Shakespeare Portal

Act 1, Scene 4

Gloster's Garden

  1. [Enter MARGERY JOURDAIN, HUME, SOUTHWELL, and BOLINGBROKE.]
  2. John Hume
  3. 585 Come, my masters; the duchess, I tell you, expects
  4. 586 performance of your promises.
  5. Roger Bolingbroke
  6. 587 Master Hume, we are therefore provided;
  7. 588 will her ladyship behold and hear our exorcisms?
  8. John Hume
  9. 589 Ay, what else? fear you not her courage.
  10. Roger Bolingbroke
  11. 590 I have heard her reported to be a woman of an invincible spirit:
  12. 591 but it shall be convenient, Master Hume, that you be by her
  13. 592 aloft while we be busy below; and so, I pray you go, in God's
  14. 593 name, and leave us.—
  15. [Exit Hume.]
  16. Roger Bolingbroke
  17. 594 Mother Jourdain, be you
  18. 595 prostrate and grovel on the earth.—John Southwell, read you; and
  19. 596 let us to our work.
  20. [Enter DUCHESS aloft, HUME following.]
  21. Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester
  22. 597 Well said, my masters; and welcome all. To this gear
  23. 598 the sooner the better.
  24. Roger Bolingbroke
  25. 599 Patience, good lady, wizards know their times:
  26. 600 Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night,
  27. 601 The time of night when Troy was set on fire,
  28. 602 The time when screech-owls cry and ban-dogs howl
  29. 603 And spirits walk and ghosts break up their graves,
  30. 604 That time best fits the work we have in hand.
  31. 605 Madam, sit you and fear not; whom we raise,
  32. 606 We will make fast within a hallow'd verge.
  33. [Here they do the ceremonies belonging, and make the circle; Bolingbroke or Southwell reads, Conjuro te, etc. It thunders and lightens terribly; then the Spirit riseth.]
  34. Spirit (Asnath)
  35. 607 Adsum.
  36. Margery Jourdain
  37. 608 Asmath,
  38. 609 By the eternal God, whose name and power
  39. 610 Thou tremblest at, answer that I shall ask;
  40. 611 For till thou speak thou shalt not pass from hence.
  41. Spirit (Asnath)
  42. 612 Ask what thou wilt. That I had said and done!
  43. [Reads]
  44. Roger Bolingbroke
  45. 613 'First of the king: what shall
  46. 614 of him become?'
  47. Spirit (Asnath)
  48. 615 The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose,
  49. 616 But him outlive and die a violent death.
  50. [As the Spirit speaks, Southwell writes the answer.]
  51. Roger Bolingbroke
  52. 617 'What fates await the Duke of Suffolk?'
  53. Spirit (Asnath)
  54. 618 By water shall he die and take his end.
  55. [Reads]
  56. Roger Bolingbroke
  57. 619 'What shall befall the Duke of Somerset?'
  58. Spirit (Asnath)
  59. 620 Let him shun castles;
  60. 621 Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
  61. 622 Than where castles mounted stand.
  62. 623 Have done, for more I hardly can endure.
  63. Roger Bolingbroke
  64. 624 Descend to darkness and the burning lake!
  65. 625 False fiend, avoid!
  66. [Thunder and lightning. Exit Spirit.]
  67. [Enter the DUKE OF YORK and the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM with their Guard and break in YORK.]
  68. Roger Bolingbroke
  69. 626 Lay hands upon these traitors and their trash.—
  70. 627 Beldam, I think we watch'd you at an inch.
  71. 628 What, madam, are you there? the king and commonweal
  72. 629 Are deeply indebted for this piece of pains;
  73. 630 My lord protector will, I doubt it not,
  74. 631 See you well guerdon'd for these good deserts.
  75. Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester
  76. 632 Not half so bad as thine to England's king,
  77. 633 Injurious duke, that threatest where's no cause.
  78. Duke of Buckingham
  79. 634 True, madam, none at all; what call you this?—
  80. 635 Away with them! let them be clapp'd up close,
  81. 636 And kept asunder.—You, madam, shall with us.—
  82. 637 Stafford, take her to thee.—
  83. [Exeunt above, Duchess and Hume, guarded.]
  84. Duke of Buckingham
  85. 638 We'll see your trinkets here all forthcoming.—
  86. 639 All, away!
  87. [Exeunt guard with Jourdain, Southwell, etc.]
  88. Richard, Duke of York
  89. 640 Lord Buckingham, methinks you watch'd her well;
  90. 641 A pretty plot, well chosen to build upon!
  91. 642 Now, pray, my lord, let's see the devil's writ.
  92. 643 What have we here?
  93. [Reads]
  94. Richard, Duke of York
  95. 644 'The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose.
  96. 645 But him outlive and die a violent death.'
  97. 646 Why, this is just
  98. 647 'Aio te, Aeacida, Romanos vincere posse.'
  99. 648 Well, to the rest:
  100. 649 'Tell me what fate awaits the Duke of Suffolk?
  101. 650 By water shall he die and take his end.
  102. 651 What shall betide the Duke of Somerset?
  103. 652 Let him shun castles;
  104. 653 Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
  105. 654 Than where castles mounted stand.'—
  106. 655 Come, come, my lords;
  107. 656 These oracles are hardly attain'd,
  108. 657 And hardly understood.
  109. 658 The king is now in progress towards Saint Alban's,
  110. 659 With him the husband of this lovely lady.
  111. 660 Thither go these news, as fast as horse can carry them;
  112. 661 A sorry breakfast for my lord protector.
  113. Duke of Buckingham
  114. 662 Your Grace shall give me leave, my
  115. 663 Lord of York,
  116. 664 To be the post, in hope of his reward.
  117. Richard, Duke of York
  118. 665 At your pleasure, my good lord.—
  119. 666 Who's within there, ho!
  120. [Enter a Servingman.]
  121. Richard, Duke of York
  122. 667 Invite my Lords of Salisbury and Warwick
  123. 668 To sup with me to-morrow night. Away!
  124. [Exeunt.]