As here at home, suggests the king our master
To this last costly treaty, the interview,
That swallow'd so much treasure, and like a
Did break i'the rinsing.

Nor.

[glass

'Faith, and so it did. Buck. Pray, give me favour, sir. This cunning cardinal

The articles o' the combination drew,
As himself pleas'd; and they were ratified,
As he cried, Thus let be: to as much end,

As give a crutch to the dead: But our count cardinal

Has done this, and 'tis well: for worthy Wolsey,
Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows
(Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy

To the old dam treason),-Charles the emperor,
Under pretence to see the queen his aunt,
(For 'twas, indeed, his colour; but he came
To whisper Wolsey), here makes visitation:
His fears were, that the interview, betwixt
England and France, might, through their amity,
Breed him some 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 sure, the emperor
Paid ere he promis'd; whereby his suit was
granted,

Ere it was ask'd;-but when the way was made,
And pav'd with gold, the emperor thus desir'd;-
That he would please to alter the king's course,
And break the foresaid peace. Let the king know
(As soon he shall by me), that thus the cardinal
Does buy and sell his honour as he pleases,
And 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,
He shall appear in proof.

Enter BRANDON; a Sergeant at Arms before him, and two or three of the Guard.

Bran. Your office, sergeant; execute it.

Serg.

My lord the duke of Buckingham, and earl

Sir,

Of Hereford, Stafford, and Northampton, I
Arrest thee of high treason, in the name
Of our most sovereign king.

Buck.

Lo, you, my lord, The net has fall'n upon me; I shall perish Under device and practice.

Bran.

I am sorry To see you ta'en from liberty, to look on The business present. 'Tis his highness' pleasure, You shall to the Tower.

Buck.

It will help me nothing, To plead mine innocence; for that dye is on me, Which makes my whitest part black. The will of heaven

Be done in this and all things!-I obey,-
O my lord Aberga'ny, fare you well.

Bran. Nay, he must bear you company-
The king
[To A BERGAVENNY,
Is pleas'd, you shall to the Tower, till you know
How he determines further.

Aber.

As the duke said,

The will of heaven be done, and the king's

pleasure

By me obey'd.

Bran.

Here is a warrant from

The king, to attach Lord Montacute, and the

bodies

Of the duke's confessor, John de la Car,
One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor,-

So, so;

Buck. These are the limbs of the plot: no more, I hope, Bran. A monk o' the Chartreux.

Buck.

Bran.

O, Nicholas Hopkins?

He.

Buck. My surveyor is false, the o'ergreat cardinal

Hath show'd him gold: my life is spann'd already:

I am the shadow of poor Buckingham;
Whose figure even this instant cloud puts out,
By dark'ning my clear sun. My lord, farewell,
[Exeunt

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 level Of a full charg'd confederacy, and give thanks To you that chok'd it.-Let be call'd before us That gentleman of Buckingham's in person I'll hear him his confessions justify;

And point by point the treasons of his master He shall again relate.

The King takes his state. The Lords of the Council take their several places. The Cardinal places himself under the King's feet, on his right side. A noise within, crying, Room for the Queen. Enter the Queen, ushered by the DUKES OF NORFOLK and SUFFOLK: she kneels. The King riseth from his state, takes her up, kisses, and placeth her by him.

Q. Kath. Nay, we must longer kneel: I am a suitor.

K. Hen. Arise, and take place by us :-Half your suit

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

Q. Kath.

Thank your majesty. That you would love yourself; and, in that love, Not unconsider'd leave your honour, nor The dignity of your office, is the point Of my petition.

K. Hen.

Lady mine, proceed.

Q. Kath. I am solicited, not by a few, And those of true condition, that your subjects Are in great grievance: there have been commissions

Sent down among them, which have flaw'd the

heart

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

(Whose honour heaven shield from soil!) even he escapes not

Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks. The sides of loyalty, and almost appears

In loud rebellion.

Nor.

Not almost appears, It doth appear; for, upon these taxations, The clothiers all, not able to maintain The many to them 'longing, have put off The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who, Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger And lack of other means, in desperate manner Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar, And Danger serves among them.

K. Hen.

Taxation! Wherein? and what taxation?-My lord Car

dinal,

You that are blam'd for it alike with us,
Know you of this taxation?

Wol.

Please you, sir,

I know but of a single part, in aught

Pertains to the state; and front but in that file Where others tell steps with me.

Q. Kath. No, my lord, You know no more than others: but you frame Things, that are known alike; which are not

wholesome

[must To those which would not know them, and yet Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions, Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are Most pestilent to the hearing; and, to bear them, The back is sacrifice to the load. They say, They are devis'd by you; or else you suffer Too hard an exclamation.

K. Hen.

Still exaction! The nature of it? In what kind, let's know, Is this exaction?

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, which compel

from each

The sixth part of his substance, to be levied
Without delay and the pretence for this
Is nam'd, your wars in France: This makes
bold mouths:

Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze

Allegiance in them; their curses now

Live where their prayers did; and it's come to

pass,

That tractable obedience is a slave

To each incensed will. I would, your highness
Would give it quick consideration, for
There is no primer business.

K. Hen.

This is against our pleasure.
Wol.

By my life,

And for me,
I have no farther gone in this, than by

A single voice; and that not pass'd me, but
By learned approbation of the judges. If I am
Traduc'd by ignorant tongues, which neither
know

My faculties, nor person, yet will be

The chronicles of my doing,-let me say,
'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake
That virtue must go through. We must not stint
Our necessary actions, in the fear

To cope malicious censurers; which ever,
As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow
That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is
Not ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft,
Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up

For our best act. If we shall stand still,

In fear, our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at, We should take root here where we sit, or sit State statues only.

K. Hen.

Things done well, And with a care, exempt themselves from fear: Things done without example, in their issue Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent Of this commission? I believe, not any. We must not rend our subjects from our laws, And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each? A trembling contribution! Why, we take, From every tree, lop, bark, and part o' the timber;

And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd, The air will drink the sap. To every county, Where this is question'd, send our letters, with