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

K. Hen. My life itself, and the best heart of
it,
[level
Thanks you for this great care: I stood i'the
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 CARDI-
NAL 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, kiss-
es, and placeth her by him.'

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

-Half

K. Hen. Arise, and take place by us :-)
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.

That you would love yourself; and, in that love,
Not unconsider'd leave your honour, nor
The dignity of your office, is the point
Of my petition.

K. Hen. Lady, mine!-proceed.

missions

Q. Kath. I am solicited, not by a few,
And those of true condition, that your subjects
Are in great grievance: there hath been com-
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,
Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger
And lack of other means, in desperate manner
Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar,
And danger serves among them.

K. Hen. Taxation!

[nal,

Wherein? and what taxation?-My lord cardi-
You that are blam'd for it alike with us,
Know you of this taxation?

Wol. Please you, Sir,

I know but of a single part, in aught
Pertains to the state; and front but in that filet
Where others tell steps with me.

Q. Kath. No, my lord,

You know no more than others: but you frame
Things, that are known alike; which are not
wholesome
To those which would not know them, and yet
[must

Chair. I am only one among the other counsellors.

601 Perforce be their acquaintance. These exacWhereof my sovereign would have note, they tions, Most pestilent to the hearing; and, to bear

them,

[are

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:
[freeze
Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts
Allegiance in them; their curses now,
Live where their prayers did; and it's come

to pass,

That tractable obedience is a slave
To each incensed will. I would, your highnes
Would give it quick consideration, for
There is no primer business.

K. Hen. By my life,
This is against our pleasure.

Wol. And for me,

I have no farther gone in this, than by
By learned approbation of the judges.
A single voice; and that not pass'd me, but
If I am traduc'd by tongues, which neither
My faculties, nor person, yet will be [know
The chronicles of my doing,-let me say,
'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake*
Our necessary actions, in the fear
That virtue must go through. We must not
To copet malicious censurers; which ever,
[stint+
That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further
As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow
Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is
Not ours, 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 at,
We should take root here where we sit, or sit
State statues only.

K. Hen. Things done well,

And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;
Things done without example, in their issue
Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent
Of this commission? I believe, not any.
We must not rend our subjects from our laws,
And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each?
From every tree, lop, bark, and part o the tim-
A trembling contribution! Why, we take,
ber;
[hack'd,
The air will drink the sap. To every county,
And, though we leave it with a root, thus
Where this is question'd, send our letters, with
Free pardon to each man that has denied
The force of this commission: Pray, look to't
I put it to your care.

Wol. A word with you.
[To the SECRETARY
Let there be letters writ to every shire,
Of the king's grace and pardon. The griev'd

commons

That, through our intercession, this revokement
Hardly conceive of me; let it be nois'd,
1 Ketard. + Encounter
il Approved...

Thicket of inurns.

↑ Sometime.

And pardon comes: I shall anon advise you
Further in the proceeding. [Exit SECRETARY.
Enter SURVEYOR.

Q. Kath. I am sorry, that the duke of Buck-
's run in your displeasure.

My chaplain to no creature living, but
He solemnly had sworn, that, what he spoke,
To me, should utter, with demure confidence
This pausingly ensu'd,-Neither the king, nor his
heirs,

(Tell you the duke) shall prosper: bid him strive
Shall govern England.
To gain the love of the commonalty; the duke

Q. Kath. If I know you well,

K. Hen. It grieves many: [ingham The gentleman is learn'd, and a most rare [speaker, To nature none more bound; his training such, That he may furnish and instruct great teach-You were the duke's surveyor, and lost your And never seek for aid out* of himself. [ers, Yet see,

When these so noble benefits shall prove
Not well dispos'd, the mind growing once
corrupt,
They turn to vicious forms, ten times more
[ugly
Than ever they were fair. This man so cóm-
plete,
Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when
[we,
Almost with ravish'd list'ning, could not find
His hour of speech a minute; he, my lady,
Hath into monstrous habits put the graces
That once were his, and is become as black
As if besmear'd in hell. Sit by us; you shall
hear

(This was his gentleman in trust,) of him
Things to strike honour sad.-Bid him recount
The fore-recited practices; whereof
We cannot feel too little, hear too much.
Wol Stand forth; and with bold spirit re-
late what you,

Most like a careful subject, have collected
Out of the Duke of Buckingham.

