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: