Act II
Scene I
Saint Alban’s.
Enter the King, Queen, Gloucester, Cardinal, and Suffolk, with Falconers halloing. | |
Queen |
Believe me, lords, for flying at the brook,
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King |
But what a point, my lord, your falcon made,
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Suffolk |
No marvel, an it like your majesty,
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Gloucester |
My lord, ’tis but a base ignoble mind
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Cardinal | I thought as much; he would be above the clouds. |
Gloucester |
Ay, my lord cardinal? how think you by that?
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King | The treasury of everlasting joy. |
Cardinal |
Thy heaven is on earth; thine eyes and thoughts
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Gloucester |
What, cardinal, is your priesthood grown peremptory?
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Suffolk |
No malice, sir; no more than well becomes
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Gloucester | As who, my lord? |
Suffolk |
Why, as you, my lord,
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Gloucester | Why, Suffolk, England knows thine insolence. |
Queen | And thy ambition, Gloucester. |
King |
I prithee, peace, good queen,
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Cardinal |
Let me be blessed for the peace I make,
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Gloucester | Aside to Cardinal. Faith, holy uncle, would ’twere come to that! |
Cardinal | Aside to Gloucester. Marry, when thou darest. |
Gloucester |
Aside to Cardinal. Make up no factious numbers for the matter;
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Cardinal |
Aside to Gloucester. Ay, where thou darest not peep: an if thou darest,
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King | How now, my lords! |
Cardinal |
Believe me, cousin Gloucester,
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Gloucester | True, uncle. |
Cardinal | Aside to Gloucester. Are ye advised? the east side of the grove? |
Gloucester | Aside to Cardinal. Cardinal, I am with you. |
King | Why, how now, uncle Gloucester! |
Gloucester |
Talking of hawking; nothing else, my lord.
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Cardinal |
Aside to Gloucester. Medice, teipsum—
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King |
The winds grow high; so do your stomachs, lords.
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Enter a Townsman of Saint Alban’s, crying “A miracle!” | |
Gloucester |
What means this noise?
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Townsman | A miracle! a miracle! |
Suffolk | Come to the king and tell him what miracle. |
Townsman |
Forsooth, a blind man at Saint Alban’s shrine,
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King |
Now, God be praised, that to believing souls
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Enter the Mayor of Saint Alban’s and his brethren, bearing Simpcox, between two in a chair, Simpcox’s Wife following. | |
Cardinal |
Here comes the townsmen on procession,
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King |
Great is his comfort in this earthly vale,
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Gloucester |
Stand by, my masters: bring him near the king;
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King |
Good fellow, tell us here the circumstance,
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Simpcox | Born blind, an’t please your grace. |
Wife | Ay, indeed, was he. |
Suffolk | What woman is this? |
Wife | His wife, an’t like your worship. |
Gloucester | Hadst thou been his mother, thou couldst have better told. |
King | Where wert thou born? |
Simpcox | At Berwick in the north, an’t like your grace. |
King |
Poor soul, God’s goodness hath been great to thee:
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Queen |
Tell me, good fellow, camest thou here by chance,
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Simpcox |
God knows, of pure devotion; being call’d
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Wife |
Most true, forsooth; and many time and oft
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Cardinal | What, art thou lame? |
Simpcox | Ay, God Almighty help me! |
Suffolk | How camest thou so? |
Simpcox | A fall off of a tree. |
Wife | A plum-tree, master. |
Gloucester | How long hast thou been blind? |
Simpcox | O, born so, master. |
Gloucester | What, and wouldst climb a tree? |
Simpcox | But that in all my life, when I was a youth. |
Wife | Too true; and bought his climbing very dear. |
Gloucester | Mass, thou lovedst plums well, that wouldst venture so. |
Simpcox |
Alas, good master, my wife desired some damsons,
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Gloucester |
A subtle knave! but yet it shall not serve.
