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K. Hen. Sirrah, shift

Your antick pageantry, and now appear

In your own nature, or you'll taste the danger
Of fooling out of season.

War. I expect

No less, than what severity calls justice,

And politicians safety; let such beg

As feed on alms: but, if there can be mercy

In a protested enemy, then may it

Descend to these poor creatures, whose engagements,

To th' bettering of their fortunes, have incurr'd
A loss of all; to them, if any charity

Flow from some noble orator, in death,

I owe the fee of thankfulness.

K. Hen. So brave!

What a bold knave is this! Which of these rebels

Has been the mayor of Cork?

Daw. This wise formality: Kneel to the king, ye rascals! K. Hen. Canst thou hope

[They kneel.

A pardon, where thy guilt is so apparent?

J. a-Wat. Under your good favours, as men are men, they may err; for I confess, respectively, in taking great parts, the one side prevailing, the other side must go down: herein the point is clear, if the proverb hold, that hanging goes by destiny, that it is to little purpose to say, this thing, or that, shall be thus, or thus; for, as the fates will have it, so it must be; and who can help it? Daw. O blockhead! thou a privy-counsellor?

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Beg life, and cry aloud,

Henry!"

"Heaven save king

J. a-Wat. Every man knows what is best, as it happens; for my own part, I believe it is true, if I be not deceived, that kings must be kings, and subjects subjects: but which is which, you shall pardon me for that;-whether we speak or hold our peace, all are mortal, no man knows his end. K. Hen. We trifle time with follies. All. Mercy, mercy!

K. Hen. Urswick, command the dukeling and these fellows

[They rise.
To Digby, the lieutenant of the Tower:
With safety let them be convey'd to London.
It is our pleasure no uncivil outrage,

Taunts, or abuse be suffer'd to their persons;
They shall meet fairer law than they deserve.

Time may restore their wits, whom vain ambition
Hath many years distracted.

War. Noble thoughts

Meet freedom in captivity: the Tower?

Our childhood's dreadful nursery.

K. Hen. No more!

Urs. Come, come, you shall have leisure to bethink you.

[Exit URS. with PERKIN and his followers, guarded.

K. Hen. Was ever so much impudence in forgery?

The custom sure of being stiled a king,

Hath fasten'd in his thought that he is such;

But we shall teach the lad another language:

'Tis good we have him fast.

Daw. The hangman's physic

Will purge this saucy humour.

K. Hen. Very likely:

Yet we could temper mercy with extremity,
Being not too far provoked.

Enter OXFORD, KATHERINE in her richest Attire, DALYELL, JANE, and Attendants.

Orf. Great sir, be pleased,

With your accustom'd grace, to entertain
The princess Katherine Gordon.

K. Hen. Oxford, herein

We must beshrew thy knowledge of our nature.
A lady of her birth and virtues could not
Have found us so unfurnish'd of good manners,
As not, on notice given, to have met her

Half way in point of love. Excuse, fair cousin,
The oversight! oh fie! you may not kneel;
Tis most unfitting: first, vouchsafe this welcome,
A welcome to your own; for you shall find us
But guardian to your fortune and your honours.
Kath. My fortunes and mine honours are weak
champions,

As both are now befriended, sir; however,
Both bow before your clemency.

K. Hen. Our arms

Shall circle them from malice-a sweet lady!
Beauty incomparable !-here lives majesty
At league with love.

Kath. Oh, sir, I have a husband.

K. Hen. We'll prove your father, husband, friend, and servant,

Prove what you wish to grant us. Lords, be careful
A patent presently be drawn, for issuing

A thousand pounds from our exchequer yearly,
During our cousin's life; our queen shall be
Your chief companion, our own court your home,
Our subjects all your servants.

Kath. But my husband?

K. Hen. By all descriptions, you are noble Dal

yell,

Whose generous truth hath famed a rare obser

vance.

We thank you; 'tis a goodness gives addition
To every title boasted from your ancestry,
In all most worthy.

Dal. Worthier than your praises,

Right princely sir, I need not glory in.

K. Hen. Embrace him, lords. Whoever calls you mistress,

Is lifted in our charge:-a goodlier beauty

Mine eyes yet ne'er encounter'd.

Kath. Cruel misery

Of fate! what rests to hope for?

K. Hen. Forward, lords,

To London. Fair, ere long, I shall present you With a glad object, peace, and Huntley's blessing.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

London.-The Tower-hill.

Enter Constable and Officers, WARBECK, URSWICK, and LAMBERT SIMNEL as a Falconer, followed by the rabble.

Const. Make room there! keep off, I require you; and none come within twelve foot of his majesty's new stocks, upon pain of displeasure. Bring forward the malefactors.-Friend, you must to this geer, no remedy.-Open the hole, and in with the legs, just in the middle hole; there, that hole. Keep off, or I'll commit you all! shall not a man in authority be obeyed? So, so, there; 'tis as it should be:-[WARBECK is put in the stocks.] put on the padlock, and give me the key. Off, I say, keep off.

Urs. Yet, Warbeck, clear thy conscience; thou hast tasted

King Henry's mercy liberally; the law
Has forfeited thy life; an equal jury

Have doom'd thee to the gallows. Twice most wickedly,

Most desperately hast thou escaped the Tower;
Inveigling to thy party, with thy witchcraft,
Young Edward, earl of Warwick, son to Clarence;
Whose head must pay the price of that attempt;
Poor gentleman!-unhappy in his fate,--
And ruin'd by thy cunning! so a mongrel

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