Glo. My lord of Winchester, I know your mind; We shall begin our ancient bickerings". With-God preserve the good duke Humphrey! And greatness of his place, be grief to us, [Exeunt Buckingham and Somerset. 20 Which I will win from France, or else be slain. The peers agreed; and Henry was well pleas'd, 30 35 Weeps over them, and wrings his hapless hands, Unto the prince's heart of Calydon*. A day will come, when York shall claim his own: And, when I spy advantage, claim the crown, Sal. Pride went before, ambition follows him. While these do labour for their own preferment, 45 Behoves it us to labour for the realm. I never saw but Humphrey duke of Gloster Did bear him like a noble gentleman. Oft have I seen the haughty cardinalMore like a soldier, than a man o' the church, As stout, and proud, as he were lord of all,Swear like a ruffian, and demean himself Unlike the ruler of a common weal.Warwick my son, the comfort of my age! Thy deeds, thy plainness, and thy house-keeping, Hath won the greatest favour of the commons, Excepting none but good duke Humphrey.And, brother York, thy acts in Ireland, In bringing them to civil discipline; Thy late exploits done in the heart of France, When thou wert regent for our sovereign, [ple : Have made thee fear'd, and honour'd, of the peoi. e. direct to. To bicker is to skirmish. Whose church-like humour fits not for a crown. 55 Then, York, be still a while, 'till time do serves Watch thou, and wake, when others be asleep, into the secrets of the state; To pry Till Henry, surfeiting in joys of love, [queen, With his new bride, and England's dear-bought 60 And Humphrey with the peers be fall'n at jars: Then will I raise aloft the milk-white rose, With whose sweet smell the air shall be perfum'd; i. e. Meleager. Tickle for ticklish. And And in my standard bear the arms of York, SCENE II. The Duke of Gloster's House. Enter Duke Humphrey and his wife Eleanor. corn, Hanging the head at Ceres' plenteous load? Glo. O Nell, sweet Nell, if thou dost love thy With sweet rehearsal of my morning's dream. 5 10 Elean. What, what, my lord! are you so choleric Glo. Nay, be not angry, I am pleas'd again. Mes.Mylordprotector, 'tis his highness'pleasure, I would remove these tedious stumbling-blocks, 25 30 35 [set, 40 Was broke in twain; by whom, I have forgot, In the cathedral church of Westminster, 45 Enter Hume. Hume. Jesu preserve your royal majesty! Your grace's title shall be multiply'd. Elean. What say'st thou, man? hast thou as With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch; A spirit rais'd from depth of under ground, When from Saint Albans we do make return, Hume. Hume must make merry with the Marry, and shall. But, how now, Sir John Hume? And in that chair where kings and queens are 50 The business asketh silent secrecy. crown'd; Where Henry, and dame Margaret,kneel'd to me, Glo. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright: ! Whereas is the same as where. Dame Eleanor gives gold, to bring the witch: 55 And from the great and new-made duke of Suffolk; They, knowing dame Eleanor's aspiring humour,. 60 They say, A crafty knave does need no broker'; This is a proverbial expression. Well, Away, base cullions!--Suffolk, let them go. 10 Suf. How now, fellow? wouldst any thing 20 2 Pet. Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of 35 our whole township. Peter. Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying, That the duke of York was rightful heir to the crown. To number Ave-Maries on his beads: Suf. Madam, be patient: as I was cause Theimperiouschurchman; Somerset, Buckingham, Suf. And he of these, that can do most of all, As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife. 2. Mar. What say'st thou? Did the duke of 40 She sweeps it through the court with troops of York say, he was rightful heir to the crown? Peter. That my mistress was? No, forsooth: my master said, That he was; and that the king was an usurper. Suf. Who is there?-Take this fellow in, and Under the wings of our protector's grace, [Tears the petitions. 45 ladies, More like an empress, thanduke Humphrey's wife; 1i. e. happen. 2 Mr. Steevens thinks, that the phrase in the quill, or in quill, implies no more than our written or penn'd supplications. Mr. Tollet supposes it may mean, with great exactness and observance of form, or with the utmost punctilio of ceremony; that it seems to be taken from part of the dress of our ancestors, whose ruffs were quilled; and that while these were worn, it might be the, vogue to say, such a thing is in the quill, i. e. in the reigning mode of taste, as it has been since customary to use the similar phrase of a thing being in print, to express the same circumstance of exactness. Another critic and commentator, however, conjectures, that this may be supposed to have been a phrase formerly in use, and the same with the French en quille, which is said of a man when he stands upright upon his feet without stirring from the place. The proper sense of quille in French is a nine-pin, and in some parts of England nine-pins are still called cayls. Quelle in the old British language also signifies any piece of wood set upright. That That she will light to listen to their lays, Yet must we join with him, and with the lords, So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last, To them enter King Henry, Duke Humphrey, Car- K. Henry. For my part, noble lords, I care Or Somerset, or York, all's one to me. [France, 5 Elean. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud French woman: Could I come near your beauty with my nails, I'd set my ten commandments in your face. K. Henry. