The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works
Page 217
thought any such matter. God is my witness, I am
falsely accused by the villain.
190
PETER By these ten bones, my lords, 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! –
195
I do beseech your royal majesty,
Let him have all the rigour of the law.
HORNER 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
200
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.
KING Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?
GLOUCESTER
This doom, my lord, if I may judge by case:
205
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.
210
This is the law, and this Duke Humphrey’s doom.
SOMERSET I humbly thank your royal majesty.
HORNER And I accept the combat willingly.
PETER Alas, my lord, I cannot fight. For God’s sake
pity my case! The spite of man prevaileth against me.
215
O Lord, have mercy upon me! I shall never be able to
fight a blow. O Lord, my heart!
GLOUCESTER
Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hanged.
KING Away with them to prison, and the day
Of combat shall be the last of the next month.
220
Come, Somerset, we’ll see thee sent away.
Flourish. Exeunt.
1.4 Enter Margery JOURDAIN, a witch, the two priests, HUME and SOUTHWELL, and BOLINGBROKE.
HUME Come, my masters! The Duchess, I tell you,
expects performance of your promises.
BOLINGBROKE Master Hume, we are therefor provided.
Will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms?
HUME Ay, what else? Fear you not her courage.
5
BOLINGBROKE 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.
10
Mother Jourdain, be you prostrate and grovel on the
earth; John Southwell, read you; and let us to our work.
Enter ELEANOR aloft, HUME following.
ELEANOR Well said, my masters, and welcome all. To
this gear, the sooner the better.
BOLINGBROKE
Patience, good lady; wizards know their times.
15
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.
20
Madam, sit you, and fear not. Whom we raise
We will make fast within a hallowed verge.
Here do the ceremonies belonging, and make the circle; Bolingbroke or Southwell reads, ‘ Conjuro te’, etc. It thunders and lightens terribly; then the Spirit riseth.
SPIRIT Adsum.
JOURDAIN Asnath,
By the eternal God whose name and power
25
Thou tremblest at, answer that I shall ask;
For till thou speak thou shalt not pass from hence.
SPIRIT Ask what thou wilt – that I had said and done!
BOLINGBROKE [Reads.]
First of the King: what shall of him become?
SPIRIT 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.]
BOLINGBROKE
Tell me, what fate awaits the Duke of Suffolk?
SPIRIT By water shall he die and take his end.
BOLINGBROKE What shall betide the Duke of Somerset?
SPIRIT Let him shun castles:
35
Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
Than where castles mounted stand.
Have done, for more I hardly can endure.
BOLINGBROKE
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, Sir Humphrey STAFFORD, and break in. Guards rush in above.
YORK Lay hands upon these traitors and their trash!
Beldam, I think we watched 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,
45
See you well guerdoned for these good deserts.
ELEANOR Not half so bad as thine to England’s king,
Injurious duke, that threatest where’s no cause.
BUCKINGHAM True, madam, none at all. [Shows papers.]
What call you this? –
Away with them, let them be clapped up close
50
And kept asunder. – You, madam, shall with us. –
Stafford, take her to thee. Exit Stafford.
Exeunt Eleanor, Hume and guard, above.
We’ll see your trinkets here all forthcoming.
All away!
Exeunt Jourdain, Southwell, Bolingbroke and guard.
YORK
Lord Buckingham, methinks you watched her well. –
55
A pretty plot, well chosen to build upon. –
Now, pray, my lord, let’s see the devil’s writ.
What have we here? [Reads.]
The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose,
But him outlive, and die a violent death.
60
Why, this is just
Aio te, Aeacida, 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.
65
‘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, these oracles
70
Are hardly attained, and hardly understood.
The King is now in progress towards Saint Albans,
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.
75
BUCKINGHAM
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.
Exit Buckingham.
Who’s within there, ho?
Enter a servingman.
Invite my Lords of Salisbury and Warwick
To sup with me tomorrow night. Away! Exeunt.
