Wol.

Say, lord chamberlain,

They have done my poor house grace; for which I pay

them

A thousand thanks, and pray them take their pleasures. [Ladies are chosen for the dance. The King takes ANNE BULLEN.

K. Hen. The fairest hand I ever touch'd. O, beauty! Till now I never knew thee. [Music. Dance.

Wol. My lord,—

Cham.

Your grace?

Wol.

Pray tell them thus much from me.

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

[Cham. goes to the masquers, and returns.

Wol. What say they?
Cham.

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.—

[Descending 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."—A health, gentlemen! [Kissing her. Let it go round.

Wol. Sir Thomas Lovell, is the banquet ready I' the privy chamber?

K. Hen. Lead in your ladies, every one.-Sweet partner,

I must not yet forsake you.-Let's be merry,

Good my lord cardinal: I have half a dozen healths

To drink to these fair ladies, and a measure

To lead them once again; and then let's dream
Who's best in favour.-Let the music knock it.

[Exeunt: Trumpets sound.

Let the music KNOCK IT.] ¿. e., Let the music play: “knock it" seems to have been derived from beating time, or perhaps from beating the drum.

And not to kiss you.] It was at that time, almost invariably, usual for a gentleman to kiss his partner at the end of the dance the custom still prevails in servants' halls.

ACT II.

SCENE I-A Street in London.

Enter two Gentlemen, meeting.

First Gent. Whither away so fast?

Second Gent.

O!—God save you :

E'en to the hall, to hear what shall become

Of the great duke of Buckingham.

First Gent.

I'll save you

That labour, sir. All's now done, but the ceremony

Of bringing back the prisoner.

First Gent. Yes, truly is he; and condemn'd upon it.

Second Gent. I am sorry for 't.

First Gent.

So are a number more.

Second Gent. But, pray, how pass'd it?

First Gent. I'll tell you in a little. The great duke

Came to the bar; where to his accusations

He pleaded still not guilty, and alleg'd

Many sharp reasons to defeat the law.

The king's attorney, on the contrary,

Urg'd on the examinations, proofs, confessions
Of divers witnesses, which the duke desir'd

To have brought, vivâ voce, to his face :

At which appear'd against him, his surveyor;
Sir Gilbert Peck his chancellor; and John Car,
Confessor to him; with that devil-monk,

Hopkins, that made this mischief.

Second Gent.

That fed him with his prophecies ?

First Gent.

That was he

The same.

All these accus'd him strongly; which he fain

Would have flung from him, but, indeed, he could not :
And so his peers, upon this evidence,

Have found him guilty of high treason. Much

He spoke, and learnedly, for life; but all

Was either pitied in him, or forgotten.

Second Gent. After all this, how did he bear himself?

First Gent. When he was brought again to the bar, to

hear

His knell rung out, his judgment, he was stirr'd

With such an agony, he sweat extremely,
And something spoke in choler, ill and hasty :
But he fell to himself again, and sweetly
In all the rest show'd a most noble patience.
Second Gent. I do not think he fears death.
First Gent.
Sure, he does not;

He was never so womanish: the cause

He may a little grieve at.

Second Gent.

The cardinal is the end of this.

First Gent.

Certainly,

'Tis likely

By all conjectures: first, Kildare's attainder,

Then deputy of Ireland; who remov'd,

Earl Surrey was sent thither; and in haste too,

Lest he should help his father.

And generally; whoever the king favours,
The cardinal instantly will find employment,

And far enough from court too.

Second Gent.

All the commons

Hate him perniciously, and, o' my conscience,

Wish him ten fathom deep: this duke as much
They love and dote on; call him, bounteous Buckingham,
The mirror of all courtesy-

First Gent.

Stay there, sir;

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

Enter BUCKINGHAM from his arraignment; Tipstaves before him; the axe with the edge towards him; halberds on each side: accompanied with Sir THOMAS LOVELL, Sir NICHOLAS VAUX, Sir WILLIAM Sands, and many of the common people.

Second Gent. Let's stand close, 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 must die: yet, heaven bear witness,

And if I have a conscience let it sink me

Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful.
The law I bear no malice for my death,