Enter Mother Jordan, Hume, Southwel, and Bolingbrook.

Hume. COME, my masters; the Duchess, I tell

you, expects performance of your promifes.

Boling. Mafter Hume, we are therefore provided: will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcifms? Hume. Ay, what else? fear not her courage.

Boling. I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible fpirit; but it fhall 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 mafters, and welcome to all: to this geer, the fooner the better.

Boling. Patience, good lady: wizards know their times.

5 Deep night, dark night, the filent of the night, The time of night when Troy was fet on fire, The time, when screech-owls cry, and ban-dogs howl;

5 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 ferni, quem diem alii interlunii, alii filentis Lunæ 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.

When

When fpirits walk, and ghosts break up their graves;
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 hollow'd verge.

[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 I ask; For till thou speak, thou fhalt not pafs from hence. Spirit. Ask what thou wilt. That I had faid,

and done!

Boling. First, of the King: What shall of him become?

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 Somerfet? Spirit. Let him fhun Castles,

Safer fhall he be on the fandy plains,

Than where Caftles mounted itand.

Have done, for more I hardly can endure.

Boling. Defcend to darkness, 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, doubt it not lend pia A
See you well guerdon'd for thefe.good defertsad
Elean. Not half fo bad as thine to England's King,
Injurious Duke, that threat'ft where is no caufe
Buck. True, Madam, none at allso What call you
this?

Away with them, let them be clap'd up clofe,
And kept apart. You, Madam, fhall with us.
Stafford, take her to thee.

We'll fee your Trinkets here forth-coming all.
[Exeunt Guards with Jordan, Southwel, &c.
Fork. Lord Buckingham, methinks, you watch'd
her well;

A pretty Plot, well chofe to build upon.

Now, pray my lord, let's fee the devil's Writ.

What have we here?

The Duke yet lives, that Henry fhall depofe;

But him out-live, and die a violent death.

[Reads.

Why, this is juft, Aio te, Eacida, Romanos vincere poffe.

Well, to the rest:

Tell me, what fate awaits the Duke of Suffolk?

By water shall be die, and take his end.

What fhall betide the Duke of Somerfet?

Let him fhun Castles, be

Safer fhall be be on the fandy plains,

the fandy plains,ne n° 743

Than where castles mounted stand.

Come, come, my lords,

Thefe Oracles are (a) hardily attain'd,

And hardly understood.

7

The King is now in progrefs tow'rds St. Albans,
With him, the husband of this lovely lądy :
Thither go thefe news, as fast as horfe can carry them

6 Lord Buckingham, methinks, &c.] This repetition of the prophefies, which is altogether unneceffary, after what the fpectators had heard in the Scene immediately preceeding, is not to be found in the first edition of this Play. Mr. Pope.

[ (a) bardily, Mr. Theobald.

Vulg. hardly.

A

A forry breakfast for my lord Protector. A

Bucke Your Grace fhall give me leave, my lord of grin York, s

To be the Poft, in hope of his reward.

York. At your pleafure, my good lord. Who's within there, ho?

Enter a Serving-man.

Invite my lords of Salisbury and Warwick,
To fup with me to morrow night, Away! [Exeunt.

Enter King Henry, Queen, Protector, Cardinal, and Suffolk, with Faulkner's ballooing

2. MARGARET.

ELIEVE me, lords, for flying at the brook, I faw not better fport these seven years' day; Yet, by your leave, the wind was very high, And, ten to one, old Joan had not gone out. K. Henry. But what a point, my lord, your Faul con made,

And what a pitch fhe flew above the reft:

To fee how God in all his creatures works!
Yea, man and birds are fain of climbing high.
Suf. No marvel, an it like your Majefty,

1. My lord Protector's Hawks do towre fo well;
They know, their Mafter loves to be aloft,
And bears his thoughts above his Faulcon's pitch.
Glo. My lord, 'tis but a bafe ignoble mind,
That mounts no higher than a bird can foar.
Car. I thought as much, he'd be above the clouds.

Glo.

Glo. Ay, my lord Card❜nal, how think you by that? Were it not good, your Grace could fly to heav'n? K. Henry. The treafury of everlafting joy!

Car. Thy heaven is on earth, thine eyes and thoughts Bent on a Crown, the treasure of thy heart: Pernicious Protector, dangerous Peer,

That smooth'ft it fo with King and Common-weal!
Glo. What, Card'nal! Is your priesthood grown
fo peremptory? Tantæne animis Cæleftibus ira?
Churchmen fo hot? good uncle, hide fuch malice.
7 With fuch Holiness can you do it?

Suf. No malice, Sir, no more than well becomes
So good a quarrel, and fo bad a Peer.-
Glo. As who, my lord?

Suf. Why, as yourself, my lord;
An't like your lordly, lord Protectorship.

Glo. Why, Suffolk, England knows thine infolence.
Q. Mar. And thy ambition, Glofter.

K. Henry. I pr'ythee, peace, good Queen;
And whet not on thefe too too furious Peers,
For bleffed are the peace-makers on earth.
. Car. Let me be bleffed for the peace I make,
Against this proud Protector, with my sword!
Glo. Faith, holy uncle, 'would 'twere come?

to that.

Car. Marry, when thou dar'st.

Glo. Make up no factious numbers for the

matter,

In thine own person answer thy abuse.
Car. Ay, where thou dar'st not peep: and,
if thou dar❜ft,

This Ev'ning on the eaft fide of the grove,

[ Afide.

7 With fuch Holiness can you do it?] Do what? The verfe wants a foot, we should read,

With fuch Holiness can you NOT do it?

:

Spoken ironically. By holiness he means hypocrify and fays, have you not hypocrify enough to hide your malice?

K. Henry