As here at home, suggests the king our master Nor. [glass 'Faith, and so it did. Buck. Pray, give me favour, sir. This cunning cardinal The articles o' the combination drew, As give a crutch to the dead: But our count cardinal Has done this, and 'tis well: for worthy Wolsey, To the old dam treason),-Charles the emperor, Ere it was ask'd;-but when the way was made, Buck. No, not a syllable; I do pronounce him in that very shape, 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 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,- Bran. Nay, he must bear you company- 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, 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; 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, 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 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 K. Hen. This is against our pleasure. By my life, And for me, A single voice; and that not pass'd me, but My faculties, nor person, yet will be The chronicles of my doing,-let me say, To cope malicious censurers; which ever, 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 |