80
2.1 Enter the KING, QUEEN, GLOUCESTER, CARDINAL and SUFFOLK, with falconers hallooing.
QUEEN Believe me, lords, for flying at the brook
I saw no
t 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.
KING [to Gloucester]
But what a point, my lord, your falcon made
5
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.
SUFFOLK No marvel, an it like your majesty,
My Lord Protector’s hawks do tower so well,
10
They know their master loves to be aloft,
And bears his thoughts above his falcon’s pitch.
GLOUCESTER My lord, ’tis but a base ignoble mind
That mounts no higher than a bird can soar.
CARDINAL
I thought as much: he would be above the clouds.
15
GLOUCESTER
Ay, my Lord Cardinal, how think you by that?
Were it not good your grace could fly to heaven?
KING The treasury of everlasting joy.
CARDINAL
Thy heaven is on earth, thine eyes and thoughts
Beat on a crown, the treasure of thy heart,
20
Pernicious Protector, dangerous peer
That smooth’st it so with king and commonweal!
GLOUCESTER
What, Cardinal? Is your priesthood grown peremptory?
Tantaene animis coelestibus irae?
Churchmen so hot? Good uncle, hide such malice:
25
With such holiness can you do it?
SUFFOLK No malice, sir; no more than well becomes
So good a quarrel and so bad a peer.
GLOUCESTER As who, my lord?
SUFFOLK Why, as you, my lord.
An’t like your lordly Lord Protectorship.
30
GLOUCESTER
Why, Suffolk, England knows thine insolence.
QUEEN And thy ambition, Gloucester.
KING I prithee, peace,
Good Queen, and whet not on these furious peers;
For blessed are the peacemakers on earth.
CARDINAL [aside to Suffolk]
Let me be blessed for the peace I make
35
Against this proud Protector with my sword!
GLOUCESTER [aside to Cardinal]
Faith, holy uncle, would ’twere come to that!
CARDINAL [aside to Gloucester] Marry, when thou dar’st.
GLOUCESTER [aside to Cardinal]
Make up no factious numbers for the matter,
In thine own person answer thy abuse.
40
CARDINAL [aside to Gloucester]
Ay, where thou dar’st not peep; and if thou dar’st,
This evening on the east side of the grove.
KING How now, my lords?
CARDINAL Believe me, cousin Gloucester,
Had not your man put up the fowl so suddenly,
We had had more sport.
[aside to Gloucester] Come with thy two-hand sword.
45
GLOUCESTER True uncle.
[aside to Cardinal]
Are ye advised? The east side of the grove.
CARDINAL [aside to Gloucester] I am with you.
KING Why, how now, uncle Gloucester?
GLOUCESTER
Talking of hawking, nothing else, my lord.
[aside to Cardinal] Now, by God’s mother, priest, I’ll shave your crown for this,
50
Or all my fence shall fail.
CARDINAL [aside to Gloucester] Medice teipsum. –
Protector, see to’t well, protect yourself.
KING
The winds grow high; so do your stomachs, lords.
How irksome is this music to my heart!
55
When such strings jar what hope of harmony?
I pray, my lords, let me compound this strife.
Enter Townsman crying, ‘ A miracle!’
GLOUCESTER What means this noise?
Fellow, what miracle dost thou proclaim?
TOWNSMAN A miracle! A miracle!
60
SUFFOLK
Come to the King and tell him what miracle.
TOWNSMAN
Forsooth, a blind man at Saint Alban’s shrine
Within this half-hour hath received his sight –
A man that ne’er saw in his life before.
KING Now God be praised, that to believing souls
65
Gives light in darkness, comfort in despair!
Enter the Mayor of Saint Albans and his brethren, with music, bearing the man SIMPCOX between two in a chair, his Wife and townsmen following.
CARDINAL Here comes the townsmen, on procession,
To present your highness with the man.