Act 2, Scene 1: Saint Alban's

SCENE I. Saint Alban's.

    Enter KING HENRY VI, QUEEN MARGARET, GLOUCESTER, CARDINAL, and SUFFOLK, with Falconers halloing

QUEEN MARGARET

    Believe me, lords, for flying at the brook,
    I saw not better sport these seven years' day:
    Yet, by your leave, the wind was very high;
    And, ten to one, old Joan had not gone out.

KING HENRY VI

    But what a point, my lord, your falcon made,
    And what a pitch she flew above the rest!
    To see how God in all his creatures works!
    Yea, man and birds are fain of climbing high.

SUFFOLK

    No marvel, an it like your majesty,
    My lord protector's hawks do tower so well;
    They know their master loves to be aloft,
    And bears his thoughts above his falcon's pitch.

GLOUCESTER

    My lord, 'tis but a base ignoble mind
    That mounts no higher than a bird can soar.

CARDINAL

    I thought as much; he would be above the clouds.

GLOUCESTER

    Ay, my lord cardinal? how think you by that?
    Were it not good your grace could fly to heaven?

KING HENRY VI

    The treasury of everlasting joy.

CARDINAL

    Thy heaven is on earth; thine eyes and thoughts
    Beat on a crown, the treasure of thy heart;
    Pernicious protector, dangerous peer,
    That smooth'st it so with king and commonweal!

GLOUCESTER

    What, cardinal, is your priesthood grown peremptory?
    Tantaene animis coelestibus irae?
    Churchmen so hot? good uncle, hide such malice;
    With such holiness can you do it?

SUFFOLK

    No malice, sir; no more than well becomes
    So good a quarrel and so bad a peer.

GLOUCESTER

    As who, my lord?

SUFFOLK

    Why, as you, my lord,
    An't like your lordly lord-protectorship.

GLOUCESTER

    Why, Suffolk, England knows thine insolence.

QUEEN MARGARET

    And thy ambition, Gloucester.

KING HENRY VI

    I prithee, peace, good queen,
    And whet not on these furious peers;
    For blessed are the peacemakers on earth.

CARDINAL

    Let me be blessed for the peace I make,
    Against this proud protector, with my sword!

GLOUCESTER

    [Aside to CARDINAL] Faith, holy uncle, would
    'twere come to that!

CARDINAL

    [Aside to GLOUCESTER] Marry, when thou darest.

GLOUCESTER

    [Aside to CARDINAL] Make up no factious
    numbers for the matter;
    In thine own person answer thy abuse.

CARDINAL

    [Aside to GLOUCESTER] Ay, where thou darest
    not peep: an if thou darest,
    This evening, on the east side of the grove.

KING HENRY VI

    How now, my lords!

CARDINAL

    Believe me, cousin Gloucester,
    Had not your man put up the fowl so suddenly,
    We had had more sport.

    Aside to GLOUCESTER
    Come with thy two-hand sword.

GLOUCESTER

    True, uncle.

CARDINAL

    [Aside to GLOUCESTER] Are ye advised? the
    east side of the grove?

GLOUCESTER

    [Aside to CARDINAL] Cardinal, I am with you.

KING HENRY VI

    Why, how now, uncle Gloucester!

GLOUCESTER

    Talking of hawking; nothing else, my lord.

    Aside to CARDINAL
    Now, by God's mother, priest, I'll shave your crown for this,
    Or all my fence shall fail.

CARDINAL

    [Aside to GLOUCESTER] Medice, teipsum--
    Protector, see to't well, protect yourself.

KING HENRY VI

    The winds grow high; so do your stomachs, lords.
    How irksome is this music to my heart!
    When such strings jar, what hope of harmony?
    I pray, my lords, let me compound this strife.

    Enter a Townsman of Saint Alban's, crying 'A miracle!'

GLOUCESTER

    What means this noise?
    Fellow, what miracle dost thou proclaim?

Townsman

    A miracle! a miracle!

