Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
|
Enter the Witch Margery Jourdain, the two Priests
Hume and Southwell, and Bolingbroke, a conjurer. HUME Come, my masters. The Duchess, I tell you,
expects performance of your promises. BOLINGBROKE Master Hume, we are therefore provided.
Will her Ladyship behold and hear our
exorcisms? 5 HUME Ay, what else? Fear you not her courage. BOLINGBROKE I have heard her reported to be a
woman of an invincible spirit. But it shall be convenient,
Master Hume, that you be by her aloft
while we be busy below; and so, I pray you, go, in 10
God’s name, and leave us. Hume exits. Mother Jourdain, be you prostrate and grovel on
the earth. She lies face downward. John Southwell,
read you; and let us to our work. Enter Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester,
with Hume, aloft. DUCHESS Well said, my masters, and welcome all. To 15
this gear, the sooner the better. | Over at Gloucester's, Hume brings a witch (Margery Jourdain) and a
conjurer (Bolingbroke) for Eleanor. They all agree she should watch
their work with Hume looking down on the whole thing. Eleanor agrees and
asks them to get on with it. |
BOLINGBROKE
Patience, good lady. Wizards know their times.
Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night,
The time of night when Troy was set on fire,
The time when screech owls cry and bandogs howl, 20
And spirits walk, and ghosts break up their graves—
That time best fits the work we have in hand.
Madam, sit you, and fear not. Whom we raise
We will make fast within a hallowed verge. 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. SPIRIT Adsum. 25 JOURDAIN Asmath,
By the eternal God, whose name and power
Thou tremblest at, answer that I shall ask,
For till thou speak, thou shalt not pass from hence. SPIRIT
Ask what thou wilt. That I had said and done! 30 |
Bolingbroke begins the ceremony by reading a chant. Everyone stands in a circle, and there is thunder and lightning. A spirit enters and says he will answer their questions; Bolingbroke will write down each response. |
BOLINGBROKE, reading from a paper, while Southwell
writes
First of the King: What shall of him become? SPIRIT
The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose,
But him outlive and die a violent death. BOLINGBROKE, reads
What fates await the Duke of Suffolk? SPIRIT
By water shall he die and take his end. 35 BOLINGBROKE reads
What shall befall the Duke of Somerset? SPIRIT Let him shun castles.
Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
Than where castles mounted stand.
Have done, for more I hardly can endure. 40 BOLINGBROKE
Descend to darkness and the burning lake!
False fiend, avoid! Thunder and lightning. Spirit exits, descending. |
First up, Bolingbroke asks about Henry. The spirit says a duke will depose Henry but will die a violent death. Oh, and did he mention that that very duke is already alive? Next question: What's going to happen to Suffolk? Answer: He'll die by water. Final question: What will happen to Somerset? Answer: He should stay away from castles. With that, the spirit calls it quits with the Q&A and heads back into the darkness, with thunder and lightning signaling his departure. |
Enter the Duke of York and the Duke of Buckingham
with their Guard and Sir Humphrey Stafford, and
break in. YORK
Lay hands upon these traitors and their trash. The Guard arrest Margery Jourdain and her
accomplices and seize their papers. To Jourdain. Beldam, I think we watched you at an
inch. 45
To the Duchess, aloft. What, madam, are you
there? The King and commonweal
Are deeply indebted for this piece of pains.
My Lord Protector will, I doubt it not,
See you well guerdoned for these good deserts. 50 DUCHESS
Not half so bad as thine to England’s king,
Injurious duke, that threatest where’s no cause. BUCKINGHAM
True, madam, none at all. What call you this?
He holds up the papers seized.
Away with them! Let them be clapped up close
And kept asunder.—You, madam, shall with us.— 55
Stafford, take her to thee. Stafford exits. We’ll see your trinkets here all forthcoming.
All away! Jourdain, Southwell, and Bolingbroke
exit under guard, below; Duchess and Hume
exit, under guard, aloft. | Just then, York and Buckingham break in and see what's going down. To their (fake) shock and horror, they see dangerous things (witches and conjurers). They arrest everyone, but Eleanor's not worried—she's the Protector's wife, after all, so she'll be protected. Nevertheless, Buckingham orders Eleanor's arrest, and she's taken away. |
YORK
Lord Buckingham, methinks you watched her well.
A pretty plot, well chosen to build upon! 60
Now, pray, my lord, let’s see the devil’s writ.
Buckingham hands him the papers.
What have we here?
(Reads.) The duke yet lives that Henry shall depose,
But him outlive and die a violent death.
Why, this is just Aio te, Aeacida, 65
Romanos vincere posse. Well, to the rest:
(Reads.) Tell me what fate awaits the Duke of
Suffolk?
By water shall he die and take his end.
What shall betide the Duke of Somerset? 70
Let him shun castles;
Safer shall he be upon the sandy plains
Than where castles mounted stand.
Come, come, my lord, these oracles
Are hardly attained and hardly understood. 75
The King is now in progress towards Saint Albans;
With him the husband of this lovely lady.
Thither goes these news as fast as horse can carry
them—
A sorry breakfast for my Lord Protector. 80 BUCKINGHAM
Your Grace shall give me leave, my lord of York,
To be the post, in hope of his reward. YORK At your pleasure, my good lord. Buckingham exits. Who’s within there, ho! Enter a Servingman. Invite my lords of Salisbury and Warwick 85
To sup with me tomorrow night. Away! They exit. | York and Buckingham read what Bolingbroke wrote down. York claims the
oracles are hard to understand. Buckingham goes to tell Henry what just
happened, and York tells a servant to invite Salisbury and Warwick over
to dinner. |