Great king, they spared my life, the butchers spared it!

Return'd the tyrant, my unnatural uncle,
A truth of my dispatch; I was convey'd
With secrecy and speed to Tournay; foster'd
By obscure means, taught to unlearn myself:
But as I grew in years, I grew in sense

Of fear and of disdain; fear of the tyrant
Whose power sway'd the throne then: when dis-
dain

Of living so unknown, in such a servile

And abject lowness, prompted me to thoughts
Of recollecting who I was, I shook off

My bondage, and made haste to let my aunt
Of Burgundy acknowledge me her kinsman;
Heir to the crown of England, snatch'd by Henry
From Richard's head; a thing scarce known i'th'
world.

K. Ja. My lord, it stands not with your counsel now

To fly upon invectives; if you can

Make this apparent what you have discours'd,
In every circumstance, we will not study

An answer, but are ready in your cause.

War. You are a wise and just king, by the

powers

Above reserv'd, beyond all other aids,
To plant me in mine own inheritance:
To marry these two kingdoms in a love
Never to be divorced, while time is time.
As for the manner, first of my escape,

Of my conveyance next, of my life since,

The means, and persons who were instruments,
Great sir, 'tis fit I over-pass in silence;
Reserving the relation to the secrecy
Of your own princely ear, since it concerns
Some great ones living yet, and others dead,
Whose issue might be question'd. For your

bounty,

Royal magnificence to him that seeks it,

We vow hereafter to demean ourself,

As if we were your own and natural brother;
Omitting no occasion in our person,

To express a gratitude beyond example.

K. Ja. He must be more than subject who can

utter

The language of a king, and such is thine.
Take this for answer; be whate'er thou art,
Thou never shalt repent that thou hast put
Thy cause and person into my protection.
Cousin of York, thus once more we embrace thee;
Welcome to James of Scotland! for thy safety,
Know, such as love thee not shall never wrong
thee.

Come, we will taste a while our court-delights,
Dream hence afflictions past, and then proceed
To high attempts of honour. On, lead on!
Both thou and thine are ours, and we will guard
you.

Lead on

[Exeunt all but the ladies.

Countess. I have not seen a gentleman

Of a more brave aspect, or goodlier carriage;

His fortunes move not him-Madam, you are

passionate.+

Kath. Beshrew me, but his words have touch'd

me home,

As if his cause concern'd me; I should pity him, If he should prove another than he seems.

Enter CRAWFord.

Craw. Ladies, the king commands your presence instantly,

For entertainment of the duke.

Kath. "The duke"

Dur

A Flourish.-Enter King HENRY, OXFORD, DUR

HAM, SURREY.

K. Hen. Have ye condemn'd my chamberlain? Dur. His treasons

Condemn'd him, sir; which were as clear and

manifest,

As foul and dangerous: besides, the guilt
Of his conspiracy prest him so nearly,
That it drew from him free confession,

Without an importunity.

✦ Madam, you are passionate.] i. e. distressed, deeply affected: the Countess had observed Katherine weeping.

K. Hen. Oh, lord bishop,

This argued shame and sorrow for his folly,
And must not stand in evidence against
Our mercy, and the softness of our nature;
The rigour and extremity of law

Is sometimes too too bitter; but we carry
A Chancery of pity in our bosom.

I hope we may reprieve him from the sentence
Of death; I hope we may.

Dur. You may, you may;

And so persuade your subjects that the title
Of York is better, nay, more just and lawful,
Than yours of Lancaster! so Stanley holds :
Which if it be not treason in the highest,
Then we are traitors all, perjured, and false,
Who have took oath to Henry, and the justice
Of Henry's title; Oxford, Surrey, Dawbeney,
With all your other peers of state and church,
Forsworn, and Stanley true alone to Heaven,
And England's lawful heir!

Oxf. By Vere's old honours,

I'll cut his throat dares speak it.
Sur. 'Tis a quarrel

To engage a soul in.

K. Hen. What a coil is here

To keep my gratitude sincere and perfect! Stanley was once my friend,' and came in time

5 Stanley was once my friend, &c.] Much of this is from the noble historian. The king certainly holds a very different language from that which we had in a former page; but it is characteristic of his close, cold, and selfish nature. "As a little leaven (Bacon

To save my life; yet, to say truth, my lords,
The man staid long enough t' endanger it:-
But I could see no more into his heart,
Than what his outward actions did present;
And for them have rewarded him so fully,
As that there wanted nothing in our gift
To gratify his merit, as I thought,

Unless I should divide my crown with him,

And give him half; though now I well perceive "Twould scarce have serv'd his turn, without the

whole.

But I am charitable, lords; let justice
Proceed in execution, whilst I mourn
The loss of one whom I esteem'd a friend.
Dur. Sir, he is coming this way.

K. Hen. If he speak to me,

I could deny him nothing; to prevent it,

I must withdraw. Pray, lords, commend my fa

vours

To his last peace, which, with him, I will
That done, it doth concern us to consult

Of other following troubles.

Orf. I am glad

pray for:

[Exit.

He's gone; upon my life he would have pardon'd The traitor, had he seen him.

says) of new distaste doth commonly sour the whole lump of former merit, the king's wit began now to suggest unto his passion, that Stanley at Bosworth-field, though he came in time to save his life, yet he staid long enough to endanger it.". After all, the writer hints, as broadly as he dared, that Stanley's main guilt lay in his vast accumulations, which Henry viewed with too greedy an eye.