King Henry VI, Part 2 | Page 9

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.

M. 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.
[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.
[Reads] '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, Aeacida, 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, GLOSTER, 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.
GLOSTER.
My lord, 't is 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.
GLOSTER.
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.
GLOSTER.
What, cardinal, is your priesthood grown peremptory?

Tantaene animis coelestibus irae?
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.
GLOSTER.
As who, my lord?
SUFFOLK.
Why, as you, my lord,
An 't like your lordly
lord-protectorship.
GLOSTER.
Why, Suffolk, England knows thine insolence.
QUEEN.
And thy ambition, Gloster.
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!
GLOSTER.
[Aside to Cardinal.] Faith, holy uncle, would 't
were
come to that!
CARDINAL.
[Aside to Gloster.] Marry, when thou dar'st.
GLOSTER.
[Aside to Cardinal.] Make up no factious numbers
for
the matter;
In thine own person answer thy abuse.
CARDINAL.
[Aside to Gloster.] Ay, where thou dar'st not peep;

an if thou dar'st,
This