Buck. I'll to the King,

And from a mouth of honour quite cry down:
This Ipfwich fellow's infolence; or proclaim,
There's diff'rence in no perfons..

Nor. Be advis'd;

Heat not a furnace for your foe fo hot,
That it do finge yourself. We may out-run
By violent fwiftnefs, that which we run at;
And lofe by over-running: know you not,
The fire that mounts the liquor 'till't run o'er,
Seeming t'augment it, waftes it? be advis'd:
I fay again, there is no English Soul

More ftronger to direct you than yourself;
If with the fap of reafon you would quench,.
Or but allay, the fire of paffion.

Buck. Sir,

I'm thankful to you, and I'll go along

By your Prescription; but this top-proud fellow,
Whom from the flow of gall I name not, but

From fincere motions; by intelligence,

And proofs as clear as founts in July, when
We fee each grain of gravel, I do know

To be corrupt and treasonous.

Nor. Say not, treasonous.

Buck. To th' King I'll say't, and make my vouch as ftrong

As fhore of rock.- Attend. This holy fox,

Or wolf, or both, (for he is equal rav'nous,
As he is fubtle; and as prone to mischief,
As able to perform't;) his mind and place
Infecting one another, yea, reciprocally,
Only to fhew his pomp, as well in France
As here at home, fuggefts the King our mafter
To this laft coftly treaty, th' interview,

That fwallow'd fo much treasure, and like a glass
Did break i'th rinsing,

Nor. Faith, and fo it did.

Buck. Pray, give me favour, Sir. This cunning

Cardinal

The

The articles o'th' combination drew,

As himself pleas'd; and they were ratify'd,
As he cry'd, let it be to as much end,

As give a crutch to th' dead. But our Court-Cardinal
Has done this, and 'tis well-for worthy Wolfey,
Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows,
(Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy

To th' old dam, treafon;) Charles the Emperor,
Under pretence to fee the Queen his aunt,
(For 'twas indeed his colour, but he came
To whisper Wolfey;) here mákes vifitation:
His fears were, that the interview betwixt
England and France might through their amity
Breed him fome prejudice; for from this league
Peep'd harms, that menac'd him. He privily
Deals with our Cardinal, and, as I trow,
Which I do well-for, I am fure, the Emperor
Paid ere he promis'd, whereby his fuit was granted,
Ere it was ask'd. But when the way was made,
And pav'd with gold; the Emp'ror thus defir'd,
That he would please to alter the King's courfe,
And break the forefaid peace. Let the King know,
(As foon he fhall by me) that thus the Cardinal
Does buy and fell his honour as he pleases,
And for his own advantage.

Nor. I am forry

To hear this of him; and could wish,

Something miftaken in't.

Buck. No, not a fyllable :

you were

I do pronounce him in that very shape,

He fhall appear in proof.

Enter Brandon, a Serjeant at Arms before him, and two

or three of the guard.

COUR office, Serjeant; execute it.

Bran.

You

Y Serj. Sir,

My lord the Duke of Buckingham, and Earl
Of Hertford, Stafford, and Northampton, I
Arreft thee of high treafon, in the name
Of our moft Sov'reign King.

Buck. Lo you, my lord,

The net has fall'n upon me; I fhall perish
Under device and practice.

Bran. I am forry

To see you ta'en from liberty, to look on
The bufinefs prefent.

You fhall to th' Tower.

'Tis his Highness' pleasure

Buck. It will help me nothing

To plead mine innocence; for that dye is on me, Which makes my whit'ft part black. The will of

heav'n

Be done in this and all things! I obey.

O my lord Aberga'ny, fare ye well.

Bran. Nay, he must bear you company. The King Is pleas'd you fhall to th' Tower, 'till you know How he determines further.

Aber. As the Duke faid,

The will of heav'n be done, and the King's pleasure By me obey'd!

Bran. Here is a warrant from

The King, t' attach lord Montague; and the bodies Of the Duke's confeffor, John de la Court

And Gilbert Peck, his chancellor.

Buck. So, fo;

These are the limbs o'th' plot; no more, I hope?
Bran. A monk o'th' Chartreux.

Buck. Nicholas Hopkins?

Bran. He.

Buck. My furveyor is false, the o'er-great Cardinal Hath fhew'd him gold; my life is fpann'd already : I am the shadow of poor Buckingham,

Whofe figure ev'n this inftant cloud puts on,

By dark'ning my clear fun. My lord, farewel.

Exeunt. SCENE

Changes to the Council-Chamber.

Cornet. Enter King Henry, leaning on the Cardinal's Shoulder; the Nobles, and Sir Thomas Lovel; the Car

dinal places himself under the King's feet, on his right fide.

King. MY life itself, and the best heart of it,

Thanks you for this great care: I ftood
i'th' level

Of a full-charg'd confed'racy, and give thanks
Το you that choak'd it. Let be call'd before us
That gentleman of Buckingham's in person;
I'll hear him his confeffions juftify,

And point by point the treafons of his mafter
He fhall again relate.

A noife within, crying, Room for the Queen. Enter the Queen usher'd by the Dukes of Norfolk, and Suffolk fhe kneels. The King rifeth from his ftate, takes her up, kiffes and placeth her by him.

:

Queen. Nay, we muft longer kneel; I am a fuitor. King. Arife, and take your place by us; half your

fuit

Never name to us; you have half our power:
The other moiety, ere you afk, is given;
Repeat your will, and take it.

Queen. Thank your Majefty.

That you would love yourself, and in that love
Not unconfider'd leave your honour, nor
The dignity of your office, is the point

Of my petition.

King. Lady mine, proceed.

Queen. I am folicited, not by a few,

And thofe of true condition, that your subjects

Are in great grievance. There have been commiffions Sent down among 'em, which have flaw'd the heart

Of all their loyalties; wherein although [To Wolfey. (My good Lord Cardinal) they vent reproaches Moft bitterly on you, as putter-on

Of these exactions; yet the King our master
(Whofe honour heav'n fhield from foil) ev'n he
scapes not

Language unmannerly; yea fuch, which breaks
The fides of loyalty, and almoft appears.

In loud rebellion.

Nor. Not almoft appears,

It doth appear; for, upon thefe taxations,
The clothiers all, not able to maintain
The many to them 'longing, have put off
The spinners, carders, fullers, weavers; who,
Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger
And lack of other means, in defp'rate manner
Daring th' event to th' teeth, are all in uproar,
And Danger ferves among them.

King. Taxation?

Wherein? and what taxation? my Lord Cardinal, You, that are blam'd for it alike with us,

Know you of this taxation?

Wol. Please you, Sir,

I know but of a fingle part in aught.

Pertains to th' ftate, and front but in that file
Where others tell fteps with me.

Queen. No, my Lord,

You know no more than others but you frame,
Things that are known alike,which are not wholesome
To those which would not know them, and yet muft
Perforce by their acquaintance. These exactions
(Whereof my Sov'reign would have note) they are
Moft peftilent to th' hearing; and, to bear 'em,
The back is facrifice to th' load; they fay,
They are devis'd by you, or else you

Too hard an exclamation.

King. Still, exaction!

fuffer

The nature of it, in what kind let's know

Is this exaction?

Queen.