Hate him perniciously, and, o'my conscience,
Wish him ten fathom deep: this duke as much
They love and doat on; call him bounteous Buckingham,
The mirror of all courtesy :-

1 Gen. Stay there, fir,

And fee the noble ruin'd man you speak of.

Enter BUCKINGHAM from his Arraignment, (Tipftaves before him, the Axe with the Edge toward him. Halberds on each Side) accompanied with Sir THOMAS LOVEL, Sir NICHOLAS VAUX, Sir WILLIAM SANDS, and common People, &c.

2 Gen. Let's ftand clofe, and behold him, Buck. All good people,

You that thus far have come to pity me,

Hear what I say, and then go home and lose me.
I have this day receiv'd a traitor's judgment,

And by that name, muft die. Yet heaven bear witness,
And, if I have a confcience, let it fink me,
Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful!
The law I bear no malice for my death,
'T has done, upon the premises, but justice;
But thofe, that sought it, I could wish more Christians :
Be what they will, I heartily forgive 'em :
Yet let 'em look, they glory not in mischief,
Nor build their evils on the graves of great men ;
For then my guiltless blood muft cry 'gainst 'em.
For further life in this world, I ne'er hope,
Nor will I fue, although the king have mercies
More than I dare make faults. Ye few, that lov'd me,(7)
And dare be bold to weep for Buckingham,
His noble friends, and fellows, whom to leave
Is only bitter to him, only dying,

Go with me, like good angels, to my end;
And as the long divorce of fteel falls on me,
Make of your prayers one fweet facrifice,

And lift my foul to heaven.-Lead on, o'God's name.
Lov. I do befeech your grace for charity

If ever any malice in your heart

Where hid against me, now to forgive me frankly.

Buck. Sir Thomas Lovel, I as free forgive you,

As I would be forgiven I forgive all.

(7) These lines are remarkably tender and pathetic, JOHNS,

There cannot be those numberlefs offences
'Gainft me, that I can't take peace with: no black envy
Shall make my grave.(8)-Commend me to his grace;
And, if he fpeak of Buckingham, pray, tell him,
You met him half in heaven: my vows and prayers
Yet are the king's; and, till my foul forfake me,
Shall cry for bleffings on him: 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 fhall lead him to his end,
Goodnefs and he fill up one monument !

Lov. To the water-fide I must conduct your grace; Then give my charge up to Sir Nicholas Vaux. Who undertakes you to your end.

Vaux. Prepare there,

The duke is coming: fee the barge be ready;
And fit it with fuch furniture, as fuits

The greatnefs of his perfon.

Buck. Nay, Sir Nicholas,

Let it alone; my ftate now but will mock me.
When I came hither, I was lord high conftable,

And duke of Buckingham; now, poor Edward Bohun :
Yet I am richer than my base accufers,

That never knew what truth meant : I now feal it ;(9)
And with that blood, will make 'em one day groan for't.
My noble father, Henry of Buckingham,

Who firft rais'd head againft ufurping Richard,
Flying for fuccour to his fervant Banister,
Being diftrefs'd, was by that wretch betray'd,
And without trial fell; God's peace be with him!
Henry the Seventh fucceeding, truly pitying
My father's lofs, like a moft royal prince,
Reftor'd me to my honours, and, out of ruins,
Made my name, once more, noble. Now his fon,
Henry the Eighth, life, honour, name, and all
That made me happy, at one stroke has taken
For ever from the world. I had my trial,
And, muft needs fay, a noble one; which makes me
A little happier than my wretched father :
Yet thus far we are one in fortunes,-both

·

(8) I believe Shakespeare, by this expreffion, meant to make the duke fay, No action expreffive of malice fhall conclude my life.' Envy by our author is used for malice in other places, and, perhaps, in this. STEEV. (9) I now feal my truth, my loyalty, with blood, which blood shall one day make them groan. JOHNS.

Fell by our fervants, by those men we lov'd most ; A most unnatural and faithlefs fervice!

Heaven has an end in all. Yet, you that hear me, This from a dying man receive as certain :

Where you are liberal of your loves, and counfels,
Be fure, you be not loofe; for those you make friends,
And give your hearts to, when they once perceive
The leaft rub in your fortunes, fall away

Like water from ye, never found again

But where they mean to fink ye. All good people, Pray for me! I must now forfake you; the last hour Of my long weary life is come upon me.

