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Ha!-I have faid-be gone.

What!

[Exeunt Lovell and Denny.

SCENE 1II.

Cran. I am much fearful: wherefore frowns he thus
All's not well.

'Tis his afpect of terror.

King. How now, my Lord? you do defire to know Wherefore 1 fent for you.

Cran. It is my duty

T' attend your Highness' pleasure.

King. Pray you rise,

My good and gracious Lord of Canterbury.
Come, you and I must walk a turn together:
I've news to tell you. Come, give me your hand.
Ah, my good Lord, I grieve at what I fpeak;
And am right forry to repeat what follows.
I have, and most unwillingly, of late
Heard many grievous, I do fay, my Lord,

Grievous complaints of you; which being confider'd,
Have mov'd us and our council, that you fhall
This morning come before us; where I know
You cannot with fuch freedom purge yourself;
But that, till further trial, in those charges
Which will require your answer, you must take
Your patience to you, and be well contented

To make your house our Tower. You a brother of us,
It fits we thus proceed, or else no witness

Would come against you.

Cran. I humbly thank your Highnefs,

And am right glad to catch this good occafion

Moft thoroughly to be winnow'd, where my chaff

And corn fhall fly afunder. For I know

There's none ftands under more calumnious

Than I myself, poor man.

King. Stand up, good Canterbury...

Thy truth and thy integrity is rooted

tongues ›

In us, thy friend. Give me thy hand, ftand up;
Pr'ythee let's walk. Now, by my holy Dame,
What manner of man are you? My Lord. I look'd
You would have given me your petition, that
I fhould have ta'en fome pains to bring together

F£3

3

Your if

Yourself and your accusers, and have heard you
Without indurance further.

Cran. Moft dread Liege,

The good I ftand on is my truth and honefty.
If they fhall fall, I with mine enemies

Will triumph o'er my person; which I weigh not,
Being of thofe virtues vacant. I fear nothing
What can be faid against me.

King. Know you not

How your ftate ftands i' th' world, with the whole world?
Your foes are many, and not small; their practices
Muft bear the fame proportion; and not ever
The justice and the truth o' th' question carries
The due o' th' verdict with it. At what eafe
Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt
To fwear against you? Such things have been done,
You're potently oppos'd; and with a malice
Of as great fize. Ween you of better luck,
I mean, in perjur'd witness, than your master,
Whose minifter you are, while here he liv'd
Upon this naughty earth? Go to, go to;
You take a precipice for no leap of danger,.
And woo your own deftruction.

Cran. God and your Majesty

Protect mine innocence, or I fall into
The trap is laid for me!

King. Be of good cheer;

They fhall no more prevail, than we give way to..
Keep comfort to you, and this morning fee
You do appear before them. If they chance,
In charging you with matters, to commit you;
The best perfuafions to the contrary

Fail not to use, and with what vehemency
Th' occafion, fhall inftruct you. If entreaties
Will render you no remedy, this ring

Deliver them, and your appeal to us

There make before them. Look, the good man weeps!! He's honeft, on mine honour. God's blefs'd mother!

I fwear he is true-hearted; and a foul

None better in my kingdom, Get you gone,

And do as I have bid you.

H'as ftrangled all his language in his tears.

[Exit Cranmer.

Enter

Enter an Old Lady,

Gen. [Within.] Come back; what mean you?
Lady. I'll not come back; the tidings that I bring
Will make my boldness manners. Now good angels
Fly o'er thy royal head, and shade thy person
Under their bleffed wings!
King. Now by thy looks

I guefs thy meffage.

Say Ay, and of a boy.

Is the Queen deliver'd?

Lady. Ay, ay, my Liege;

And of a lovely boy; the God of heav'n
Both now and ever bless her!-'tis a girl,
Promises boys hereafter. Sir, your Queen
Defires your vifitation, and to be

Acquainted with this ftranger; 'tis as like you'
As cherry is to cherry.

King. Lovell!

