By all that's holy, he had better starve,

Than but once think this place becomes thee not.
Sur. May it please your grace,-

K. Hen. No, Sir, it does not please me.

I had thought, I had had men of some understanding
And wisdom, of my council; but I find none.
Was it discretion, lords, to let this man,

This good man (few of you deserve that title),
This honest man, wait like a lowsy footboy

At chamber door? and one as great as you are?
Why, what a shame was this? Did my commission
Bid ye so far forget yourselves? I

gave ye
Power as he was a counsellor to try him,
Not as a groom; There's some of ye,
More out of malice than integrity,

see,

Would try him to the utmost, had ye mean,
Which ye shall never have while I live.

Chan. Thus far,

My most dread sovereign, may it like your grace
To let my tongue excuse all. What was purposed
Concerning his imprisonment, was rather

(If there be faith in men) meant for his trial,
And fair purgation to the world, than malice;
I am sure, in me.

K. Hen. Well, well, my lords, respect him; Take him, and use him well, he's worthy of it. I will say thus much for him, If a prince May be beholden to a subject, I

Am, for his love and service, so to him.

Make me no more ado, but all embrace him;

Be friends, for shame, my lords. My lord of Canterbury,

I have a suit which you must not deny me;

This is, a fair young maid that yet wants baptism,

You must be godfather, and answer for her.

Cran. The greatest monarch now alive may glory

In such an honour; How may I deserve it,

That am a poor and humble subject to you?

K. Hen. Come, come, my lord, you'd spare your spoons ;* you shall have

Two noble partners with you; the old duchess of Norfolk,
And lady marquis Dorset; Will these please you?

Once more, my lord of Winchester, I charge you,

Embrace, and love this man.

Gar. With a true heart,

And brother-love, I do it.

Cran. And let heaven

Witness, how dear I hold this confirmation.

K. Hen. Good man, those joyful tears show thy true heart.

The common voice, I see, is verified

Of thee, which says thus, Do my lord of Canterbury

*It was an ancient custom for sponsors to present spoons to their godchildren.

A shrewd turn, and he is your friend for ever.-
Come, lords, we trifle time away; I long
To have this young one made a Christian.
As I have made ye one, lords, one remain;
So I grow stronger, you more honour gain.

SCENE III.-The Palace Yard.

[Exeunt.

Noise and tumult within. Enter PORTER and his MAN. Port. You'll leave your noise anon, ye rascals: Do you take the court for Paris-garden ?* ye rude slaves, leave your gaping.t [Within.] Good master porter, I belong to the larder.

Port. Belong to the gallows, and be hanged, you rogue: Is this a place to roar in ?-Fetch me a dozen crab-tree staves, and strong ones; these are but switches to them.-I'll scratch your heads: You must be seeing christenings? Do you look for ale and cakes here, you rude rascals?

Man. Pray, Sir, be patient; 'tis as much impossible (Unless we sweep them from the door with cannons) To scatter them, as 'tis to make them sleep

On May-day morning; which will never be:
We may as well push against Paul's, as stir them.
Port. How got they in, and be hang'd?

Man. Alas, I know not; How gets the tide in?
As much as one sound cudgel of four foot
(You see the poor remainder) could distribute,
I made no spare, Sir.

Port. You did nothing, Sir.

Man. I am not Samson, nor Sir Guy, nor Colbrand, to mow them down before me: but, if I spared any, that had a head to hit, either young or old, he or she, cuckold or cuckold-maker, let me never hope to see a chine again, and that I would not for a cow, God save her.

[Within.] Do you hear, master Porter?

Port. I shall be with you presently, good master puppy.Keep the door close, sirrah.

Man. What would you have me do?

Port. What should you do, but knock them down by the dozens? Is this Moorfields to muster in? or have we some strange Indian with the great tool come to court, the women so besiege us? Bless me, what a fry of fornication is at door! On my Christian conscience, this one christening will beget a thousand; here will be father, godfather, and all together.

Man. The spoons will be the bigger, Sir. There is a fellow somewhat near the door, he should be a brazier by his face, for o' my conscience, twenty of the dog-days now reign in 's nose; all that stand about him are under the line, they need no other penance: That fire-drake did I hit three times on the head, and three times was his nose discharged against me; he stands there like a mortar-piece, to blow us. There was a haberdasher's wife of small wit near him, that railed upon me till her pink'd por† Roaring.

The bear-garden on Bank-side.

ringer* fell off her head, for kindling such a combustion in the state. I miss'd the meteort once, and hit that woman, who cried out, clubs! when I might see from far some forty truncheoneers draw to her succour, which were the hope of the Strand, where she was quartered. They fell on; I made good my place; at length they came to the broomstaff with me, I defied them still; when suddenly a file of boys behind them, loose shot, delivered such a shower of pebbles, that I was fain to draw mine honour in, and let them win the work: The devil was amongst them, I think, surely.

Port. These are the youths that thunder at a play-house, and fight for bitten apples; that no audience, but the Tribulation of Tower-hill, or the Limbs of Limehouse, ‡ their dear brothers, are able to endure. I have some of them in Limbo Patrum, § and there they are like to dance these three days; besides the running banquet of two beadles || that is to come.

Enter the LORD CHAMBERLAIN.

Cham. Mercy o' me, what a multitude are here!
They grow still too, from all parts they are coming,
As if we kept a fair here! Where are these porters,
These lazy knaves?-Ye have made a fine hand, fellows.
There's a trim rabble let in: Are all these

Your faithful friends o' the suburbs? We shall have
Great store of room, no doubt, left for the ladies
When they pass back from the christening.
Port. An't please your honour,

We are but men; and what so many may do,
Not being torn a pieces, we have done :
An army cannot rule them.

