From top of honour to difgrace's feet?

Away from me, and let me hear no more.

Elean. What, what! my Lord! are you fo choleric 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 Meffenger.

Me. My Lord Protector, 'tis his Highnefs' pleasure, You do prepare to ride unto St. Alban's,

Whereas the King and Queen do mean to hawk.
Glo. I go: come, Nell, thou wilt ride with us?
[Exit Gloucefler
Elean. Yes, my good Lord, I'll follow prefently.
Follow I muft; I cannot go before,

While Glo'fter bears this bafe and humble mind.
Were I a man, a Duke, and next of blood,
I would remove these tedious ftumbling-blocks,.
And smooth my way upon their headless necks.
And being a woman, I will not be flack

To play my part in Fortune's pageant.

Where are you there? Sir John! nay, fear not, mán,
We are alone; here's none but thee and I.

Enter Hume.

Hume. Jefus preferve your Royal Majefty! › Elean. What fay'it thou? Majefty? I am but. Grace. Hume. But, by the grace of God, and Hume's advice, Your Grace's title fhall be multiply'd.

[ferr'd

Elean. What fay'ft thou, man? haft thou as yet con With Margery Jordan the cunning witch, And Roger Bolingbrook the conjurer? And will they undertake to do me good?

Hume. This they have promised to shew your Highness A fpirit rais'd from depth of under-ground, That fhall make anfwer to fuch questions

As by your Grace fhall be propounded him.

Elean. It is enough, I'll think upon the queftions.
When from St. Alban's we do make return,
We'll see those things effected to the full.

Here, Hume, take this reward; make merry, man,

With thy confederates in this weighty cause.

[Exit Eleanor. Hume. Hume muft make merry with the Duchefs

gold:

Marry, and fhall: but how now, Sir John Hume?
Seal up your lips, and give no words, but mum!
The bufinefs alketh filent fecrecy.

Dane Eleanor gives gold to bring the witch.
Gold cannot come amifs, were fhe a devil.
Yet have I gold flies from another coaft:
I dare not fay from the rich Cardinal,
And from the great and new-made Duke of Suffolk.
Yet I do find it fo: for to be plain,

They (knowing Dame Eleanor's afpiring humour)
Have hired me to undermine the Duchefs,
And buzz these conjurations in her brain.
They fay, a crafty knave does need no broker;
Yet am I Suffolk's and the Cardinal's broker.
Hume, if you take not heed, you fhall go near
To call them both a pair of crafty knaves.
Well, fo it ftands; and thus I fear, at last,
Hume's knavery will be the Duchefs' wreck,
And her attainture will be Humphry's fall.
Sort how it will, f fhall have gold for all.

[Exit.

SCENE V. Changes to an apartment in the palace.

Enter three or four Petitioners, Peter the armourer's man being one.

1

Pet. My masters, let's ftand clofe; my Lord Protec tor will come this way by and by, and then we may deliver our fupplications in the quill.

2 Pet. Marry, the Lord protect him, for he's a good man; Jesu bless him!,

1 Pet. Here a' comes, methinks, and the Queen with him. I'll be the first, fure.

2 Pet. Come back, fool; this is the Duke of Suffolk, and not my Lord Protector.

Suf.

Suf. How now, fellow, would't any thing with me? 1 Pet. I pray, my Lord, pardon me; I took ye for my Lord Protector.

2. Mar. To my Lord Protector. [reading.] Are your fupplications to his Lordship? let me fee them; what is thine?

1 Pet. Mine is, an't please your Grace, againft John Goodman, my Lord Cardinal's man, for keeping my houfe and lands, and wife, and all from me.

Suf. Thy wife too? that's fome wrong indeed. What's yours? what's here? [Reads.] Against the Duke of Suffolk, for inclofing the commons of Long Melford. How now, Sir Knave?

2 Pet. Alas, Sir, I am but a poor petitioner of our whole township.

Suf. [reads.] Against my mafter, Thomas Horner, for Jaying, that the Duke of York was rightful heir to the crown. 2. Mar. What! did the Duke of York fay, he was rightful heir to the crown?

Peter. That my master was? no, forfooth? my mafter faid, that he was; and that the King was an ufurper.

Suf. Who is there?- -Take this fellow in, and fend for his mafter with a purfuivant, prefently; we'll hear more of your matter before the King.

[Exit Peter guarded. 9 Mar. And as for you that love to be protected Under the wings of our Protector's Grace,

Begin your fuits anew, and fue to him.

[Tears the fupplications.

Away, bafe cullions: Suffolk, let them go.
All. Come, let's be gone.

[Exeunt Petitioners.

2. Mar My Lord of Suffolk, fay, is this the guife? Is this the fashion in the Court of England? Is this the government of Britain's ifle? And this the royalty of Albion's King? What! fhall King Henry be a pupil still, Under the furly Glo'fter's governance? Am I a Queen in title and in style, And must be made a fubject to a Duke? I tell thee, Pole, when in the city Tours Thou ran'ft a tilt in honour of my love, And ftol'ft away the ladies' hearts of France;

I

I thought King Henry had resembled thee
In courage, courtship, and proportion.
But all his mind is bent to holiness,
To number Ave Maries on his beads;
His champions are the prophets and apostles;
His weapons, holy faws of facred writ;
His ftudy is his tilt-yard; and his loves
Are brazen images of canoniz'd faints.
I would the college of the Cardinals
Would chufe him Pope, and carry him to Rome,
And set the triple crown upon his head;
That were a ftate fit for his holiness!

Suf. Madam, be patient; as I was the cause
Your Highness came to England, fo will I
In England work your Grace's full content.

2. Mar. Befide the proud Protector, have we Beaufort
Th' imperious churchman; Somerset, Buckingham,
And grumbling York; and not the least of these
But can do more in England than the King.

Suf. And he of these that can do most of all, Cannot do more in England than the Nevills; Salifb'ry and Warwick are no fimple Peers.

2. Mar. Not all these Lords do vex me half so much, As that proud dame, the Lord Protector's wife. She fweeps it through the court with troops of ladies, More like an Emprefs than Duke Humphry's wife. Strangers in court do take her for the Queen; She bears a Duke's revenues on her back, And in her heart fhe fcorns our poverty. Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her? Contemptuous, bafe-born callot, as fhe is, She vaunted 'mongft her minions t'other day, The very train of her worft-wearing gown Was better worth than all my father's lands, Till Suffolk gave two dukedoms for his daughter! Suff. Madam, myself have lim'd a bush for her, And plac'd a quire of fuch enticing birds, That he will light to listen to their lays, And never mount to trouble you again. So let her reft; and, Madam, list to me; For I am bold to counsel you in this; Although we fancy not the Cardinal, VOL. V.

B

Yet

Yet muft we join with him and with the Lords,
Till we have brought Duke Humphry in difgrace,
As for the Duke of York, this late complaint
Will make but little for his benefit.

So, one by one, we'll weed them all at last,
And you yourself fhall fteer the happy realm.

SCENE VI.

To them enter King Henry, Duke Humphry, Cardinal, Buckingham, York, Somerfet, 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 Somerfet 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 speak. 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, fon; and fhew fome reason, Buckingham, Why Somerset should be preferr'd in this.

2. Mar. Because the King, forfooth, will have it fo. Glo. 'Madam, the King is old enough himself To give his cenfure: thefe are no woman's matters. 2. 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 commonwealth hath daily run to wreck.
The Dauphin hath prevail'd beyond the seas,
And all the Peers and nobles of the realm
Have been as bondmen to thy fov'reignty.

Car. The commons haft thou rack'd; the clergy's bags Are lank and lean with thy extortions.

Som.