And, if he speak of Buckingham, pray, tell him, Lov. To the water side 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: see, the barge be ready; And fit it with such furniture, as suits The greatness of his person. Buck. Nay, sir Nicholas, Let it alone; my state now will but mock me. When I came hither, I was lord high constable, And duke of Buckingham; now, poor Edward Bohun: Yet I am richer than my base accusers, That never knew what truth meant: I now seal it; And with that blood will make them one day groan for't. My noble father, Henry of Buckingham, Who first rais'd head against usurping Richard, no more than to make the Duke say, No action expressive of malice shall conclude my life. The sense will then be, (whether quaintly or poetically expressed, let the reader determine) no malicious action shall close my grave, i. e. attend the conclusion of my existence, or terminate my life; the last action of it shall not be incharitable. STEEVENS. Restor❜'d me to my honours, and, out of ruins, And, must needs say, a noble one; which makes me Fell by our servants, by those men we lov'd most; Heaven has an end in all: Yet, you that hear me, Like water from ye, never found again But where they mean to sink ye. All good people, Pray for me! I must now forsake ye; the last hour Of my long weary life is come upon me. Farewell: And when you would say something that is sad, Speak how I fell.-I have done; and God forgive me! [Exeunt BUCKINGHAM and Train. 1 Gent. O, this is full of pity!-Sir, it calls, I fear, too many curses on their heads, That were the authors. 2 Gent. 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 Gent. Good angels keep it from us! Where may it be? You do not doubt my faith, sir? 2 Gent. This secret is so weighty, 'twill require A strong faith to conceal it. 1 Gent. I do not talk much. 2 Gent. Let me have it; I am confident; You shall, sir: Did you not of late days hear Between the king and Katharine? 1 Gent. Yes, but it held not: For when the king once heard it, out of anger He sent command to the lord mayor, straight To stop the rumour, and allay those tongues That durst disperse it. 2 Gent. But that slander, sir, 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 some about him near, have, out of malice To the good queen, possess'd him with a scruple That will undo her: To confirm this too, Cardinal Campeius is arriv'd, and lately; As all think, for this business. "Tis the cardinal; 1 Gent. 2 Gent. I think, you have hit the mark: But is't not cruel, That she should feel the smart of this? The cardinal Will have his will, and she must fall. 1 Gent. We are too open here to argue this; Let's think in private more. 'Tis woful. [Exeunt. SCENE II. An Ante-chamber in the Palace. Enter the Lord Chamberlain, reading a Letter. Cham. My lord,-The horses your lordship sent for, with all the care I had, I saw well chosen, ridden, and furnished. They were young, and handsome; and of the best breed in the north. When they were ready to set out for London, a man of my lord cardinal's, by commission, and main power, took 'em from me; with this reason,-His master would be served before a subject, if not before the king; which stopped our mouths, sir. I fear, he will, indeed: Well, let him have them: He will have all, I think. Enter the Dukes of NORFOLK and SUFFOLK. Nor. Lord Chamberlain. Cham. Well met, my good Good day to both your graces. I left him private, What's the cause? Suf. How is the king employ'd? Full of sad thoughts and troubles. Nor. Cham. It seems, the marriage with his brother's wife Has crept too near his conscience. Suf. Has crept too near another lady. No, his conscience "Tis so; Nor. This is the cardinal's doing, the king-cardinal: That blind priest, like the eldest son of fortune, Turns what he lists. The 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 Between us and the emperor, the queen's great nephew, He dives into the king's soul; and there scatters These news are every where; every tongue speaks them, And every true heart weeps for't: All, that dare The French king's sister. Heaven will one day open This bold bad man. Suf. And free us from his slavery. Nor. We had need pray, And heartily, for our deliverance; Or this imperious man will work us all From princes into pages: all men's honours Lie in one lump before him, to be fashion'd Into what pitch he please.] The mass must be fashioned into pitch or height, as well as into particular form. The meaning is, that the Cardinal can, as he pleases, make high or low. |