With smiling plenty, and fair prosperous days ! Let them not live to taste this land's increase, K I N G H E N R Y VIII. persons of the bra m a. Garter, King at Arms, Surveyor to the duke of Buchingham. Door-keeper of the council-chamber. Porter, and his Man. Page to Gardiner. A Crier. Queen CATHARINE, wife to king Henry, afterwards divorced. Patience, woman to queen Catharine. Several Lords and Ladies in the dumb shows; Wo- mien attending upon the Queen; Spirits, which apGRIFFITH, gentleman-usher to queen Catharine. pear to her; Scribes, Officers, Guards, and Three other Gentlemen. other Attendants. Doctor Butts, physician to the king. SCENE, — chiefly in London and Westminster; once, ut Kimbolton. *** GAVENNY, PROLOGUE. ACT III. SCENE I.-Loydon. An antechamber in the palace. Buck.Good morrow,and well met!How 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 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 horseback ; Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clung In their embracement, as they grew together; Which had they, what fuur thron’d ones could have weigh'd Such a compounded one? Buck. All the whole time I was my chamber's prisoner. Nor. Then you lost The view of earthly glory. Men might say, Till this time pomp was single, but now married Io 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 were As cherubins, all gilt: the madams too, 64 0 1 Was to them as a painting: now this mask An Was cry'd incomparable, and the ensuing night After the hideous storm, that follow'd, was Th Made it a fool, and beggar. The two kings, A thing inspir'd, and, not consulting, broke In Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst, Into a general prophecy: that this tempest, IS As presence did present them ; him in eye, Dashing the garment of this peace, aboded Mo Still him in praise, and, being present both, The sudden breach on't, If 1 ”Twas said, they saw but one, and no discerner Nor. Which is budded out; Or Darst wag his tongue in censure. When these suns For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd BI (For so they phrase them,) by their heralds challeng'a Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux. I ar The noble spirits to arms, they did perform Aber. Is it therefore, By Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous story, The ambassador is silenc'd ? WI Being now scen possible enough, got credit, Nor. Marry, is't. Fri That Bevis was believ'd. Aber. A proper title of a peace; and parchasid An Buck. O, you go far. At a superfluous rate! W. Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect Buck. Why, all this business То In honour honesty, the tract of every thing Our reverend cardinal carried. Would by a good discourser lose some life, Nor. 'Like it your grace, B Which action's self was tongue to. All was royal ; The state takes notice of the private difference To the disposing of it nought rebell’d, Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you, As Order gave each thing view; the office did (And take it from a heart, that wishes towards you 01 Distinctly his fall function. Honour and plenteous safety!) that you read A: Buck. Who did guide, The cardinal's malice and his potency A I mean, who set the body and the limbs Together: to consider further, that In of this great sport together, as you guess ? What his high hatred would effect, wants not Nor. One, certes, that promises no element A minister in his power: you know his nature, That he's revengeful; and I know, his sword Hath a sharp edge; it's long, and, it may be said, Nor. All this was order'd by the good discretion It reaches far, and where 'twill not extend, of the right reverend cardinal of York. Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel, That I advise your shunning. certain of the Guard, and two Secretaries with pa- A Take up the rays o' the beneficial sun, pers. The Cardinal in his passage fixeth his eye And keep it from the earth. on BuckingHAM, and Buckingham on him, both Nor. Surely, sir, full of disdain. 1 There's in him stuff, that pats him to these ends : Wol. The duke of Buckingham's surveyor? ha? For, being not propp'd by ancestry, (whose grace Where's his examination? Chalks successors their way,) nor call'd upon 1 Secr. Here, so please you. For high feats done to the crown, neither allied Wol. Is he in person ready? To eminent assistants, but, spider-like, 1 Secr. Ay, please your grace. Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note, Wol. Well, we shall then know more, and BackingThe force of his own merit makes his way; ham A gift, that heaven gives for him, which buys Shall lessen this big look. A place next to the king. (Exeunt Wolsey and train. Aber. I cannot tell, Buck. This butcher's cur is venom-mouth'd and I What heaven hath given him ; let some graver eye Have not the power to muzzle him; therefore, best Pierce into that! but I can see his pride Not wake him in his slumber. A beggar's book Peep throagh each part of him. Whence has he that? Out-worths a noble’s blood. If not from hell, the devil is a niggard, Nor. What, are you chaf*d? Or has given all before, and he begins Ask God for temperance! that's the appliance only, A new hell in himself. Which your disease requires. Buck. I read in his looks I'll follow, and out-stare him. What 'tis, you go about. To climb steep hills Requires slow pace at first. Anger is like A full hot horse, who being allow'd his way, As you would to your friend ! Buck. I'll to the king, a mouth of honour quite cry down There's difference in no persons. Nor. Be advis'd! Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot, By violent swiftness, that which we rup at a : Act And lose by over-running. Know yon pot, Bran. I am sorry, You shall to the Tower, Which makes my whitest part black. The will of heaven Be done in this and all things !