Lov. Sir.

King. Give her an hundred marks. I'll to the Queen.

[Exit King.

Lady. An hundred marks! by this light, I'll ha' more.. An ordinary groom is for fuch payment.

I will have more, or fcold it out of him.
Said I for this, the girl was like him? I'll

Have more, or else unfay't: now, while 'tis hot,

I'll put it to the iffue.

[Exit Lady.

SCENE IV. Before the council-chamber.

Enter Cranmer.

Cran. I hope I'm not too late; and yet the Gentleman That was fent to me from the council, pray'd me To make great hafte. All faft? what means this? hoa? Who waits there? fure you know me?

[blocks in formation]

D. Keep. Your Grace must wait till you be call'd för.

Enter

Cran. So

Enter Dolor Butts.

I am glad

[Exit Butts.

Butts. This is a piece of malice.

I came this way fo happily. The King
Shall understand it presently.

Cran. 'Tis Butts,

The King's phyfician. As he pafs'd along,
How earnestly he caft his eyes upon me!

Pray heav'n, he found not my disgrace! for certain,
This is of purpose laid by some that hate me,

(God turn their hearts! I never fought their malice,) To querch mine honour: they would fhame to make me Wait elfe at door: a fellow-counsellor,

'Mong boys, and grooms, and lackeys! but their pleasures Must be fulfill'd, and I attend with patience.

Enter the King and Butts, at a window above.

Butts. I'll fhew your Grace the strangest fight--
King. What's that, Butts?

Butts. I think your Highnefs faw this many a day..
King. Body o' me: where is it?

Butts. There, my Lord.

The high promotion of his Grace of Canterbury,
Who holds his ftate at door 'mongft purfuivants, .
Pages, and foot-boys.

King. Ha! 'tis he indeed.

Is this the honour they do one another?
'Tis well there's one above 'em yet. I thought
They'd parted fo much honesty among 'em,
At least, good manners, as not thus to fuffer
A man of his place, and fo near our favour,
To dance attendance on their Lordships' pleasures;:
And at the door too, like a poft with packets.
By holy Mary, Butts, there's knavery;

Let 'em alone, and draw the curtain clofe,
We fhall, hear more anon..

SCENE

SCENE V. The council.

A council-table brought in, with chairs and fools, and placed under the ftate. Enter Lord Chancellor, places himfelf at the upper end of the table on the left hand, a feat being left void above him, as for the Archbishop of Canterbury. Duke of Suffolk, Duke of Norfolk, Surrey, Lord Chamberlain, and Gardiner, feat themfelves in order on each fide. Cromwell at the lower end, as Secretary.

Chan. Speak to the bufinefs, Mr. Secretary: Why are we met in council?

Crom. Please your Honours,

The cause concerns his Grace of Canterbury..
Gard. Has he had knowledge of it?

Crom. Yes.

Nor. Who waits there?

D. Keep.. Without, my Noble Lords?
Gard. Yes.

D. Keep. My Lord Archbishop;

And has done half an hour, to know your pleafures.

Chan. Let him come in.

D. Keep. Your Grace may enter now.

[Cranmer approaches the council-table. Chan. My good Lord Archbishop, I am very forry To fit here at this prefent, and behold

That chair ftand empty. But we all are men

In our own natures frail, and capable

Of frailty, few are angels: from which frailty,
And want of wisdom, you that best should teach us,
Have misdemean'd yourself, and not a little;
Tow'rd the King firft, and then his laws, in filling
The whole realm, by your teaching and your chaplains,
(For fo we are inform'd,) with new opinions
Divers and dang'rous, which are herefies;
And not reform'd, may prove pernicious.

Gard. Which reformation must be fudden too,
My Noble Lords; for those that tame wild horses,.
Pace 'em not in their hands to make 'em gentle;

But stop their mouths with stubborn bits, and fpur 'em, Till they obey the manage. If we fuffer

(Out of our eafiness and childish pity

To.

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