SCENE I. Saint Alban's. The Second part of King Henry the Sixth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VI, part 2  | Act 2, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  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. 



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