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Of the right reverend cardinal of York.

Buck. The devil speed him! no man's pye is free'd From his ambitious finger. What had he

To do in these fierce vanities [9] I wonder,
That fuch a keech[1] can with his very bulk
Take up the rays o' the beneficial fun,
And keep it from the earth.

Nor. Surely, fir,

There's in him ftuff that puts him to these ends:
For, being not propt by ancestry (whofe grace
Chalks fucceffors their way), nor call'd upon
For high feats done to the crown; neither ally'd
To eminent affiftants, but, fpider-like,

Out of his felf-drawing web, he gives us note,
The force of his own merit makes his way;
A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys
A place next to the king.

Aber. I cannot tell

What heaven hath given him; let fome graver eye
Pierce into that; but I can fee his pride

Peep through each part of him: Whence has he that?
If not from hell, the devil is a niggard,

Or has given all before, and he begins

A new hell in himself.

Buck. Why the devil,

Upon this French going-out, took he upon him,
Without the privity o' the king, to appoint

Who should attend on him: He makes up the file[2]
-Of all the gentry; for the most part such
Too, whom as great a charge as little honour
He meant to lay upon and his own letter,
The honourable board of council out,[3]
Muft fetch in him he papers.[4]

Aber. I do know

Kinsmen of mine, three at the leaft, that have
By this fo ficken'd their eftates, that never
́They shall abound as formerly.

[9] Fierce is here, I think, ufed like the French fier for proud, unless we fuppofe an allufion to the mimical ferocity of the combatants in the tilt.

JOHNS.

[1] A keech is a folid lump or mafs. A cake of wax or tallow formed in a mould is called yet in fome places a keech. JOHNS. [2] That is, the lift.

[3] Council not then fitting. ib. [4] He papers, a verb; his own letter, by his own tingle authority, and without the concurrence of the council, muft fetch in him whom lie papers down. I don't understand it, unless this be the meaning. POPE.

Buck. O, many

Have broke their backs with laying manors on them

For this great journey.

What did this vanity,[5]

But minifter communication of

A moft poor iffue?

Nor. Grievingly, I think,

The peace between the French and us not values
The coft that did conclude it.

Buck. Every man,[6]

After the hideous ftorm that follow'd, was
A thing inspir'd; and, not consulting, broke
Into a general prophecy, That this tempeft,
Dashing the garment of this peace, aboaded
The fudden breach on't.

Nor. Which is budded out;

For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux.

Aber. Is it therefore

The ambassador is filenc'd ?[7]

Nor. Marry, is't.

Aber. A proper title of a peace ;[8] and purchas'd At a fuperfluous rate?

Buck. Why, all this business

Our reverend cardinal carried.

Nor. Like it your grace,

The state takes notice of the private difference
Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you

(And take it from a heart that wishes towards you
Honour and plenteous fafety), that you read
The cardinal's malice and his potency
Together to confider further, that

What his high hatred would effect, wants not

A minister in his power: You know his nature,
That he's revengeful and I know, his fword
Hath a fharp edge: It's long, and, it may be faid,
It reaches far; and where 'twill not extend,

Thither he darts it.

Bofom up my counsel,

[5] What effect has this pompous fhew but the production of a wretch ed conclufion.

JOHNS.

[6] His author, Hall, fays, "Monday, 18th June, there blew fuch ftorms of wind and weather, that marvel was to hear; for which hideous tempeft fome faid it was a very prognoftication of trouble and hatred to come between princes." In Henry VIII. p. 80. WARB.

[7] The French ambaffador refiding in England, who, by being refused an audience may be faid to be filenc'd.` JOHNS.

[8] A fine name of a peace. Ironically. JOHNS..

You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that rock, That I advise your shunning.

Enter Cardinal WOLSEY, the Purse borne before him, certain of the Guard, and two Secretaries with Papers. The Cardinal in his passage fixeth his eye on BUCKINGHAM, and BUCKINGHAN on him, both full of difdain.

Wol. The duke of Buckingham's furveyor? ha! Where's his examination?

Secr. Here, fo please you.

Wol. Is he in person ready?

Secr. Ay, an't please your grace.

Wol. Well, we fhall then know more; and Buckingham Shall leffen this big look.

[Exeunt Cardinal and his Train. Buck. This butcher's cur[9] is venom-mouth'd, and I Have not the power to muzzle him; therefore, best Not wake him in his flumber. A beggar's book Out-worths a noble's blood.[1]

Nor. What, are you chaf'd?

Afk God for temperance; that's the appliance only,
Which your disease requires.

