Duch. What say'st thou, man? hast thou as
yet conferr'd

With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch;
And Roger Bolingbroke, the conjurer?
And will they undertake to do me good?
Hume. This they have promised,-to show
your highness

A spirit rais'd from depth of under ground,
That shall make answer to such questions,
As by your grace shall be propounded him.
Duch. It is enough; I'll think upon the ques-
tions:

When from Saint Albans we do make return,
We'll see these things effected to the full.
Here, Hume, take this reward: make merry,
man,

With thy confederates in this weighty cause.
[Exit Duchess.
Hume. Hume must make merry with the
duchess' gold;

Marry, and shall. But how now, Sir John

Hume?

Seal up your lips, and give no words mum!

Q. Mar. What say'st thou? Did the Duke of York say, he was rightful heir to the crown? Peter. That my master was? No, forsooth: my master said, That he was; and that the king was an usurper.

Suff. Who is there? [Enter Servants.]-Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a pursuivant presently:-we'll hear more of your matter before the king.

[Exeunt Servants, with Peter. Q. Mar. And as for you, that love to be pro tected

Under the wings of our protector's grace,
Begin your suits anew, and sue to him.
[Tears the petition.
Away, base cullions!-Suffolk, let them go.
All. Come, let's be gone.
[Exeunt Petitioners.
Q. Mar. My lord of Suffolk, say, is this the
guise,

Is this the fashion in the court of England?
Is this the government of Britain's isle,
but-And this the royalty of Albion's king?
What, shall King Henry be a pupil still,
Under the surly Gloster's governance?
Am I a queen in title and in style,
And must be made a subject to a duke?
I tell thee, Poole, when in the city Tours
Thou rann'st a tilt in honour of my love,
And stol'st away the ladies' hearts of France;
I thought King Henry had resembled thee,
In courage, courtship, and proportion:

The business asketh silent secrecy.
Dame Eleanor gives gold, to bring the witch:
Gold cannot come aniiss, were she a devil.
Yet have I gold, flies from another coast:
I dare not say, from the rich cardinal,

And from the great and new-made duke of Suf-
folk;

Yet I do find it so: for, to be plain,

They, knowing Dame Eleanor's aspiring hu- But all his mind is bent to holiness,

mour,

Have hired me to undermine the Duchess,
And buz these conjurations in her brain.
They say, A crafty knave does need no broker;
Yet am I Suffolk and the cardinal's broker.
Hume, if you take not heed, you shall go near
To call them both-a pair of crafty knaves.
Well, so it stands: And thus, I fear, at last,
Hume's knavery will be the duchess' wreck;
And her attainture will be Humphrey's fall:
Sort how it will, I shall have gold for all.

SCENE III.

[Exit.

The same. A Room in the Palace. Enter Peter, and others, with Petitions.

1 Pet. My masters, let's stand close; my lord protector will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our supplications in the quill.

2 Pet. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man! Jesu bless him!

Enter Suffolk, and Queen Margaret.

1 Pet. Here 'a comes, methinks, and the queen with him: I'll be the first, sure.

2 Pet. Come back, fool; this is the duke of Suffolk, and not my lord protector.

Suff. How now, fellow would'st any thing with me?

1 Pet. I pray, my lord, pardon me! I took ye for my lord protector.

To number Ave-Maries on his beads;
His champions are-the prophets and apostles;
His weapons, holy saws of sacred writ;
His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves
Are brazen images of canonized saints.
I would the college of cardinals
Would choose him pope, and carry him to Rome,
And set the triple crown upon his head;
That were a state fit for his holiness.

Suff. Madam, be patient; as I was cause
Your highness came to England, so will I
In England work your grace's full content.
Q. Mar. Beside the haught protector, have we
Beaufort

The imperious churchman; Somerset, Bucking-
ham,

And grumbling York: and not the least of
these,

But can do more in England than the king.
Suff. And he of these, that can do most of all,
Cannot do more in England than the Nevils:
Salisbury and Warwick are no simple peers.

Q. Mar. Not all these lords do vex me half so

much,

As that proud dame, the lord protector's wife.
She sweeps it through the court with troops of
ladies,
More like an empress than Duke Humphrey's
wife;

Strangers in court do take her for the queen: She bears a duke's revenues on her back, And in her heart she scorns our poverty: Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her ? Q Mar. [Reading the superscription. To my Contemptuous base-born callat as she is, lord protector! are your supplications to his lord-She vaunted 'mongst her minions t'other day, ship? Let me see them: What is thine?

1 Pet. Mine is, an't please your grace, against John Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my house, and lands, and wife and all, from me.

Suff. Thy wife too? that is some wrong indeed. What's yours?-What's here? [Reads.] Against the duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the commons of Melford.-How now, sir knave? 2 Pet. Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.

Peter. [Presenting his petition.] Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying, That the duke of York was rightful heir to the crown.