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will. [in time; Elean. Against her will!-Good king, look to't She'll hamper thee, and dandle thee like a baby : Tho' in this place most master wears no breeches, 10 She shall not strike dame Eleanor unreveng'd. [Exit Eleanor. Buck. Lord cardinal, I will follow Eleanor, And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds: She's tickled now; her fume can need no spurs, 15 She'll gallop fast enough to her destruction. [Exit Buckingham. Re-enter Duke Humphrey. Glo. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown Som. If Somerset be unworthy of the place, War. Warwick may live to be the best of all. Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this. [so. matters. [grace 2. Mar. If he be old enough, what needs To be protector of his excellence? Glo. Madam, I am protector of the realm; Suf. Resign it then, and leave thine insolence. [attire, 35 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 Somerset will keep me here, Without discharge, money, or furniture, Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands. Last time, I danc'd attendance on his will, 'Till Paris was besieg'd, famish'd, and lost. War. That can I witness; and a fouler fact 40 Did never traitor in the land commit. Suf. Peace, head-strong Warwick! War. Image of pride, why should I hold peace? Enter Horner the Armourer, and his Man Peter, 45 guarded. Are lank and lean with thy extortions. Buck. Thy cruelty in execution, 55 2. Mar. Thy sale of offices, and towns in If they were known, as the suspect is great,Would make thee quickly hop without thy head. [Exit Gloster. The Queen drops her fan. Give me my fan: What, minion! can you not? [Gives the Dutchess a box on the ear. 60 I cry you mercy, madam; Was it you? my Suf. Because here is a man accus'd of treason: Suf. Please it your majesty, this is the man Was rightful heir unto the English crown; K. Henry. Say, man, were these thy words? Arm. An't shall please your majesty, I never said nor thought any such matter: God is my witness, I am falsely accus'd by the villain. Peter. By these ten bones, my lord, [holding up 1i. e. the complaint of Peter the armourer's man against his master, for saying that York was the rightful king. i. e. judgement or opinion. his his hands] he did speak them to me in the garret one night, 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:-5 I do beseech your royal majesty, Let him have all the rigour of the law. Arm. 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 10 yow upon his knees he would be even with me: I have good witness of this; therefore, I beseech your majesty, do not cast away an honest man for a villain's accusation. Boling. Patience, good la ly; 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 scritch-owls cry, and ban-dogs2 howl, When spirits walk, andghosts break up theirgraves, 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 they perform the ceremonies, and make the circle; Bolingbroke, or Southwel reads, Conjuro te, &c. It thunders and lightens terribly; then the spirit riseth. Spirit. Adsum. M. Jourd. Asmath, By the eternal God, whose name and power Thou tremblest at, answer that I shall ask; 20 For, 'till thou speak, thou shalt not pass from hence. Spirit. Ask what thou wilt:-That I had said and done! K.Henry.Uncle, what shall we say to this in law: 15 Glo. This 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. Henry. Then be it so. My lord of Somerset, We make your grace lord regent o'er 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 sake, pity my case! the spight of a man prevaileth against ine. O Lord, have mercy upon me! I shall never be able to fight a blow: O Lord, my 30 heart! Glo. Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd. K. Henry. Away with them to prison: and the day 25 Hume. Ay; what else? fear you not her courage. come? Boling. First, of the king. What shall of him be[Reading out of a paper. Spirit. The duke yet lives, that Henry shall depose; But him out-live, and die a violent death. [As the spirit speaks, they write the answer. Boling. What fates await the duke of Suffolk? Spirit. By water shall he die, and take his end. Boling. What shall befall the duke of Somerset ? Spirit. Let him shun castles; Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains, [Thunder and lightning. Spirit descends. 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 commonweal Are deep indebted for this piece of pains; See you well guerdon'd 'for these good deserts. Elean. Not half so bad as thine to England's king, Boling. I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible spirit: But it shall be con-50 venient, master Hume, that you be by her aloft, Injurious duke; that threat'st where is no cause. while we be busy below; and so, I pray you, go Buck. True,madam, none at all. What call you in God's name, and leave us [Exit Hume]. Mother this? [Shewing her the papers. Jourdain, be you prostrate, and grovel on the Away with them; let them be clapp'd up close, earth: John Southwel, read you; and let us to 55 And kept asunder:-You, madain, shall with our work. Enter Eleanor, above. Elean. Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this geer; the sooner the better. us: Stafford, take her to thee. We'll see your trinkets here forth-coming all; Away! [Exeunt guardswithJourdain, Southwel, &c. Silent for silence. Mr. Steevens says, that the etymology of the word ban-dogs is unsettled. They seem, however, to have been designed by poets to signify some terrific beings whose office it was to make night hideous. 3 i. e. rewarded. PP York. |