War. See, how the blood is fettled in his face.
Oft have I feen a timely parted ghost,
Of afhy femblance, meager, pale, and bloodiefs
Being all defcended to the lab'ring heart,
Who, in the conflict that it holds with death,
Attracts the fame for aidance 'gainst the enemy;
Which with the heart there cools, and ne'er returneth
To blush and beautify the cheek again.

But fee, his face is black and full of blood;
His eye-balls further out, than when he liv'd;
Staring full-ghaftly, like a strangled man ;
His hair up-rear'd, his noftrils ftretch'd with struggling
His hands abroad display'd, as one that grafpt
And tugg'd for life, and was by ftrength fubdu'd.
Look on the fheets; his hair, you fee, is fticking;
His well-proportion'd beard made rough and rugged,
Like to the fummer's corn by tempest lodg'd.
It cannot be, but he was murder'd here;
The leaft of all thefe figns were probable.

Suf. Why, Warwick, who fhould do the Duke to death?

Myfelf and Beauford had him in protection;
And we, I hope, Sirs, are no murderers.

War. But both of you have vow'd Duke Humphry's death,

And you, forfooth, had the good Duke to keep.

8 Oft have I feen a timely parted ghost,

Of afby femblance, meager, pale, and bloodless. All that is true of the body of a dead man is here faid by Warwick of the foul. I would read,

Oft have I feen a timely-parted coarfe,

But of two common words how or why was one changed for the other? I believe the tranfcriber thought that the epithet, timely

parted could not be used of the body, but that, as in Hamlet there

is

mention of peace-parted fouls, fe here timely-parted muft have the fame fubftantive. He removed one imaginary difficulty and made many real. If the foul is parted from the body, the body is likewise parted from the foul.

I cannot but ftop a moment to obferve that this horrible defeription is fearcely the work of any pen but Shakespeare's..

"Tis like, you would not feaft him like a friend; And 'tis well feen, he found an enemy.

Q. Mar. Then you, belike, fufpect these Noblemen, As guilty of Duke Humphry's timeless death.

War. Who finds the heifer dead and bleeding fresh, And fees faft by a butcher with an ax,

But will fufpect, 'twas he that made the flaughter?
Who finds the partridge in the puttock's neft,
But may imagine how the bird was dead,
Although the kite foar with unbloodied beak?
Ev'n fo fufpicious is this tragedy.

Q. Mar. Are you the butcher, Suffolk? where's your knife?

Is Beauford term'd a kite? where are his talons?
Suf. I wear no knife to flaughter fleeping men;
But here's a 'vengeful fword, rufted with ease,
That fhall be fcoured in his ranc'rous heart
That flanders me with murder's crimson badge.
Say, if thou dar'ft, proud Lord of Warwickshire,
That I am faulty in Duke Humphry's death.

War. What dares not Warwick, if false Suffolk dare him?

Q. Mar. He dares not calm his contumelious spirit, Nor cease to be an arrogant controller,

Though Suffolk dare him twenty thousand times.
War. Madam, be ftill. With rev'rence may I fay
For ev'ry word, you speak in his behalf,
Is flander to your royal Dignity.

Suf. Blunt-witted Lord, ignoble in demeanour,
If ever lady wrong'd her Lord fo much,
Thy mother took into her blameful bed
Some ftern untutor'd churl, and noble stock
Was graft with crab-tree flip, whofe fruit thou art;
And never of the Nevil's noble Race.

War. But that the guilt of murder buckler's thee,
And I fhould rob the death's man of his fee,
Quitting thee thereby of ten thousand shames,
And that my Sovereign's prefence makes me mild,
VOL. V.

F

I would,

I would, falfe murd'rous Coward, on thy knee
Make thee beg pardon for thy paffed fpeech,
And fay, it was thy mother that thou meant'ft,
That thou thyfelf waft born in baftardy;
And, after all this fearful homage done,
Give thee thy hire, and fend thy foul to hell,
Pernicious blood-fucker of fleeping men!

Suf. Thou shalt be waking, while I fhed thy blood, If from this prefence thou dar❜ft go with me.

