The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 194

BUCKINGHAM. Thy cruelty in execution Upon offenders hath exceeded law, And left thee to the mercy of the law.

QUEEN. 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 GLOUCESTER. The QUEEN drops QUEEN her fan Give me my fan. What, minion, can ye not?

[She gives the d.u.c.h.eSS a box on the ear]

I cry your mercy, madam; was it you?

d.u.c.h.eSS. Was't I? Yea, I it was, proud Frenchwoman.

Could I come near your beauty with my nails, I could set my ten commandments in your face.

KING HENRY. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will.

d.u.c.h.eSS. 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 BUCKINGHAM. Lord Cardinal, I will follow Eleanor, And listen after Humphrey, how he proceeds.

She's tickled now; her fume needs no spurs, She'll gallop far enough to her destruction. Exit

Re-enter GLOUCESTER

GLOUCESTER. 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 G.o.d 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: I say, my sovereign, York is meetest man To be your Regent in the realm of France.

SUFFOLK. Before we make election, give me leave To show some reason, of no little force, That York is most unmeet of any man.

YORK. I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet: 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.

WARWICK. That can I witness; and a fouler fact Did never traitor in the land commit.

SUFFOLK. Peace, headstrong Warwick!

WARWICK. Image of pride, why should I hold my peace?

Enter HORNER, the Armourer, and his man PETER, guarded

SUFFOLK. Because here is a man accus'd of treason: Pray G.o.d the Duke of York excuse himself!

YORK. Doth any one accuse York for a traitor?

KING HENRY. What mean'st thou, Suffolk? Tell me, what are these?

SUFFOLK. 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.

KING HENRY. Say, man, were these thy words?

HORNER. An't shall please your Majesty, I never said nor thought any such matter. G.o.d is my witness, I am falsely accus'd by the villain.

PETER. [Holding up his hands] 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.

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 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 HENRY. Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?

GLOUCESTER. 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.

SOMERSET. I humbly thank your royal Majesty.

HORNER. And I accept the combat willingly.

PETER. Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for G.o.d'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!

GLOUCESTER. Sirrah, or you must fight or else be hang'd.

KING HENRY. 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. Flourish. Exeunt

SCENE IV.

London. The DUKE OF GLOUCESTER'S garden

Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN, the witch; the two priests, HUME and SOUTHWELL; and BOLINGBROKE

HUME. Come, my masters; the d.u.c.h.ess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises.

BOLINGBROKE. Master Hume, we are therefore provided; will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms?

HUME. Ay, what else? Fear you not 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 G.o.d'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.

Enter d.u.c.h.eSS aloft, followed by HUME

d.u.c.h.eSS. Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this gear, the sooner 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.

[Here they do the ceremonies belonging, and make the circle; BOLINGBROKE or SOUTHWELL reads: 'Conjuro te,' &c.

It thunders and lightens terribly; then the SPIRIT riseth]

SPIRIT. Adsum.

MARGERY JOURDAIN. Asmath, By the eternal G.o.d, whose name and power Thou tremblest at, answer that I shall ask; For till thou speak thou shalt not pa.s.s 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; But him outlive, and die a violent death.

[As the SPIRIT speaks, SOUTHWELL writes the answer]

BOLINGBROKE. 'What fates await the Duke of Suffolk?'

SPIRIT. By water shall he die and take his end.

BOLINGBROKE. 'What shall befall 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.

BOLINGBROKE. Descend to darkness and the burning lake; False fiend, avoid! Thunder and lightning. Exit SPIRIT

Enter the DUKE OF YORK and the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM with guard, and break in

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.

d.u.c.h.eSS. Not half so bad as thine to England's king, Injurious Duke, that threatest where's no cause.

BUCKINGHAM. True, madam, none at all. What can 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.

We'll see your trinkets here all forthcoming.

All, away!

Exeunt, above, d.u.c.h.eSS and HUME, guarded; below, WITCH, SOUTHWELL and BOLINGBROKE, guarded 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?'