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Put in their hands thy bruising irons of wrath,
That they may crush down with a heavy fall
The usurping helmets of our adversaries!
Make us thy ministers of chastisement,
That we may praise thee in thy victory!
To thee I do commend my watchful soul,
Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes;
Sleeping, and waking, O, defend me still!

RICHARD STARTING OUT OF HIS DREAM.

Give me another horse,―bind up my wounds,― Have mercy, Jesu!-Soft; I did but dream.— O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!— The light burns blue.-It is now dead midnight. Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh. What do I fear? myself?

CONSCIENCE.

Conscience is but a word that cowards use, Devis'd at first to keep the strong in awe.

RICHARD'S ADDRESS BEFORE THE BATTLE.

A thousand hearts are great within my bosom:
Advance our standards, set upon our foes;
Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George,
Inspire us with the spleen of fiery Dragons!
Upon them! Victory sits on our helms.

RICHARD'S BEHAVIOUR AFTER AN ALARUM.

A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! Cate. Withdraw, my lord, I'll help you to a horse. K. Rich. Slave, I have set my life upon a cast, And I will stand the hazard of the die: I think, there be six Richmonds in the field; Five have I slain to-day, instead of him:A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!

KING HENRY VIII.

TO climb steep hills,

ACT I.

ANGER.

Requires slow pace at first: Anger is like

A full hot-horse; who being allow'd his way,
Self-mettle tires him.

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ACTION TO BE CARRIED ON WITH RESOLUTION.

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 copet 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.

New customs,

NEW CUSTOMS.

Though they be never so ridiculous,

Nay, let them be unmanly, yet are follow'd.

ACT II.

THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM'S PRAYER FOR THE KING

May he live

Longer than I have time to tell his years!

Ever belov'd, and loving, may his rule be!
And when old time shall lead him to his end,
Goodness and he fill up one monument!

DEPENDENTS NOT TO BE TOO MUCH TRUSTED BY

GREAT MEN.

This from a dying man receive as certain: Where you are liberal of your loves, and counsels, Be sure, you be not loose: for those you make friends

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Encounter.

And give your hearts to, when they once perceive
The least rub in your fortunes, fall away
Like water from ye, never found again
But where they mean to sink ye.

A loss of her,

A GOOD WIFE.

That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never lost her lustre;
Of her, that loves him with that excellence
That angels love good men with; even of her
That, when the greatest stroke of fortune falls,
Will bless the king.

THE BLESSINGS OF A LOW STATION.

'Tis better to be lowly born,

And range with humble livers in content,
Than to be perk'd up in a glistering grief,

And wear a golden sorrow.

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QUEEN KATHARINE'S SPEECH TO HER HUSBAND. Alas, sir,

In what have I offended you? what cause

Hath my behaviour given to your displeasure,
That thus you should proceed to put me off,

And take your good grace from me? Heaven witness,
I have been to you a true and humble wife,
At all times to your will conformable:
Ever in fear to kindle your dislike,

Yea, subject to your countenance: glad, or sorry,
As I saw it inclin'd. When was the hour,

I ever contradicted your desire,

Or made it not mine too? Or which of your friends
Have I not strove to love, although I knew

He were mine enemy? what friend of mine
That had to him deriv'd your anger,
did I
Continue in mine liking? nay, gave notice
He was from thence discharg'd? Sir, call to mind
That I have been your wife, in this obedience,
Upward of twenty years, and have been blest
With many children by you: If, in the course
And process of this time, you can report,
And prove it too, against mine honour aught,
My bond to wedlock, or my love and duty

Against your sacred person, in God's name,
Turn me away; and let the foul'st contempt
Shut door upon me, and so give me up
To the sharpest kind of justice.

QUEEN KATHARINE'S SPEECH TO CARDINAL WOLSEY.
You are meek, and humble mouth'd;

You sign your place and calling, in full seeming,*
With meekness and humility but your heart
Is cramm'd with arrogancy, spleen and pride.
You have, by fortune, and his highness' favours
Gone slightly o'er high steps; and now are mounted
Where powers are your retainers: and your words,
Domestics to you, serve your will, as't please
Yourself pronounce their office. I must tell you,
You tender more your person's honour, than
Your high profession spiritual.

KING HENRY'S CHARACTER OF QUEEN KATHARINE.
That man i' the world, who shall report he has
A better wife, let him in nought be trusted,
For speaking false in that; Thou art, alone,
(If thy rare qualities, sweet gentleness,
Thy meekness saint-like, wife-like government,-
Obeying in commanding,-and thy parts
Sovereign and pious else, could speak thee out,)†
The queen of earthly queens.

ACT III.

QUEEN KATHARINE ON HER OWN MERIT.

Have I liv'd thus long-(let me speak myself, Since virtue finds no friends,)—a wife, a true one? A woman (I dare say without vain glory,) Never yet branded with suspicion?

Have I with all my full affections

Still met the king? lov'd him next heav'n? obey'd him?
Been, out of fondness, superstitious to him?‡

Almost forgot my prayers to content him?
And am I thus rewarded? 'tis not well, lords.

* Appearance. + Speak out thy merits.
Served him with superstitious attention.

Bring me a constant woman to her husband,
One that ne'er dream'd a joy beyond his pleasure;
And to that woman when she has done most,
Yet will I add an honour,--a great patience.

QUEEN KATHARINE COMPARED TO A LILY.

Like the lily,

That once was mistress of the field, and flourish'd, I'll hang my head, and perish.

OBEDIENCE TO PRINCES.

The hearts of princes kiss obedience,
So much they love it: but to stubborn spirits,
They swell, and grow as terrible as storms.

OUTWARD EFFECTS OF HORROR.

Some strange commotion

Is in his brain: he bites his lip, and starts;
Stops on a sudden, looks upon the ground,
Then, lays his finger on his temple; straight,
Springs out into fast gait:* then stops again,
Strikes his breast hard: and anon, he casts

His eye against the moon: in most strange postures
We have seen him set himself.

FIRM ALLEGIANCE.

Though perils did

Abound, as thick as thought could make them, and
Appear in forms more horrid; yet my duty,
As doth a rock against the chiding flood,

Should the approach of this wild river break,
And stand unshaken yours.

EXTERNAL EFFECTS OF ANGER.

What sudden anger's this? how have I reap'd it? He parted frowning from me, as if ruin Leap'd from his eyes: So looks the chafed lion Upon the daring huntsman that has gall'd him; Then makes him nothing.

FALLING GREATNESS.

Nay then, farewell!

I have touch'd the highest point of all my greatness; And, from that full meridian of my glory,

Steps.

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