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.
I swear by both my hands, my lords, he said them to
me in the guardhouse one night, as we were cleaning the
armour of my Lord of York.
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.
You low dunghill stupid peasant,
I'll have your head off for these traitorous words.–
I beg your royal majesty,
give him the full punishment 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 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.
Alas, my Lord, you may hang me if I ever said the words. My
accuser is my apprentice; and when I punished him for his mistakes
the other day, he swore on his knees that he would get even with
me. I have good witnesses of this; and so I beg your
Majesty, do not punish an honest man for the accusation of
a villain.
KING.
Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?
Uncle, what's the best way to proceed, legally?
GLOSTER.
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.
If I may judge, my lord, I would do this:
let Somerset be the Regent in France,
because this casts a suspicion over York;
let these ones have a day appointed
for them to fight in single combat in some convenient place,
for he has evidence of his servant's hatred.
This is the law, and this is what Duke Humphrey sentences.
SOMERSET.
I humbly thank your royal Majesty.
I humbly thank your royal majesty.
HORNER.
And I accept the combat willingly.
And I will be glad to fight.
PETER.
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!
Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God's sake, have pity on me.
The spite of men is working against me. Oh Lord, have mercy
upon me! I will never be able to strike a single blow! O Lord, my heart!
GLOSTER.
Sirrah, or you must fight or else be hang'd.
Sir, you must fight or you will be hanged.
KING.
Away with them to prison; and the day of combat shall
be the last of the next month.--Come, Somerset, we'll see thee
sent away.
Take them off to prison; they shall fight on
the last day of next month.–Come, Somerset, we shall see
you off.
[Flourish. Exeunt.]
[Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN, HUME, SOUTHWELL, and BOLINGBROKE.]
HUME.
Come, my masters; the duchess, I tell you, expects
performance of your promises.
Come, my masters; the Duchess, I'm telling you, expects
you to fulfil your promises.
BOLINGBROKE.
Master Hume, we are therefore provided;
will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms?
Master Hume, we are ready for that;
Will her ladyship see and listen to our magic?
HUME.
Ay, what else? fear you not her courage.
Yes, of course. Don't worry about her courage.
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.] Mother Jourdain, be you
prostrate and grovel on the earth.--John Southwell, read you; and
let us to our work.
I have heard it said that she is a very strong minded woman:
but it would still be advisable, Master Hume, that you be with her
up there while we do our business down here; and so, in God's name,
I ask you to go and leave us. [Exit Hume] Mother Jourdain, you
lie down and grovel on the earth.–John Southwell, you read this; and
let's get to work.
[Enter DUCHESS aloft, HUME following.]
DUCHESS.
Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this gear
the sooner the better.
Well said, my masters; welcome all of you. The sooner
we get down to this business the better.
BOLINGBROKE.
Patience, good lady, 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 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.
Madam, sit you and fear not; whom we raise,
We will make fast within a hallow'd verge.
Patience, good lady, wizards know when to do things:
deep night, dark night, in the silence of the night,
the time of the night when Troy was set on fire,
the time when screech owls cry and wild dogs howl
and spirits walk and ghosts come out of their graves,
that's the best time for our business.
Madam, sit down and don't be afraid; the spirits we call
will be imprisoned in a sacred circle.
[Here they 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.
I am here.
M. JOURDAIN.
Asmath,
By the eternal God, whose name and power
Thou tremblest at, answer that I shall ask;
For till thou speak thou shalt not pass from hence.
Demon,
by the eternal God
whose name and power
make you tremble, answer what I ask;
until you speak to us you shall not leave here.
SPIRIT.
Ask what thou wilt. That I had said and done!
Ask what you want. I want this over!
BOLINGBROKE.
[Reads] 'First of the king: what shall
of him become?'
Firstly about the King:
what will happen to him?
SPIRIT.
The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose,
But him outlive and die a violent death.
The Duke who will overthrow Henry is alive now,
but he shall outlive him and die a violent death.
[As the Spirit speaks, Southwell writes the answer.]
BOLINGBROKE.
'What fates await the Duke of Suffolk?'
What will happen to the Duke of Suffolk?
&nbs
p; SPIRIT.
By water shall he die and take his end.
He shall die by drowning.
BOLINGBROKE.
[Reads] 'What shall befall the Duke of Somerset?'
What will happen to the Duke of Somerset?
SPIRIT.
Let him shun castles;
Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
Than where castles mounted stand.
Have done, for more I hardly can endure.
He should avoid castles;
he will be safer on the sandy plains,
than on the hills where castles stand.
Finish, I can hardly stand any more.
BOLINGBROKE.
Descend to darkness and the burning lake!
False fiend, avoid!
Go down to darkness and the burning lake!
False devil, go!
[Thunder and lightning. Exit Spirit.]
[Enter the DUKE OF YORK and the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM
with their Guard]
YORK.
Lay hands upon these traitors and their trash.--
Beldam, I think we watch'd 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,
See you well guerdon'd for these good deserts.
Arrest these traitors and their scum.
You witch, we've had a close eye on you.
What, madam, are you there? The King and the country
are greatly indebted to you for your trouble;
I've no doubt my lord protector will
make sure you get a proper reward for this.
