PERSONS REPRESENTED. King HENRY the Eighth. CRANMER, Archbiskop of Canterbury. Sir THOMAS AUDLEY, Lord Keeper. Lord ABERGAVENNY. Lord SANDS, I Sir THOMAS LOVELL, Sir ANTHONY DENNY. Sir NICHOLAS VAUX. Sir WILLIAM SANDS 1. CROMWELL, Srvant to Wolfcy. GRIFFITH, Gentleman-Ufber to Queen Katha rice. Three other Gentlemen. Doctor BUTTS, Physician to the King. Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham. Queen KATHARINE. ANNE BULLEN. An old Lady, Friend to Anne Bullen. The SCENE lies mofily in London and Westminster; once, at Kimbolton. PROLOGU COME no more to make you laugh; things now, The play may pass; if they be flill and willing, SCÈNE London. Ε. Will be deceiv'd: for, gentle bearers, know, ACT I. I. Nor. I thank your grace : Buck. An untimely ague Nor. 'Twixt Guines and Arde: 1 Mr. Steevens observes, that Sir William Sands was created Lord Sands about this time, but is here introduced among the perfons of the drama, as a distinct character. Sir William has not a fingle fpeech afligned to him; and, to make the blunder the greater, is brought on after Lord Sands has already made his appearance. 2 Alluding to the fools and buffoons, introduced for the generality in the plays a little before our author's time, and of whom he has left us a small tafte in his own. 3 i, e. pretend. 4 i. c. an untured admirer, I was then prefent, faw them falute on horse-back; Back. The devil speed him! no man's pye is Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clung free'd In their embracement, as they grew together; have weigh'd Such a compounded one ? Buck. All the whole time I was my chamber's prifoner, The view of earthly glory: Men might say, funs, (For fo they phrafe 'em) by their heralds challeng'd Being now feen poffible enough, got credit, Buck. Oh, you go far. Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect Order gave each thing view; the office did Buck. Who did guide, I mean, whe fet the body and the limbs Nor. Onc, certes, that promifes no element 5 Buck. 1 pray you, who, my lord? That fuch a keech 7 can with his very bulk Nor. Surely, fir, There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends; Out of his felf-drawing web, he gives us note, Aber. I cannot tell What heaven hath given him, let some graver eye Peep through each part of him; Whence has he that? If not from hell, the devil is a niggard; Buck. Why the devil, Aber. I do know Kinfmen of mine, three at the least, that have Buck. O many Have broke their backs with laying manors on them A moft poor iffue? Nor. Grievingly I think, The peace between the French and us not values Buck. Every man, After the hideous storm that follow'd, was Nor. All this was ordu'd by the good difcretion Dafning the garment of this peace, aboaded Of the right reverend cardinal of York. ance. The fudden breach on't. 4 i. e. the com i. e. all glittering, all shining. Cerfure for determination of which had the noblest appear 3 The old romantic legend of Bevis of Southampton. This Bevis (or Beavois) a daxon, was for his prowess created by William the Conqueror carl of Southampton. miffion for regulating this feflivity was well executed. 5 No initiation, no previous practices. 61. e. proud. 7 A kecth is a folid lump or mass. A cake of wax or tallow formed in a mould is called yet in fome places a keech. There may, perhaps, be a fingular propriety in this term of contempt. Wolfey was the fon of a butcher, and in the Second Part of King Henry IV. a butcher's wile is called-Goody Keech. 8 1. e. the lift. 9 That is, all mention of the board of council being left out of his letter. 10 i. e. His own letter, by his own fingle authority, and without the concurrence of the council, muft fetch in him whom he papers down. effect had this pompous how but the production of a wretched conclufion? Hi.e. What Nor. Buck. I'll to the king; Nor. Which is budded out; For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd And from a mouth of honour quite cry down Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux. Aber. L it therefore The ambailador is filenc'd? Nor. Marry, is't. This Ipfwich fellow's infolence; or proclaim, Nor. Be advis'd; Heat not a furnace for your foe fo hot Afer. A proper title of a peace 2; and purchas'd That it do finge yourself: We may out-run, At a fuperfluous rate! Buck. Why, all this business Our reverend cardinal carry'd. Nor. Like it your grace, The state takes notice of the private difference Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you, By violent fwiftness, that which we run at, More stronger to direct you than yourself; (And take it from a heart that wishes towards you If with the fap of reason you would quench, Honour and plenteous iafety) that you read