day, he did vow upon his knees he would be even with me: I have good witness of this: therefore I beseech your majesty, do not cast away an honest man for a villain's accusation.

King. Uncle, what shall we say to this in law?

Glou. This doom, my lord, if I may judge:
Let Somerset be regent o'er the French,
Because in York this breeds suspicion :
And let these have a day appointed them
For single combat in convenient place,
For he hath witness of his servant's malice:
This is the law, and this Duke Humphrey's
doom.

Som. I humbly thank your royal majesty.
Hor. And I accept the combat willingly.

210

Pet. Alas, my lord, I cannot fight; for God's sake, pity my case. The spite of man prevaileth against me. O Lord, have mercy upon me! I shall never be able to fight a blow. O Lord, my 220 heart!

Glou. Sirrah, or you must fight, or else be hang'd.

King. Away with them to prison; and the day of combat shall be the last of the next month. Come, Somerset, we'll see thee sent [Flourish. Exeunt.

away.

SCENE IV. GLOUCESTER'S garden.

Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN, HUME, SOUTH-
WELL, and BOLINGBROKE.

Hume. Come, my masters; the duchess, I tell you, expects performance of your promises.

208. doom, judgment.

Boling. Master Hume, we are therefore provided will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms?

:

Hume. Ay, what else? fear you not her courage.

Boling. I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible spirit: but it shall be convenient, Master Hume, that you be by her 10 aloft, while we be busy below; and so, I pray you, go, in God's name, and leave us. [Exit Hume.] Mother Jourdain, be you prostrate and grovel on the earth; John Southwell, read you; and let us to our work.

Enter Duchess aloft, HUME following.

Duch. Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this gear-the sooner the better.

Boling. Patience, good lady; wizards know
their times:

Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night,
The time of night when Troy was set on fire;
The time when screech-owls cry and ban-dogs

howl

And spirits walk 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.

Spir. Adsum.

10. convenient, becoming.

17. gear, business.

20

22. break up, break open. 25. a hallow'd verge, i.e. a charmed circle.

M. Jourd. 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.

Spir. Ask what thou wilt. That I had said

and done!

Boling. First of the king: what shall of him.
become?'
[Reading out of a paper.
Spir. The duke yet lives that Henry shall
depose;

But him outlive, and die a violent death.

[As the Spirit speaks, Southwell
writes the answer.

Boling. 'What fates await the Duke of Suffolk ?'
Spir. By water shall he die, and take his end.
Boling. 'What shall befall the Duke of Somerset ? '
Spir. 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.

Boling. 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 com

monweal

27. Asmath, an evil spirit,

Asmodeus (Tob. iii. 8).

43. avoid, be gone.

30

40

45. at an inch, at the nick of

time.

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.
Duch. Not half so bad as thine to England's
king,
Injurious duke, that threatest where's no cause.
Buck. 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, Æacida, 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.'

50

60

70

Pyrrhus might conquer the
Romans, but equally capable of

meaning that the Romans might conquer him. Marlowe made use of a similar equivoque in the death-scene of Edward II.

M

Come, come, my lords;

These oracles are hardly attain'd,

And hardly understood.

The king is 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.

Buck. 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.

80

ACT II.

SCENE I. Saint Alban's.

Enter the KING, QUEEN, GLOUCESTER, 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;

74. hardly, with difficulty.

1. flying at the brook, hawking water-fowl.