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King Henry VI； Part 2
an if thou dar'st； This evening on the east side of the grove。 KING HENRY。
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 advis'd？ The
east side of the grove？ GLOUCESTER。 ＇Aside to CARDINAL＇ Cardinal；
I am with you。 KING HENRY。 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。
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 Albans； 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 Albans shrine Within this half hour hath receiv'd his sight； A man
that ne'er saw in his life before。 KING HENRY。 Now God be prais'd that
to believing souls Gives light in darkness； comfort in despair！
Enter the MAYOR OF SAINT ALBANS and his brethren； bearing
Simpcox between two in a chair； his WIFE and a multitude following
CARDINAL。 Here comes the townsmen on procession To present
your Highness with the man。 KING HENRY。 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。 Good fellow； tell us here the
circumstance； That we for thee may glorify the Lord。 What； hast thou been
long blind and now restor'd？ 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。 Where wert thou
born？ SIMPCOX。 At Berwick in the north； an't like your Grace。 KING
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King Henry VI； Part 2
HENRY。 Poor soul； God's goodness hath been great to thee。 Let never day
nor night unhallowed pass； But still remember what the Lord hath done。
QUEEN。 Tell me； good fellow； cam'st thou here by chance； Or of devotion；
to this holy shrine？ SIMPCOX。 God knows； of pure devotion； being call'd
A hundred times and oft'ner； 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 cam'st thou so？ SIMPCOX。 A fall off
of a tree。 WIFE。 A plum tree； master。 GLOUCESTER。 How long hast thou
been blind？ SIMPCOX。 O； 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 lov'dst plums well； that wouldst venture so。
SIMPCOX。 Alas； good master； my wife desir'd 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。 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
lying'st knave in Christendom。 If thou hadst been born blind； thou mightst
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
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King Henry VI； Part 2
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 Albans； have you not beadles in your town； and things
call'd 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。 ＇A stool brought＇ 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。 O God； seest Thou this； and bearest so long？ QUEEN。
It made me laugh to see the villain run。 GLOUCESTER。 Follow the knave；
and take this drab away。 WIFE。 Ala