King Henry VI, Part 2 | Page 9

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 evening, on the east side of the grove.
KING.?How now, my lords!
CARDINAL.?Believe me, cousin Gloster,?Had not your man put up the fowl so suddenly,?We had had more sport.--[Aside to Gloster.] Come with thy?two-hand sword.
GLOSTER.?True, uncle.
CARDINAL.?[Aside to Gloster.] Are ye advis'd? the east side?of the grove?
GLOSTER.?[Aside to CARDINAL.] Cardinal, I am with you.
KING.?Why, how now, uncle Gloster!
GLOSTER.?Talking of hawking; nothing else, my lord.--?[Aside to Cardinal.] Now, by God's mother, priest,?I'll shave your crown for this,?Or all my fence shall fail.
CARDINAL.?[Aside to Gloster.] Medice, teipsum--?Protector, see to 't well, protect yourself.
KING.?The winds grow high; so do your stomachs, lords.?How irksome is this music to my heart!?When such strings jar, what hope of harmony??I pray, my lords, let me compound this strife.
[Enter a Townsman of Saint Alban's, crying 'A miracle!']
GLOSTER.?What means this noise??Fellow, what miracle dost thou proclaim?
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,?Within this half hour, hath receiv'd his sight;?A man that ne'er saw in his life before.
KING.?Now, God be prais'd, that to believing souls?Gives light in darkness, comfort in despair!
[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,?To present your highness with the man.
KING HENRY.?Great is his comfort in this earthly vale,?Although by his sight his sin be multiplied.
GLOSTER.?Stand by, my masters.?Bring him near the king;?His highness' pleasure is to talk with him.
KING.?Good fellow, tell us here the circumstance,?That we for thee may glorify the Lord.?What, hast thou been