War. Away ev'n now, or I will drag thee hence; Unworthy though thou art, I'll cope with thee; And do fome fervice to Duke Humphry's ghoft.

[Exeunt.

K. Henry. What ftronger breaft-plate than a heart untainted?

Thrice is he arm'd, that hath his quarrel juft;
And he but naked, though lock'd up in fteel,
Whofe confcience with injuftice is corrupted.

Q. Mar. What noise is this?

[A noife within.

Enter Suffolk and Warwick, with their weapons drawn.

K. Henry. Why, how now, Lords? your wrathful weapons drawn

Here in our prefence! dare you be fo bold?

Why, what tumultuous clamour have we here?
Suf. The trait'rous Warwick with the men of Bury
Set all upon me, mighty Sovereign.

Noife of a crowd within. Enter Salisbury.

Sel. Sirs, ftand apart; the King fhall know your mind.

-Dread Lord, the Commons fend you word by me, Unkets Lord Suffolk ftrait be done to death,

Сг

Or banished fair England's territories;

They will by violence tear him from your Palace,
And torture him with grievous lingring death.
They fay, by him the good Duke Humphry died;
They fay, in him they fear your Highness' death;
And mere infting of love and loyalty,
Free from a ftubborn oppofite intent,

As being thought to contradict your liking,
Makes them thus forward in his Banishment.
They fay, in care of your moft royal person,
That if your Highness fhould intend to fleep,
And charge that no man should disturb your reft,
In pain of your diflike, or pain of death,
Yet, notwithstanding fuch a strait edict,
Were there a ferpent feen with forked tongue,
That flily glided tow'rds your Majefty,
It were but neceffary you were wak'd;
Left, being fuffer'd in that harmful flumber,
The mortal worm might make the fleep eternal.
And therefore do they cry, though you forbid,
That they will guard you whether you will or no
From fuch fell ferpents as falfe Suffolk is,
With whofe invenomed and fatal fting
Your loving Uncle, twenty times his worth,
They fay, is fhamefully bereft of life.

Commons within. An anfwer from the King, my
Lord of Salisbury.

Suf. 'Tis like, the Commons, rude unpolish'd hinds, Could send fuch meffage to their Sovereign; But you, my Lord, were glad to be employ'd, To fhew how queint an orator you are. But all the honour Salisbury hath won,

Is, that he was the Lord Ambassador

Sent from a fort of tinkers to the King.

Within. An answer from the King, or we will all

break in.

A fort, is a company.
F 2

K. Heny.

K. Henry. Go, Salisbury, and tell them all from me,
I thank them for their tender loving care;
And had I not been cited fo by them,
Yet did I purpose as they do entreat;
For, fure, my thoughts do hourly prophefy
Mifchance unto my State by Suffolk's means.
And therefore by his Majefty I fwear,
Whose far unworthy Deputy I am,

He fhall not breathe infection in this air
But three days longer, on the pain of death.

Q. Mar. Oh Henry let me plead for gentle Suffolk.
K. Henry, Ungentle Queen, to call him gentle Suffolk.
No more, I fay. If thou doft plead for him,
Thou wilt but add increase unto my wrath.
Had I but faid, I would have kept my word;
But, when I fwear, it is irrevocable.

-If after three days space thou here be'st found,
On any ground that I am ruler of,

The world shall not be ransom for thy life.

-Come Warwick; come, good Warwick; go with me; I have great matters to impart to thee.

[Exeunt K. Henry, Warwick, &c.

SCENE VIII.

Manent Suffolk, and Queen.

Q. Mar. Mifchance and Sorrow go along with you! Heart's Difcontent and four Affliction

Be play-fellows to keep you company!

There's two of you, the devil make a third,
And threefold vengeance tend upon your steps!
Suf. Ceafe, gentle Queen, these execrations;

And let thy Suffolk take his heavy leave.

Q. Mar. Fy, coward woman, and foft-hearted. wretch,

Haft thou not fpirit to curfe thine enemy?

Suf. A plague upon them! Wherefore fhould I curfe

them?

Would