K. Henry. What mean'ft thou, Suffolk? tell me, what are these?

Suf. Please it your Majefty, this is the man, That doth accufe his master of high treason.

His words were thefe; "that Richard Duke of York "Was rightful heir unto the English Crown; "And that your Majefty was an ufurper." K. Henry. Say, man; were thefe thy words? Arm. An't fhall please your Majefty, I never faid nor thought any fuch matter. God is my witness, I

am falfly accus'd by the villain.

Peter. By these ten bones, my Lord, [holding up his hands] he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were fcow'ring my Lord of York's armour. York. Bafe dunghill villain, and mechanical, I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech. I do befeech your royal Majesty,

Let him have all the rigour of the Law.

Arm. Alas, my Lord, hang me, if ever I spake the words. My accufer is my 'prentice, and when I did correct him for his fault the other day, he did vow. upon his knees he would be even with me. I have good witnefs of this; therefore, I befeech your Majefty, do not cast away an honest man for a villain's accufation.

K. Henry. Uncle, what fhall we fay to this in Law?
Glo. This doom, my Lord, if I may judge.

Let Somerset be Regent o'er the French,
Because in York this breeds fufpicion.
And let thefe have a day appointed them
For fingle combat in convenient place;
For he hath witness of his fervant's malice.
This is the law, and this Duke Humphry's doom.
K. Henry. Then be it fo. My Lord of Somerfet,
We

9 K. Henry. Then be it fo, &c.] These two Lines I have inferted from the old Quarto; and, as I

think, very neceffarily. For,with. out them, the King has not declared his Affent to Gloucefter's

C 3

Opinion:

We make your Grace Lord Regent over the French.
Som. I humbly thank your royal Majefty.
Arm. And I accept the Combat willingly.

Peter. Alas, my Lord, I cannot fight. For God's fake, pity my cafe; the fpight of Man prevaileth against me. O Lord, have mercy upon me! I fhall never be able to fight a blow. O Lord, my heart! — Glo. Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd. K. Henry. Away with them to prifon; and the day of Combat fhall be the laft of the next month. Come, Somerfet, we'll fee thee fent away.

SCENE

[Flourish. Exeunt.

VIII.

The Witch's Cave.

Enter Mother Jordan, Hume, Southwel, and

Hume. C
C9!

Bolingbrook.

YOME, my mafters; the Dutchefs, I tell you, expects performance of your promifes. Boling. Mafter Hume, we are therefore provided. Will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcifms? Hume. Ay, what else? fear not her courage,

Boling. I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible fpirit; but it fhall be convenient, Mafter Hume, that you be by her aloft, while we be bufy below; and fo I pray you, go in God's name, and leave us. [Exit. Hume.] Mother Jordan, be proftrate and grovel on the earth; John Southwel, read you, and let us to our work.

1

Enter Eleanor, above.

Elean. Well faid, my masters, and welcome to all. To this geer, the fooner the better.

Opinion and the Duke of So merfet is made to thank him for

the Regency, before the King has deputed him to it. THEOBALD.

Boling. Patience, good lady. Wizards know their time's.

Deep night, dark night, the filent of the night,
The time of night when Troy was fet on fire,

The time, when fcreech-owls cry, and ban-dogs howl,
When fpirits walk, and ghofts break up their graves,
That time beft fits the work we have in hand.
Madam, fit you, and fear not; whom we raife,
We will make faft within a hallow'd verge.
Here they perform the Ceremonies, and make the circle
Bolingbrook or Southwel reads, Conjuro te, &c.
It thunders and lightens terribly then the Spirit
rifeth.

Spirit. Adfum.

M. Jord. Afmuth, by the eternal God, whofe name And power thou trembleft at, tell what I afk;

i

For till thou fpeak, thou shalt not pafs from hence. Spirit. Afk what thou wilt.That I had faid, and done!

Boling. First, of the King What fhall of him be

come?

Spirit.The Duke yet lives, that Henry fhall depofe, But him out live, and die a violent death.