Farewel :

And when you would fay fomething that is fad, Speak how I fell.-I have done; and God forgive me! [Exeunt BUCKINGHAM, and Train.

1 Gen. O, this is full of pity!-Sir, it calls,

I fear, too many curfes on their heads,

That were the authors.

2 Gen. If the duke be guiltless,

'Tis full of woe: yet I can give you inkling Of an ensuing evil, if it fall,

Greater than this.

1 Gen. Good angels keep it from us!

What may it be? You do not doubt my faith, fir 2 Gen. This fecret is fo weighty, 'twill require A ftrong faith to conceal it.[1]

1 Gen. Let me have it;

I do not talk much.

2 Gen. I am confident;

You fhall, fir Did you not of late days hear
A buzzing, of a feparation

Between the king and Catherine ?

1 Gen. Yes; but it held not :

For when the king once heard it, out of anger
He fent command to the lord mayor, ftraight
To ftop the rumour, and allay those tongues
That durft disperse it.

2 Gen. But that flander, fir,

Is found a truth now: for it grows again

Fresher than e'er it was and held for certain,
The king will venture at it. Either the cardinal,
Or fome about him near, have, out of malice

[1] Strong faith, is great fidelity. JOHNS.

To the good queen, poffefs'd him with a fcruple
That will undo her: To confirm this too,
Cardinal Campeius is arriv'd, and lately,
As all think, for this bufinefs.

I Gen. 'Tis the cardinal;

And merely to revenge him on the emperor,
For not beftowing on him, at his afking,

The archbishopric of Toledo, this is purpos'd.

2 Gen. I think you've hit the mark: But is't not

cruel,

That she should feel the smart of this? The cardinal
Will have his will, and the muft fall.

I Gen. 'Tis woeful.

We are too open here to argue this;
Let's think in private more.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

An Anti-Chamber in the Palace.

Enter Lord Cham

berlain, reading a Letter.

My lord, The horses your lordship fent for, with all the care I had, I faw well chofen, ridden, and furnished. They were young and handfome; and of the best breed in the North. When they were ready to fet out for London, a man of my lord cardinal's, by commission and main poswer, took 'em from me; with this reafon : His mafter would be ferv'd before a subject, if not before the king which Stopp'd our mouths, fir.

I fear, he will, indeed: Well, let him have them:
He will have all, I think.

Enter the Dukes of NORFOLK and SUFFOLK

Nor. Well met, my lord chamberlain.

Cham. Good day to both your graces.

Suf. How is the king employ'd?

Cham. I left him private,

Full of fad thoughts and troubles.

Nor. What's the caufe?

Cham. It feems, the marriage with his brother's wife

Has crept too near his conscience.

Suf. No; his confcience

Has crept too near another lady.
Nor. 'Tis fo;

This is the cardinal's doing, the king-cardinal!
That blind priest, like the eldest son of fortune,
Turns what he lifts. This king will know him one day.
Suf. Pray God, he do! he'll never know himself else.
Nor. How holily he works in all his business!
And with what zeal! For now he has crack'd the league
"Tween us and the emperor, the queen's great nephew,
He dives into the king's foul; and there scatters
Doubts, dangers, wringing of the conscience,
Fears, and despairs, and all these for his marriage;
And, out of all these to restore the king,
He counfels a divorce: a lofs of her,
That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never loft her luftre ;
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 blefs the king: And is not this courfe pious?
Cham. Heaven keep me from such counsel! 'Tis most

true,

These news are ev'ry where; every tongue speaks 'em,
And every true heart weeps for't: All, that dare
Look into these affairs, fee his main end,

The French king's fifter. Heaven will one day open
The king's eyes, that fo long have flept upon
This bold, bad man.

Suf. And free us from his flavery.

Nor. We had need pray,

And heartily, for our deliverance,

Or this imperious man will work us all

From princes into pages [2] all men's honours
Lie like one lump before him, to be fashion'd
Into what pitch he please.

Suf. For me, my lords,

I love him not, nor fear him; there's my creed:
As I am made without him, fo I'll ftand,

If the king please: his curfes and his bleffings
Touch me alike; they are breath I not believe in.
I knew him, and I know him; fo I leave him
To him that made him proud, the pope.

Nor. Let's in ;

And, with fome other bufinefs, put the king

[2] This may allude to the retinue of the cardinal, who had feveral of the nobility among his menial fervants. JOHNS.