The Second Part Of King Henry The Sixth

1 Enter the Witch Margery Jourdain, the two Priests, Hume, Southwell and
2 Bolingbroke.
3 HUME.
4 Come, my masters. The duchess, I tell you, expects performance of your
5 promises.
6 BOLINGBROKE.
7 Master Hume, we are therefore provided. Will her ladyship behold and
8 hear our exorcisms?
9 HUME.
10 Ay, what else? Fear you not her courage.
11 BOLINGBROKE.
12 I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible spirit. But it
13 shall be convenient, Master Hume, that you be by her aloft while we be
14 busy below; and so, I pray you go, in God’s name, and leave us.
15 [_Exit Hume._]
16 Mother Jourdain, be you prostrate and grovel on the earth. John
17 Southwell, read you; and let us to our work.
18 Enter Duchess aloft, Hume following.
19 ELEANOR.
20 Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this gear, the sooner the
21 better.
22 BOLINGBROKE.
23 Patience, good lady; wizards know their times.
24 Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night,
25 The time of night when Troy was set on fire,
26 The time when screech-owls cry and ban-dogs howl,
27 And spirits walk and ghosts break up their graves;
28 That time best fits the work we have in hand.
29 Madam, sit you and fear not. Whom we raise
30 We will make fast within a hallowed verge.
31 [_Here they do the ceremonies belonging, and make the circle;
32 Bolingbroke or Southwell reads_ “Conjuro te”, _etc. It thunders and
33 lightens terribly; then the Spirit riseth._]
34 SPIRIT.
35 _Adsum_.
36 M. JOURDAIN.
37 Asnath,
38 By the eternal God, whose name and power
39 Thou tremblest at, answer that I shall ask;
40 For till thou speak thou shalt not pass from hence.
41 SPIRIT.
42 Ask what thou wilt. That I had said and done!
43 BOLINGBROKE.
44 [_Reads_.] _First of the King: what shall of him become?_
45 SPIRIT.
46 The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose,
47 But him outlive and die a violent death.
48 [_As the Spirit speaks, Southwell writes the answer._]
49 BOLINGBROKE.
50 [_Reads_.] _What fates await the Duke of Suffolk?_
51 SPIRIT.
52 By water shall he die and take his end.
53 BOLINGBROKE.
54 [_Reads_.] _What shall befall the Duke of Somerset?_
55 SPIRIT.
56 Let him shun castles.
57 Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
58 Than where castles mounted stand.
59 Have done, for more I hardly can endure.
60 BOLINGBROKE.
61 Descend to darkness and the burning lake!
62 False fiend, avoid!
63 [_Thunder and lightning. Exit Spirit._]
64 Enter the Duke of York and the Duke of Buckingham with their Guard, and
65 Sir Humphrey Stafford, and break in.
66 YORK.
67 Lay hands upon these traitors and their trash.
68 Beldam, I think we watched you at an inch.
69 What, madam, are you there? The King and commonweal
70 Are deeply indebted for this piece of pains.
71 My Lord Protector will, I doubt it not,
72 See you well guerdoned for these good deserts.
73 ELEANOR.
74 Not half so bad as thine to England’s king,
75 Injurious duke, that threatest where’s no cause.
76 BUCKINGHAM.
77 True, madam, none at all. What call you this?
78 Away with them! Let them be clapped up close
79 And kept asunder.—You, madam, shall with us.—
80 Stafford, take her to thee.
81 [_Exit Stafford._]
82 [_Exeunt above, Duchess and Hume, guarded._]
83 We’ll see your trinkets here all forthcoming.
84 All, away!
85 [_Exeunt guard with Jourdain, Southwell, Bolingbroke, etc._]
86 YORK.
87 Lord Buckingham, methinks you watched her well.
88 A pretty plot, well chosen to build upon!
89 Now, pray, my lord, let’s see the devil’s writ.
90 What have we here?
91 [_Reads_.] _The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose.
92 But him outlive and die a violent death._
93 Why, this is just
94 _Aio te, Aeacida, Romanos vincere posse._
95 Well, to the rest:
96 _Tell me what fate awaits the Duke of Suffolk?
97 By water shall he die and take his end.
98 What shall betide the Duke of Somerset?
99 Let him shun castles;
100 Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
101 Than where castles mounted stand._
102 Come, come, my lords, these oracles
103 Are hardly attained, and hardly understood.
104 The King is now in progress towards Saint Albans,
105 With him the husband of this lovely lady.
106 Thither go these news as fast as horse can carry them.
107 A sorry breakfast for my Lord Protector.
108 BUCKINGHAM.
109 Your Grace shall give me leave, my Lord of York,
110 To be the post, in hope of his reward.
111 YORK.
112 At your pleasure, my good lord.
113 [_Exit Buckingham._]
114 Who’s within there, ho!
115 Enter a Servingman.
116 Invite my Lords of Salisbury and Warwick
117 To sup with me tomorrow night. Away!
118 [_Exeunt._]