Re-enter Duke Humphry.

Glo. Now, Lords, my choler being over-blown
With walking once about the Quadrangle,
I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
As for your fpightful falfe objections,
Prove them, and I lie 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.
I fay, 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 Somerfet 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, famifh'd and loft.

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 Armourer, and his Man Peter,
guarded.

Suf. Because here is a man accus'd of treason. Pray God, the Duke of York excufe himself!

York. Doth any one accufe 2'ork for a traitor?

K. Henry,

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

Suf. Please it your Majefty, this is the man, That doth accufe his master of high treafon. His words were thefe; " that Richard Duke of York Was rightful heir 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.

bis

Peter. By these ten bones, my Lord, [holding up bands] he did fpeak them to me in the garret one night, as we were fcow'ring my Lord of York's armour. York. Bafe dunghill 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 befeech 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? Glo. 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. Then be it fo. My Lord of Somerfet, We

9 K. Henry. Then be it fo, &c.] Thefe two Lines I have inferted from the old Quarto; and, as I

think, very neceffarily. For, without them, the King has not declared his Affent to Gloucher's C 3 Opinion:

We make your Grace Lord 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 cafe; the fpight of Man prevaileth against me. O Lord, have mercy upon me! I fhall never be able to fight a blow. O Lord, my heart!—..

Glo. 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 last of the next month. Come, Somerset, we'll fee thee fent away.

[Flourish. Exeunt,

The Witch's Cave.

Enter Mother Jordan, Hume, Southwel, and
Bolingbrook,

Hume.

COM

OME, my mafters; the Dutchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises. Boling. Mafter Hume, we are therefore provided, Will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcifms? Hume. Ay, what elfe? 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 busy 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.

Opinion and the Duke of Somerset is made to thank him for

the Regency, before the King has deputed him to it. THEOBALD Boling,

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 fcreech-owls cry, and ban-dogs howl,
When fpirits walk, and ghosts 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;
Bolingbrook or Southwel reads, Conjuro te, &c.
It thunders and lightens terribly; then the Spirit
rifeth.
Spirit. Adfum.

M. Jord. Afmuth, by the eternal God, whofe name And power thou trembleft at, tell what afk; For till thou fpeak, thou shalt not pass from hence. Spirit. Afk what thou wilt. -That I had faid, and

done!

What fhall of him be

that Henry fhall depofe,

Boling. First, of the King.

come?

Spirit. The Duke yet lives,
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 shall befal the Duke of Somerset ?
Spirit. Let him fhun Castles.

Safer fhall he be on the fandy plains,

:

Deep night, dark night, the filent of the night.] The filent of the night is a claffical expreffion and means an interlunar night.Amica filentia Luna, So Pliny, Inter omnes verò convenit, utiliffimè in coitu ejus ferni, quem diem alii interlunii,

alii filentis Luna appellant. Lib.
xvi. cap. 39. In imitation of
this language, Milton fays,

The Sun to me is dark
And filent as the Moon,
When fhe deferts the night,
Hid in her vacant interlunar
WARBURTON.

Cave.

Than

C 4

Than where Caftles mounted ftand.
Have done, for more I hardly can endure.

Boling. Defcend to darknefs, and the burning lake:
Falfe 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 thefe good deferts.

Elean. Not half fo bad as thine to England's King.
Injurious Duke, that threat'ft where is no caufe.

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 Guards with Jordan, Southwel, &c.
York. Lord Buckingham, methinks, you watch'd

her well.

--

2

A pretty Plot, well chofe to build upon.

Now, pray, my Lords, let's fee the devil's Writ.
What have we here?

[Reads.

The Duke yet lives, that Henry fhall depofe;
But him out-live, and die a violent death.
Why, this is just, Aio te,

poffe.
Well, to the reft,

2 Lord Buckingham, methinks, &c.] This repetition of the prophefies, which is altogether unnecefiary, after what the fpec

acida, Romanos vincere

tators had heard in the Scene im-
mediately preceding, is not to
be found in the first edition of
this Play,
POPE.
Tell