A man that ne’er saw in his life before.

KING HENRY

Now God be praised, that to believing souls

Gives light in darkness, comfort in despair!

Enter the Mayor and aldermen of Saint Albans, with music, bearing the man, Simpcox, between two in a chair. Enter Simpcox’s Wife ⌈and other townsmeni with them

CARDINAL BEAUFORT

Here comes the townsmen on procession

To present your highness with the man.

⌈The townsmen kneel⌉

KING HENRY

Great is his comfort in this earthly vale,

Although by sight his sin be multiplied.

GLOUCESTER (to the townsmen)

Stand by, my masters, bring him near the King.

His highness’ pleasure is to talk with him.

They ⌈ rise and ⌉ bear Simpcox before the King

KING HENRY (to Simpcox)

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.

SIMPCOX’S WIFE

Ay, indeed, was he.

SUFFOLK What woman is this?

SIMPCOX’S WIFE His wife, an’t like your worship.

GLOUCESTER Hadst thou been his mother

Thou couldst have better told.

KING HENRY (to Simpcox) Where wert thou born?

SIMPCOX

At Berwick, in the north, an’t like your grace.

KING 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 MARGARET (to Simpcox)

Tell me, good fellow, cam’st thou here by chance,

Or of devotion to this holy shrine?

SIMPCOX

God knows, of pure devotion, being called

A hundred times and oftener, in my sleep,

By good Saint Alban, who said, ‘Simon, come;

Come offer at my shrine and I will help thee.’

SIMPCOX’S WIFE

Most true, forsooth, and many time and oft

Myself have heard a voice to call him so.

CARDINAL BEAUFORT (to Simpcox)

What, art thou lame ?

SIMPCOX Ay, God almighty help me.

SUFFOLK

How cam’st thou so?

SIMPCOX A fall off of a tree.

SIMPCOX’S WIFE (to Suffolk)

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.

SIMPCOX’S WIFE (to Gloucester)

Too true—and bought his climbing very dear.

GLOUCESTER (to Simpcox)

Mass, thou loved’st 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 ⌈aside⌉

A subtle knave, but yet it shall not serve.

(To Simpcox) 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

Sayst thou me so? (Pointing) What colour is this cloak of?

SIMPCOX

Red, master; red as blood.

GLOUCESTER Why, that’s well said.

(Pointing) And his cloak?

SIMPCOX Why, that’s green.

GLOUCESTER (pointing) And what colour’s

His hose?

SIMPCOX Yellow, master; yellow as gold.

GLOUCESTER

And what colour’s my gown?

SIMPCOX Black, sir; coal-black, as jet.

KING HENRY

Why, then, thou know’st what colour jet is of?

UFFOLK

And yet I think jet did he never see.

GLOUCESTER

But cloaks and gowns before this day, a many.

SIMPCOX’S WIFE

Never before this day in all his life.

GLOUCESTER Tell me, sirrah, what’s my name?

SIMPCOX Alas, master, I know not.

GLOUCESTER (pointing) What’s his name?

SIMPCOX I know not.

GLOUCESTER (pointing) Nor his?

SIMPCOX No, truly, sir.

GLOUCESTER (pointing) Nor his name?

SIMPCOX No indeed, master.

GLOUCESTER What’s thine own name?

SIMPCOX

Simon Simpcox, an it please you, master.

GLOUCESTER

Then, Simon, sit thou there the lying’st knave

In Christendom. If thou hadst been born blind

Thou mightst as well have known our names as thus

To name the several colours we do wear.

Sight may distinguish colours, but suddenly

To nominate them all—it is impossible.

Saint Alban here hath done a miracle.

Would you not think his cunning to be great

That could restore this cripple to his legs again?

SIMPCOX O master, that you could!

GLOUCESTER (to the Mayor and aldermen)

My masters of Saint Albans, have you not

Beadles in your town, and things called whips?

MAYOR

We have, my lord, an if it please your grace.

GLOUCESTER Then send for one presently.

MAYOR (to a townsman)

Sirrah, go fetch the beadle hither straight. Exit one

GLOUCESTER

Bring me a stool.

A stool is brought

(To Simpcox) Now, sirrah, if you mean

To save yourself from whipping, leap me o’er

This stool and run away.

SIMPCOX

Alas, master,

I am not able even to stand alone.

You go about to torture me in vain.

Enter a Beadle with whips

GLOUCESTER

Well, sirrah, we must have you find your legs.

(To the Beadle) Whip him till he leap over that same

stool.

BEADLE I will, my lord.

(To Simpcox) 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. ⌈Some of ⌉the townsmen follow and cry, ‘A miracle ! A miracle !’

KING HENRY

O God, seest thou this and bear’st so long?

QUEEN MARGARET

It made me laugh to see the villain run!

GLOUCESTER ⌈to the Beadlel⌉

Follow the knave, and take this drab away.

SIMPCOX’S WIFE

Alas, sir, we did it for pure need.

⌈Exit the Beadle with the Wife⌉

GLOUCESTER ⌈to the Mayor⌉

Let them be whipped through every market-town 160

Till they come to Berwick, from whence they came.

Exeunt the Mayor ⌈and any remaining townsmen⌉

CARDINAL BEAUFORT

Duke Humphrey has done a miracle today.

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 the Duke of Buckingham

KING HENRY

What tidings with our cousin Buckingham?

BUCKINGHAM

Such as my heart doth tremble to unfold.