Cham. As I live,

If the king blame me for 't, Ill lay ye all

By the heels, and suddenly; and on your heads
Clap round fines, for neglect: You are lazy knaves;
And here ye lie baiting of bumbards, when
Ye should do service. Hark, the trumpets sound;
They are come already from the christening:
Go, break among the press, and find a way out
To let the troop pass fairly; or I'll find

A Marshalsea, shall hold you play these two months.
Port. Make way there for the princess.

Man. You great fellow, stand close up, or

I'll make your head ache.

Port. You i' the camblet, get up o' the rail; I'll peck** you o'er the pales else.

SCENE IV.-The Palace.tt

[Exeunt.

Enter trumpets, sounding; then two Aldermen, LORD MAYOR, GARTER, CRANMER, Duke of NORFOLK, with his Marshal's staff, Duke of SUFFOLK, two Noblemen bearing great standingbowls for the christening gifts; then four Noblemen bearing a * Pink'd cap.

†The brazier.

Place of confinement.
Black leather vessels to hold beer.

Two Puritan congregations. A desert of whipping. ** Pitch. tt At Greenwich.

canopy, under which the Duchess of NORFOLK, godmother, bearing the child richly habited in a mantle, &c. Train borne by a Lady; then follows the Marchioness of DORSET, the other godmother, and Ladies. The troop pass once about the stage, and GARTER speaks.

Gart. Heaven from thy endless goodness, send prosperous life, long, and ever happy, to the high and mighty princess of England, Elizabeth!

Flourish. Enter KING, and Train.

Cran. [kneeling]. And to your royal grace, and the good queen, My noble partners, and myself, thus pray: All comfort, joy, in this most gracious lady, Heaven ever laid up to make parents happy, May hourly fall upon ye!

K. Hen. Thank you, good lord archbishop; What is her name?

Cran. Elizabeth.

K. Hen. Stand up, lord.

[The KING kisses the child.

With this kiss take my blessing: God protect thee!

Into whose hands I give thy life.

Cran. Amen.

K. Hen. My noble gossips, ye have been too prodigal: I thank ye heartily; so shall this lady,

When she has so much English.

Cran. Let me speak, Sir,

For heaven now bids me; and the words I utter
Let none think flattery, for they'll find them truth.
This royal infant, (heaven still move about her!)
Though in her cradle, yet now promises
Upon this land a thousand thousand blessings,
Which time shall bring to ripeness: She shall be
(But few now living can behold that goodness)
A pattern to all princes living with her,
And all that shall succeed: Saba was never
More covetous of wisdom, and fair virtue,
Than this pure soul shall be: all princely graces,
That mould up such a mighty piece as this is,
With all the virtues that attend the good,

Shall still be doubled on her: truth shall nurse her,

Holy and heavenly thoughts still counsel her:

She shall be loved and fear'd: Her own shall bless her:

Her foes shake like a field of beaten corn,

And hang their heads with sorrow: Good grows with her :
In her days, every man shall eat in safety
Under his own vine, what he plants; and sing
The merry songs of peace to all his neighbours:
God shall be truly known; and those about her
From her shall read the perfect ways of honour,
And by those claim their greatness, not by blood.
[Nor shall this peace sleep with her: But as when
The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phoenix,

* This and the following seventeen lines were probably written by Ben Jonson, after the accession of King James.

Her ashes new create another heir,

As great in admiration as herself;

So shall she leave her blessedness to one

(When heaven shall call her from this cloud of darkness), Who, from the sacred ashes of her honour,

Shall star-like rise, as great in fame as she was,

And so stand fix'd: Peace, plenty, love, truth, terror,
That were the servants to this chosen infant,
Shall then be his, and like a vine grow to him;
Wherever the bright sun of heaven shall shine,
His honour and the greatness of his name
Shall be, and make new nations: He shall flourish,
And, like a mountain cedar, reach his branches
To all the plains about him:- -Our children's children

Shall see this, and bless heaven.

K. Hen. Thou speakest wonders.]

Cran. She shall be, to the happiness of England,
An aged princess; many days shall see her,
And yet no day without a deed to crown it.
'Would I had known no more! but she must die
(She must, the saints must have her), yet a virgin;
A most unspotted lily shall she pass

To the ground, and all the world shall mourn her.
K. Hen. O lord archbishop,

Thou hast made me now a man; never, before
This happy child, did I get anything:

This oracle of comfort has so pleased me,

That, when I am in heaven, I shall desire

To see what this child does, and praise my Maker.-
I thank ye all, To you, my good lord mayor,

And your good brethren, I am much beholden;

I have received much honour by your presence,

And ye shall find me thankful. Lead the way, lords;→
Ye must all see the queen, and she must thank ye,
She will be sick else. This day, no man think
He has business at his house; for all shall stay,
This little one shall make it holiday.

EPILOGUE.

"Tis ten to one, this play can never please
All that are here: Some come to take their ease,
And sleep an act or two; but those, we fear,
We have frighted with our trumpets; so, 'tís clear,
They'll say, 'tis naught: others, to hear the city
Abused extremely, and to cry, that's witty!
Which we have not done neither: that, I fear,
All the expected good we are like to hear
For this play at this time is only in
The merciful construction of good women;
For such a one we show'd them; If they smile,
And say, 'twill do, I know, within a while
All the best men are ours; for 'tis ill hap,
If they hold, when their ladies bid them clap.

[Exeunt.