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Simpcox | Yes, master, clear as day, I thank God and Saint Alban. |
Gloucester | Say’st thou me so? What colour is this cloak of? |
Simpcox | Red, master; red as blood. |
Gloucester | Why, that’s well said. What colour is my gown of? |
Simpcox | Black, forsooth: coal-black as jet. |
King | Why, then, thou know’st what colour jet is of? |
Suffolk | And yet, I think, jet did he never see. |
Gloucester | But cloaks and gowns, before this day, a many. |
Wife | Never, before this day, in all his life. |
Gloucester | Tell me, sirrah, what’s my name? |
Simpcox | Alas, master, I know not. |
Gloucester | What’s his name? |
Simpcox | I know not. |
Gloucester | Nor his? |
Simpcox | No, indeed, master. |
Gloucester | What’s thine own name? |
Simpcox | Saunder Simpcox, an if it please you, master. |
Gloucester | Then, Saunder, sit there, the lyingest knave in Christendom. If thou hadst been born blind, thou mightst as well have known all our names as thus to name the several colours we do wear. Sight may distinguish of colours, but suddenly to nominate them all, it is impossible. My lords, Saint Alban here hath done a miracle; and would ye not think his cunning to be great, that could restore this cripple to his legs again? |
Simpcox | O master, that you could! |
Gloucester | My masters of Saint Alban’s, have you not beadles in your town, and things called whips? |
Mayor | Yes, my lord, if it please your grace. |
Gloucester | Then send for one presently. |
Mayor | Sirrah, go fetch the beadle hither straight. Exit an Attendant. |
Gloucester | Now fetch me a stool hither by and by. Now, sirrah, if you mean to save yourself from whipping, leap me over this stool and run away. |
Simpcox |
Alas, master, I am not able to stand alone:
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Gloucester | Well, sir, we must have you find your legs. Sirrah beadle, whip him till he leap over that same stool. |
Beadle | I will, my lord. Come on, sirrah; off with your doublet quickly. |
Simpcox | Alas, master, what shall I do? I am not able to stand. After the Beadle hath hit him once, he leaps over the stool and runs away; and they follow and cry, “A miracle!” |
King | O God, seest Thou this, and bearest so long? |
Queen | It made me laugh to see the villain run. |
Gloucester | Follow the knave; and take this drab away. |
Wife | Alas, sir, we did it for pure need. |
Gloucester | Let them be whipped through every market-town, till they come to Berwick, from whence they came. Exeunt Wife, Beadle, Mayor, etc. |
Cardinal | Duke Humphrey has done a miracle to-day. |
Suffolk | True; made the lame to leap and fly away. |
Gloucester |
But you have done more miracles than I;
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Enter Buckingham. | |
King | What tidings with our cousin Buckingham? |
Buckingham |
Such as my heart doth tremble to unfold.
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Cardinal |
Aside to Gloucester. And so, my lord protector, by this means
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Gloucester |
Ambitious churchman, leave to afflict my heart:
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King |
O God, what mischiefs work the wicked ones,
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Queen |
Gloucester, see here the tainture of thy nest.
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Gloucester |
Madam, for myself, to heaven I do appeal,
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King |
Well, for this night we will repose us here:
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Scene II
London. The Duke of York’s garden.
Enter York, Salisbury, and Warwick. | |
York |
Now, my good Lords of Salisbury and Warwick,
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Salisbury | My lord, I long to hear it at full. |
Warwick |
Sweet York, begin: and if thy claim be good,
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York |
Then thus:
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Warwick |
Father, the duke hath told the truth;
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York |
Which now they hold by force and not by right;
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Salisbury | But William of Hatfield died without an heir. |
York |
The third son, Duke of Clarence, from whose line
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Salisbury |
This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke,
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York |
His eldest sister, Anne,
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Warwick |
What plain proceeding is more plain than this?
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Both | Long live our sovereign Richard, England’s king! |
York |
We thank you, lords. But I am not your king
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Salisbury | My lord, break we off; we know your mind at full. |
Warwick |
My heart assures me that the Earl of Warwick
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York |
And, Nevil, this I do assure myself:
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Scene III
A hall of justice.