DUCHESS.
Not half so bad as thine to England's king,
Injurious duke, that threatest where's no cause.
Not half as bad as the one you will get from the King of England,
harmful Duke, who makes threats without reason.
BUCKINGHAM.
True, madam, none at all; what call you this?--
Away with them! let them be clapp'd up close,
And kept asunder.--You, madam, shall with us.--
Stafford, take her to thee.--
[Exeunt above, Duchess and Hume, guarded.]
We'll see your trinkets here all forthcoming.--
All, away!
True, madam, there's no reason at all; what do you call this?
Take them away! Let them be guarded closely,
and kept apart.–You, madam, shall come with us.
Stafford, take her with you–
We'll see everything you've been up to–
off with you, everyone!
[Exeunt guard with Jourdain, Southwell, etc.]
YORK.
Lord Buckingham, methinks you watch'd her well;
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.'
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.
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 are hardly attain'd,
And hardly understood.
The king is now in progress towards Saint Alban's,
With him the husband of this lovely lady.
Thither go these news, as fast as horse can carry them;
A sorry breakfast for my lord protector.
Lord Buckingham, I think you kept a good eye on her;
a nice plot, which could have done well!
Now, my lord, please let's see what the devil has said.
What have we here?
“The Duke is still alive that will overthrow Henry,
but he will outlive him and die are violent death.”
Why, this is just like
“I'm telling you, Aeacida, you can defeat the Romans."
Well, what's the rest:
“tell me what will happen to the Duke of Suffolk?
He shall die of drowning.
What'll happen to the Duke of Somerset?
He should avoid castles;
he will be safer on the sandy plains
than on the hills where castles stand."
Come, come, my lords;
it's hard to get these prophecies,
and hard to understand them.
The King is now journeying towards St Albans,
with the husband of this lovely lady.
Take this news there, as fast as a horse can go;
a nasty thing for my lord protector to read over breakfast.
BUCKINGHAM.
Your Grace shall give me leave, my
Lord of York,
To be the post, in hope of his reward.
My Lord of York, will your grace give me permission
to be the messenger, in the hope that he will reward me?
YORK.
At your pleasure, my good lord.--
Who's within there, ho!
[Enter a Servingman.]
Invite my Lords of Salisbury and Warwick
To sup with me to-morrow night. Away!
As you wish, my good lord.
Who's inside there, hello!
Invite my lords of Salisbury and Warwick
to come and have dinner with me tomorrow night. Go!
[Exeunt.]
[Enter the KING, QUEEN, GLOSTER, CARDINAL, and SUFFOLK,
with FALCONERS halloing.]
QUEEN.
Believe me, lords, for flying at the brook,
I saw not 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.
Believe me, Lords, I haven't had such a
good day of hawking in the last seven years;
but, if you'll excuse me, the wind was very high,
and it was ten to one against old Joan going out.
KING.
But what a point, my lord, your falcon made,
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.
But what a hit, my lord, your falcon made,
and how high she flew above the rest!
See how God works in all his creatures!
Yes, man and birds must aim high.
SUFFOLK.
No marvel, an it like your majesty,
My lord protector's hawks do tower so well;
They know their master loves to be aloft,
And bears his thoughts above his falcon's pitch.
It's no surprise, if your Majesty pleases,
that the hawks of my lord protector fly so high;
they know their master loves to be up high,
and his ambitions are higher than his falcons fly.
GLOSTER.
My lord, 't is but a base ignoble mind
That mounts no higher than a bird can soar.
My lord, it would be a very lowly mind
that can't go higher than a bird can fly.
CARDINAL.
I thought as much; he would be above the clouds.
I thought as much; he wants to get above the clouds.
GLOSTER.
Ay, my lord cardinal? how think you by that?
Were it not good your grace could fly to heaven?
Yes, my lord Cardinal? What do you think of that?
Don't you want to get to heaven?
KING.
The treasury o
f everlasting joy.
The place of eternal happiness.
CARDINAL.
Thy heaven is on earth; thine eyes and thoughts
Beat on a crown, the treasure of thy heart,
Pernicious protector, dangerous peer,
That smooth'st it so with king and commonweal.
Your heaven is on earth; your eyes and thoughts
are turned towards a crown, that's what your heart wants,
malign protector, dangerous peer,
who has so fooled the king and the country.
GLOSTER.
What, cardinal, is your priesthood grown peremptory?
Tantaene animis coelestibus irae?
Churchmen so hot? good uncle, hide such malice;
With such holiness can you do it?
What, Cardinal, does your priesthood roughly demand obedience?
Such anger in such a heavenly heart?
A clergyman so angry? Good uncle, suppress this malice;
are you holy enough to manage that?
SUFFOLK.
No malice, sir; no more than well becomes
So good a quarrel and so bad a peer.
There's no malice, sir; not more than is suitable
for such a justified quarrel and such a bad peer.
GLOSTER.
As who, my lord?
To whom are you referring, my lord?
SUFFOLK.
Why, as you, my lord,
An 't like your lordly lord-protectorship.
Why, to you, my lord,
and your lordly lord protectorship.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 139