Wife. A plum-tree, master.

Glou. How long haft thou been blind?
Simp. O, born fo, master.

Glou. What, and wouldst climb a tree?
Simp. But once in all my life, when I was a youth.
Wife. Too true, and bought his climbing very dear.
Glou. Mafs, thou lov'dft plums well, that wouldst
venture fo.

Simp. Alas, good Sir, my wife defir'd fome damfons, And made me climb with danger of my life.

Glou. A fubtle knave! but yet it fhall not ferve. -Let's fee thine eyes-wink now

them

In my opinion, yet thou feeft not well.

now open

Simp. Yes, mafter, clear as day; I thank God and St Alban.

Glou. Say'ft thou me fo? what colour is this cloak of?

Simp. Red, mafter, red as blood.

Glow. Why, that's well faid: what colour is my gown of?

Simp. Black forfooth, coal-black as jet.

K. Henry. Why, then thou know'ft what colour jet is of?

Suf. And yet, I think, jet did he never fee.

Glou. But cloaks and gowns, before this day, a

many.

Wife. Never before this day in all his life,
Glou. Tell me, Sirrah, what's my name?
Simp. Alas, mafter, I know not.

Glou. What's his name?

Simp. I know not.

Glou. Nor his?

Simp. No indeed, master.

Glou. What's thine own name?

Simp. Saunder Simpcox, an if it please you, mafter. Glou. Saunder, fit there, the lying'ft knave in Christendom.

If thou hadst been born blind,

Thou might'ft as well know all our names, as thus
To name the feveral colours we do wear.
Sight may diftinguish colours;

But fuddenly to nominate them all,

It is impoflible.

My Lords, St Alban here hath done a miracle;
Would ye not think that cunning to be great,

That could restore this cripple to his legs?
Simp. O mafler, that you could!

Glou. My mafters of St Albans,
Have you not beadles in your town,
And things call'd whips?

Mayor. Yes, my Lord, if it please your Grace. Glou. Then fend for one presently.

Mayor. Sirrah, go fetch the beadle hither ftraight.

[Exit Mellenger. "Glou. Now fetch me a ftool hither. Now, Sirrah, if you mean to fave yourself from whipping, leap me over this stool, and run away.

Simp. Alas, mafter, I am not able to ftand alone; you go about to torture me in vain.

Enter a Beadle with whips.

Glou. Well, Sir, we must have you find your legs. Sirrah, beadle, whip him till he leap over that fame ftool,:

Bead. I will, my Lord. Come on, Sirrah. Off with your doublet quickly.

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

[After the beadle hath hit him once, he leaps over the ftool and runs away; and they follow, and cry, A miracle!

K. Henry. O God, feeft thou this, and bear'ft so long !!

Queen. It made me laugh to fee the villain run. Glou. Follow the knave, and take this drab away. Wife. Alas, Sir, we did it for pure need..

Glou. Let them be whip'd through every market

town,

Till they come to Berwick, from whence they came. [Exit beadle with the woman. Car. Duke Humphry has done a miracle to-day. Suf. True, made the lame to leap, and fly away.

Glou. But you have done more miracles than I; You made in a day, my Lord, whole towns to fly..

K. Henry. What tidings with our coufin Buckingham?

Buck. Such as my heart doth tremble to unfold. A fort of naughty perfons, lewdly bent, Under the countenance and confederacy Of Lady Eleanor, the Protector's wife, The ring-leader and head of all this rout, Have practis'd dangerously against your state, Dealing with witches and with conjurers, Whom we have apprehended in the fact, Raifing up wicked fpirits from under ground,. Demanding of King Henry's life and death, And other of your Highnefs' privy-council, As more at large your Grace fhall understand.

Car. And fo, my Lord Protector, by this means Your Lady is forth-coming * yet at London. This news, I think, hath turn'd your weapon's edge 'Tis like, my Lord, you will not keep your hour. [Afide to Glo'fter.

Glou Ambitious.church-man! leave t'afflict my

heart!

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

K. Henry. O God, what mifchiefs work the wick

ed ones,

Heaping confufion on their own heads thereby! Queen. Glofter, fee here the tainture of thy neft, And look thyfelf be faultlefs, thou wert best.

Glou. Madam, for myself, to Heav'n I do appeal, How I have lov'd iny King and common-weal; And for my wife, I know not how it ftands. Sorry am I to hear what I have heard. Noble fhe is; but if the have forgot

That is, your I ady is in cuftody. Johnson.

Honour and virtue, and convers'd with fuch
As like to pitch defile nobility,

I banish her my bed and company,

And give her as a prey to law and fhame,
That hath difhonour'd Glo'fter's honeft name.

[here;

K. Henry. Well, for this night we will repofe us
To-morrow toward London back again,
To look into this business thoroughly,

And call these foul offenders to their anfwers;
And poife the caufe in Juftice' equal fcales,
Whole beam ftands fure, whofe rightful caufe pre-

vails.

SCENE

[Flourifb. Exeunt...

IV.

Changes to the Duke of York's Palace.

Enter York, Salisbury and Warwick..

York. Now, my good Lords of Salisbury and War--
wick,

Our fimple fupper ended, give me leave,
In this clofe walk, to fatisfy myself,

In craving your opinion of my title,

Which is infallible, to England's crown.

Sal. My Lord, I long to hear it thus at full. V War. Sweet York, begin; and if thy claim be good,

The Nevills are thy fubjects to command, :^_

York. Then thus:

Edward the Third, my Lords, had feven fons:
The first, Edward the black Prince, Prince of Wales;
The fecond, William of Hatfield; and the third,
Lionel Duke of Clarence; next to whom
Was John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster;
The fifth was Edmond Langley, Duke of York;
The fixth was Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of
Glo'fter,.

William of Windfor was the feventh and last.
Edward the black Prince dy'd before his father,
And left behind him Richard, his only fon,
Who, after Edward the Third's death, reign'd King;
Till Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster,

The eldest fon 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 the
came,

And him to Pomfret; where, as all you know,
Harmlefs King Richard trait'roufly was murder'd.
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 firft fon's heir being dead,
The iffue of the next fon fhould have reign'd.
Sal. But William of Hatfield dy'd without an heir.
York. The third fon, Duke of Clarence, from
whofe line

I claim the crown, had iffue Philip, a daughter,
Who married Edmond Mortimer Earl of March;
Edmond had iffue, Roger Earl of March:
Roger had iffue, Edmond, Anne, and Eleanor.

Sal. This Edmond, 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 dy'd.
But to the reft-

York. His eldeft fifter, Anne,

My mother, being heir unto the crown,
Married Richard Earl of Cambridge,
Who was the fon to Edmond Langley,
Edward the Third's fifth fon.

By her I claim the kingdom; he was heir
To Roger Earl of March, who was the fon
Of Edmond Mortimer, who married Philip,
Sole daughter unto Lionel Duke of Clarence.
So, if the iffue of the elder fon

Succeed before the younger, I am King.

War. What plain proceeding is more plain than
this?

Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt,
The fourth fon; York here claims it from the third
Till Lionel's iffue fail, his fhould not reign;
It fails not yet, but flourisheth in thee