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Healthful; and ever since a fresh admirer
Of what I saw there.

Buck.

An untimely ague

Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber when
Those suns of glory, those two lights of men,
Met in the vale of Andren.

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 four throned ones could
have weigh'd

Such a compounded one?

Buck.

I was my chamber's prisoner.

Nor.

All the whole time

Then you lost

The view of earthly glory: men might say,
Till this time pomp was single, but now married
To one above itself. Each following day
Became the next day's master, till the last
Made former wonders its. To-day the French,
All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,
Shone down the English; and, to-morrow, they

4. An untimely ague stay'd me a prisoner, etc. The historic Duke of Buckingham (Edward Stafford, d. 1521) took an important part in the meeting. On June 17 he formed part of the English escort of the French king (so Holinshed, iii. 860). The Duke of Norfolk on the other hand was in England (Cal. Hen. VIII. iii. 1. 873, cit. Stone, p. 425); but it does not appear that Shakespeare could have known this.

7. 'Twixt Guynes and Arde; these places being respectively VOL. VII

161

10

20

in English and French territory, both in Picardy.

17. Became the next day's master, taught and transmitted its triumphs to the next day.

18. its, its own. One of the rare undoubted occurrences of the word in Shakespeare's text. The Ff print it 'it's.'

19. clinquant, glittering with gold. The word was properly used of thin sheets of gold, and hence already suggests the golden sheen made more definite by the next words.

M

Made Britain India: every man that stood
Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
As cherubins, all gilt: the madams too,
Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a painting: now this masque
Was cried incomparable; and the ensuing night
Made it a fool and beggar. The two kings,
Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst,
As presence did present them; him in eye,
Still him in praise: and, being present both,
"Twas said they saw but one; and no discerner
Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these

suns

For so they phrase 'em-by their heralds chal

lenged

The noble spirits to arms, they did perform

Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous

story,

Being now seen possible enough, got credit,
That Bevis was believed.

Buck.

O, you go far.

Nor. As I belong to worship and affect
In honour honesty, the tract of every thing
Would by a good discourser lose some life,
Which action's self was tongue to.
To the disposing of it nought rebell'd,
Order gave each thing view;

25. pride, splendid vesture.

ib. their very labour was to them as a painting; i.e. the exertion inflamed their cheeks.

32. saw but one; their appearance was indistinguishable. 33. in censure, in drawing comparisons.

38. Bevis; Bevis of Hamp

All was royal;

the office did

30

40

ton, the hero of the famous Middle English romance of that name. His battle with the giant Ascapart is referred to in the Contention (passage corresponding to 2 Hen. VI. ii. 3. 93).

40. tract, course.

44. office, officers, the officials charged with the arrangement of procedure.

Distinctly his full function.

Buck.

Who did guide,

I mean, who set the body and the limbs
Of this great sport together, as you guess?

Nor. One, certes, that promises no element
In such a business.

Buck.

I pray you, who, my lord?

Nor. All this was order'd by the good dis

cretion

Of the right reverend Cardinal of York.

Buck. The devil speed him! no man's pie is
freed

From his ambitious finger. What had he
To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder
That such a keech can with his very bulk
Take up the rays o' the beneficial sun
And keep it from the earth.

Surely, sir,

Nor.
There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends;
For, being not propp'd by ancestry, whose grace
Chalks súccessors their way, nor call'd upon
For high feats done to the crown; neither allied
To eminent assistants; but, spider-like,
Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note,
The force of his own merit makes his way;
A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys
A place next to the king.

Aber.

I cannot tell

What heaven hath given him,-let some graver eye
Pierce into that; but I can see his pride

45. Distinctly, so that each item of the ceremonies received equal attention and secured its due effect.

50

60

55. keech, beef fat rolled in a lump for the manufacture of tallow here with allusion to Wolsey's parentage.

48. promises no element, 63. self-drawing, drawn from would not be suspected of any itself; there is a somewhat harsh

concern.

change of construction.

Peep through each part of him whence has he

that,

If not from hell? the devil is a niggard,

Or has given all before, and he begins

A new hell in himself.

Buck.

Why the devil,

Upon this French going out, took he upon him,
Without the privity o' the king, to appoint

Who should attend on him? He makes up the
file

Of all the gentry; for the most part such
To whom as great a charge as little honour
He meant to lay upon and his own letter,
The honourable board of council out,

Must fetch him in he papers.

I do know

Aber.
Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have
By this so sicken'd their estates, that never
They shall abound as formerly.

Buck.

O, many

Have broke their backs with laying manors on 'em
For this great journey. What did this vanity

But minister communication of

A most poor issue?

Nor.

Grievingly I think,

The peace between the French and us not values
The cost that did conclude it.

Buck.

73. going out, expedition. 80. Must fetch him in he papers; (his independent letter of summons, drawn up without concurrence of the council), must call in the man whom he sets in his list.

86. minister communication of a most poor issue, give occasion to a conference which has led to

Every man,

70

80

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After the hideous storm that follow'd, was
A thing inspired; and, not consulting, broke
Into a general prophecy; That this tempest,
Dashing the garment of this peace, aboded
The sudden breach on 't.

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Aber. A proper title of a peace; and purchased

At a superfluous rate!

Buck.

Our reverend cardinal carried.

Nor.

90

Why, all this business

Like it your grace, 100

The state takes notice of the private difference
Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you-
And take it from a heart that wishes towards you
Honour and plenteous safety-that you read
The cardinal's malice and his potency
Together; to consider further that

What his high hatred would effect wants not
A minister in his power. You know his nature,
That he's revengeful, and I know his sword

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