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Enter Surveyor.

Q. Kath. I am sorry, that the duke of Buckingham Is run in your displeasure.

K. Hen.

It grieves many :

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 teachers, And never seek for aid out of himself.

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 cómplete,
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 relate 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 carry it so
To make the scepter 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.

Deliver all with charity.

K. Hen.

My learn'd lord cardinal,

Speak on:

How grounded he his title to the crown,

Upon our fail? to this point hast thou heard him

At any time speak aught?

Surv.

By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.
K. Hen. What was that Hopkins?

Surv.

He was brought to this

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His confessor; who fed him

With words of sovereignty.

K. Hen.

How know'st thou this?

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 reply'd, 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

He solemnly had sworn, that, what he spoke,
My chaplain to no creature living, but

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

To gain the love of the commonalty; the duke

Shall govern England.

Q. Kath.

If I know you well,

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

K. Hen.

Go forward.

Surv.

Let him on:

On my soul, I'll speak but truth.

I told my lord the duke, By the devil's illusions

This monk might be deceiv'd; and that 'twas dang'r

ous for him,

To ruminate on this so far, until

It forg'd him some design, which, being believ'd,

It was much like to do: He answer'd Tush!

It can do me no damage: adding further,

That, had the king in his last sickness fail'd,
The cardinal's and sir Thomas Lovell's heads
Should have gone off.

K. Hen.

Ha! what, so rank? Ah, ha! There's mischief in this man:- Canst thou say

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After your highness had reprov'd the duke

About sir William Blomer",

K. Hen.

-

I remember

Of such a time:-Being my sworn servant,

The duke retain'd him his.- -But on; What hence?
Surv. If, quoth he, I for this had been committed,
As, to the Tower, I thought,-I would have play'd
The part my father meant to act upon

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,

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 out-go

His father, by as much as a performance
Does an irresolute purpose.

K. Hen.

To sheath his knife in us.

There's his period,

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.

Though they be never so ridiculous,

New customs,

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.

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