mercy deal fo with my foul,
As I in duty love my King and Country!
But to the matter that we have in hand;
Ifay, my Sovereign, York is meetest man
To be your Regent in the Realm of France.
Suf. Before we make election, give me leave
To fhew fome reafon of no little force,
That York is moft 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 Somer fet will keep me here
Without discharge, mony, or furniture,,
'Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands.
Laft time, I danc'd attendance on his will,
'Till Paris was befieg'd, famish'd and loft.

War.

War. That I can witnefs, and a fouler fact Did never traitor in the land commit.

Suf. Peace, head-ftrong Warwick!

War. Image of pride, why fhould I hold my peace? Enter Horner the Armorer, and his Man Peter, guarded. Suf. Because here is a man accus'd of treason. Pray God the Duke of York excuse himself.

York. Doth any one accufe York for a traitor ?

K. Henry. What mean'ft thou, Suffolk? tell me, what are these?

Suf. Please it your Majefty, this is the man
That doth accuse his mafter of high treafon :
His words were thefe; that Richard Duke of York
Was rightful beir unto the English crown,

And that your Majefty was an ufurper.

K. Henry. Say, man, were these thy words?

Arm. An't fhall please your Majefty, I never faid nor thought any fuch matter; God is my witness, I am falfly accus'd by the villain.

Peter. By these ten bones, my Lord, he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were fcow'ring my Lord of York's armour.

York. Bafe dunghil villain, and mechanical,

I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech :
I do befeech your royal Majefty,

Let him have all the rigour of the law.

Arm. Alas, my Lord, hang me if ever I fpake the words. My accufer 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 Majefty, do not caft away an honeft man for a villain's accufation.

K. Henry. Uncle, what fhall we fay to this in law?
Glou. This doom, my Lord, if I may judge:
Let Somerfet be Regent o'er the French,

Because in York this breeds fufpicion.
And let these have a day appointed them
For fingle combat in convenient place;
For he hath witness of his fervant's malice.
This is the law, and this Duke Humphry's doom.

K. Henry.

K. Henry. Then be it fo: my Lord of Somerset,
We make your Grace Regent over the French.
Som. I humbly thank your royal Majesty.

Arm. And I accept the combat willingly.

Peter. Alas, my Lord, I cannot fight; for God's fake pity my case; the spight of man prevaileth against me. O Lord, have mercy upon me! I fhall never be able to fight a blow: O Lord, my heart!

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

K. Henry. Away with them to prifon; and the day of combat fhall be the laft of the next month. Come, Somerfet, we'll fee thee fent away. [Flourish. Exeunt.

SCENE VIII.

A Room prepared for the pretended Inchantments. Enter Mother Jordan, Hume, Southwel, and Bolingbrook. Hume. Come, my masters; the Dutchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promifes.

Boling. Mafter Hume, we are therefore provided: will her Ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms ?

Hume. Ay, what else? fear not her courage.

Boling. I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible fpirit; but it fhall be convenient, Mafter Hume, that you be by her aloft, while we be bufie below; and fo I pray you, go in God's name and leave us. [Exit Hume.] Mother Jordan, be proftrate and grovel on the earth; John Southwel, read you, and let us to our work.

Enter Eleanor above.

Elean. Well faid, my masters, and welcome to all! to this geer, the fooner the better.

Boling. Patience, good Lady, wizards know their times : Deep night, dark night, the filent of the night, The time of night when Troy was fet on fire, The time when screech-owls cry, and ban-dogs howl, When fpirits walk, and ghofts break up their graves; That time beft fits the work we have in hand. Madam, fit you and fear not; whom we raise We will make faft within a hallow'd verge. [Here they perform the ceremonies and make the circle; Bolinbrook or Southwel reads, Conjuro te, &c. It tbunders and lightens terribly; then the Spirit rifeth.

Spirit.

Spirit. Adfum.

M. Ford. Afmuth, by the eternal God, whose name
And power thou trembleft at, tell what I ask;

For 'till thou fpeak, thou fhalt not pass from hence.
Spirit. Afk what thou wilt.-That I had faid, and done!
Boling. First, of the King: What shall of him become?
Spirit. The Duke yet lives, that Henry fhall depofe :
But him out-live, and die a violent death.

[As the Spirit fpeaks they write the answer.
Boling. Tell me what fates await the Duke of Suffolk ?
Spirit. By water fhall he die and take his end.
Boling. What fhall befall the Duke of Somerset ?
Spirit. Let him fhun castles.

Safer fhall he be on the plains,

Than where a castle mounted ftands.

Have done, for more I hardly can endure.

Boling. Defcend to darkness, and the burning lake : False fiend, avoid! [Thunder and lightning. Spirit defcends. Enter the Duke of York, and the Duke of Buckingham, with their Guard, and break in.

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 Realm
Are deep indebted for this piece of pains;
My Lord Protector will, I doubt it not,
See you well guerdon'd for these good deferts.

Elean. Not half fo 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? Away with them, let them be clap'd up close, And kept apart. You, Madam, fhall with us,

Stafford, take her to thee.

We'll fee your Trinkets here forth-coming all.

[Exeunt Guard with Jordan, Southwel, &c.*

Southwel, &c.

York Lord Buckingham, methinks you watch'd her well; A pretty plot, well chofe to build upon.

Now, pray, my Lord, let's fee the devil's writ.

The

What have we here?

[Reads.

Why,

The King is now in progrefs tow'rds St. Albans,
With him the husband of this lovely Lady: -

Thither go these news, as fast as horfe can carry them: A forry breakfast for my Lord Protector.

Buck. Your Grace fhall give me leave, my Lord of York, To be the poft, in hope of his reward.

York. My Lord, at your good pleasure. Who's within there?

Enter a Serving-man.

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

ACT II. SCENE I.

At St. Albans.

[Exeunt.

Enter King Henry, Queen Margaret, Protector, Cardinal, and Suffolk, with Faulconers ballowing.

Q.Mar.

Elieve me, Lords, for flying at the brook, I faw no better fport these seven years day ;. Yet by your leave, the wind was very high, And ten to one old Joan had not gone out.

K. Henry. But what a point, my Lord, your Faulcon made,
And what a pitch fhe flew above the reft!
To fee 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 towre fo well ;
They know their mafter loves to be aloft,
And bears his thoughts above his Faulcon's pitch.

Why, this is just, Aio te Æacidem Romanos vincere posse.
Well, to the reft:

Tell me what fate awaits the Duke of Suffolk?

By water fhall be die and take bis end.

What fhall betide the Duke of Somerset?

Let him fbun caftles.

Safer fhall be be on the plains,

Than where a caftle mounted ftands.

Come, come, my Lords,

Thefe oracles are hardly attain'd,

And hardly understood.

The King is now, &t.

This repetition of the prophecies, which is altogether unneceffary after what the fpectators have heard in the Scene immediately preceding, is not to be found in the first editions of this Play.

Glou