Buck. I read in his looks

Matter against me; and his eye revil'd
Me, as his abject scorn: at this inftant

He bores me with some trick :[2] He's gone to the king:
I'll follow, and out-ftare him.

Nor. Stay, my lord,

And let your reafon with your choler queftion
What 'tis you go about: To climb fteep hills
Requires flow pace at firft: Anger is like

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

Not a man in England

Can advise me, like you: be to yourself,

As you would to your friend.

Buck. I'll to the king,

And from a mouth of honour[3] quite cry down

Wolfey is faid to have been the fon of a butcher.

JOHNS.

[1] That Y, the literary qualifications of a bookish beggar are more prized than the high defcent of hereditary greatnefs. This is a contemptuous exclamation very naturally put into the mouth of one of the antient, ynletter'd, martial nobility. JOHNS.

[2] He ftabs or wounds me by fome artifice or fiction. ib.

31 I will crufh this bafeborn fellow, by the due influence of my tank, er fay that all dictinction of perfons is at an end,

ib.

This Ipfwich fellow's infolence; or proclaim
There's difference in no perfons.

Nor. Be advis'd;

Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot
That it do finge yourself: We may out-run,
By violent fwiftness, that which we run at,
And lofe by over-running. Know you not,
The fire, that mounts the liquor till it run o'er,
Seeming to augment it, waftes it. Be advis'd :
I fay again, there is no English foul

More ftronger to direct you than yourself;
If with the fap of reafon you would quench,
Or but allay the fire of paffion.

Buck. Sir,

I am thankful to you; and I'll go along

By your prescription;-but this proud-top fellow,
(Whom from the flow of gall I name not, but
From fincere motions)[4] by intelligence,
And proofs as clear as founts in July, when
We fee each grain of gravel, I do know
To be corrupt and treasonous.

Nor. Say not, treasonous.

[ftrong

Buck. To the king I'll fay't; and make my vouch as
As fhore of rock. Attend. This holy fox,
Or wolf, or both (for he is equally ravenous,
As he is fubtle; and as prone to mischief,
As able to perform't; his mind and place
Infecting one another,[s] yea, reciprocally),
Only to fhew his pomp as well in France
As here at home, fuggefts the king our mafter[6]
To this laft coftly treaty, the interview,

That fwallow'd fo much treasure, and like a glafs
Did break i' the rinfing.

Nor. 'Faith, and so it did.

Buck. Pray, give me favour, fir. This cunning car

The articles o' the combination drew,

As himself pleas'd; and they were ratify'd,

As he cry'd, Thus let it be :-to as much end,

[dinal

As give a crutch to the dead: But our court-cardinal

[4] Honeft indignation; warmth of integrity. Perhaps 'name not,” hould be 'blame not.' JOHNS.

[5] This is very fatirical. His mind he reprefents as highly corrupt; and yet he fuppofes the contagion of the place of firft minifter as adding an infection to it.

WARB. [6] Suggefts, for excites.

WARB.

Has done this, and 'tis well; for worthy Wolfey,
Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows
(Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy

To the old dam, treafon) Charles the emperor,
Under pretence to fee the queen his aunt
(For 'twas, indeed, his colour; but he came
To whisper Wolfey) here makes a vifitation:
His fears were, that the interview betwixt
England and France, might, through their amity,
Breed him fome prejudice; for from this league
Peep'd harms that menae'd him. He privily
Deals with our cardinal; and, as I trow,
Which I do well; for, I am fure, the emperor
Paid ere he promis'd; whereby his fuit was granted
Ere it was afk'd. But when the way was made,
And pav'd with gold, the emperor thus defir'd,
That he would please to alter the king's course,
And break the forefaid peace. Let the king know
(As foon he fhall 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 wish, you were
Something mistaken in't.

Buck. No, not a syllable;

I do pronounce him in that very shape

He fhall appear in proof.

Enter BRANDON; a Serjeant at Arms before him, and two or three of the Guard.

Bran. Your office, ferjeant; execute it.
Serj. Sir,

My lord the duke of Buckingham, and earl
Of Hereford, Stafford, and Northampton, I
Arreft thee of high treason, in the name
Of our most fovereign king.

Buck. Lo you, my lord,

The net has fallen upon me; I fhall perish
Under device and practice.

Bran. I am forry

To fee you ta'en from liberty, to look on

The business prefent :(7) 'Tis his highnefs' pleasure,

(7) I am forry that I am obliged to be prefent and an eye-witness of your lofs of liberty.

VOL. VI.

JOHNS.
B

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