And 'tis a kind of good Deed to fay well,
And yet Words are no Deeds. My Father lov'd
He faid he did, and with this Deed did crown
His Word upon you.
I have kept you next my Heart, have not alone
Imploy'd you where high Profits might come home,
But par'd my prefent Havings, to bestow
Wol. What thould this mean?
Sur. The Lord increase this Bufinefs.
King. Have I not made you
The prime Man of the State? I pray you tell me,
If what I now pronounce, you have found true:
And if you may confefs it, fay withal
If you are to bound to us, or no. What fay you?
Wol. My Sovereign, I confefs your Royal Graces
Show'd on me daily, have been more than could
My ftudied purposes require, which went
Beyond all Man's endeavours. My endeavours,
Have ever come too fhort of my defires,
Yet fill'd with my Abilities: Mine own Ends
Have been fo, that evermore they pointed
To th' good of your moft Sacred Perfon, and
Graces
The profit of the State: For your great
Heap'd upon me, poor Undeferver, I
Can nothing render but Allegiant Thanks,
My Prayers to Heav'n for you; my Loyalty,
Which ever, has, and ever thall be growing,
'Till Death, that Winter, kill it.
King. Fairly answer'd:
A Loyal and Obedient Subject is
Therein illuftrated, the Honour of it
the A&t of it, as i'th' contrary
The foulness is the Punishment. I prefume,
That as my Hand has open'd Bounty to you, -My Heart dropp'd Love, my Pow'r rain'd Honour, more fo your Hand and Heart,
Your Brain, and every Function of your Power,
Should, notwithstanding that your bond of Duty,
As 'twere in Love's particular, be more
To me, your Friend, than any.
That for your Highness good, I ever labour'd
More than mine own; That am I, have been, and will be:
Though all the World should crack their duty to you,
And throw it from their Soul; though perils did
Abound, as thick as though could make 'em, and
Appear in forms more horrid; yet, my Duty,
As doth a Rock against the chiding Flood,
Should the approach of this wild River break,
And ftand unfhaken yours.
King. 'Tis noble spoken;
Take notice Lords, he has a loyal Breaft,
For you have feen him open't.
And after this, and then to Breakfast with
What appetite you may.
[Exit King, frowning upon Cardinal Wolfey, the Nobles throng after him whispering and smiling.
Wol. What fhould this mean?
What fudden Anger's this? How have I reap'd it?
He parted frowning from me, as if Ruin
Leap'd from his Eyes. So looks the chafed Lion
Upon the daring Huntsman that has gall'd him,
Then makes him nothing. I muft read this Paper :
I fear, the Story of his Anger 'Tis fo
This Paper has undone me-'Tis th' Account
Of all that World of Wealth I have drawn together
For mine own ends, indeed to gain the Popedom,
And fee my Friends in Rome. O Negligence!
Fit for a Fool to fall by: What cross Devil
Made me put this main Secret in the Packet
fent the King? Is there no way to cure this &
No new device to beat this from his Brains?
I know 'twill ftir him ftrongly; yet I know
A way, if it take right, in fpight of Fortune
Will bring me off again. What's this
The Letter, as I live, with all the Bufinefs
I writ to's Holiness. Nay, then farewel;
I have touch'd the highest point of all my Greatness,
And from tha fuil Meridian of my Glory,
Ihafte now to my Setting. I fhall fall
Like a bright Exhalation in the Evening,
And no Man fee me more.
Enter to Wolley, the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, the Earl of Surrey, and the Lord Chamberlain.
Nor. Hear the King's pleasure, Cardinal, Who commands you
To render up the great Seal prefently
Into our hands, and to confine your felf
To After-house, my Lord of Winchester's,
'Till you hear further from his Highness.
Wol. Stay:
Where's your Commiffion, Lords? words cannot carry
Authority fo mighty.
Bearing the King's Will from his Mouth exprefly?
Wol. 'Till I find more than will, or words to do it,
I mean your Malice, know, Officious Lords,
I dare, and muft deny it. Now I feel
Of what course Metal ye are molded-
How eagerly ye follow my Difgrace
As if it fed ye, and how fleek and wanton
Ye appear in every thing may bring my Ruin?