SUFFOLK

    Come to the king and tell him what miracle.

Townsman

    Forsooth, a blind man at Saint Alban's shrine,
    Within this half-hour, hath received his sight;
    A man that ne'er saw in his life before.

KING HENRY VI

    Now, God be praised, that to believing souls
    Gives light in darkness, comfort in despair!

    Enter the Mayor of Saint Alban's and his brethren, bearing SIMPCOX, between two in a chair, SIMPCOX's Wife following

CARDINAL

    Here comes the townsmen on procession,
    To present your highness with the man.

KING HENRY VI

    Great is his comfort in this earthly vale,
    Although by his sight his sin be multiplied.

GLOUCESTER

    Stand by, my masters: bring him near the king;
    His highness' pleasure is to talk with him.

KING HENRY VI

    Good fellow, tell us here the circumstance,
    That we for thee may glorify the Lord.
    What, hast thou been long blind and now restored?

SIMPCOX

    Born blind, an't please your grace.

Wife

    Ay, indeed, was he.

SUFFOLK

    What woman is this?

Wife

    His wife, an't like your worship.

GLOUCESTER

    Hadst thou been his mother, thou couldst have
    better told.

KING HENRY VI

    Where wert thou born?

SIMPCOX

    At Berwick in the north, an't like your grace.

KING HENRY VI

    Poor soul, God's goodness hath been great to thee:
    Let never day nor night unhallow'd pass,
    But still remember what the Lord hath done.

QUEEN MARGARET

    Tell me, good fellow, camest thou here by chance,
    Or of devotion, to this holy shrine?

SIMPCOX

    God knows, of pure devotion; being call'd
    A hundred times and oftener, in my sleep,
    By good Saint Alban; who said, 'Simpcox, come,
    Come, offer at my shrine, and I will help thee.'

Wife

    Most true, forsooth; and many time and oft
    Myself have heard a voice to call him so.

CARDINAL

    What, art thou lame?

SIMPCOX

    Ay, God Almighty help me!

SUFFOLK

    How camest thou so?

SIMPCOX

    A fall off of a tree.

Wife

    A plum-tree, master.

GLOUCESTER

    How long hast thou been blind?

SIMPCOX

    Born so, master.

GLOUCESTER

    What, and wouldst climb a tree?

SIMPCOX

    But that in all my life, when I was a youth.

Wife

    Too true; and bought his climbing very dear.

GLOUCESTER

    Mass, thou lovedst plums well, that wouldst
    venture so.

SIMPCOX

    Alas, good master, my wife desired some damsons,
    And made me climb, with danger of my life.

GLOUCESTER

    A subtle knave! but yet it shall not serve.
    Let me see thine eyes: wink now: now open them:
    In my opinion yet thou seest not well.

SIMPCOX

    Yes, master, clear as day, I thank God and
    Saint Alban.

GLOUCESTER

    Say'st thou me so? What colour is this cloak of?

SIMPCOX

    Red, master; red as blood.

GLOUCESTER

    Why, that's well said. What colour is my gown of?

SIMPCOX

    Black, forsooth: coal-black as jet.

KING HENRY VI

    Why, then, thou know'st what colour jet is of?

SUFFOLK

    And yet, I think, jet did he never see.

GLOUCESTER

    But cloaks and gowns, before this day, a many.

Wife

    Never, before this day, in all his life.

GLOUCESTER

    Tell me, sirrah, what's my name?

SIMPCOX

    Alas, master, I know not.

GLOUCESTER

    What's his name?

SIMPCOX

    I know not.

GLOUCESTER

    Nor his?

SIMPCOX

    No, indeed, master.

GLOUCESTER

    What's thine own name?

SIMPCOX

    Saunder Simpcox, an if it please you, master.

