SCENE IV.

The Palace at Westminster.

Enter OXFORD and DAWBENEY.

Oxf. No news from Scotland yet, my lord?
Daw. Not any

But what king Henry knows himself; I thought Our armies should have march'd that way; his mind,

It seems, is alter'd.

Oxf. Victory attends

His standard everywhere.

Daw. Wise princes, Oxford,

Fight not alone with forces. Providence
Directs and tutors strength; else elephants,

And barbed horses, might as well prevail,

As the most subtile stratagems of war.

Orf. The Scottish king shew'd more than common bravery,

In proffer of a combat hand to hand

With Surrey.

Daw. And but shew'd it: northern bloods Are gallant being fired; but the cold climate, Without good store of fuel, quickly freezeth The glowing flames.

Orf. Surrey, upon my life,

Would not have shrunk a hair's breadth.

Daw. May he forfeit

The honour of an English name, and nature,

Who would not have embraced it with a greedi

ness,

As violent as hunger runs to food!

'Twas an addition, any worthy spirit
Would covet, next to immortality,
Above all joys of life; we all miss'd shares
In that great opportunity.

Enter King HENRY, in close Conversation with URSWICK.

Oxf. The king!

See he comes smiling.

Daw. Oh, the game runs smooth

On his side then, believe it; cards well shuffled, And dealt with cunning, bring some gamester

thrift;

But others must rise losers.

K. Hen. The train takes?

Urs. Most prosperously.

K. Hen. I knew it could not miss. He fondly angles who will hurl his bait

Into the water, 'cause the fish at first

Plays round about the line, and dares not bite.— Lords, we may reign your king yet: Dawbeney,

Oxford,

Urswick, must Perkin wear the crown?

Daw. A slave!

Orf. A vagabond!

Urs. A glow-worm!

K. Hen. Now, if Frion,

His practised politician, wear a brain

Of proof, king Perkin will in progress ride Through all his large dominions; let us meet him, And tender homage: ha, sirs! liegemen ought their fealty.

To

pay

Daw. Would the rascal were,

With all his rabble, within twenty miles
Of London!

K. Hen. Farther off is near enough

To lodge him in his home: I'll wager odds,
Surrey and all his men are either idle,

Or hasting back; they have not work, I doubt,
To keep them busy.

Daw. 'Tis a strange conceit, sir.

K. Hen. Such voluntary favours as our people
In duty aid us with, we never scatter'd
On cobweb parasites, or lavish'd out
In riot, or a needless hospitality:
No undeserving favourite doth boast
His issues from our treasury; our charge

Flows through all Europe, proving us but steward
Of every contribution, which provides
Against the creeping canker of disturbance.
Is it not rare then, in this toil of state

Wherein we are embark'd, with breach of sleep,
Cares, and the noise of trouble, that our mercy
Returns nor thanks, nor comfort? Still the West
Murmur and threaten innovation,

Whisper our government tyrannical,

Deny us what is ours, nay, spurn their lives,
Of which they are but owners by our gift;
It must not be.

Orf. It must not, should not.

Enter a Messenger.

K. Hen. So then-

To whom?

Mess. This packet to your sacred majesty.
K. Hen. Sirrah, attend without. [Exit Mess.
Oxf. News from the North, upon my life.
Daw. Wise Henry

Divines aforehand of events; with him

Attempts and execution are one act.

K. Hen. Urswick, thine ear; Frion is caught! the man

Of cunning is out-reach'd; we must be safe:
Should reverend Morton, our archbishop, move
To a translation higher yet,' I tell thee,
My Durham owns a brain deserves that See.
He's nimble in his industry, and mounting—
Thou hear'st me?

7

Urs. And conceive your highness fitly.

K. Hen. Dawbeney and Oxford, since our army stands

to a translation higher yet.] i. e. to heaven. Moreton was at this time Archbishop of Canterbury. He died about three years after this period, at the great age of ninety. The king seems to have changed his opinion with respect to Fox, who was removed on the archbishop's death, not to Canterbury, but to Winchester, in which see he died. Moreton and Fox were fast friends; they rank high among our prelates, and were, in fact, both very eminent

men.

Entire, it were a weakness to admit
The rust of laziness to eat amongst them :
Set forward toward Salisbury; the plains
Are most commodious for their exercise,
Ourself will take a muster of them there;
And, or disband them with reward, or else
Dispose as best concerns us.

Daw. Salisbury!

Sir, all is peace at Salisbury.

K. Hen. Dear friend

The charge must be our own; we would a little Partake the pleasure with our subjects' ease: Shall I entreat your loves?

Orf. Command our lives.

K. Hen. You are men know how to do, not to forethink.

My bishop is a jewel tried, and perfect;

A jewel, lords.

letters,

The post who brought these

Must speed another to the mayor of Exeter;
Urswick, dismiss him not.

Urs. He waits your pleasure.

K. Hen. Perkin a king? a king!

Urs. My gracious lord.

K. Hen. Thoughts, busied in the sphere of

royalty,

Fix not on creeping worms without their stings, Mere excrements of earth.

The use of time

Is thriving safety, and a wise prevention

Of ills expected: we are resolv'd for Salisbury.

[Exeunt.