Where's his examination ?

1 Secr. Here, so please you. Wol. Is he in person ready?

1 Secr. Ay, please your grace.

As here at home, suggests the king onr

master

To this last costly treaty, the interview, That swallow'd so much treasure, and like a glass

Did break i'the rinsing.

Nor. 'Faith, and so it did.

Buck. Pray, give me favour, Sir. This conning cardinal

The articles o'the combination drew,
As himself pleas'd; and they were ratified,
As he cried, thus let it be: to as much end,
As give a crutch to the dead: But our count.
cardinal

Has done this, and 'tis well; for worthy Wolsey,

Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows, (Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy

Shall lessen this big look.

[Exeunt WOLSEY, and train. Buck. This butcher's cur is venom-mouth'd, and I

Have not the power to muzzle him; therefore,

beet

Not wake him in his slumber. A beggar's look

Out-worths a noble's blood.

Nor. What, are you chaf'd ?

peror,

Under pretence to see the queen his annt, (For 'twas, indeed, his colour; but he came To whisper Wolsey,) here makes visitation: His fears were, that the interview betwixt England and France might through their amity, Breed him some prejudice: for from this league

Peep'd barms that menac'd him: be privily Deals with our cardinal; and as I trow,Which I do weil; for I am sure, the emperor

only,

Which your disease requires.

Buck. I read in his looks

Matter against me: and his eye revil'd

Me, as his abject object at this instant

Ere it was ask'd;-but when the way was

granted, made,

And pav'd with gold, the emperor thus desir'd ;

And break the aforesaid peace. Let the king

know,

(As soon he shall by me,) that thus the car.

dinal

Does buy and sell his honour as he pleases, And for his own advantage.

Nor. I am sorry

To hear this of him; and could wish he were Something mistaken in't.

Buck. No, not a syllable;

I do pronounce him in that very shape,
He shall appear in proof.

Enter BRANDON; a SERGEANT at Arms ba
fore him, and two or three of the guard.
Bran. Your office, sergeant; execute it.
Serg. Sir.

My lord the duke of Buckingham, and earl
Of Hereford, Stafford, and Northampton, I
Arrest thee of high treason, in the name
Of our most sovereign king.

Buck. Lo you, my lord,

The net has fallen upon nie; I shall perish
Under device and practice.t

Bran. Here is a warrant from

Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger

Of the duke's confessor, John de la Court, One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor,

Buck. So, so;

These

Bran. A monk o'the Chartreux. Buck. O Nicholas Hopkins?

Bran. He.

Buck. My surveyor is false; the o'er-great cardinal

Hath show'd him gold; my life is spann'd already;

I am the shadow of poor Buckingham;
Whose figure even this instant clouds put on,
By dark'ning my clear sun.-My lord, farewell.
[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The Council Chamber. Cornets. Enter Kisg HENRY, Cardinal WOLSEY, the Lords of the Council, Sir THOMAS LOVELL, Officers, und Attendants. The KING enters, leaning on the CARDINAL'S shoulder.

K. Hen. My life itself, and the best heart of it,

Thanks you for this great care: I stood i'the

level

Of a full-charg'd confederacy, and give thanks
To you that chok'd it.-Let be call'd before us
That gentleman of Buckingham's: in person
I'll hear him his confessions justify;

And point by point the treasons of his master
He shall again relate.

The KING takes his state. The Lords of the
Council take their several places. The
CARDINAL places himself under the KING's
feet on his right side.

A noise within, crying, Room for the Queen. Enter the QUEEN, ushered by the Dukes of NORFOLK and SUFFOLK: she kneels. The KING riseth from his state, takes her up, kisses and places her by him.

Q. Kath Nay, we must longer kneel; I am

suitor.

a

K. Hen. Arise, and take place by us :-Half your suit

Never name to us; you have half our power: The other moiety, ere you ask is given;

Repeat your will, and take it.

Q. Kath. Thank your majesty.

Most pestilent to the hearing; and, to bear them,

The back is sacrifice to the load. They say,
They are devis'd by you; or else you suffer
Too hard an exclamation.

K. Hen. Still exaction!

The nature of it? In what kind, let's know
Is this exaction?

Q. Kath. I am much too venturous

In tempting of your patience; but am bolden'd Under your promis'd pardon. The subject's grief

Comes through commissions, which compel from each

The sixth part of his substance, to be levied
Without delay; and the pretence for this,
Is nam'd your wars in France: This makes bold
mouths:
Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts
freeze

Allegiance in them; their curses uow,
Live where their prayers did; and it's come to

pass,

To each incensed will. I would, your highness
Would give it quick consideration, for
There is no primer business.