NoAs the Spirit fpeaks, they write the answer.
Boling. Tell me, what fates await the Duke of
Suffolk ?

Spirit. By water shall he die, and take his end.
Boling. What shall befal the Duke of Somerset ?
Spirit. Let him fhun Castles.

Safer fhall he be on the fandy plains,

3

Deep night, dark night, the filent of the night.] The filent of the night is a claffical expreffion and means an interlunär night. Amica filentia LuSo Pliny, Inter omnes verò convenit, utiliffimè in coitu ejus Aerni, quem diem alii interlunii,

na.

alii filentis Lunæ appellant. Lib.
xvi. cap. 39. In imitation of
this language, Milton fays,

The Sun to me is dark
And filent as the Moon,
When fhe deferts the night,
Hid in her vacant interlunar:
Cave, WARBURTON.
Than

C 4

Than where Caftles mounted stand.

Have done, for more I hardly can endure.

Boling. Defcend to darkness, and the burning lake i Falle fiend, avoid!

[Thunder and Lightning. Spirit defcends.

Enter the Duke of York, and the Duke of Buckingham, with their Guard, and break in.

York. Lay hands upon thefe traitors, and their trafh.
-Beldame, I think, we watch'd you at an inch.
What, Madam, are you there? the King and Realm
Are deep indebted for this piece of pains.
My Lord Protector will, I doubt it not,
See you well guerdon'd for these good deferts.
Elean. Not half fo bad as thine to England's King,
Injurious Duke, that threat'ft where is no caufe.
Buck. True, Madam, none at all.
What call you.

this?
Away with them, let them be clap'd up close,
And kept apart. You, Madam, fhall with us.
Stafford, take her to thee.

We'll fee your Trinkets here forth-coming all.

2

T

[Exeunt Guards with Jordan, Southwel, &c. York. Lord Buckingham, methinks, you watch'd her well.

A pretty Plot, well chofe to build upon.

Now, pray, my Lords, let's fee the devil's Writ.

What have we here?

The Duke yet lives, that Henry shall depose į

But bim out-live, and die a violent death.

[Reads.

Why, this is just, Aio te, Æacida, Romanos vincere poffe.

Well, to the rest.

• Lord Buckingham, methinks, &c.] This repetition of the prophefies, which is altogether unneceffary, after what the ipec

tators had heard in the Scene im mediately preceding, is not to be found in the first edition of this Play. POPE. Tell

Tell me, what fate awaits the Duke of Suffolk?

By water fhall be die, and take his end.

What shall betide the Duke of Somerfet?

Let bim fbun Cafiles.

Safer fhall be be on the fandy plains,

Than where Cafiles mounted fand.
Come, come, my Lords;

3 Thefe Oracles are hardily attain'd,

And hardly understood.

The King is now in progress tow'rds St. Albans,
With him, the husband of this lovely lady,

Thither go thefe news, as faft as horfe can carry them;
A forry breakfast for my Lord Protector..

Buck. Your Grace fhall give me leave, my Lord of
York,

To be the Poft, in hope of his reward.

York. At your pleasure, my good Lord. Who's within there, ho?

Enter a Serving-man.

Invite my Lords of Salisbury and Warwick,
To fup with me to-morrow night. Away! [Exeunt.

3 These Oracles are hardly ate tain'd,

And bardly underfood.] Not only the Lameness of the Verfification, but the Imperfection of the Senfe too, made me fufpest this paffage to be corrupt, York, feizing the Parties and their Pa pers, fays, he'll fee the Devil's Writ; and finding the Wizard's Anfwers intricate and ambiguous, he makes this general Comment

upon fuch fort of Intelligence, as I have reftor'd the Text:

Thefe Oracles are hardily at tain'd,

And hardly underflood. 7. e. A great Rifque and HazardTM is run to obtain them; and yet, after these bardy Steps taken, the informations are fo perplex'd that they are hardly to be understood.

THEOBALD.

ACT