Then makes him nothing. I must read this

paper;

I fear, the story of his anger. 'Tis so;

This paper has undone me: 'tis the account Of all that world of wealth I have drawn together

For mine own ends; indeed, to gain the popedom,

And fee my friends in Rome. O negligence!
Fit for a fool to fall by: what cross devil
Made me put this main secret in the packet
I sent the king? Is there no way to cure
this?

No new device to beat this from his brains?
I know 'twill stir him strongly ; yet I know
A way, if it take right, in spite of fortune
Will bring me off again. What's this?
'To the Pope !'

The letter, as I live, with all the business
I writ to 's holiness. Nay then, farewell!
I have touch'd the highest point of all my
greatness;

And, from that full meridian of my glory,
I haste now to my setting: I shall fall
Like a bright exhalation in the evening,
And no man see me more.

Re-enter to WOLSEY the DUKES of NORFOLK and SUFFOLK, the EARL of SURREY, and the LORD CHAMBERLAIN.

Nor. Hear the king's pleasure, cardinal: who commands you

To render up the great seal presently
Into our hands; and to confine yourself
To Asher-house, my Lord of Winchester's,
Till you hear further from his highness.
Wol.
Stay :
Where's your commission, lords? words
cannot carry

Authority so weighty.

Suf.

Who dare cross 'em,

Bearing the king's will from his mouth expressly?

Wol. Till I find more than will or words to do it

I mean your malice-know, officious lords,
I dare, and must deny it. Now I feel
Of what coarse metal ye are moulded

-envy :

How eagerly ye follow my disgraces,

As if it fed ye! and how sleek and wanton Ye appear in every thing may bring my ruin!

Follow your envious courses, men of malice;

You have Christian warrant for 'em, and, no doubt,

In time will find their fit rewards.

That seal You ask with such a violence, the king, Mine and your master, with his own hand

gave me ;

Bade me enjoy it, with the place and honours,

During my life; and, to confirm his good

ness,

Tied it by letters-patents: now, who 'll take

it ?

Sur. The king, that gave it.

Wol.

It must be himself, then.

Proud lord, thou liest :

Sur. Thou art a proud traitor, priest.

Wol.

Within these forty hours Surrey durst better

Have burnt that tongue than said so.

Thy ambition,

Sur. Thou scarlet sin, robb'd this bewailing land Of noble Buckingham, my father-in-law:

The heads of all thy brother cardinals,

With thee and all thy best parts bound together,

Weigh'd not a hair of his. Plague of your policy!

You sent me deputy for Ireland;

Far from his succour, from the king, from all

That might have mercy on the fault thou gavest him;

Whilst your great goodness, out of holy

pity,

Absolved him with an axe.

Wol.
This, and all else
This talking lord can lay upon my credit,
I answer, is most false. The duke by law
Found his deserts. How innocent I was
From any private malice in his end,

His noble jury and foul cause can witness.
If I loved many words, lord, I should tell you
You have as little honesty as honour,
That in the way of loyalty and truth
Toward the king, my ever royal master,
Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can

be,

And all that love his follies.

Sur.

By my soul,

Your long coat, priest, protects you; thou

shouldst feel

My sword i' the life-blood of thee else. My

lords,

Can ye endure to hear this arrogance?

And from this fellow? If we live thus tamely,

To be thus jaded by a piece of scarlet,

Farewell nobility; let his grace go forward, And dare us with his cap like larks.

Wol.

Is poison to thy stomach.

Sur.

All goodness

Yes, that goodness

Of gleaning all the land's wealth into one, Into your own hands, cardinal, by extortion;

The goodness of your intercepted packets You writ to the pope against the king: your goodness,

Since you provoke me, shall be most notorious.

My Lord of Norfolk, as you are truly noble,

As you respect the common good, the state Of our despised nobility, our issues,

Who, if he live, will scarce be gentlemen, Produce the grand sum of his sins, the articles