That tractable obedience is a slave

K. Hen. By my life,
This is against our pleasure.
Wol. And for me,

I have no farther gone in this, than by

Not unconsider'd leave your honour, nor

The dignity of your office, is the point

Of my petition.

K. Hen, Lady mine!-proceed. K. Kath. I am solicited, not by a few, And those of true condition, that your

jects

Are in great grievance: there hath been commissions

Sent down among them which have flaw'd the

heart

Of all their loyalties:-wherein, although,
My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches
Most bitterly on you, as putter-on

Of these exactions, yet the king our master,
(Whose honour heaven shield from soil! even
he escapes not

Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks
The sides of loyalty, and almost appears
In loud rebellion.

Nor. Not almost appears.

It doth appear; for, upon these taxations,
The clothiers all, not able to maintain
The many to them 'longing, have put off
The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who,

brake +

That virtue must go through. We must not stint +

Our necessary actions, in the fear

To cope malicious censures; which ever,
As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow
That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
By sick interpreters, once || weak ones, is
Not our's, or not allow'd;¶ what worst, as oft,
Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up
For our best act. If we shall stand still,

In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd

As he made semblance of his duty, would
Have put his knife into him.

K. Hen. A giant traitor!

Wol. Now, madam, may his highness live in

freedom,

And this man out of prison?
Q. Kath. God mend all!

K. Hen. There's something more would out of thee; What say'st?

Surv. After the duke his father, with the knife,

He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his dagger,

Another spread on his breast, mounting his eyes,
He did discharge a horrible oath; whose tenour
Was, Were he evil us'd, he would outgo
His father, by as much as a performance
Does an irresolute purpose.

K. Hen. There's his period,

To sheath his knife in us. He is attach'd ;
Call him to present trial: if he may
Find mercy in the law, 'tis his; if none,
Let him not seek't of us: By day and night,
He's traitor to the height.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-A Room in the Palace. Enter the Lord CHAMBERLAIN, and Lord

SANDS.

Cham. Is it possible, the spells of France should juggle

Men into such strange mysteries ?
Sands. New customs,

Though they be never so ridiculous,

Nay, let them be unmanly, yet are follow'd.
Cham. As far as I see, all the good our
English

Have got by the late voyage, is but merely
A fit

or two o'the face; but they are shrewd
ones;

For when they hold them, you would swear directly,

Their very noses had been counsellors
To Pepin, or Clotharius, they keep state so.
Sands. They have all new legs, and lame
ones; one would take it,

That never saw them pace before, the spavin,
A springbalt + reign'd among them.

Cham. Death! my lord,

Their clothes are after such a pagan cut too, That, sure, they have worn out Christendom. How now?

What news, Sir Thomas Lovell?

Enter Sir THOMAS LOVELL.

Lov. 'Faith, my lord,

I hear of none but the new proclamation
That's clapp'd upon the court-gate.

Cham. What is't for?

They may, cum privilegio, wear away
The lag end of their lewdness, and be laugh'

at.

Sands. 'Tis time to give them physic, their Are grown so catching. [diseases

Cham. What a loss our ladies Will have of these trim vanities! Lov. Ay, marry,

There will be woe indeed, lords; the sly whore

sons

Have got a speeding trick to lay down ladies;
A French song, and a fiddle, has no fellow.
Sands. The devil fiddle them! I am glad
they're going;

(For, sure, there's no converting of them ;)

now

An honest country lord, as I am, beaten

A long time out of play, may bring his plain

song,

And have an hour of hearing; and, by'r-lady,
Held current music too.

Cham. Well said, lord Sands;
Your colt's tooth is not cast yet.

Sands, No, my lord;

Nor shall not, while I have a stump.
Cham, Sir Thomas,

Whither were you a-going?

Lov. To the cardinal's ;
Your lordship is a guest too.
Cham. Oh! 'tis true;

This night he makes a supper, and a great one,
To many lords and ladies; there will be
The beauty of this kingdom, I'll assure you.
Lov. That ohurchman bears a bounteous mind
indeed,

A hand as fruitful as the land that feeds us :
His dews fall every where.

Cham. No doubt, he's noble ;

He had a black mouth that said other of him. Sands. He may, my lord, he has wherewithal; in him,

Sparing would show a worse sin than ill doctrine :

Men of his way should be most liberal,
They are set here for examples.

