William Shakespeare's Second Part of King Henry the Sixth in the complete original text.
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Second Part of King Henry the Sixth

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Act I. Scene II.

Scene II.—The Same. A Room in the DUKE
OF GLOUCESTER'S House,

Enter GLOUCESTER and his DUCHESS.

Duch. Why droops my lord, like over-ripen'd
corn
Hanging the head at Ceres' plenteous load?
Why doth the great Duke Humphrey knit his
brows,
As frowning at the favours of the world?
Why are thine eyes fixed to the sullen earth,
Gazing on that which seems to dim thy sight?
What seest thou there? King Henry's diadem
Enchas'd with all the honours of the world?
If so, gaze on, and grovel on thy face,
Until thy head be circled with the same.
Put forth thy hand, reach at the glorious gold:
What! is't too short? I'll lengthen it with
mine;
And having both together heav'd it up,
We'll both together lift our heads to heaven,
And never more abase our sight so low
As to vouchsafe one glance unto the ground.
Glo. O Nell, sweet Nell, if thou dost love thy
lord,
Banish the canker of ambitious thoughts:
And may that thought, when I imagine ill
Against my king and nephew, virtuous Henry,
Be my last breathing in this mortal world.
My troublous dream this night doth make me sad.
Duch. What dream'd my lord? tell me, and
I'll requite it
With sweet rehearsal of my morning's dream.
Glo. Methought this staff, mine office-badge
in court,
Was broke in twain; by whom I have forgot,
But, as I think, it was by the cardinal;
And on the pieces of the broken wand
Were plac'd the heads of Edmund Duke of
Somerset,
And William De la Pole, first Duke of Suffolk.
This was my dream: what it doth bode, God
knows.
Duch. Tut! this was nothing but an argu-
ment
That he that breaks a stick of Gloucester's grove
Shall lose his head for his presumption.
But list to me, my Humphrey, my sweet duke:
Methought I sat in seat of majesty
In the cathedral church of Westminster,
And in that chair where kings and queens are
crown'd;
Where Henry and Dame Margaret, kneel'd to
me,
And on my head did set the diadem.
Glo. Nay, Eleanor, then must I chide out-
right:
Presumptuous dame! ill-nurtur'd Eleanor!
Art thou not second woman in the realm,
And the protector's wife, belov'd of him?
Hast thou not worldly pleasure at command,
Above the reach or compass of thy thought?
And wilt thou still be hammering treachery,
To tumble down thy husband and thyself
From top of honour to disgrace's feet?
Away from me, and let me hear no more.
Duch. What, what, my lord! are you so
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 a Messenger.
Mess. My Lord Protector, 'tis his highness'
pleasure
You do prepare to ride unto Saint Alban's,
Whereas the king and queen do mean to hawk.
Glo. I go. Come, Nell, thou wilt ride with
us?
Duch. Yes, my good lord, I'll follow pre-
sently.
[Exeunt GLOUCESTER and Messenger.
Follow I must; I cannot go before,
While Gloucester bears this base and humble
mind.
Were I a man, a duke, and next of blood,
I would remove these tedious stumbling-blocks
And smooth my way upon their headless necks;
And, being a woman, I will not be slack
To play my part in Fortune's pageant.
Where are you there? Sir John! nay, fear not,
man,
We are alone; here's none but thee and I.

Enter HUME.
Hume. Jesus preserve your royal majesty!
Duch. What sayst thou? majesty! I am but
Grace.
Hume. But, by the grace of God, and Hume's
advice,
Your Grace's title shall be multiplied.
Duch. What sayst thou, man? hast thou as
yet conferr'd
With Margery Jourdain, the cunning witch,
With Roger Bolingbroke, the conjurer?
And will they undertake to do me good?
Hume. This they have promised, to show
your highness
A spirit rais'd from depth of under ground,
That shall make answer to such questions
As by your Grace shall be propounded him.
Duch. It is enough: I'll think upon the
questions.
When from Saint Alban's we do make return
We'll see these things effected to the full
Here, Hume, take this reward; make merry, man,
With thy confed'rates in this weighty cause.
[Exit.
Hume. Hume must make merry with the
duchess' gold;
Marry and shall. But how now. Sir John
Hume!
Seal up your lips, and give no words but mum:
The business asketh silent secrecy.
Dame Eleanor gives gold to bring the witch;
Gold cannot come amiss, were she a devil.
Yet have I gold flies from another coast:
I dare not say from the rich cardinal
And from the great and new-made Duke of
Suffolk;
Yet I do find it so: for, to be plain,
They, knowing Dame Eleanor's aspiring hu-
mour,
Have hired me to undermine the duchess
And buzz these conjurations in her brain.
They say, 'A crafty knave does need no broker;'
Yet am I Suffolk 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, so it stands; and thus, I fear, at last
Hume's knavery will be the duchess' wrack,
And her attainture will be Humphrey's fall.
Sort how it will I shall have gold for all. [Exit.
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