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Henry VI, Part 2 (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
The second Part of Henry the Sixt.
127
Glost. But Cloakes and Gownes, before this day, a
860many.
Wife. Neuer before this day, in all his life.
Glost. Tell me Sirrha, what's my Name?
Simpc. Alas Master, I know not.
Glost. What's his Name?
865Simpc. I know not.
Glost. Nor his?
Simpc. No indeede, Master.
Glost. What's thine owne Name?
Simpc. Saunder Simpcoxe, and if it please you, Master.
870Glost. Then Saunder, sit there,
The lying'st Knaue in Christendome.
If thou hadst beene borne blinde,
Thou might'st as well haue knowne all our Names,
As thus to name the seuerall Colours we doe weare.
875Sight may distinguish of Colours:
But suddenly to nominate them all,
It is impossible.
My Lords, Saint Albone here hath done a Miracle:
And would ye not thinke it, Cunning to be great,
880That could restore this Cripple to his Legges againe.
Simpc. O Master, that you could?
Glost. My Masters of Saint Albones,
Haue you not Beadles in your Towne,
And Things call'd Whippes?
885Maior. Yes, my Lord, if it please your Grace.
Glost. Then send for one presently.
Maior. Sirrha, goe fetch the Beadle hither straight.
Exit.
Glost. Now fetch me a Stoole hither by and by.
890Now Sirrha, if you meane to saue your selfe from Whip-
ping, leape me ouer this Stoole, and runne away.
Simpc. Alas Master, I am not able to stand alone:
You goe about to torture me in vaine.

Enter a Beadle with Whippes.

895Glost. Well Sir, we must haue you finde your Legges.
Sirrha Beadle, whippe him till he leape ouer that same
Stoole.
Beadle. I will, my Lord.
Come on Sirrha, off with your Doublet, quickly.
900Simpc. Alas Master, what shall I doe? I am not able to
stand.
After the Beadle hath hit him once, he leapes ouer
the Stoole, and runnes away: and they
follow, and cry, A Miracle.
905King. O God, seest thou this, and bearest so long?
Queene. It made me laugh, to see the Villaine runne.
Glost. Follow the Knaue, and take this Drab away.
Wife. Alas Sir, we did it for pure need.
Glost. Let thẽ be whipt through euery Market Towne,
910Till they come to Barwick, from whence they came.
Exit.
Card. Duke Humfrey ha's done a Miracle to day.
Suff. True: made the Lame to leape and flye away.
Glost. But you haue done more Miracles then I:
915You made in a day, my Lord, whole Townes to flye.

Enter Buckingham.

King. What Tidings with our Cousin Buckingham?
Buck. Such as my heart doth tremble to vnfold:
A sort of naughtie persons, lewdly bent,
920Vnder the Countenance and Confederacie
Of Lady Elianor, the Protectors Wife,
The Ring-leader and Head of all this Rout,
Haue practis'd dangerously against your State,
Dealing with Witches and with Coniurers,
925Whom we haue apprehended in the Fact,
Raysing vp wicked Spirits from vnder ground,
Demanding of King Henries Life and Death,
And other of your Highnesse Priuie Councell,
As more at large your Grace shall vnderstand.
930Card. And so my Lord Protector, by this meanes
Your Lady is forth-comming, yet at London.
This Newes I thinke hath turn'd your Weapons edge;
'Tis like, my Lord, you will not keepe your houre.
Glost. Ambitious Church-man, leaue to afflict my heart:
935Sorrow and griefe haue vanquisht all my powers;
And vanquisht as I am, I yeeld to thee,
Or to the meanest Groome.
King. O God, what mischiefes work the wicked ones?
Heaping confusion on their owne heads thereby.
940Queene. Gloster, see here the Taincture of thy Nest,
And looke thy selfe be faultlesse, thou wert best.
Glost. Madame, for my selfe, to Heauen I doe appeale,
How I haue lou'd my King, and Common-weale:
And for my Wife, I know not how it stands,
945Sorry I am to heare what I haue heard.
Noble shee is: but if shee haue forgot
Honor and Vertue, and conuers't with such,
As like to Pytch, defile Nobilitie;
I banish her my Bed, and Companie,
950And giue her as a Prey to Law and Shame,
That hath dis-honored Glosters honest Name.
King. Well, for this Night we will repose vs here:
To morrow toward London, back againe,
To looke into this Businesse thorowly,
955And call these foule Offendors to their Answeres;
And poyse the Cause in Iustice equall Scales,
Whose Beame stands sure, whose rightful cause preuailes.
Flourish.
Exeunt.

Enter Yorke, Salisbury, and Warwick.

960Yorke. Now my good Lords of Salisbury & Warwick,
Our simple Supper ended, giue me leaue,
In this close Walke, to satisfie my selfe,
In crauing your opinion of my Title,
Which is infallible, to Englands Crowne.
965Salisb. My Lord, I long to heare it at full.
Warw. Sweet Yorke begin: and if thy clayme be good,
The Neuills are thy Subiects to command.
Yorke. Then thus:
Edward the third, my Lords, had seuen Sonnes:
970The first, Edward the Black-Prince, Prince of Wales;
The second, William of Hatfield; and the third,
Lionel, Duke of Clarence; next to whom,
Was Iohn of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster;
The fift, was Edmond Langley, Duke of Yorke;
975The sixt, was Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloster;
William of Windsor was the seuenth, and last.
Edward the Black-Prince dyed before his Father,
And left behinde him Richard, his onely Sonne,
Who after Edward the third's death, raign'd as King,
980Till Henry Bullingbrooke, Duke of Lancaster,
The eldest Sonne and Heire of Iohn of Gaunt,
Crown'd by the Name of Henry the fourth,
Seiz'd on the Realme, depos'd the rightfull King,
Sent his poore Queene to France, from whence she came,
And