The cardinal's malice and his potency Together: to confider further, that What his high hatred would effect, wants not Enter Cardinal Wolfey, the purse borne before him, Wol. The duke of Buckingham's surveyor? ha? Where's his examination? Secr. Here, fo please you. Wol. Is he in perfon ready? Seer. Ay, please your grace. [ingham Wal. Well, we shall then know more; and Buck Shall leffen this big look. [Excunt Cardinal, and his train. Buck. This butcher's cur 3 is venom-mouth'd, and I Have not the power to muzzle him; therefore, best Not wake him in his slumber. A beggar's book Out-worths a noble's blood 4. Nor. What, are you chaf'd? Or but allay, the fire of paffion. Buck. Sir, I am thankful to you; and I'll go along [as ftrong Nor. Say not, treafonous. Nor. 'Faith, and fo it did. [cardinal Buck. Pray, give me favour, fir. This cunning The articles o' the combination drew, Afk God for temperance; that's the appliance only, (Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy Which your disease requires. To the old dam, treafon)-Charles the emperor, 4 That is. 1 Silenc'd for recalled. 2 A fine name of a peace! spoken ironically. 3 Wolfev, as has been before obferved, is faid to have been the fon of a butcher. the literary qualifications of a bookish beggar are more prized than the high defcent of hereditary greatness. This is a 'contemptuous exclamation very naturally put into the mouth of one of the antient, unletter'd, martial nobility. 5 i. e. he stabs or wounds me by fome artifice or fiction. i. e. from honeft indignation; warmth of integrity. 7 i. e. excites. Xx And break the forefaid peace. Let the king know, Of a full-charg'd confederacy; and give thanks (As foon he shall by me) that thus the cardinal Does buy and fell his honour as he pleases, And for his own advantage. Nor. I am forry To hear this of him; and could with, he were Buck. No, not a fyllable; I do pronounce him in that very shape, He fhall appear in proof. Enter Brandon; a Serjeant at Arms before bim, and two or three of the guard. Bran. Your office, serjeant; execute it. My lord the duke of Buckingham, and earl Buck. Lo you, my lord, The net has fallen upon me; I shall perish Be done in this and all things! I obey.- Bran. Nay, he muft bear you company:-The Is pleas'd, you shall to the Tower, 'till you know Aber. As the duke faid, To you that choak'd it.- Let be call'd before us And point by point the treasons of his master A noise within, crying, Room for the Queen. Enter Quten. Nay, we must longer kneel; I am a fuitor your fuit Never name to us; you have half our power: The other moiety, ere you afk, is given; Queen. Thank your majefty. That you would love yourself; and, in that love, The dignity of your office, is the point King. Lady mine, proceed. Are in great grievance: There have been commitlions Sent down among them, which have flaw'd the heart Of all their loyalties:-wherein, although, [To Wolfey. Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks The fides of loyalty, and almost appears The will of heaven be done, and the king's pleasure In loud rebellion. By me obey'd ! Nor. Not almost appears, Bran. Here is a warrant from It doth appear: for, upon these taxations, The king, to attach lord Montacute; and the bodies The clothiers all, not able to maintain Of the duke's confeffor, John de la Court, The many to them 'longing, have put off One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor, The fpintters, carders, fullers, weavers, who, Buck. So, fo; Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger Buck. O, Nicholas Hopkins? Bran. He. Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar, And Danger ferves among them. These are the limbs of the plot: No more, I hope. And lack of other means, in defperate manner Bran. A monk o' the Chartreux. Buck. My furveyor is falfe; the o'er-great cardinal Hath shew'd him gold: my life is spann'd already: I am the fhadow of poor Buckingham; Whose figure even this inftant cloud puts on, By dark'ning my clear fun. My lord, farewel. SCENE The Council Chamber. [Exeunt. 11. Cornet. Enter King Henry, leaning on the Cardinal's shoulder; the Nobles, and Sir Thomas Lovel. The Cardinal places bimself under the King's feet, on bis right fide. You know no more than others: but you frame Things, that are known alike; which are not wholefome King. My life itself, and the best heart of it, To those which would not know them, and yet must Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions, Whereof my fovereign would have note, they are Thanks you for this great care: I stood i' the level [Most peftilent to the hearing; and, to bear them, i. e. the multitude. 2 i. c. I am but first in the row of counsellors. The |