Last time, I danced attendance on his will

Till Paris was besieged, famisht, and lost.

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

Suf. Peace, headstrong Warwick!

War. Image of pride, why should I hold my peace ?

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

Suf. Because here is a man accused of treason:
Pray God the Duke of York excuse himself!

York. Doth any one accuse York for a traitor?
K. Hen. What mean'st thou, Suffolk ? tell me, what
are these?

Suf. 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.

K. Hen. Say, man, were these thy words?
Hor. An't shall please your majesty, I never said
nor thought any such matter: God is my witness, I
am falsely accused by the villain.

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180

Pet. [holding up his hands] By these ten bones, my lords, he did speak them to me in the garret one night, 190 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 200 cast away an honest man for a villain's accusation.

K. Hen. Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?

Glo. This is my 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 regent over the French.
Som. I humbly thank your royal majesty.
Hor. And I accept the combat willingly.

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 same.

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?

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220

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 10 prostrate, and grovel on the earth;-John Southwell, read you; and let us to our work.

Enter DUCHESS aloft; HUME following.

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

Boling. 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 do the ceremonies belonging, and make the
circle; BOLINGBROKE or SOUTHWELL reads,
Conjuro te, &c. It thunders and lightens
terribly; then the Spirit riseth.

Spir. Adsum.

M. Jour. 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.
Spir. Ask what thou wilt:—that I had said and done!
Boling. [reading out of a paper] "First of the king: what

shall of him become?"

20

Spir. The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose; 30 But him outlive, and die a violent death.

[As the Spirit speaks, SOUTHWELL writes the answer. Boling. "What fates await 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. Exit Spirit. 40

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.— Beldam, I think we watcht 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. Duch. Not half so bad as thine to England's king, Injurious duke, that threatest where's no cause. Buck. True, madam, none at all:-what call you [Showing her the papers. Away with them! let them be clapt up close, And kept asunder.-You, madam, shall with us.— Stafford, take her to thee.

this?

We'll see your trinkets here all forthcoming.

Away! [Exeunt, above, DUCHESS and HUME, guarded. Exeunt, below, SOUTHWELL, BOLINGBROKE, &c., guarded.

York. Lord Buckingham, methinks you watcht 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, Æacida, 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;

50

[Reads.

60

70

These oracles are hardly attain'd,
And hardly understood.

The king is now in progress towards Saint Alban's,
With him the husband of this lovely lady:

Thither goes 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!

Enter a Servant.

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

ACT II.

SCENE I. Saint Alban's.

Enter the KING, QUEEN, GLOSTER, Cardinal, and
SUFFOLK, with Falconers ballooing.

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 fain 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.