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Buck.

It will help me nothing,

To plead mine innocence; for that die 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 ABERGAVENNY, 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.

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The king, to attach lord Montacute; and the bodies
Of the duke's confessor, John de la Court, +
One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor,-

Buck.

So, so;

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

Buck.

Brand.

O, Nicholas Hopkins?

He

Buck. My surveyor is false; the o'er-great 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 on,

By dark'ning my clear sun. —

-My lord, farewell.

[Exeunt.

+ "de la Car," - MALONE.

8

my life is spann'd already:] My time is measured, the length

of my life is now determined.

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,9
Thanks you for this great care: I stood i'the level1
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.

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and the best heart of it,] Heart is not here taken for the great organ of circulation and life, but, in a common and popular sense, for the most valuable or precious part.

stood the level,] To stand in the level of a gun is to stand

in a line with its mouth, so as to be hit by the shot.

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.

Wherein? and what taxation?

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 single part, in aught

Pertains to the state; and front but in that file2
Where others tell steps with me.

2 — front but in that file—] i. e. I am merely on a level with the rest, and step in the same line with them.

Q. Kath.

No, my lord,

you

You know no more than others: but frame

Things, that are known alike3; which are not wholesome
To those which would not know them, and yet must
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

4

To each incensed will. I would, your highness
Would give it quick consideration, for

There is no primer business. 5

K. Hen.

This is against our pleasure.

Wol.

By my life,

And for me,

I have no further gone in this, than by

3 You know no more than others: &c.] That is, you know no more than other counsellors, but you are the person who frame those things which are afterwards proposed, and known equally by all. tractable obedience, &c.] i. e. Things are now in such a situation, that resentment and indignation predominate in every man's breast over duty and allegiance.

4

5 There is no primer business.] No matter of state more urgent.

A single voice; and that not pass'd me, but
By learned approbation of the judges.

will be
let me say,
the rough brake
We must not stint

If I am traduc'd by tongues +, which neither know
My faculties, nor person, yet
The chronicles of my doing,
'Tis but the fate of place, and
That virtue must go through.
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,

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Traduced by ignorant tongues," &c. MALONE.

• We must not stint —] To stint is here to stop, to retard. 7 To cope-] To engage with, to encounter. The word is still used in some counties.

- once weak ones,] Once is here used for sometime, or at one time or other.

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Hitting a grosser quality,] The worst actions of great men are commended by the vulgar, as more accommodated to the grossness .of their notions. JOHNSON.

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