ACT I. the Palace. Buck. The devil speed him! no man's pie is free'd SCENE I-London.-An Ante-chamber in From his ambitious finger. What had he at Enter the Duke of NORFOLK, at one door; the other, the Duke of BUCKINGHAM, and the Lord ABERGAVENNY. Buck. Good morrow, and well met. have you done, Since last we saw in France ? Nor. I thank your grace : Healthful; and ever since a fresh admirer Of what I saw there. Buck. An untimely ague How Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber, when Those suns of glory, those two lights of men, Met in the vale of Arde. Nor. 'Twixt Guynes and Arde: I was then present, saw them salute on horse. Such a compounded one? I was my chamber's prisoner. The view of earthly glory: Men might say, To one above itself. Each following day Became the next day's master, till the last Made former wonders it's: To-day, the French, All clinquant, + all in gold, like heathen gods, Shone down the English: and, to-morrow, they Made Britain, India: every man that stood Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages I mean, who set the body and the limbs Buck. I pray you, who, my lord? Nor. Surely, Sir, There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends : For being not propp'd by, ancestry, (whose grace Chalks successors their way,) nor call'd upon For high feats done to the crown; neither allied To eminent assistance, but, spider-like, Out of his self drawing web, he gives us note, Aber. I cannot tell [eye What heaven hath given him, let some graver Pierce into that; but I can see his pride Peep through each part of him: Whence has be that? If not from hell, the devil is a niggard; Buck. Why the devil, [file t Upon this French going-out, took he upon him, Aber. I do know Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have By this so sicken'd their estates, that never They shall abound as formerly. Buck. O many Have broke their backs with laying manors on them For this great journey. But minister communication of A most poor issue? What did this vanity [values Nor. Grievingly I think, The peace between the French and us not The cost that did conclude it. Buck. Every man, After the hideous storm that follow'd, was Nor. Which is budded out; For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux. Aber. Is it therefore The ambassador is silenc'd? Nor. Marry, is't. Aber. A proper title of a peace; and purchas'd At a superfluous rate! Buck. Why all this business Our reverend cardinal carried. [] Nor. 'Like it your grace, The state takes notice of the private difference Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you, (And take it from a heart that wishes towards you Honour and plenteous safety,) that you read Nor. All this was order'd by the good dis- Together to consider further, that It reaches far; and where 'twill not extend, Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel, You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that rock, That I advise your shunning. Enter Cardinal WOLSEY, (the purse borne before him,) certain of the guard, and two SECRETARIES with papers. The Cardinal in his passage fixeth his eye on BUCKINGHAM, and BUCKINGHAM on him, both full of disdain. Wol. The duke of Buckingham's surveyor? ha? Where's his examination ? 1 Secr. Here, so please you. Wol. Is he in person ready? 1 Secr. Ay, please your grace. Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows, (Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy Wol. Well, we shall then know more; and To the old dam, treason,)-Charles the em Not wake him in his slumber. A beggar's look Out-worths a noble's blood. Nor. What, are you chaf'd? Ask God for temperance; that's the appliance Paid ere he promis'd: whereby his suit was only, Which your disease requires. Buck. I read in his looks Matter against me and his eye revil'd Me, as his abject object: at this instant granted, made, Ere it was ask'd;-but when the way was And pav'd with gold, the emperor thus desir'd ; He bores me with some trick: He's gone to That he would please to alter the king's course, And break the aforesaid peace. Let the king know, (As soon he shall by me,) that thus the car dinal Does buy and sell his honour as be pleases, Aud for his own advantage. Nor. I am sorry To hear this of him; and could wish he were Something mistaken in't. Buck. No, not a syllable; I do pronounce him in that very shape, Enter BRANDON; a SERGEANT at Arms before him, and two or three of the guard. Bran. Your office, sergeant; execute it. My lord the duke of Buckingham, and earl Buck. Lo you, my lord, The net has fallen upon me; I shall perish Bran. I am sorry To see you ta'en from liberty to look on sure You shall to the Tower. Buck. It will help me nothing, To plead mine innocence; for that dies on me, Which makes my whitest part black. The will of heaven Be done in this and all things! I obey.- Is pleas'd you shall to the Tower, till you know How he determines further. The will of heaven be done, and the king's pleasure By me obey'd. • Excites. Unfair stratagems. Bran. Here is a warrant from Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger The king, to attach lord Montacute; and the And lack of other means, in desperate manner, bodies Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar, Of the duke's confessor, John de la Court, One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor, Buck. So, so; And danger serves among them. K. Hen. Taxation ! These are the limbs of the plot: no more, Wherein? and what taxation ?-My lord car. I hope. Bran. A monk o'the Chartreux. Bran. He. Buck. My surveyor is false; the o'er-great cardinal Hath show'd him gold; my life is spann'd ⚫ al- I am the shadow of poor Buckingham; SCENE II.