- I obey. – To Abergavenny. How he determines further. Aber. As the duke said, The will of heaven be done, and the king's pleasure Bran, Here is a warrant from The king, to attach lord Montacute, and the bodies Of.the duke's confessor, John de la Court, One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor, – Buck. So, so; These are the limbs of the plot: no more, I hope. Bran. A monk o' the Chartreux. Bran. He. Hath show'd him gold: my life is spann'd already: I am the shadow of poor Buckingham, By dark’ning my clear sun. — My lord, farewell! (Exeunt. SCENE II.- The council-chamber. Cardinals shoulder. Thanks you for this great care: I stood i'the level The King takes his state. The Lords of the Council and SUFFOLK : she kneels. The King riseth from K. Hen. Arise, and take place by us! -Half your suit Never name to us! you have half our power; Repeat your will, and take it! Q. Cath. Thank your majesty! That you would love yourself, and, in that love, Not unconsider'd leave your honour, nor Of my petition. K. Hen. Lady mine, proceed! Q. Cath. I am solicited, not by a few, Are in great grievance: there have been commissions Sent down among them, which hath flaw'd the heart of our most sovereign king. Of all their loyalties : -- wherein, although, My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches Most bitterly on you, as putter-on Of these exactions, yet the king, our master, a some Yet see, G (Whose honour heaven shield from soil!) even he State statues only. K. Hen. Things, done well, Things, done without example, in their issue Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent Nor. Not almost appears, of this commission? I believe, not any. It doth appear: for, upon these taxations, We must not rend our subjects from our laws, The clothiers all, not able to maintain And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each? A trembling contribution! Why, we take, And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd, The air will drink the sap. To every county,. Daring the eveot to the teeth, are all in uproar, Where this is question’d, send our letters, with And danger serves among them. Free pardon to each man, that has denied The force of this commission! Pray, look to't! Wol. A word with you! [To the Secretary. Let there be letters writ to every shire, Wol. Please you, sir, of the king's grace and pardon! The griev'd commons I know but of a single part, in aught Hardly conceive of me; let it be nois'd, Pertains to the state; and front but in that file, That through our intercession this revokement Where others tell steps with me. And pardon comes. I shall anon advise you Q. Cath. No, my lord, Further in the proceeding. [Exit Secretary Enter Surveyor. Is run in your displeasure. When these so noble benefits shall prove Not well dispos'd, the mind growing once corrupt The nature of it? In what kind, let's know, They turn to vicious forms, ten times more ugly, Is this exaction ? Than ever they were fair. This man so complete, Who was enroll'd’mongst wonders, and when we, As if besmeard in hell. Sit by us! you shall liear Things to strike honour sad. - Bid him recount We cannot feel too little, hear too much. you, Out of the duke of Buckingham! There is no primer business. K. Hen. Speak freely. K. Hen. By my life, Surv. First, it was usual with him, every day This is against our pleasure. It would infect his speech, that, if the king Wol. And for me, Should without issue die, he'd carry it so I have no further gone in this, than by To make the sceptre his. These very words Lord Aberga'ny, to whom by oath he menac'd Wol. Please your highness, note Beyond yon, to your friends. Q. Cath. My learn'd lord cardioal, As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow, Deliver all with charity! K. Hen. Speak on! Upon our fail? to this point hast thou heard him Surv. He was brought to this By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkios. a His confessor, who fed him every minute Was: Were he evil us’d, he would out-go His father, by as much as a performance Does an irresolute purpose. [Exeunt. Enter the Lord Chamberlain, and Lord Sands. Spoke by a holy monk; that oft, says he, Cham. Is it possible, the spells of France should juggle Sands. New customs, Though they be never so ridiculous, Cham. As far as I see, all the good, our English For, when they hold them, you would swear directly, Sands. They have all new legs, and lame ones; one would take it, Cham. Death! my lord, That sure, they have worn out christendom. How now? What news, sir Thomas Lovell ? Enter Sir TuOMAS LOVELL. Lov. 'Faith, my lord, Cham. What is't for? Lov. The reformation of our travell’d gallonts, monsieurs Lov. They must either ha! (For so run the conditions), leave these remnants There's mischief in this man Canst thou say of fool, and feather, that they got in Fravce, further? With all their honourable points of ignorance, Pertaining thereunto, (as fights, and fireworks; Abusing better men, than they can be, Out of a foreigo wisdom,) renouncing clean Short blister'd breeches, and those types of travel, And understand again like honest men; Surv. If, quoth he, I for this had been coinmitted, The lag end of their lewdness, and be langh'd at. Are grown so catching. usurper Richard: who, being at Salisbury, Cham. What a loss our ladies Lov. Ay, marry, There will be woe indeed, lords; the sly whoresons Have got a speeding trick to lay down ladies ; Sands. The devil fiddle them! I am glad, they're going ; X, Hen. There's something more would out of (For, sure, there's no converting of them ;) now thee; what say'st? An honest couutry lord, as I am, beaten And have an hour of heariug; and, by'r-lady, a at! |