And, from that full meridian of my glory, Enter NORFOLK, SUFFOLK, SURREY, and Nor. Hear the king's pleasure, cardinal: who commands you To render up the great seal presently Into our hands; and to confine yourself Till Where's your commission, lords? words cannot carry Authority so mighty. Suf. Who dare cross them? Bearing the king's will from his mouth expressly? Wol. Till I find more than will, or words, to do it, (I mean, your malice,) know, officious lords, I dare, and must deny it.-Now I feel As if it fed ye! and how sleek and wanton (Mine, and your master,) with his own hand gave me : Wol. It must be himself then. F Within these forty hours, Surrey durst better Thou scarlet sin, robb'd this bewailing land (With thee, and all thy best parts bound together,) Weigh'd not a hair of his. Plague of your policy! You sent me deputy for Ireland; Far from his succour, from the king, from all Wol. This, and all else This talking lord can lay upon my credit, Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be, Sur. Your long coat, priest, protects you. Can you endure to hear this arrogance? Wol. All goodness Sur. Yes, that goodness Of gleaning all the land's wealth into one, The goodness of your intercepted packets, You writ to the pope, against the king: your good ness, Since you provoke me, shall be most notorious.— My lord of Norfolk, Produce the grand sum of his sins, the articles Worse than the sacring bell, when the brown wench Wol. How much, methinks, I could despise this man, But that I'm bound in charity against it! Nor. Those articles, my lord, are in the king's hand: But, thus much, they are foul ones. And spotless, shall my innocence arise, Sur. This cannot save you: I thank my memory, I yet remember Wol. Speak on, sir; I dare your worst objections: if I blush, Sur. I'd rather want those, than my head. Have at you. First, that, without the king's assent, or knowledge, Nor. Then, that, in all you writ to Rome, or else To foreign princes, Ego et Rex meus Was still inscrib'd; in which you brought the king To be your servant. Suf. That, out of mere ambition, you have caus'd Your holy hat to be stamp'd on the king's coin, Sur. Then, that you've sent innumerable substance, (By what means got, I leave to your own conscience,) To furnish Rome, and to prepare the ways You have for dignities. Many more there are; Which, since they are of you, and odious, Cham. O, my lord, Press not a falling man too far; His faults lie open to the laws; let them, Not you, correct him.-My heart weeps to see him So little of his great self. Sur. I forgive him. Nor. And so we'll leave you to your meditations How to live better. For your stubborn answer, About the giving back the great seal to us, The king shall know it, and, no doubt, shall thank you: So fare you well, my little good lord cardinal. [Exeunt NORFOLK, SUFFOLK, SURREY, and CHAMBERLAIN. Wol. Farewell, a long farewell, to all my greatness! This is the state of man; to-day he puts forth |