King Henry VI, Part 2 | Page 6

last breathing in this mortal world!
My troublous dreams this night
doth make me sad.
DUCHESS.
What dream'd my lord? Tell me, and I'll requite it

With sweet rehearsal of my morning's dream.
GLOSTER.
Methought this staff, mine office-badge in court,
Was
broke in twain;--by whom I have forgot,
But, as I think, it was by the
cardinal,--
And on the pieces of the broken wand
Were plac'd the

heads of Edmund Duke of Somerset
And William de la Pole, first
duke of Suffolk.
This was my dream; what it doth bode, God knows.
DUCHESS.
Tut, this was nothing but an argument
That he that
breaks a stick of Gloster's grove
Shall lose his head for his
presumption.
But list to me, my Humphrey, my sweet duke:

Methought I sat in seat of majesty
In the cathedral church of
Westminster
And in that chair where kings and queens are crown'd,

Where Henry and Dame Margaret kneel'd to me
And on my head did
set the diadem.
GLOSTER.
Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright.

Presumptuous dame, ill-nurtur'd Eleanor,
Art thou not second woman
in the realm,
And the protector's wife, belov'd of him?
Hast thou
not worldly pleasure at command,
Above the reach or compass of thy
thought?
And wilt thou still be hammering treachery,
To tumble
down thy husband and thyself
From top of honour to disgrace's feet?

Away from me, and let me hear no more!
DUCHESS.
What, what, my lord! are you so choleric
With Eleanor
for telling but her dream?
Next time I'll keep my dreams unto myself,

And not be check'd.
GLOSTER.
Nay, be not angry; I am pleas'd again.
[Enter Messenger.]
MESSENGER.
My lord protector, 't is his highness' pleasure
You
do prepare to ride unto Saint Alban's,
Whereas the king and queen do
mean to hawk.
GLOSTER.
I go.--Come, Nell, thou wilt ride with us?
DUCHESS.
Yes, my good lord, I'll follow presently.

[Exeunt Gloster and Messenger.]
Follow I must; I cannot go before
While Gloster bears this base and
humble mind.
Were I a man, a duke, and next of blood,
I would
remove these tedious stumbling-blocks
And smooth my way upon
their headless necks;
And, being a woman, I will not be slack
To
play my part in Fortune's pageant.--
Where are you there? Sir John!
nay, fear not, man,
We are alone; here's none but thee and I.
[Enter HUME.]
HUME.
Jesus preserve your royal majesty!
DUCHESS.
What say'st thou? majesty! I am but grace.
HUME.
But, by the grace of God, and Hume's advice,
Your grace's
title shall be multiplied.
DUCHESS.
What say'st thou, man? hast thou as yet conferr'd
With
Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch,
With Roger Bolingbroke, the
conjurer?
And will they undertake to do me good?
HUME.
This they have promised,--to show your highness
A spirit
rais'd from depth of underground,
That shall make answer to such
questions
As by your Grace shall be propounded him.
DUCHESS.
It is enough; I'll think upon the questions.
When from
Saint Alban's we do make return,
We'll see these things effected to
the full.
Here, Hume, take this reward; make merry, man,
With thy
confederates in this weighty cause.
[Exit.]
HUME.
Hume must make merry with the duchess' gold,
Marry,
and shall. But, how now, Sir John Hume!
Seal up your lips, and give
no words but mum;
The business asketh silent secrecy.
Dame

Eleanor gives gold to bring the witch;
Gold cannot come amiss, were
she a devil.
Yet have I gold flies from another coast.
I dare not say,
from the rich cardinal
And from the great and new-made Duke of
Suffolk,
Yet I do find it so; for, to be plain,
They, knowing Dame
Eleanor's aspiring humour,
Have hired me to undermine the duchess

And buzz these conjurations in her brain.
They say ' A crafty knave
does need no broker;'
Yet am I Suffolk and the cardinal's broker.

Hume, if you take not heed, you shall go near
To call them both a
pair of crafty knaves.
Well, so its stands; and thus, I fear, at last

Hume's knavery will be the duchess' wrack,
And her attainture will be
Humphrey's fall.
Sort how it will, I shall have gold for all.
[Exit.]
SCENE III. London. The palace.
[Enter PETER and other PETITIONERS.]
1 PETITIONER.
My masters, let's stand close; my lord protector

will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our

supplications in the quill.
2 PETITIONER.
Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good
man!
Jesu bless him!
[Enter SUFFOLK and QUEEN.]
PETER.
Here 'a comes, methinks, and the queen with him.
I'll be
the first, sure.
2 PETITIONER.
Come back, fool; this is the Duke of Suffolk and

not my lord protector.
SUFFOLK.
How now, fellow! wouldst any thing with me?
1 PETITIONER.
I pray, my lord, pardon me; I took ye for my lord


protector.
QUEEN.
[Reading] 'To my Lord Protector!' Are your supplications

to his lordship? Let me see them; what is thine?
1 PETITIONER.
Mine is, an 't please your grace, against John

Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my house and lands, and
wife and all, from me.
SUFFOLK.
Thy wife too! that's some wrong, indeed.--What's

yours?--What's here! [Reads] 'Against the Duke of Suffolk for
enclosing
the commons of Melford.'--How now, sir knave!
2 PETITIONER.
Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our
whole
township.
PETER.
[Giving his petition] Against my