To them enter King Henry, Duke Humphry, Cardinal, Buckingham, York, Salisbury, Warwick, and the Dutchess of Gloucester.

K. Henry. For my part, noble Lords, I care not which, Or Somerset, or York, all's one to me.

York. If York have ill demean'd himself in France, Then let him be deny'd the Regentship.

Som. If Somerset be unworthy of the Place, Let York be Regent, I will yield to him.

War. Whether your Grace be worthy, yea or no,
Difpute not that; York is the worthier.

Car. Ambitious Warwick, let thy Betters fpeak.
War. The Cardinal's not my better in the field.
Buck. All in this Prefence are thy betters, Warwick.
War. Warwick may live to be the best of all.

Sal. Peace, Son; and fhew fome reafon, Buckingham, Why Somerset fhould be preferr'd in this.

Q. Mar. Becaufe the King, forfooth, will have it fo.
Glo. Madam, the King is old enough himself

To give his Cenfure: these are no woman's matters.
Q. Mar. If he be old enough, what needs your Grace
To be Protector of his Excellence?

Glo. Madam, I am Protector of the Realm;
And, at his pleasure, will refign my Place.

Suf. Refign it then, and leave thine infolence.
Since thou wert King, (as who is King, but thou?)
The Common-wealth hath daily run to wrack.
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the feas,
And all the Peers, and Nobles of the Realm,
Have been as bond-men to thy fov'raignty.

Car. The Commons haft thou rack'd; the Clergy's bags

Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Som. Thy fumptuous buildings, and thy wife's attire, Have coft a mafs of publick treasury.

Buck. Thy cruelty in execution Upon offenders hath exceeded law; And left thee to the mercy of the law.

Q. Mar. Thy fale of offices and towns in France,
If they were known, as the fufpect is great,
Would make thee quickly hop without thy head.

Give me my fan; what, minion? can ye not?

[Exit Glo,

[She gives the Dutchefs a box on the ear.

I cry you mercy, Madam; was it you?

Elean. Was't I? yea, I it was, proud French-woman ; Could I come near your beauty with my nails, I'd fet my ten commandments in your face,

K. Henry. Sweet aunt, be quiet; 'twas against her will. Elean. Against her will, good King? look to't in time,

She'll hamper thee and dandle thee like a baby:
Though in this place moft Mafter wears no breeches,
She fhall not ftrike Dame Eleanor unrevenged,

[Exit Eleanor.

Buck. Lord Cardinal, I'll follow Eleanor, And liften after Humphry, how he proceeds: She's tickled now, her fume can need no fpurs; She'll gallop fast enough to her destruction.

[Exit Buckingham.

Re-enter Duke Humphry.

Glo. Now, lords, my choler being over-blown
With walking once about the Quadrangle,
I come to talk of commonwealth affairs.
As for your fpightful falfe objections,
Prove them, and I lye open to the law.
But God in mercy deal fo with my foul,
As I in duty love my King and Country!
But to the matter that we have in hand;
I fay, my Sovereign, York is meetest man
To be your Regent in the Realm of France,
Suf. Before we make election, give me leave
To fhew fome reason of no little force,
That York is most unmeet of any man.
York. I'll tell thee, Suffolk, why I am unmeet:
First, for I cannot flatter thee in pride;
Next, if I be appointed for the Place,

My

My lord of Somerset will keep me here
Without discharge, mony or furniture,
Till France be won into the Dauphin's hands.
Last time, I danc'd attendance on his will,
Till Paris was befieg'd, famish'd and lost.
War. That I can witness, and a fouler fact
Did never traitor in the land commit.

Suf. Peace, head-strong Warwick.

War. Image of pride, why fhould I hold my peace?

Enter Horner the Armorer, and his Man Peter, guarded.
Suf. Because here is a man accus'd of treafon :
Pray God, the Duke of York excufe himself!
York. Doth any one accufe York for a traitor?
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 mafter of high treafon :
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 these 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, he did speak them to me in the garret one night, as we were fcow'ring my lord of York's armour.

York. Bafe dunghil villain, and mechanical, I'll have thy head for this thy traitor's speech: I do beseech your royal Majefty,

Let him have all the rigor of the Law.

Arm. Alas, my lord, hang me, if ever I fpake 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 witness of this; therefore I beseech your Majefty, do not caft away an honeft man for a villain's accufation.

K. Henry. Uncle, what fhall we fay to this in Law?

Glo.

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 Somerset, (4)
We make your Grace 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 elfe 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. [Flour. Exeunt.

SCENE, the Witch's Cave.

you,

Enter Mother Jordan, Hume, Southwel, and Bolingbroke. Hume. NOME, 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. Ây, 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 bufie 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.

(4) K. Henry. Then be it fo, &c.] Thefe two Lines I have inferted from the Old Quarto; and, as I think, very neceffarily. For, without them, the King has not deck'd his Affent to Gloucefter's Opinion: and the Duke of Somerfet is made to thank him for the Regency, before the King has deputed him to it.

Enter Eleanor, above.

Elean. Well faid, my mafters, and welcome to all: to this geer, the fooner the better.

Boling. Patience, good lady; wizards know their

times :

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 spirits walk, and ghosts break up their graves;
That time beft fits the work we have in hand.
Madam, Sit 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; Bolingbroke or Southwel reads, Conjuro te, &c. It thunders and lightens terribly; then the Spirit rifeth Spirit. Adfum.

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

For till thou speak, thou shalt not pass from hence. Spirit. Ask what thou wilt.-That I had faid, and done!

Boling. First, of the King: What fhall of him become? Spirit. The Duke yet lives, that Henry shall depose: But him out-live, and die a violent death.

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

Spirit. By Water fhall he die, and take his end.

Boling. What fhall befall the Duke of Somerset ?
Spirit. Let him fhun Castles,

Safer fhall he be on the fandy plains,

Than where Castles mounted stand.

Have done, for more I hardly can endure.

Boling. Defcend to darkness, and the burning lake:

Falfe fiend, avoid !

[Thunder and lightning. Spirit defcends.

Enter