Elean. What fay'ft 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.

Elean. What fay'ft thou, man? haft thou as yet conferr'd With Margery Jordan, the cunning witch: And Roger Bolingbroke the conjurer,

And will they undertake to do me good?

Hume. This they have promis'd, to fhew your highness A fpirit rais'd from depth of under-ground, That shall 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. Albans 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 must make merry with the Dutchefs' gold:
Marry, and fhall; but how now, Sir John Hume?
Seal up your lips, and give no words but mum!
The bufinefs asketh filent fecrecy.

Dame Eleanor gives gold to bring the witch:
Gold cannot come amifs, were she a devil.
Yet have I gold, Aies 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 Dutchefs;
And buz thefe 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 shall go near
To call them both a pair of crafty knaves.
Well, fo it ftands; and thus I fear at laft,
Hume's knavery will be the Dutchess' wrack,
And her attainture will be Humphry's fall:
Sort how it will, I fhall have gold for all.

[Exit:

SCENE

SCENE changes to an Apartment in the Palace..

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

I Pet.

#M

being one.

Y mafters, let's ftand clofe; my Lord Protector 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, Jefu blefs him!

Enter Suffolk, and Queen.

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

:

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 for my Lord Protector.

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

is thine?

1 Pet. Mine is, and't pleafe 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'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 master, Thomas Horner, for faying, that the Duke of York was rightful heir to the

crown.

Q Mar. What! did the Duke of York fay, he was rightful heir to the crown?

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

Suf

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

Exit Peter guarded. Q. 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. Q. 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 isle ?
And this the royalty of Albion's King?
What! fhall King Henry be a pupil till,
Under the furly Glo'fter's governance?
Am I a Queen in title and in ftyle,
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 thought, King Henry had refembled 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 apoftles ;
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 fet the triple crown upon his head;
That were a ftate fit for his holiness!

Suf. Madam, be patient; as I was the cause
Your highnefs came to England, fo will 1

In England work your grace's full content.

Q. Mar. Befide the proud Protector, have we Beauford Th' imperious churchman; Somerfet, Buckingham, And grumbling York; and not the least of these

But

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 Nevils;
Salifo'ry and Warwick are no fimple Peers.

Q. Mar. Not all thefe Lords do vex me half so much,
As that proud dame, the Lord Protector's wife:
She sweeps it through the court with troops of Ladies,
More like an Empress 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 the fcorns our poverty.
Shall I not live to be aveng'd on her?
Contemptuous, bafe-born, callot as fhe is,
She vaunted 'mongst 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!
Suf. Madam, myfelf have lim'd a bufh for her,
And plac'd a quire of fuch enticing birds,
That he will light to liften to their lays;
And never mount to trouble you again.
So, let her reft; and, Madam, lift to me;
For I am bold to counsel you in this ;
Although we fancy not the Cardinal,

;

Yet must 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 laft;
And you yourself shall steer the happy realm.

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 Somerfet be unworthy of the place,

Let

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

Q. Mar. Because 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 commonwealth 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'reignty.

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.
[Exit Glo.
Give me my fan; what, minion? can ye not?

[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.