'Glo. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide outright; * Presumptuous dame, ill-nurtur'd Eleanor!" Art thou not second woman in the realm: And the protector's wife, belov'd of him? * Hast thou not worldly pleasure at command, * Above the reach or compass of thy thought? And wilt thou still be hammering treachery, * To tumble down thy husband, and thyself, * From top of honour to disgrace's feet? Away from me, and let me hear no more, Duch. What, what, my lord! are you so cholerick 'With Eleanor, for telling but her dream? Next time, I'll keep my dreams unto myself, And not be check'd. Glo. Nay, be not angry, I am pleas'd again, Enter a Messenger. "Mes. My lord protector, 'tis his highness' plea sure, 8 You do prepare to ride unto Saint Albans, "Whereas the king and queen do mean to hawk. Glo. I go.Come, Nell, thou wilt ride with us? 'Duch. Yes, good my lord, I'll follow presently. Exeunt GLOSTER and Messenger, Follow I must, I cannot go before, * While Gloster bears this base and humble mind, * Were I a man, a duke, and next of blood, * I would remove these tedious stumbling-blocks, * And smooth my way upon their headless necks: *And, being a woman, I will not be slack * To play my part in fortune's pageant. 7 ill-nurtur'd-] Ill-nurtur'd, is ill-educated. 8 Whereas ] Whereas is the same as where; and seems to be brought into use only on account of its being a dissyllable. Where are you there? Sir John !9 man, nay, fear not, "We are alone; here's none but thee, and I. Enter HUME. Hume. Jesu preserve your royal majesty! grace. Hume. But, by the grace of God, and Hume's advice, "Your grace's title shall be multiplied. Duch. What say'st thou, man? hast thou as yet conferr'd With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch; Hume. This they have promised,-to show your A spirit rais'd from depth of under ground, That shall make answer to such questions, 'As by your grace shall be propounded him. 'Duch. It is enough; I'll think upon the questions: "When from Saint Albans we do make return, 'We'll see these things effected to the full. Here, Hume, take this reward; make merry, man, With thy confederates in this weighty cause. [Exit Duchess. *Hume. Hume must make merry with the duchess' gold; Marry, and shall. But how now, sir John Hume? Seal up your lips, and give no words but-mum! The business asketh silent secrecy. * Dame Eleanor gives gold, to bring the witch: * Gold cannot come amiss, were she a devil. 9- Sir John ] A title frequently bestowed on the clergy. "Yet have I gold, flies from another coast : 'I dare not say, from the rich cardinal, And from the great and new-made duke of Suffolk; "Yet I do find it so: for, to be plain, They, knowing dame Eleanor's aspiring humour, • Have hired me to undermine the duchess, ' And buz these conjurations in her brain. *They say, A crafty knave does need no broker;' * Yet am I Suffolk and the cardinal's broker. * Hume, if you take not heed, you shall go near * To call them both-a pair of crafty knaves. * Well, so it stands; And thus, I fear, at last, * Hume's knavery, will be the duchess' wreck; * And her attainture will be Humphrey's fall: * Sort how it will,' I shall have gold for all. [Exit. SCENE III. The same. A Room in the Palace. Enter PETER, and Others, with Petitions. 1 Pet. My masters, let's stand close; my lord protector will come this way by and by, and then 'we may deliver our supplications in the quill.3 2 Pet. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a ' good man! Jesu bless him! Enter SUFFOLK, and Queen MARGARET. * 1 Pet. Here 'a comes, methinks, and the queen *with him: I'll be the first, sure. 1 A crafty knave does need no broker;] This is a proverbial sentence. 2 Sort how it will,] Let the issue be what it will. 3 in the quill.] Perhaps our supplications in the quill, or in quill, means no more than our written or penn'd supplications. 2 Pet. Come back, fool; this is the duke of Suffolk, and not my lord protector. Suf. How now, fellow would'st any thing with • me? 1 Pet. I pray, my lord, pardon me! I took ye 6 for my lord protector. 'Q. Mar. [Reading the superscription.] To my lord protector! are your supplications to his lordship? Let me see them: What is thine? ‹ i Pet. Mine is, an't please your grace, against 'John Goodman, my lord cardinal's man, for keeping my house, and lands, and wife and all, from me. Suf. Thy wife too? that is some wrong, indeed.— What's your's?-What's here! [Reads.] Against the duke of Suffolk, for enclosing the commons of Melford.-How now, sir knave? 2 Pet. Alas, sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township. Peter. [Presenting his petition.] Against my master, Thomas Horner, for saying, That the duke of York was rightful heir to the crown. 4 Q. Mar. What say'st thou? Did the duke of York say, he was rightful heir to the crown? 'Peter. That my master was? No, forsooth: my master said, That he was; and that the king was an usurper. Suf. Who is there? [Enter Servants.]-Take this fellow in, and send for his master with a pursuivant presently :—we'll hear more of before the king. your matter [Exeunt Servants, with PETER. 'Q. Mar. And as for you, that love to be protected 4 That my master was?] Peter supposes that the queen had asked, whether the duke of York had said that his master (for so he understands the pronoun he in her speech) was rightful heir to the crown. < Under the wings of our protector's grace, Begin your suits anew, and sue to him. 6 [Tears the petition. Away, base cullions!-Suffolk, let them go. * All. Come, let's be gone. [Exeunt Petitioners. * Q. Mar. My lord of Suffolk, say, is this the guise, * Is this the fashion in the court of England? ; * To number Ave-Maries on his beads: * His champions are the prophets and apostles; * His weapons, holy saws of sacred writ * His study is his tilt-yard, and his loves. * Are brazen images of canoniz'd saints. * I would, the college of cardinals * Would choose him pope, and carry him to Rome, * And set the triple crown upon his head; * That were a state fit for his holiness. Suf. Madam, be patient: as I was cause Q. Mar. Beside the haught protector, have we * The imperious churchman; Somerset, Bucking ham, * And grumbling York: and not the least of these, |