Follow your envious Courses, Men of Malice;
You have a Chriftian warrant for 'em, and no doubt
In time will find their fit Rewards. That Seal
You ask with fuch a Violence, the King,
Mine, and your Mafter, with his own hand gave me t
Bad me er joy it, with the Place, and Honours
During my life; and to confirm his goodness,
Ty'd it by Letters Patents. Now, who'll take it?
Sur. The King that gave it.
Wol. It must be himself then.
Sur. Thou art a proud Traitor, Priest.
Wol. Proud Lord, thou lyeft:
Within these forty hours, Surrey durft better
Have burnt that Tongue, than faid fo.
Thou fcarlet Sinner, robb'd this bewailing Land
Of noble Buckingham, my Father-in-Law:
The Heads of all thy Brother Cardinals,
With thee, and all thy beft parts bound together,
Weigh'd not a Hair of his. Plague of your Policy.
You fent me Deputy for Ireland,
Far from his fuccour; from the King, from all
That might have mercy on the fault, thou gav'ft him:
Whil'ft your great Goodness, out of holy Pity,
Abfolv'd him with an Axe.
Wol. This, and all elfe
This talking Lord can lay upon my Credit,
I answer, is moft falfe. The Duke by Law
Found his deferts. How innocent I was
From any private malice in his end,
His noble Jury, and foul Cause can witness.
If I lov'd many words, Lord, I should tell you,
You have as little Honefty, as Honour,
That in the way of Loyalty, and Truth
Toward the King, my ever Royal Mafter,
Dare mate a founder Man than Surrey can be,
And all that love his Follies.
Your long Coat, Prieft, protects you,
Thou fhould't feel
My Sword i'th' Life-Blood of thee elfe. My Lords,
Can ye endure to hear this Arrogance?
And from this Fellow? If we live thus tamely,
To be thus Jaded by a piece of Scarlet,
Farewel Nobility; let his Grace go forward,
And dare us with his Cap, like Larks.
Wol. All Goodness
Is poifon to thy Stomach.
Sur. Yes, that Goodness
Of gleaning all the Lands-wealth into one,
Into your own hands, Card'nal, by Extortion:
The goodness of your intercepted Packets
You writ to the Pope, against the King; your goodness,
Since you provoke me, fhall be most notorious.
My Lord of Norfolk, as you are truly noble,
As you refpect the common Good, the State
Of our defpis'd Nobility, our Iffues,
Who, if he live, will fcarce be Gentlemen,
Produce the grand fum of his Sins, the Articles
Collected from his Life. I'll startle you
Worfe than the facring Bell, when the brown Wench
Lay kiffing in your Arms, Lord Cardinal.
Wol. How much methinks I could despise this Man,
But that I am bound in Charity against it.
Nor. Those Articles, my Lord, are in the King's Hand: But thus much, they are foul ones,
Wol. So much fairer
And fpotlefs fhall mine Innocence arife,
When the King knows my Truth.
Sur. This cannot fave you:
I thank my Memory, I yet remember
Some of these Articles, and out they fhall.
Now, if you can blufh, and cry Guilty, Cardinal,
You'll fhew a little Honesty.
I dare your worst Objections: If I blush,
It is to fee a Nobleman want Manners.
Sur. I had rather want those, than my Head;
Have at you.
First, that without the King's affent or knowledge,
You wrought to be a Legat, by which power
You maim'd the Jurifdiction of all Bishops.
Nor. Then, that in all you writ to Rome, or elfe
To foreign Princes, Ego & Rex meus
Was ftill infcrib'd; in which you brought the King
To be your Servant.
Suf. Then, that without the knowledge
Either of King or Council, when you went
Ambaffador to the Emperor, you made bold
To carry into Flanders the great Seal.
Sur. Item, You fent a large Commiffion
To Gregory de Caffalis, to conclude,
Without the King's Will, or the States alowance,
A League between his Highness and Ferrara.
Suf. That out of meer Ambition, you have caus'd
Your Holy-Hat to be stamp'd on the King's Coin.
Sur. Then, that you have fent innumerable fubftance,
By what means got I leave to your own Confcience,
To furnish Rome, and to prepare the ways
You have for Dignities, to the meer undoing
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