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Henry VI, Part 2 (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
The second Part of Henry the Sixt.
125
Som. I humbly thanke your Royall Maiestie.
Armorer. And I accept the Combat willingly.
610Peter. Alas, my Lord, I cannot fight; for Gods sake
pitty my case: the spight of man preuayleth against me.
O Lord haue mercy vpon me, I shall neuer be able to
fight a blow: O Lord my heart.
Humf. Sirrha, or you must fight, or else be hang'd.
615King. Away with them to Prison: and the day of
Combat, shall be the last of the next moneth. Come
Somerset, wee'le see thee sent away.
Flourish. Exeunt.

Enter the Witch, the two Priests, and Bullingbrooke.

620Hume. Come my Masters, the Duchesse I tell you ex-
pects performance of your promises.
Bulling. Master Hume, we are therefore prouided: will
her Ladyship behold and heare our Exorcismes?
Hume. I, what else? feare you not her courage.
625Bulling. I haue heard her reported to be a Woman of
an inuincible spirit: but it shall be conuenient, Master
Hume, that you be by her aloft, while wee be busie be-
low; and so I pray you goe in Gods Name, and leaue vs.
Exit Hume.
630Mother Iordan, be you prostrate, and grouell on the
Earth; Iohn Southwell reade you, and let vs to our worke.

Enter Elianor aloft.

Elianor. Well said my Masters, and welcome all: To
this geere, the sooner the better.
635Bullin. Patience, good Lady, Wizards know their times:
Deepe Night, darke Night, the silent of the Night,
The time of Night when Troy was set on fire,
The time when Screech-owles cry, and Bandogs howle,
And Spirits walke, and Ghosts breake vp their Graues;
640That time best fits the worke we haue in hand.
Madame, sit you, and feare not: whom wee rayse,
Wee will make fast within a hallow'd Verge.

Here doe the Ceremonies belonging, and make the Circle,
Bullingbrooke or Southwell reades, Coniuro
645te, &c. It Thunders and Lightens
terribly: then the Spirit
riseth.

Spirit. Ad sum.
Witch. Asmath, by the eternall God,
650Whose name and power thou tremblest at,
Answere that I shall aske: for till thou speake,
Thou shalt not passe from hence.
Spirit. Aske what thou wilt; that I had sayd, and
done.
655Bulling. First of the King: What shall of him be-
come?
Spirit. The Duke yet liues, that Henry shall depose:
But him out-liue, and dye a violent death.
Bulling. What fates await the Duke of Suffolke?
660Spirit. By Water shall he dye, and take his end.
Bulling. What shall befall the Duke of Somerset?
Spirit. Let him shun Castles,
Safer shall he be vpon the sandie Plaines,
Then where Castles mounted stand.
665Haue done, for more I hardly can endure.
Bulling. Discend to Darknesse, and the burning Lake:
False Fiend auoide.
Thunder and Lightning. Exit Spirit.

Enter the Duke of Yorke and the Duke of Buckingham
670with their Guard, and breake in.

Yorke. Lay hands vpon these Traytors, and their trash:
Beldam I thinke we watcht you at an ynch.
What Madame, are you there? the King & Commonweale
Are deepely indebted for this peece of paines;
675My Lord Protector will, I doubt it not,
See you well guerdon'd for these good deserts.
Elianor. Not halfe so bad as thine to Englands King,
Iniurious Duke, that threatest where's no cause.
Buck. True Madame, none at all: what call you this?
680Away with them, let them be clapt vp close,
And kept asunder: you Madame shall with vs.
Stafford take her to thee.
Wee'le see your Trinkets here all forth-comming.
All away.
Exit.
685Yorke. Lord Buckingham, me thinks you watcht her well:
A pretty Plot, well chosen to build vpon.
Now pray my Lord, let's see the Deuils Writ.
What haue we here?
Reades.
The Duke yet liues, that Henry shall depose:
690But him out-liue, and dye a violent death.
Why this is iust, Aio Aeacida Romanos vincere posso.
Well, to the rest:
Tell me what fate awaits the Duke of Suffolke?
By Water shall he dye, and take his end.
695What shall betide the Duke of Somerset?
Let him shunne Castles,
Safer shall he be vpon the sandie Plaines,
Then where Castles mounted stand.
Come, come, my Lords,
700These Oracles are hardly attain'd,
And hardly vnderstood.
The King is now in progresse towards Saint Albones,
With him, the Husband of this louely Lady:
Thither goes these Newes,
705As fast as Horse can carry them:
A sorry Breakfast for my Lord Protector.
Buck. Your Grace shal giue me leaue, my Lord of York,
To be the Poste, in hope of his reward.
Yorke. At your pleasure, my good Lord.
710Who's within there, hoe?
Enter a Seruingman.
Inuite my Lords of Salisbury and Warwick
To suppe with me to morrow Night. Away.
Exeunt.

715
Enter the King, Queene, Protector, Cardinall, and
Suffolke, with Faulkners hallowing.

Queene. Beleeue me Lords, for flying at the Brooke,
I saw not better sport these seuen yeeres day:
Yet by your leaue, the Winde was very high,
720And ten to one, old Ioane had not gone out.
King. But what a point, my Lord, your Faulcon made,
And what a pytch she flew aboue the rest:
To see how God in all his Creatures workes,
Yea Man and Birds are fayne of climbing high.
725Suff. No maruell, and it like your Maiestie,
My Lord Protectors Hawkes doe towre so well,
They know their Master loues to be aloft,
And beares his thoughts aboue his Faulcons Pitch.
Glost. My Lord, 'tis but a base ignoble minde,
730That mounts no higher then a Bird can sore:
Card. I