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Till now I never knew thee.

Wol. My lord,

Cham.

Your grace?

[Musick. Dance.

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
I would surrender it.

Cham.

I will, my lord.

[CHAM. goes to the Company, 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.

[Comes 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.

K. Hen.

I am glad,

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' wo

men.

K Hen. By heaven, she is a dainty one.-Sweet

heart,

I were unmannerly, to take you out,

5

6

take it.] That is, take the chief place.
unhappily,] That is, unluckily, mischievously.

And not to kiss you.'-A health, gentlemen,
Let it go round.

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

Lov.

Wol.

Yes, my lord.

Your grace,

I fear, with dancing is a little heated.

K. Hen. I fear, too much.
Wol.

In the next chamber.

There's fresher air, my lord,

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 musick knock it. [Exeunt, with Trumpets.

ACT II.

SCENE 1. A Street.

Enter Two Gentlemen, meeting.

1 Gent. Whither away so fast?

! 2 Gent.

O,-God save you!

Even to the hall, to hear what shall become

Of the great duke of Buckingham.

1 Gent.

I'll save you

That labour, sir. All's now done, but the ceremony Of bringing back the prisoner.

7 I were unmannerly, to take you out

.

And not to kiss you.] A kiss was anciently th established fee

of a lady's partner.

2 Gent. Were you there?

1 Gent. Yes, indeed, was I.

2 Gent.

Pray, speak, what has happen'd?

1 Gent. You may guess quickly what. 2 Gent.

Is he found guilty?

1 Gent. Yes, truly is he, and condemn'd upon it. 2 Gent. I am sorry for❜t.

1 Gent.

So are a number more.

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

1 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 him brought, vivá voce, to his face:
At which appear'd against him, his surveyor;
Sir Gilbert Peck his chancellor; and John Court,
Confessor to him; with that devil-monk,
Hopkins, that made this mischief.

2 Gent.

That fed him with his prophecies ?

I 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.

2 Gent. After all this, how did he bear him

self?

1 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.
4 Gent, I do not think, he fears death.
1 Genet.

Sure, he does not,

He never was so womanisa; the cause

He max a little grieve at.

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Certainly,

'Tis likely,

By all conjectures: First, Kildare's attainder,
Then deputy of Ireland; who remov`d,

Nail Surrey was sent thither, and in haste too,
Les he should help his father.

Was a deep envious one.

1 Gent.

That trick of state

At his return,

No doubt, he will requite it. This is noted,
And generally; whoever the king favours,
The cardinal instantly will find employment,
And far enough from court too.

2 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 Buck

ingham,

The mirror of all courtesy ;

1 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: with him, Sir THOMAS LOVELL, Sir NICHOLAS VAUX, Sir WILLIAM SANDS, and common People.

2 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 wit

ness,

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,

It has done, upon the premises, but justice:

But those, that sought it, I could wish more christians:

Be what they will, I heartily forgive them:
Yet let them look they glory not in mischief,
Nor build their evils on the graves of great men;
For then my guiltless blood must cry against them.
For further life in this world I ne'er hope,
Nor will I sue, although the king have mercies
More than I dare make faults. You few, that lov'd

me,

And dare be bold to weep for Buckingham,

His noble friends, and fellows, whom to leave

Is only bitter to him, only dying,

Go with me, like good angels, to my end;

And, as the long divorce of steel falls on me,
Make of your prayers one sweet sacrifice,

And lift my soul to heaven.-Lead on, o'God's

name.

Lov. I do beseech your grace, for charity,

If ever any malice in your heart

Were hid against me, now to forgive me frankly. Buck. Sir Thomas Lovell, I as free forgive you, As I would be forgiven: I forgive all;

There cannot be those numberless offences 'Gainst me, I can't take peace with: no black envy. Shall make my grave.-Commend me to his grace;

no black ency

Shall make my grave.] Shakspeare, by this expression, meant

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