Lov.
'Faith, how easy?
SANDS. As easy as a down-bed would afford it:
CHAM. Sweet ladies, will it please you sit? Sir
Harry,

Place you that side, I'll take the charge of this:
His grace is ent'ring.-Nay, you must not freeze;
Two women plac'd together makes cold weather:-
My lord Sands, you are one will keep them waking;
Pray, sit between these ladies.

SANDS.
By my faith,
And thank your lordship.-By your leave, sweet
ladies:

[Seats himself between ANNE BULLEN and another Lady.

If I chance to talk a little wild, forgive me;

I had it from my father.

ANNE.

Was he mad, sir?

SANDS. O, very mad, exceeding mad, in love too: But he would bite none; just as I do now,

He would kiss you twenty with a breath. [Kisses her.
Снам.
Well said, my lord.-
So, now you are fairly seated :-Gentlemen,
The penance lies on you, if these fair ladies
Pass away frowning.

SANDS.

Let me alone.

For my little cure,

Hautboys. Enter Cardinal WOLSEY, attended, and takes his state.

WOL. You are welcome, my fair guests; that noble lady,

Or gentleman, that is not freely merry,

Is not my friend: This, to confirm my welcome;
And to you all good health.

SANDS.

[Drinks.

Your grace is noble :

Let me have such a bowl may hold my thanks,

And save me so much talking.

WOL.

My lord Sands,

I am beholden to you: cheer your neighbours.-
Ladies, you are not merry ;-Gentlemen,

Whose fault is this?

SANDS.

The red wine first must rise

In their fair cheeks, my lord; then we shall have

Here's to your ladyship: and pledge it, madam,
For 'tis to such a thing,-

ANNE.

You cannot show me.

SANDS. I told your grace, they would talk anon. [Drum and Trumpets within: Chambers

WOL.

discharged'.

What's that?

[Exit a Servant.

CHAM. Look out there, some of you.

9 - if I make my play.] i. e. if I make my party. STEEVENS. Rather- if I may choose my game.' RITSON.

As the measure, in this place, requires an additional syllable, we may, commodiously enough, read, with Sir T. Hanmer:

66

• Yes, if I may make my play." STEEVEns.

Perhaps it would be better to give two hemistichs to Lord Sands, and throw Anne Bullen's speech into one verse:

"You are a merry gamester, my lord Sands." Boswell. CHAMBERS discharged.] A chamber is a which stands gun erect on its breech. Such are used only on occasions of rejoicing, and are so contrived as to carry great charges, and thereby to make a noise more than proportioned to their bulk. They are called chambers because they are mere chambers to lodge powder; a chamber being the technical term for that cavity in a piece of ordnance which contains the combustibles. Some of them are still fired in the Park, and at the places opposite to the parliament-house when the king goes thither. Camden enumerates them among other guns, as follows: " - cannons, demi-cannons, chambers, arquebuse, musquet.'

Again, in A New Trick to cheat the Devil, 1636:
I still think o' the Tower ordinance,

"Or of the peal of chambers, that's still fir'd

"When my lord-mayor takes his barge." STEEVENS.

WOL.

What warlike voice?

And to what end is this ?-Nay, ladies, fear not; By all the laws of war you are privileg'd.

Re-enter Servant.

CHAM. How now? what is't?

SERV.

A noble troop of strangers;

For so they seem: they have left their barge 2, and

landed;

And hither make, as great ambassadors

From foreign princes.

WOL.

Good lord chamberlain,

Go, give them welcome, you can speak the French

tongue;

And, pray, receive them nobly, and conduct them, Into our presence, where this heaven of beauty Shall shine at full upon them:-Some attend him.[Exit Chamberlain attended. All arise,

and Tables removed.

You have now a broken banquet; but we'll mend it.
A good digestion to you all: and, once more,
I shower a welcome on you;-Welcome all.

Hautboys. Enter the King, and twelve Others, as
Maskers, habited like Shepherds, with sixteen
Torch-bearers; ushered by the Lord Chamberlain.
They pass directly before the Cardinal, and
gracefully salute him.

A noble company! what are their pleasures?

2

they have left their barge,] See p. 347, n. 5. MALONE. 3 Enter the King, and twelve Others, as Maskers,] For an account of this masquerade, see Holinshed, vol. ii. p. 921. STEEVENS.

The account of this masquerade was first given by Cavendish, in his Life of Wolsey, which was written in the time of Queen Mary; from which Stowe and Holinshed copied it. Cavendish was himself present. Before the King, &c. began to dance, they requested leave (says Cavendish) to accompany the ladies at

CHAM. Because they speak no English, thus they

pray'd

To tell your grace ;-That, having heard by fame
Of this so noble and so fair assembly

This night to meet here, they could do no less,
Out of the great respect they bear to beauty,
But leave their flocks; and, under your fair conduct,
Crave leave to view these ladies, and entreat
An hour of revels with them.

WOL.

Say, lord chamberlain, They have done my poor house grace; for which I pay them

A thousand thanks, and pray them take their plea

sures.

[Ladies chosen for the Dance. The King chooses ANNE BULLEN.

K. HEN. The fairest hand I ever touch'd! O,

WOL.

Pray tell them thus much from me:

There should be one among them, by his person, More worthy this place than myself; to whom, If I but knew him, with my love and duty

I would surrender it.

CHAM.

I will, my lord.

[Cham. goes to the Company, and returns

mumchance. Leave being granted, "then went the masquers, and first saluted all the dames, and then returned to the most worthiest, and then opened the great cup of gold filled with crownes, and other pieces to cast at.-Thus perusing all the gentlewomen, of some they wonne, and to some they lost. And having viewed all the ladies, they returned to the Cardinal with great reverence, pouring downe all their gold, which was above two hundred crownes. At all, quoth the Cardinal, and casting the die, he wonne it; whereat was made great joy."

VOL. XIX.

Life of Wolsey, p. 22, edit. 1641. MALONE.

2 A

WOL. What say they?

Снам.

Such a one, they all confess,

There is, indeed; which they would have your grace Find out, and he will take it *.

WOL.

Let me see then.

[Comes from his State.

By all your good leaves, gentlemen;-Here I'll make
My royal choice.
K. HEN.

You have found him, cardinal":

[Unmasking.

You hold a fair assembly; you do well, lord:
You are a churchman, or, I'll tell you, cardinal,
I should judge now unhappily ".

WOL.

Your grace is grown so pleasant.

I am glad,

K. HEN. My lord chamberlain, Pr'ythee, come hither: What fair lady's that? CHAM. An't please your grace, sir Thomas Bullen's daughter,

The viscount Rochford, one of her highness' women. K. HEN. By heaven, she is a dainty one.-Sweetheart,

I were unmannerly, to take you out,

And not to kiss you 7.-A health, gentlemen,
Let it go round.

4

take it.] That is, take the chief place. JOHNSON. 5 You have found him, cardinal :]

Holinshed says the Cardinal mistook, and pitched upon Sir Edward Neville; upon which the King laughed, and pulled off both his own mask and Sir Edward's. Edwards's MSS. STEEVENS.

61

unhappily,] That is, unluckily, mischievously. JOHNSON. So, in A Merye Jeste of a Man called Howleglas, bl. 1. no date : in such manner colde he cloke and hyde his unhappinesse and falsnesse." STEEVENS.

See vol. vii. p. 50, n. 2. MALONE.

7 I were unmannerly, to take you out,

And not to kiss you.] A kiss was anciently the established fee of a lady's partner. So, in A Dialogue between Custom and Veritie, concerning the Use and Abuse of Dauncing and Min