Arreft thee of high treafon, in the name
Of our most fov'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 fee you ta'en from liberty, to look on-
The bufinefs prefent. 'Tis his Highnefs? pleasure
You fhall to th' Tower.

Buck. It will help me nothing

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

Heav'n

Be done in this and all things. I obey.

O my Lord Aberga'ny, fare ye well.

The will of

Bran. Nay, he must bear you company. The

King

[To Aberg. 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 he done, and the King's pleasure

By me obey'd.

Bran. Here is a warrant from

The King attach Lord Montague, and the bodies
Of the Duke's Confeflor, John de la Court,
And Gilbert Peck his Chancellor.

Euck. So, lo;*

Thefe are the limbs o' th' plot. No more, I hope? Eran. A rok oth' Chartreux.

Euck. Nicholas Hopkins.

Bran. He

Buck. My Surveyor is false; the o'er-grea: Cardinal
Hath few'd him gold; ny life is (pann'd already.
I am the fhadow of poor Buckingham,

Whofe figure ev'n this intan cloud puts on,
By dark'ning my clear fun.- My Lord, farewell.

[Exeunt.

Changes to the Council-Chamber

Cornet. Enter King Henry, leaning on the Cardinal's boulder; the Nobles, and Sir Thomas Lovel. The Cardinal places himself under the King's feet, on his right-fide.

King My life itfelf, 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
To you that choak'd it. Let be call'd before us
That gentleman of Buckingham's; in perfon
I'll hear him his confeflions juftify,

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

A noife within, crying, Room for the Queen. Enter the Queen, ubered by the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk: e-kneels; the King rifeth from his ftate, takes her up, kiffes and places her by

him.

Queen. Nay, we must longer kneel; I am a fuitor. King. Arife, and take your place by us. Half your Never name to us, you have half our power; [fuit The other moiety, ere you afk, is given: Repeat your will, and take it.

Queen. Thank your Majefty.

-That you would love yourfelf, 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 follicited, not by a few,

And those of true condition, that your fübjects Are in great grievance. There have been com

millions

Sent down among 'em, which have flaw'd the heart
Of all their loyalties: wherein although, [To Wol.
My good Lord Cardinal, they vent reproaches
Moft bitterly on you, as putter on

Of these exactions; yet the King our master,
VOL. VII.

B

Whofe honour. Heav'n fhield from foil, ev'n he 'fcapes not

Language unmannerly; yea fuch which breaks
The fides of loyalty, and almost appears
In loud rebellion.

Nor. Not almost appears,

It doth appear; for, upon thefe taxations,
The clothiers all, not able to maintain
The many to them 'longing, have put off
The fpinfters, carders, fullers, weavers; who,
Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger
And lack of other means, in desp'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 steps with me.

Queen. No, my Lord,

You know no more than others; but you frame Things that are known alike, which are not wholfome

To thofe which would not know them, and yet must
Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions,
Whereof my Sovereign 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 suffer
Too hard an exclamation.

King. Still exaction ! 1

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

2

Queen. I am much too vent'rous

In tempting of your patience, but am bolden'd Under your promis'd pardon. The fubjects' grief Comes thro' commiflions, which compel from each The fixth part of his fubftance, to be levy'd Without delay; and the pretence for this

Is nam'd, your wars in France. This makes bold

mouths,

Tongues fpit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze. Allegiance in them; all their curses now

Live where their pray'rs did; and its come to pass,
That tractable obedience is a flave

To each incensed will. I would your Highness
Would give it quick confideration, for
There is no priner business.

King. By my life

This is against our pleasure.
Wol. And for me,

I have no further gone in this, than by
A fingle voice; and that not past me, but
By learned approbation of the judges.

If I'm traduc'd by tongues which neither know
My faculties nor perfon, yet will be

The chronicles of my doing; let me fay
'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake
That virtue must go through. We must not fting
Our neceffary actions, in the fear

To cope malicious cenfurers; which ever
As rav'nous filhes do a veffel follow

That is new trimm'd, but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
By fick interpreters, or weak ones, is

ot ours, or not allow'd; what worft, as oft
Hitting a groffer quality, is cry'd up
For our best act. If we ftand ftill, in fear
Our motion will be mock'd or carped at,
We fhould take root here where we fit, or fit
State-ftatues only.

King. Things done well;

And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;
Things done without example, in their iffue
Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent
Of this commiffion? I believe not any.
We must not rend our fubjects from our laws,
And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each! :
A trembling contribution!-Why, we take
From ev'ry tree, Jop, bark, and part o' th' timber;
And though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd,

The air will drink the fap. To ev'ry county
Where this is question'd fend our letters, with
Free pardon to each man that has deny'd
The force of this commiffion.

I put it to your care.

Wol. A word with you..

Pray, look to’t;

[To the Secretary,

Let there be letters writ to ev'ry fhire,

Of the King's grace and pardon. The griev'd Com Hardly conceive of me; let it be nois'd, [mons, That, through our interceffion, this revokement And pardon comes; I fhall anon advise you Further in the proceeding.

[Exit Secretary;

S CEN E V.

Enter Surveyor.

Queen. I'm forry that the Duke of Buckingham Is run in your difpleasure.

King. It grieves many...

The gentleman is learn'd, a moft rare speaker, To nature none more bound; his training fuch, That he may furnish and inftruét great teachers, And never feek for ad out of himself.

Yet fee, when noble benefits * fhall prove

Not well difpos'd, the mind growing once corrupt,.
They turn to vicious forms, ten times more ugly
Than ever they were fair. This man fo compleat,
Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we,
Almoft with lift'ning ravifh'd, could not find
His hour of fpeech a minute; he, my Lady,
Hath into monftrous habits put the graces
That once were his, and is become as black,
As if befmear'd in hell. Sit by us, you fhall hear
(This was his gentleman in truf) of him
Things to ftrike honour fad. Bid him recount
The fore-recited practices, whereof

We cannot feel too little, hear too much.

Wol Stand forth, and with bold spirit relate what

Moft-like a careful subject, have collected

[you,

Great gifts of nature and education, not joined with goed ditpofitions. Jobrfen.