(Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy
To the old dam, treason),-Charles the emperor,
Under pretence to see the queen his aunt
(For 'twas, indeed, his colour; but he came
To whisper Wolsey), here makes visitation:
His fears were, that the interview, betwixt
England and France, might, through their amity,
Breed him some prejudice; for from this league
Peep'd harms that menac'd him: He privily
Deals with our cardinal; and, as I trow,-
Which I do well; for, am sure, the emperor
Paid ere he promis'd; whereby his suit was granted,
Ere it was ask'd;-but when the way was made,
And pav'd with gold, the emperor thus desir'd;
That he would please to alter the king's course,
And break the foresaid peace. Let the king know
(As soon he shall by me), that thus the cardinal
Does buy and sell his honour as he pleases,
And for his own advantage.
To hear this of him; and could wish, he were
Something mistaken in't.
I do pronounce him in that very shape,
He shall appear in proof.
Enter BRANDON; a Sergeant at Arms before him, and two or three of the Guards.
Bran. Your office, sergeant; execute it.
Serg.
My lord the duke of Buckingham, and earl
Of Hereford, Stafford, and Northampton, I
Arrest thee of high treason, in the name
Of our most sovereign king.
Buck.
Lo you, my lord,
The net has fall'n upon me; I shall perish
Under device and practice.
To see you ta'en from liberty, to look on
The business present: "Tis his highness' pleasure
To plead mine innocence; for that die is on me,
Which makes my whitest part black. The will of
Be done in this and all things!-I obey.
my lord Aberga'ny, fare you well.
Bran. Nay, he must bear you company :-The king
[To Abergavenny. Is pleas'd, you shall to the Tower, till you know How he determines further.
The will of heaven be done, and the king's pleasure
By me obey'd.
The king, to attach lord Montacute; and the bodies
Of the duke's confessor, John de la Court,
One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor,-
These are the limbs of the plot: no more, I hope.
Bran. A monk o'the Chartreux.
Buck. My surveyor is false; the o'er-great cardinal
Hath show'd him gold: my life is spann'd already:
I am the shadow of poor Buckingham;
Whose figure even this instant cloud puts on,
By dark'ning my clear sun. My lord, farewell.
SCENE 11. 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,
Thanks you for this great care: I stood i'the level
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 Lords of the Council
The CARDINAL, places
The KING takes his State.
take their several 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, kisses, and placeth her by him,
Q. Kath. Nay, we must longer kneel; I am a suitor,
K. Hen. Arise, and take place by us :-Half 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.
That you would love yourself; and, in that love,
Not unconsider'd leave your honour, nor
The dignity of your office, is the point
Lady mine, proceed.
Q. Kath. I am solicited, not by a few,
And those of true condition, that your subjects
Are in great grievance: there have been commissions
Sent down among them, which hath 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
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.
Taxation!
Wherein? and what taxation?-My lord cardinal,
You that are blam'd for it alike with us,
Know you of this taxation?
I know but of a single part, in aught
Pertains to the state; and front but in that file
Where others tell steps with me.
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 Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions, Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are Most pestilent to the hearing; and, to bear them, The back is sacrifice to the load. They say, They are devis'd by you; or else you suffer Too hard an exclamation.
The nature of it? In what kind, let's know,
Is this exaction?
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:
Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze
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 highness
Would give it quick consideration, for
There is no primer business.
K. Hen.
This is against our pleasure.
I have no further gone in this, than by
A single voice; and that not pass'd me, but
By learned approbation of the judges.
If I am traduc'd by tongues, which neither know
My faculties, nor person, yet will be
The chronicles of my doing,-let me say,
"Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake
That virtue must go through. We must not stint
Our necessary actions, in the fear
To cope malicious censurers; which ever,
As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow
That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further
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.
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?
A trembling contribution! Why, we take,
From every tree, lop, bark, and part o'the timber;'
And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd
The air will drink the sap. To every county,
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.
Let there be letters writ to every shire,
Of the king's grace and pardon. The griev'd commons
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