"And that your Majefty was an ufurper.

K. Henry. Say, man; were these thy words? Arm. An't fhall please your Majesty, I never faid nor thought any fuch matter: God is my witness, I am falfly accus'd by the villain.

.

Pet. By these ten bones, my lord, he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were fcow'ring my lord of York's armour..

York. Bafe dunghil villain, and mechanical, I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech: I do befeech your royal Majefty,

Let him have all the rigour of the Law.

Arm. Alas, my lord, hang me, if ever I fpake the words. My accufer 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 witnefs of this; therefore, I beseech your Majefty do not cast away an honeft man for a villain's accufation.

K. Henry. Uncle, what shall we fay 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 fufpicion. And let these have a day appointed them For fingle Combat in convenient place; For he hath witness of his fervant's malice. This is the law, and this Duke Humphry's doom: K. Henry. Then be it fo: My Lord of Somerset, We make your Grace Regent over 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 fake pity my cafe; the fpight of Man prevaileth against me: O lord, have mercy upon me! I fhall never be able to fight a blow: O lord, my heart!

Glo. Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd. K. Henry. Away with them to prifon; and the day of Combat fhall be the laft of the next month. Come, Somerset, we'll fee thee fent away. [Flourish. Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE

VIII.

The Witch's Cave.

Enter Mother Jordan, Hume, Southwel, and
Bolingbrook.

Hume.

COM

OME, my mafters; the Dutchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises. 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, Master 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 masters, 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 fcreech-owls cry, and ban-dogs howl;
When fpirits walk, and ghofts break up their
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 hallow'd verge.

graves;

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, utiliffi -mè in coitu ejus fterni, quem diem alii interlunii, alii filentis Luna appellant. Lib. xvi. cap. 39. In imitation of this language, Milton fays,

The Sun to me is dark
And filent as the Moon,
When fhe deferts the night,
Hidin ber vacant interlunar Cave,

[Here

[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 shalt not pafs from hence.
Spirit. Afk what thou wilt That I had faid, and

done!
Boling. First, of the King: What fhall of him be-
come?

Spirit. The Duke yet lives, that Henry shall 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 ftand.
Have done, for more I hardly can endure.

Boling. Defcend to darkness, and the burning lake:
Falfe fiend, avoid!

[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 Realm
Are deep indebted for this piece of pains;
My lord Protector will, I doubt it not,
See you well guerdon'd for thefe good deferts.

Elean. Not half fo bad as thine to England's King,
Injurious Duke, that threat'ft where is no cause.

Buck. True, Madam, none at all: What call you
this?

Away with them, let them be clap'd up close,
And kept apart. You, Madam, shall with us.

Stafford,

Stafford, take her to thee.

We'll fee your Trinkets here forth-coming all.

[Exeunt Guards with Jordan, Southwel, &c. Lord Buckingham, methinks, you watch'd her well;

York.

A pretty Plot, well chose to build upon.
Now, pray my lord, let's fee the devil's Writ.
What have we here?

The Duke yet lives, that Henry hall depofe ;
But him out-live, and die a violent death.
Why, this is juft, Aio te, Eacida, Romanos vincere poffe:
Well, to the reft:

Tell me, what fate awaits the Duke of Suffolk?
By water fhall be die, and take his end.
What shall betide the Duke of Somerset?
Let him fhun Cafiles,

[Reads.

Safer fhall he be on the fandy plains,
Than where caftles mounted ftand.
Come, come, my lords;

Thefe Oracles are (a) hardily attain'd,
And hardly understood.

The King is now in progress tow'rds St. Albans;
With him, the hufband of this lovely lady:

Thither go thefe news, as faft as horse can carry them; A forry breakfast for my lord Protector.

Buck. Your Grace fhall give me leave, my lord of
York,

To be the Poft, in hope of his reward.
York. At your pleasure, 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.

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

[(a) bardily. Mr. Theobald.-Vulg. bardly.

Аст

ACT II. SCENE I.

At St. ALBANS.

Enter King Henry, Queen, Protector, Cardinal, and Suffolk, with Faulconers ballooing.

Elieve me, lords, for flying at the brook, I saw not better sport these seven years' day;

Mar. B

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 Faulcon made,

And what a pitch fhe flew above the rest:
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 Majesty,
My lord Protector's Hawks do towre fo well;
They know, their Master loves to be aloft,
And bears his thoughts above his Faulcon's pitch.
Glo. My lord,. 'tis but a base ignoble mind,
That mounts no higher than a bird can foar.

Car. I thought as much, he'd be above the clouds. 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 treasury of everlasting 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 not do it?

Suf: No malice, Sir, no more than well becomes So good a quarrel, and fo bad a Peer.

7 With fuch Holinefs 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?

Glo.