GLOUCESTER

    Then, Saunder, sit there, the lyingest knave in
    Christendom. If thou hadst been born blind, thou
    mightest as well have known all our names as thus to
    name the several colours we do wear. Sight may
    distinguish of colours, but suddenly to nominate them
    all, it is impossible. My lords, Saint Alban here
    hath done a miracle; and would ye not think his
    cunning to be great, that could restore this cripple
    to his legs again?

SIMPCOX

    O master, that you could!

GLOUCESTER

    My masters of Saint Alban's, have you not beadles in
    your town, and things called whips?

Mayor

    Yes, my lord, if it please your grace.

GLOUCESTER

    Then send for one presently.

Mayor

    Sirrah, go fetch the beadle hither straight.

    Exit an Attendant

GLOUCESTER

    Now fetch me a stool hither by and by. Now, sirrah,
    if you mean to save yourself from whipping, leap me
    over this stool and run away.

SIMPCOX

    Alas, master, I am not able to stand alone:
    You go about to torture me in vain.

    Enter a Beadle with whips

GLOUCESTER

    Well, sir, we must have you find your legs. Sirrah
    beadle, whip him till he leap over that same stool.

Beadle

    I will, my lord. Come on, sirrah; off with your
    doublet quickly.

SIMPCOX

    Alas, master, what shall I do? I am not able to stand.

    After the Beadle hath hit him once, he leaps over the stool and runs away; and they follow and cry, 'A miracle!'

KING HENRY VI

    O God, seest Thou this, and bearest so long?

QUEEN MARGARET

    It made me laugh to see the villain run.

GLOUCESTER

    Follow the knave; and take this drab away.

Wife

    Alas, sir, we did it for pure need.

GLOUCESTER

    Let them be whipped through every market-town, till
    they come to Berwick, from whence they came.

    Exeunt Wife, Beadle, Mayor, & c

CARDINAL

    Duke Humphrey has done a miracle to-day.

SUFFOLK

    True; made the lame to leap and fly away.

GLOUCESTER

    But you have done more miracles than I;
    You made in a day, my lord, whole towns to fly.

    Enter BUCKINGHAM

KING HENRY VI

    What tidings with our cousin Buckingham?

BUCKINGHAM

    Such as my heart doth tremble to unfold.
    A sort of naughty persons, lewdly bent,
    Under the countenance and confederacy
    Of Lady Eleanor, the protector's wife,
    The ringleader and head of all this rout,
    Have practised dangerously against your state,
    Dealing with witches and with conjurers:
    Whom we have apprehended in the fact;
    Raising up wicked spirits from under ground,
    Demanding of King Henry's life and death,
    And other of your highness' privy-council;
    As more at large your grace shall understand.

CARDINAL

    [Aside to GLOUCESTER] And so, my lord protector,
    by this means
    Your lady is forthcoming yet at London.
    This news, I think, hath turn'd your weapon's edge;
    'Tis like, my lord, you will not keep your hour.

GLOUCESTER

    Ambitious churchman, leave to afflict my heart:
    Sorrow and grief have vanquish'd all my powers;
    And, vanquish'd as I am, I yield to thee,
    Or to the meanest groom.

KING HENRY VI

    O God, what mischiefs work the wicked ones,
    Heaping confusion on their own heads thereby!

QUEEN MARGARET

    Gloucester, see here the tainture of thy nest.
    And look thyself be faultless, thou wert best.

GLOUCESTER

    Madam, for myself, to heaven I do appeal,
    How I have loved my king and commonweal:
    And, for my wife, I know not how it stands;
    Sorry I am to hear what I have heard:
    Noble she is, but if she have forgot
    Honour and virtue and conversed with such
    As, like to pitch, defile nobility,
    I banish her my bed and company
    And give her as a prey to law and shame,
    That hath dishonour'd Gloucester's honest name.

KING HENRY VI

    Well, for this night we will repose us here:
    To-morrow toward London back again,
    To look into this business thoroughly
    And call these foul offenders to their answers
    And poise the cause in justice' equal scales,
    Whose beam stands sure, whose rightful cause prevails.

    Flourish. Exeunt