K. Hen. Speak freely.

Surv. First, it was usual with him, every day
It would infect his speech, That if the king
Should without issue die, he'd carryt it so
To make the sceptre his: These very words
I have heard him utter to his son-in-law,
Lord Aberga'ny; to whom by oath he menac'd
Revenge upon the cardinal.

Wol. Please your highness, note
This dangerous conception in this point.
Not friended by his wish, to your high person
His will is most malignant; and it stretches
Beyond you, to your friends.

Q. Kath. My learn'd lord cardinal,

Deliver all with charity.

K. Hen. Speak on:

How grounded he his title to the crown,

Upon our fail; to this point hast thou heard

At any time speak aught?

Surv. He was brought to this

By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.
K. Hen. What was that Hopkins?
Surv. Sir, a Chartreux friar,

His confessor; who fed him every minute
With words of sovereignty.

K. Hen. How know'st thou this?

[him

Surv. Not long before your highness sped to
France,

The duke being at the Rose, within the parish
Saint Lawrence Poultney, did of me demand
What was the speech amongst the Londoners
Concerning the French journey: I replied,
Men fear'd, the French would prove perfidious,
To the king's danger. Presently the duke
Said, 'Twas the fear, indeed; and that he
doubted,

"Twould prove the verity of certain words
Spoke by a holy monk; That oft, says he
Hath sent to me, wishing me to permit
John de la Court, my chaplain, a choice hour
To hear from him a matter of some moment:
Whom after under the confession's seal

* Beyond.

+ Conduct, manage. Now Merchant Taylors' School.

office

[heed,

On the complaint o' the tenants: Take good
And spoil your nobler soul! I say, take heed;
You charge not in your spleen a noble person,
Yes, heartily beseech you.

Go forward.
K. Hen. Let him on:-

I told my lord the duke, By the devil's illusions
Surv. On my soul, I'll speak but truth.
The monk might be deceiv'd; and that 'twas
dang'rous for him,

To ruminate on this so far, until
It was much like to do: He answer'd, Tush!
It forg'd him some design, which, being be-
[liev'd,
It can do me no damage: adding further,
The cardinal's and Sir Thomas Lovell's heads
That, had the king in his last sickness fail'd,
Should have gone off.

There's mischief in this man :-
K. Hen. Ha! what, so rank? Ah, ha!
-Canst thou
say further?
Surv. I can, my liege.
K. Hen. Proceed.

After your highness had reprov'd the duke
Surv. Being at Greenwich,
About Sir William Blomer,-

K. Hen. I remember,

Of such a time:-Being my servant sworn, The duke retain'd him his.--But on; What hence?

Surv. If, quoth he, I for this had been com

mitted,

The part my father meant to act upon
As to the Tower, I thought,-I would have play'd

The usurper Richard: who, being at Salisbury,
Made suit to come in his presence; which if
granted,

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,Another spread on his breast, mounting his He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his [dagger, 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.

eyes,

K. Hen. There's his period,
Call him to present trial: if he may
To sheath his knife in us. He is attach'd,
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

Can make good people.—O, my lord, you are tardy;

[travel, 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.
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. O, that your lordship were but now
To one or two of these!
[confessor

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?

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

Two women plac'd together makes cold wea-
My lord Sands, you are one will keep them
Pray, sit between these ladies. [waking;
Sands. By my faith,

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

[Seats himself between ANNE BULLEN and another Lady.

The speaker is at Bridewell, and the Cardinal's hours was at Whitehall.

Hautboys. Enter Cardinal WOLSEY, attended; They have done my poor house grace; for

Here's to your ladyship; and pledge it, madam, Find out, and he will take it."