A man, that ne'er faw in his life before.

K. HEN. Now, God be prais'd! that to believing fouls

Gives light in darkness, comfort in despair!

Enter the Mayor of Saint Albans, and his brethren; and SIMPCOX, borne between two perfons in a chair; his wife and a great multitude following.

*CAR. Here come the townfmen on proceffion, *To prefent your highness with the man.

K. HEN. Great is his comfort in this earthly vale,

Although by his fight his fin be multiply'd. GLO. Stand by, my masters, bring him near the king,

* His highnefs' pleasure is to talk with him. *K. HEN. Good fellow, tell us here the circumftance,

* That we for thee may glorify the Lord. What, haft thou been long blind, and now reftor'd? SIMP. Born blind, an't please your grace.

WIFE. Ay, indeed, was he.

SUF. What woman is this?

WIFE. His wife, an't like your worship.

GLO. Had'ft thou been his mother, thou could'ft have better told.

K. HEN. Where wert thou born?

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

K. HEN. Poor foul! God's goodness hath beer great to thee:

Let never day nor night unhallow'd pafs,

But ftill remember what the Lord hath done.

Q. MAR. Tell me, good fellow, cam'st thou here by chance,

* Or of devotion, to this holy fhrine?

SIMP. God knows, of pure devotion; being call'd

A hundred times, and oftner, in my fleep

9

By good faint Alban; who said,-Simpcox, come; Come, offer at my fhrine, and I will help thee.

* WIFE. Moft true, forfooth; and many time and oft

* Myself have heard a voice to call him fo.

CAR. What, art thou lame?

SIMP. But that in all my life, when I was a youth.. * WIFE. Too true; and bought his climbing very dear.

* GLO. 'Mafs, thou lov'dft plums well, that would'ft venture fo.

who faid,-Simpcox, &c.] The former copies:
who faid, Simon, come;

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

Why Simon? The chronicles, that take notice of Glofter's de teding this pretended miracle, tell us, that the impoftor, who asferted himself to be cured of blindness, was called Saunder Simpeox--Simon was therefore a corruption. THEOBALD. It would feem better to read Simpcox; for which Sim, has in all probability been put by contra&ion in the player's MS.

RITSON.

SIMP. Alas, good mafter, my wife defir'd some damfons,

And made me climb, with danger of my life. *GLO. A fubtle knave! but yet it fhall not ferve.-

Let me fee thine eyes:-wink now;-now open them:

In my opinion, yet thou see'ft not well.

SIMP. Yes, mafter, clear as day; I thank God, and faint Alban.

GLO. Say't thou me fo? What colour is this cloak of?

SIMP. Red, mafter; red as blood.

GLO. Why, that's well faid: ́what colour is my gown of?

SIMP. Black, forfooth; coal-black, as jet.

K. HEN. Why then, thou know'ft what colour jet is of?

SUF. And yet, I think, jet did he never see.
GLO. But cloaks, and gowns, before this day, a

many.

* WIFE. Never, before this day, in all his life. GLO. Tell me, firrah, what's my name?

SIMP. Alas, master, I know not.

GLO. What's his name?

SIMP. I know not.

GLO. Nor his ?.

SIMP. No, indeed, mafter.

GLO. What's thine own name?

SIMP. Saunder Simpcox, an if it please you, mafter.

GLO. Then Saunder, fit thou there,' the lying'ft

knave

In Christendom. If thou hadst been born blind, Thou might'ft as well have known our names, as

thus

8

To name the feveral colours we do wear.
Sight may diftinguifh of colours; but fuddenly
To nominate them all, 's impoffible. 9—
My lords, faint Alban here hath done a miracle;
And would ye not think that cunning to be great,
That could reftore this cripple to his legs again?
SIMP. O, mafter, that you could!

2

GLO. My mafters of Saint Albans, have you not beadles in your town, and things call'd whips? MAY. Yes, my lord, if it please your grace. GLO. Then fend for one prefently.

MAY. Sirrah, go fetch the beadle hither straight. [Exit an Attendant.

GLO. Now fetch me a ftool hither by and by. [A ftool brought out.] Now, firrah, if you mean to fave yourself from whipping, leap me over this ftool, and run away.

SIMP. Alas, mafter, I am not able to ftand alone: You go about to torture me in vain.

Re-enter Attendant, with the Beadle.

GLO. Well, fir, we must have you find your legs.

7 -fit thou there,] I have supplied the pronoun-thou, for the fake of metre. STEEVENS.

8 —— our names, ] Old copy, redundantly—all our names.

9 To nominate them all, 's impoffible. —] Old copy—

it is impoffible. STEEVENS.

that cunning-] Folio- it cunning.

STEEVENS.

Corrected by Mr.

Rowe. That was probably contracted in the Mf. yt. MALONE.

4

Sirrah beadle, whip him till he leap over that same ftool.

BEAD. I will my lord. Come on, firrah; off with your doublet quickly.

SIMP. Alas, mafter, what fhall I do? I am not able to ftand.

After the Beadle hath hit him once, he leaps over the fool, and runs away; and the people follow, and cry, A Miracle!

* K. HEN. O God, fee'st thou this, and bear'st fo long?

*

Q. MAR. It made me laugh, to see the villain

run.

GLO. Follow the knave; and take this drab

away.

* WIFE. Alas, fir, we did it for pure need. GLO. Let them be whipped through every market town till they come to Berwick, whence they came, Exeunt Mayor, Beadle, Wife, &c.

⚫ CAR. Duke Humphrey has done a miracle to

day.

SUF. True; made the lame to leap, and fly

away.

'GLO. But you have done more miracles than I; 'You made, in a day, my lord, whole towns to fly.

Enter BUCKINGHAM.

K. HEN. What tidings with our coufin Buckingham?

whole towns to fly. ] Here in the old play the king addse "Have done, I fay; and let me hear no more of that."

STEEVENS.