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 difcharge, 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-strong 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 2ork excufe himself! York. Doth any one accufe 2ork 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 accuse his master of high treason. 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 thefe 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 thefe ten bones, my Lord, [holding up his bands] he did fpeak them to me in the garret one night, as we were scow'ring my Lord of York's armour. York. Bafe dunghill villain, and mechanical, I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's fpeech. 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 Somerset be Regent o'er the French, Because in York this breeds fufpicion. And let thefe have a day appointed them For fingle Combat in convenient place; For he hath witnefs of his fervant's malice. This is the law, and this Duke Humphry's doom. K. Henry. Then be it fo. My Lord of Somerset, We

9 K. Henry. Then be it fo, &c.] These 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 Gloucefer'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 laft of the next month. Come, Somerset, we'll fee thee fent away.

SCENE

[Flourish. Exeunt.

VIII.

The Witch's Cave.

Enter Mother Jordan, Hume, Southwel, and

Hume.

COM

Bolingbrook,

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 exorcisms ? Hume. Ay, what elfe? fear not her courage.

Boling. I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible fpirit; but it shall be convenient, Mafter Hume, that you be by her aloft, while we be bufy 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 set on fire,
The time, when fcreech-owls cry, and ban-dogs howl,
When fpirits walk, and ghosts break up their
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.

graves,

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 kafk;

For till thou speak, thou shalt not pafs from hence. Spirit. Afk what thou wilt.That I had faid, and done!

Boling. First, of the King. What shall of him be

come?

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 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 fterni, 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 he deferts the night,
Hid in her vacant interlunar
Cave. WARBURTON.

C4

Than

Than where Castles 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 trafh.
-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 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, shall with us.
Stafford, take her to thee,

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

2

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

A pretty Plot, well chofe to build upon.

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

The Duke yet lives, that Henry fhall depofe;

[Reads,

acida, Romanos vincere

But him out-live, and die a violent death.
Why, this is juft, Aio te,
poje.

Well, to the reft,

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

tators had heard in the Scene immediately preceding, is not to be found in the first edition of this Play, РОРЕ,

Tell