The very train of her worst wearing-gown,
Was better worth than all my father's lande,
Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter.
Suff. Madam, myself have lim'd a bush

for her;

And plac'd a quire of such enticing birds,
That she will light to listen to the lays,
And never mount to trouble you again.
So, let her rest; And, madam, list to me :
For I am bold to counsel you in this.
Although we fancy not the cardinal,
Yet must we join with him, and with the lords
Till we have brought Duke Humphrey in dis
grace.

As for the duke of York, this late complaint
Will make but little for his benefit:

So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last,
And you yourself shall steer the happy helm.

Enter King Henry, York, and Somerset con-
versing with him; Duke and Duchess of
Gloster, Cardinal Beaufort, Buckingham, Sa-
lisbury, and Warwick.

K. Hen. For my part, noble lords, I care not which;

Or Somerset, or York, all's one to me.

Re-enter Gloster.

Glo. Now, lords, my choler being overblown
With walking once about the quadrangle,
I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
As for your spiteful false objections,
Prove them, and I lie open to the law:
But God in mercy so deal with my soul,
As I in duty love my king and country!
But, to the matter that we have in hand :-
say, my sovereign, York is meetest man
To be your regent in the realm of France.
Suff. Before we make election, give me leave

I

York. If York have ill demean'd himself in To show some reason, of no little force,

France,

Then let him be denay'd the regentship.

Som. If Somerset be unworthy of the place,
Let York be regent, I will yield to him."
War. Whether your grace be worthy, yea, or

Since thou wert king, (as who is king but thou ?)
The commonwealth hath daily run to wreck:
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas;
And all the peers and nobles of the realm
Have been as bondmen to thy sovereignty.
Car. The commons hast thou rack'd; the
clergy's bags

That York is most unmeet of any man.
York. I'll tell thec, Suffolk, why I am un-

meet.

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 I can witness; and a fouler fact
Did never traitor in the land commit.
Suff. Peace, headstrong Warwick!
War. Image of pride, why should I hold my
peace?

Enter Servants of Suffolk, bringing in Horner
and Peter.

Suff. Because here is a man accus'd 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?

Suff. 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.

Pet. By these ten bones, my lords, [holding up his hands,] he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were scouring my lord of York's

Are lank and lean with thy extortions.
Som. Thy sumptuous buildings, and thy wife's armour.
attire,

Have cost a mass of publick treasury.
Buck. Thy cruelty in execution,
Upon offenders, hath exceeded law,
And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Q. Mar. Thy sale of offices, and towns in
France,-

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 7

[Gives the Duchess a box on the ear.

I cry you mercy, madam; Was it you?
Duch. 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. Hen. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against
her will.

Duch. Against her will! Good king, look to't
in time:

She'll hamper thee, and dandle thee like a baby:
Though in this place most master wear no
breeches,

She shall not strike dame Eleanor unreveng'd.
[Exit Duchess.
Buck. Lord cardinal, 1 will follow Eleanor,
And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds:
She's tickled now; her 'fume can need no
spurs,

She'll gallop fast enough to her destruction.
[Exit Buckingham.

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 1 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 cast away an honest man for a villain's accusation. K. Hen. Uncle, what shall we say 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 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
K. Hen. Then be it so. My lord of Somerset,
We make your grace lord regent o'er the
French.

doom.

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 | My lord protector will, I doubt it not, day See you well guerdon'd for these good deserts. Duch. Not half so bad as thine to England's king,

Hume. Come, my masters; the duchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises. Boling. Master Hume, we are therefore pro-All-Away! vided: Will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms ?

Hume. Ay; What else? fear you not her cou

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 apper-To
taining, and make the Circle; Boling-
broke, or Southwell, reads, Conjuro te,
&c. It thunders and lightens terribly;
then the Spirit riseth.

That we for thee may glorify the Lord. Churchmen so hot? good uncle, hide such ma- What, hast thou been long blind, and now relice;

Simp. Born blind, an't please your grace.

Suff. No malice, sir; no more than well be- Wife. Ay, indeed, was he.

Wife. Alas, sir, we did it for pure need. Glo. Let them be whipped through every market town, till they come to Berwick, whence The second, William of Hatfield; and the third, they came. Lionel, duke of Clarence; next to whom, [Exeunt Mayor, Beadle, Wife, &c. Was John of Gaunt, the duke of Lancaster: Car. Duke Humphrey has done a miracle to-The fifth, was Edmond Langley, duke of York; The sixth, was Thomas of Woodstock, duke of Gloster;

William of Windsor was the seventh, and last.
Edward, the Black Prince, died before his fa
ther;

And left behind him Richard, his only son,
Who, after Edward the Third's death, reign'd
as king;

K. Hen. What tidings with our cousin Buck-Till Henry Bolingbroke, duke of Lancaster,

The eldest son and heir of John of Gaunt, un-Crown'd by the name of Henry the Fourth,