fhew him a written Order, figned by the King' "further adding, That he held that Place by Patent for Life. His Refufal being fignified to the King, Wolf. Speak on, Sir, I dare your wort Objections: If I blush, It is to fee a Nobleman want Manners. Sur. I'd rather want thofe than my Head; have at you. Nor. Then, That, in all you writ to Rome, or else Was ftill infcrib'd, in which you brought the King Suff. That, without the Knowledge Either of King or Council, when you went Sur. Item, You fent a large Commiffion Without the King's Will, or the State's Allowance, Suff. That, out of meer Ambition, you have made Sur. That you have fent innumerable Subftance Cham. O, my Lord, Prefs not a falling Man too far; 'tis Virtue : Sur. I forgive him. Suff. Lord Cardinal, the King's further Pleafure is, That therefore fuch a Writ be fued against you, Out of the King's Protection. This is my Charge. “he Nor he fent the fame Perfons the next Day with a έσ peremptory Command to deliver up the Great Seal "without the least Demurr, which was done accordM m 2 Nor. And fo we'll leave you to your Meditations The King fhall know it, and no doubt fhall thank you. 66 ingly [Exeunt all but Wolfey: Wolf. So farewel to the little Good you bear me. Farewel, a long Farewel, to all my Greatness! This is the State of Man; To-day he puts forth The tender Leaves of Hopes, To-morrow bloffoms, And bears his blufhing Honours thick upon him: The third Day comes a Froft, a killing Froft, And, when he thinks, good eafy Man, full furely, His Greatness is a ripening, nips his Root, And then he falls, as I do. I have ventur'd, Like little wanton Boys, that fwim on Bladders, These many Summers in a Sea of Glory; But far beyond my Depth: My high-blown Pride At Length broke under me, and now has left me, Weary, and old with Service, to the Mercy Of a rude Stream, that mutt for ever hide me. Vain Pomp and Glory of the World! I hate ye. I feel my Heart new open'd. O how wretched Is that poor Man that hangs on Princes Favours! There is, betwixt that Smile we would aspire to, That sweet Afpect of Princes, an our Ruin, More Pangs and Fears, than War or Women have. And, when he falls, he falls like Lucifer, Never to hope again. Enter Cromwell, ftanding amased. Why, how now, Cromwell? Crom. I have no Power to fpeak, Sir. At my Misfortunes! Can thy Spirit wonder A great Man fhould decline? Nay, If you weep; Cromw. How does your Grace ? Wolf. Why, well; Never fo truly happy, my good Cromwell. I know myself now, and I feel within me The Duke introduced in this Scene had been dead five Years, and Surry, Buckingham's Son-in-Law, was then Duke of Norfolk. ingly by the Cardinal; yet not without some tart "Reflections on the Meffengers, who, not without "Grounds, A Peace above all earthly Dignities, A ftill and quiet Confcience. The King has cur'd me, A Load would fink a Navy, too much Honour. Too heavy for a Man that hopes for Heav'n. Cromw. I'm glad your Grace has made that right Use of it. Wolf. I hope I have: I'm able now, methinks, Out of a Fortitude of Soul I feel, T'endure more Miferies, and greater far Than my weak-hearted Enemies dare offer. Cromw. The heaviest, and the worst, Is your Displeasure with the King. Wolf God bless him! Cromw. The next is, that Sir Thomas More is chofen Lord Chancellor in your Place. Wolf. That's fomewhat fudden But he's a learned Man. May he continue Cromw. That Cranmer is return'd with Welcome; Cromw. Laft, that the Lady Anne, Whom the King hath in Secrecy long married, Going to Chapel, and the Voice is now Only about her Coronation. Wolf. There was the Weight that pull'd me down, O Cromwell! The King has gone beyond me: All my Glories, In that one Woman, I have loft for ever. No Sun fhall ever usher forth my Honours, Or guild again the noble Troops that waited Upon my Smiles. Go get thee from me, Cromwell, To be thy Lord and Mafter. Seek the King, (That Sun, I pray may never fet) Iv'e told him, What and how true thou art; he will advance thee; Some *This did not happen till fome Time after the Cardinal's Death. + Nor this. έσ Grounds, were fufpected to have the chief Hand "in his Difgrace.” Some little Memory of me will ftir him, I know his noble Nature, not to let Thy hopeful Service perifh too. Good Cromwell; Cromw. O my Lord! Muft then I leave you? muft I needs forego Bear witness, all that have not Hearts of Iron, Wolf. Cromwell, I did not think to fhed a Tear And fleep in dull cold Marble, where no mention Still in thy Right-hand carry gentle Peace, To filence envious Tongues. Be juft, and fear not. Thy God's, and Truth's; then if thou fall'ft, Ó Cromwell! And pr'ythee lead me in There take an Inventory of all I have, To the laft Penny, 'tis the King's. My Robe, And my Integrity to Heav'n is all I dare now call mine own. O Cromwell! Cromwell! Had I but ferv'd my God with half the Zeal I ferv'd my King, he would not, in mine Age, Cromw. Good Sir, have Patience. The Hopes of Court! my Hopes in Heav'n do dwell. Other [Exeunt. Other Authors fay, that the firft Day of Michaelmas Term was come, before the Cardinal's Enemies could fettle how to proceed against him; and that he went to Westminster-hall in his ufual State, and fat there for the laft Time; contrary to what the Record of that Proceeding, to be feen in Rymer's Federa, Vol. XIV. fets forth, which we have here introduced a Tranflation of. 66 On the Delivery of the Great Seal. * ΜΕ Emorandum, That on Sunday the 17th Day of October, in the 21st Year of King Henry "the VIIIth's Reign, the faid Lord the King's Great Seal, in the Cuftody of the moft Rev. Father in "Chrift, 66 We prefume it will not be thought disagreeable to subjoin fome Memoirs of the Lord High Chancellors, Lord Keepers, and Lords Commiffioners of the Great Seal, from the Time Cardinal Wolfey delivered it up. Pon Cardinal Wol 1529. Upon Jey's Difgrace the Great Seal was given to Sir Thomas More, Oct. the 25th, with the Title of Lord Chancellor. Several of the Noblemen, who attended him the first time to Weftminster-hall, were very full of their Compliments, but Sir Thomas was nothing moved thereat; indeed, it put him in mind of those who had gone before him; for, cafting his Eye to the Court, where his Predeceffor had fat, he broke out into these Expreffions: • But when I look upon this Seat, and think of what Kind of Perfonages have poffeffed this • Place before me; when I call to mind who He was that fat in it last of all, a Man of what fingular Wisdom, of ⚫ what notable Experience, what a profperous and favourable 6 Fortune he had for a great Space, and how at last he had a 'grievous Fall, I have Caufe enough, by my Predeceffor's Example, to think Honour but flippery, and this Dignity not fo grateful to me, as it may feem to be to others." Sir Thomas was a Gentleman of admirable Attainments in all Sorts of Learning: His Utopia is admired throughout Europe; and his Hiftory of Richard the IIId has obtained fo much Credit with Hiftorians, that they have entirely depended on its Autho rity. However, during the time he held the Seal, nothing extraordinary happened in this Court. If we believe what fome Authors relate, he did not leave one Caufé to be heard; and it is remarkable, that from his Time the Chufing Lord Chancellors from the Laie |