Sound trumpets. Enter the King, the Queen, Gloucester, York, Suffolk, and Salisbury; the Duchess of Gloucester, Margery Jourdain, Southwell, Hume, and Bolingbroke, under guard. | |
King |
Stand forth, Dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloucester’s wife:
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Duchess | Welcome is banishment; welcome were my death. |
Gloucester |
Eleanor, the law, thou see’st, hath judged thee:
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King |
Stay, Humphrey Duke of Gloucester: ere thou go,
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Queen |
I see no reason why a king of years
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Gloucester |
My staff? here, noble Henry, is my staff:
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Queen |
Why, now is Henry king, and Margaret queen;
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Suffolk |
Thus droops this lofty pine and hangs his sprays;
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York |
Lords, let him go. Please it your majesty,
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Queen |
Ay, good my lord; for purposely therefore
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King |
O’ God’s name, see the lists and all things fit:
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York |
I never saw a fellow worse bested,
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Enter at one door, Horner, the Armourer, and his Neighbours, drinking to him so much that he is drunk; and he enters with a drum before him and his staff with a sand-bag fastened to it; and at the other door Peter, his man, with a drum and sand-bag, and ’Prentices drinking to him. | |
First Neighbour | Here, neighbour Horner, I drink to you in a cup of sack: and fear not, neighbour, you shall do well enough. |
Second Neighbour | And here, neighbour, here’s a cup of charneco. |
Third Neighbour | And here’s a pot of good double beer, neighbour: drink, and fear not your man. |
Horner | Let it come, i’ faith, and I’ll pledge you all; and a fig for Peter! |
First ’Prentice | Here, Peter, I drink to thee: and be not afraid. |
Second ’Prentice | Be merry, Peter, and fear not thy master: fight for credit of the ’prentices. |
Peter | I thank you all: drink, and pray for me, I pray you; for I think I have taken my last draught in this world. Here, Robin, an if I die, I give thee my apron: and, Will, thou shalt have my hammer: and here, Tom, take all the money that I have. O Lord bless me! I pray God! for I am never able to deal with my master, he hath learnt me so much fence already. |
Salisbury | Come, leave your drinking, and fall to blows. Sirrah, what’s thy name? |
Peter | Peter, forsooth. |
Salisbury | Peter! what more? |
Peter | Thump. |
Salisbury | Thump! then see thou thump thy master well. |
Horner | Masters, I am come hither, as it were, upon my man’s instigation, to prove him a knave and myself an honest man: and touching the Duke of York, I will take my death, I never meant him any ill, nor the king, nor the queen: and therefore, Peter, have at thee with a downright blow! |
York |
Dispatch: this knave’s tongue begins to double.
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Horner | Hold, Peter, hold! I confess, I confess treason. Dies. |
York | Take away his weapon. Fellow, thank God, and the good wine in thy master’s way. |
Peter | O God, have I overcome mine enemy in this presence? O Peter, thou hast prevailed in right! |
King |
Go, take hence that traitor from our sight;
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Scene IV
A street.
Enter Gloucester and his Servingmen, in mourning cloaks. | |
Gloucester |
Thus sometimes hath the brightest day a cloud;
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Servingman | Ten, my lord. |
Gloucester |
Ten is the hour that was appointed me
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Enter the Duchess of Gloucester in a white sheet, and a taper burning in her hand; with Sir John Stanley, the Sheriff, and Officers. | |
Servingman | So please your grace, we’ll take her from the sheriff. |
Gloucester | No, stir not, for your lives; let her pass by. |
Duchess |
Come you, my lord, to see my open shame?
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Gloucester | Be patient, gentle Nell; forget this grief. |
Duchess |
Ah, Gloucester, teach me to forget myself!
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Gloucester |
Ah, Nell, forbear! thou aimest all awry;
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Enter a Herald. | |
Herald |
I summon your grace to his majesty’s parliament,
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Gloucester |
And my consent ne’er ask’d herein before!
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Sheriff |
An’t please your grace, here my commission stays,
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Gloucester | Must you, Sir John, protect my lady here? |
Stanley | So am I given in charge, may’t please your grace. |
Gloucester |
Entreat her not the worse in that I pray
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Duchess | What, gone, my lord, and bid me not farewell! |
Gloucester | Witness my tears, I cannot stay to speak. Exeunt Gloucester and Servingmen. |
Duchess |
Art thou gone too? all comfort go with thee!
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Stanley |
Why, madam, that is to the Isle of Man;
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Duchess |
That’s bad enough, for I am but reproach:
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Stanley |
Like to a duchess, and Duke Humphrey’s lady;
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Duchess |
Sheriff, farewell, and better than I fare,
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Sheriff | It is my office; and, madam, pardon me. |
Duchess |
Ay, ay, farewell; thy office is discharged.
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Stanley |
Madam, your penance done, throw off this sheet,
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Duchess |
My shame will not be shifted with my sheet:
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