Cham. True, they are so ;

But few now give so great ones. My barge stays; t

Your lordship shall along :-Come, good Sir Thomas,

We shall be late else, which I would not be. For I was spoke to, with Sir Henry Guildford, This night to be comptrollers.

Sands. I am your lordship's.

[Exeunt,

SCENE IV.-The Presence-Chamber in York

Place.

Hautboys. A small table under a state for the CARDINAL, a longer table for the guests. Enter at one door ANNE BULLEN, and divers Lords, Ladies, and Gentlewomen, as guests; at another door, enter Sir HENRY GUILDFORD.

Guild. Ladies, a general welcome from his grace

Salutes ye all: This night he dedicates
To fair content and you: none here, he hopes,
In all this noble bevy, has brought with ber
One care abroad; he would have all as merry
As first-good, company, good wine, good wel-

come

Can make good people, my lord, you are tardy ;

Enter Lord CHAMBERLAIN, Lord SANDS, and
Sir THOMAS LOVELL.
The very thought of this fair company
Clapp'd wings to me.

Cham. You are young, Sir Harry Guildford.

With authority.

The speaker is at Bridewell, and the Cardinal's house was at Whitehall. ↑ Company.

AF

Sands. Sir Thomas Lovell, had the cardinal But half my lay-thoughts in him, some of these Should find a running banquet, ere they rested, I think would better please them: By my life, They are a sweet society of fair ones.

Lov. Oh! that your lordship were but now confessor

To one or two of these!

Sands. I would I were ; They should find easy penance.

Lov. 'Faith, how easy?

Sands. As easy as a down-bed would afford it. Cham. Sweet ladies, will it please you sit ? Sir Harry,

Place you that side, I'll take the charge of this: His grace is ent'ring.-Nay, you must not freeze;

Two women plac'd together makes cold weather: My lord Sands, you are one will keep them waking;

Pray, sit between these ladies.

Sands. By my faith,

And thank your lordship.-By your leave, sweet ladies :

[Seats himself between ANNE BULLEN and
another Lady.

If I chance to talk a little wild, forgive me;
I had it from my father.

Anne. Was he mad, Sir?

Sands. Oh! very mad, exceeding mad, in love

too :

But he would bite none; just as I do now, He would kiss you twenty with a breath.

Cham. Well said, my lord.

[Kisses her.

So, now you are fairly seated:-Gentlemen, The penance lies on you, if these fair ladies Pass away frowning.

Sands. For my little cure, Let me alone.

anon.

[Drum and trumpets within: Chambers | discharged.

Wol. What's that?

Cham. Look out there, some of you.

Wol. What warlike voice?

For so they seem: they have left their barge, and landed;

And hither make, as great ambassadors
From foreign princes.

Wol. Good lord chamberlain,

Go, give them welcome, you can speak the French tongue;

And pray receive them nobly, and conduct them

Into our presence, where this heaven of beauty Shall shine at full upon them :-Some attend him.

[Exit CHAMBERLAIN, attended. All arise, and Tables removed.

You

have now a broken banquet; but we'll mend it.

A good digestion to you all: and, once more, I shower a welcome on you;-Welcome all. Hantboys. Enter the KING, and twelve others, as Maskers, habited like Shepherds, with sixteen Torch-bearers; uskéred by the Lord CHAMBERLAIN. They pass di rectly before the Cardinal, and gracefully salute him.

A noble company! what are their pleasures? Cham. Because they speak no English, thus they pray'd

To tell your grace ;-That, having heard by fame

Of this so noble and so fair assembly
This night to meet here, they could do no
less,
Out of the great respect they bear to beauty,
But leave their flocks; and, under your fair con-

duct,

Crave leave to view these ladies, and entreat
An hour of revels with them.

Wol. Say, lord chamberlain,

They have done my poor house grace; for which I pay them

A thousand thanks, and pray them take their pleasures.

[Ladies chosen for the dance. The KING chooses ANNE BULLEN.

K. Hen. The fairest hand I ever touch'd! O

More worthy this place than myself; to whom,
If I but knew him, with my love and duty
I would surrender it.

Cham. I will, my lord.

[CHAM. goes to the company and returns. Wol. What say they?

Cham. Such a one, they all confess,

There is, indeed; which they would have your

grace

Find out and he will take it. •

Wol. Let me see then.

[Comes from his state. By all your good leaves, gentlemen;-Here I'll make

My royal choice.