-The Council Chamber. Cornets. Enter King HENRY, Cardinal WOLSEY, the Lords of the Council, Sir THOMAS LOVELL, Officers, and Attendants. The KING enters, leaning on the CARDINAL'S shoulder. K. Hen. My life itself, and the best heart of it, Thanks you for this great care: I stood i'the Of a full-charg'd confederacy, and give thanks And point by point the treasons of his master The KING takes his state. + The Lords of the A noise within, crying, Room for the Queen. Q. Kath Nay, we must longer kneel; I am a suitor. K. Hen. Arise, and take place by us :-Half Never name to us; you have half our power: Repeat your will, and take it. Q. Kath. Thank your majesty. dinal, You that are blam'd for it alike with us, Wol. Please you, Sir, I know but of a single part, in aught Where others tell steps with me. Q. Kath. No, my lord, You know no more than others: but you frame Perforce be their acquaintance. These exac- are The back is sacrifice to the load. They say, K. Hen. Still exaction! The nature of it? In what kind, let's know Q. Kath. I am much too venturous In tempting of your patience; but am bolden'd Under your promis'd pardon. The subject's grief Comes through commissions, from each which compel That you would love yourself; and, in that love, A single voice; and that not pass'd me, but And those of true condition, that your sub-'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough Of all their loyalties :-wherein, although, Of these exactions, yet the king our master, Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks Nor. Not almost appears. It doth appear; for, upon these taxations, brake + That virtue must go through. We must not stint Our necessary actions, in the fear Το cope malicious censures; which ever, That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd We should take root here where we sit, or sit To every county, The air will drink the sap. Free pardon to each man that bas denied Wol. A word with you. [To the SECRETARY. Let there be letters writ to every shire, Of the king's grace and pardon. The griev❜d Hardly conceived of me; let it be nois'd, [Exit SECRETARY. Enter SURVEYOR. The duke being at the Rose, within the pe Saint Lawrence Poultney, did of me demand 'Twould prove the verity of certain words Q. Kath. I am sorry that the duke of Buck- To me, should utter, with demure confidence ingham It would infect his speech, That if the king Wol. Please your highness, note Not friended by his wish, to your high person Q. Kath. My learn'd lord cardinal, • Rerond. ↑ Conduci, manage. This pausingly ensu'd,-Neither the king, nor his heirs, (Tell you the duke) shall prosper: bid him strive To gain the lore of the commonalty; the duke Q. Kuth. If I know you well, You were the duke's surveyor, and lost your office On the complaint o'the tenants: Take good Yon charge not in your spleen a noble person, K. Hen. Let him on :- Surv. On my soul, I'll speak but truth. The monk might be deceiv'd; and that 'twas dang'rous for him, To ruminate ou this so far, until It forg'd him some design, which, being be- It was much like to do: He answer'd, Tush! K. Hen. Ha! what, so rank? Ah, ha! There's mischief in this man:-Canst thon say further? As he made semblance of his duty, would K. Hen. A giant traitor! Wol. Now, madam, may his highness live in freedom, And this man out of prison? Kath. God mend all! K. Hen. There's something more would out of thee; What say'st? Surv. After the duke his father, with the knife, He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his dagger, Another spread on his breast, mounting his eyes, K. Hen. There's his period, To sheath his knife in us. He is attach'd; [Exeunt. SCENE III-A Room in the Palace. Enter the Lord CHAMBERLAIN, and Lord SANDS. Cham. Is it possible, the spells of France should juggle Men into such strange mysteries? Though they be never so ridiculous, Have got by the late voyage, is but merely or two o'the face; but they are shrewd For when they hold them, you would swear directly, Their very noses had been counsellors That never saw them pace before, the spavin, Cham. Death! my lord, Their clothes are after such a pagan cut too, That, sure, they have worn out Christendom. How now? of fool and feather, that they got in France, With all their honourable points of ignorance, Pertaining thereunto, (as fights, and fireworks; Abusing better men than they can be, Out of a foreign wisdom,) renouncing clean The faith they have in tennis, and tall stockings, An honest country lord, as I am, beaten A long time out of play, may bring his plain song, And have an hour of hearing; and, by'r-lady, Cham. Well said, lord Sands; Nor shall not, while I have a stump. Whither were you a-going? Cham. Oh I 'tis true; This night he makes a supper, and a great one, A hand as fruitful as the land that feeds us : Cham. No doubt, he's noble ; He had a black mouth that said other of him, Sands. He may, my lord, he has wherewithal; in him, Sparing would show a worse sin than ill doctrine : Men of his way should be most liberal, Cham. True, they are so; But few now give so great ones. My barge stays; t Your lordship shall along:-Come, good Sir We shall be late else, which I would not be. [Exeunt. Can make good people,--O my lord, you are Enter Lord CHAMBERLAIN, Lord SANDS, and Short blister'd breeches, and those types of The very thought of this fair company travel, Clapp'd wings to me. Cham. You are young, Sir Harry Guildford. • With authority. The speaker is at Bridewell, and the Cardinal's house was at Whitehall. ↑ Company. |