Henry VI, Part II

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, etc. It thunders and lightens terribly; then the Spirit riseth. Spirit Adsum. Margaret 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.

Spirit Ask what thou wilt. That I had said and done! Bolingbroke “First of the king: what shall of him become?” Reading out of a paper. 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 their 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.

Duchess

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 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! 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, Æacida, 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.

Buckingham

Your grace shall give me leave, my Lord of York,
To be the post, in hope of his reward.

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! Exeunt.

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, 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.
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.
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.
Gloucester	My lord, ’tis but a base ignoble mind That mounts no higher than a bird can soar.
Cardinal	I thought as much; he would be above the clouds.
Gloucester	Ay, my lord cardinal? how think you by that? Were it not good your grace could fly to heaven?
King	The treasury of everlasting joy.
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!
Gloucester	What, cardinal, is your priesthood grown peremptory? Tantæne animis cœlestibus iræ? Churchmen so hot? good uncle, hide such malice; With such holiness can you do it?
Suffolk	No malice, sir; no more than well becomes So good a quarrel and so bad a peer.
Gloucester	As who, my lord?
Suffolk	Why, as you, my lord, An’t like your lordly lord-protectorship.
Gloucester	Why, Suffolk, England knows thine insolence.
Queen	And thy ambition, Gloucester.
King	I prithee, peace, good queen, And whet not on these furious peers; For blessed are the peacemakers on earth.
Cardinal	Let me be blessed for the peace I make, Against this proud protector, with my sword!
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; In thine own person answer thy abuse.
Cardinal	Aside to Gloucester. Ay, where thou darest not peep: an if thou darest, This evening, on the east side of the grove.
King	How now, my lords!
Cardinal	Believe me, cousin Gloucester, Had not your man put up the fowl so suddenly, We had had more sport. Aside to Gloucester. Come with thy two-hand sword.
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. Aside to Cardinal. Now, by God’s mother, priest, I’ll