SCENE changes to the Palace.

Enter Trumpets founding; then two Aldermen, Lord Mayor, Garter, Cranmer, Duke of Norfolk with his Marshal's faff, Duke of Suffolk, two Noblemen bearing great ftanding bowls for the chriftning gifts; then four Noblemen bearing a canopy, under which the Dutchess of Norfolk, god mother, bearing the child richly habited in a mantle, &c. Train born by a lady: then follows the Marchionefs of Dorfet, the other god-mother, and ladies. The troop pass once about the ftage, and Garter speaks. Gart. Heav'n, from thy endless goodness fend long life, And ever happy, to the high and mighty Princefs of England, fair Elizabeth !

Flourish. Enter King and Guard.

Cran. And to your royal Grace, and the good Queen, My noble partners and myself thus pray;

All comfort, joy, in this moft gracious lady,

That heav'n e'er laid up to make parents happy,
May hourly fall upon ye!

King. Thank you, good lord Arch-bishop:
What is her name?

Cran. Elizabeth.

King. Stand up, lord.

With this kifs take my bleffing: God protect thee,
Into whofe hand I give thy life.

Cran. Amen.

King. My noble goffips, y'have been too prodigal,
I thank you heartily: fo fhall this lady,
When the has fo much English.

Cran. Let me fpeak, Sir;

(For Heav'n now bids me) and the words I utter,
Let none think flattery, for they'll find 'em truth.
This royal Infant, (heaven ftill move about her)
Though in her cradle, yet now promifes
Upon this land a thousand thousand bleffings,
Which time shall bring to ripeness. She shall be

(But

(But few or none living can behold that goodness)
A pattern to all Princes living with her,
And all that shall fucceed. Sheba was never
More covetous of wisdom and fair virtue,
Than this bleft foul fhall be. All Princely graces,
That mould up fuch a mighty piece as this,
With all the virtues that attend the good,

Shall ftill be doubled on her. Truth fhall nurfe her: Holy and heav'nly thoughts ftill counfel her:

She fhall be lov'd and fear'd. Her own fhall bless her; Her foes shake, like a field of beaten corn,

And hang their heads with forrow, Good grows with her.
In her days, ev'ry man fhall eat in fafety,

Under his own vine, what he plants; and fing
The merry fongs of peace to all his neighbours.
God fhall be truly known, and those about her
From her fhall read the perfect ways of honour,
And claim by those their Greatnefs, not by blood.
Nor fhall this peace fleep with her; but as when
The bird of wonder dies, the maiden Phoenix,
Her afhes new create another heir,

As great in admiration as herself;

So fhall fhe leave her bleffedness to one,

(When heav'n fhall call her from this cloud of darkness) Who from the facred afhes of her honour

Shall ftar like rise, as great in fame as she was,

And fo ftand fix'd. Peace, Plenty, Love, Truth, Terrour,
That were the fervants to this chosen infant,
Shall then be his, and like a vine grow to him;
Where-ever the bright fun of heav'n shall shine,
His honour and the greatness of his name

Shall be, and make new nations. He fhall flourish,
And, like a mountain cedar, reach his branches
To all the plains about him: childrens' children
Shall fee this, and bless heav'n.

King. Thou speakest wonders.

Cran. She fhall be, to the happiness of England,
An aged Princess; many days fhall fee her,
And yet no day without a deed to crown it.

'Would,

'Would, I had known no more! but fhe muft die, (19)
She muft, the Saints must have her yet a Virgin !
A most unfpotted lilly fhe fhall pafs

To th' ground, and all the world shall mourn her,
King. O lord Arch-bishop,

Thou'ft made me now a man; never, before
This happy child, did I get any thing.
This oracle of comfort has so pleas'd me,

That when I am in heav'n, I shall defire

To fee what this child does, and praife my maker.
I thank ye all.- -To you, my good Lord Mayor,
And your good brethren, I am much beholden: (20)
I have receiv'd much honour by your presence,
And ye shall find me thankful. Lead the way, lords:
Ye muft all fee the Queen, and she must thank ye,
She will be fick elfe. This day no man think,
H'as business at his house, for all shall stay;
This little one shall make it holy-day.

(19) Would I had known no more: but She muft die,

[Exeunt.

She muft, the Saints must bave her ; yet a Virgin,

A most unfpotted Lilly, &c.] Thus the Editors hitherto, in their Sagacity, have pointed this Passage, and destroy'd the true Senfe of it. The first part of this Sentence is a Wish : The other should be a forrowful Continuation of the Bishop's Prophecy. But, fure, Cranmer was too wife and pious a Man, too well acquainted with the State of Mortality, to make it a part of his Lamentation that this good Princess must one time or other go to Heaven. As I point it, the Poet makes a fine Compliment to his Royal Mistress's Memory, to lament that the muft die without leaving an Heir of her Body behind her.

(20) And you good Brethren,] But, the Aldermen never were call'd Brethren to the King. The Top of the Nobility are but Coufins and Counsellors. Dr. Thirlby, therefore, rightly advised ; And your good Brethren

i. e. the Lord Mayor's Brethren; which is properly their Style.

ཤཱ་རས་བ

E PILOGUE.

IS ten to one, T this Plag can never pleafe All that are here: Some come to take their cafe, And fleep an act or two; but those, we fear, We've frighted with our trumpets; fo'tis clear, "They'll fay, it's naught. Others, to hear the city Abus'd extremely, and to cry, That's witty! Which we have not done neither: that, I fear, All the expected Good w'are like to hear For this Play at this time, is only in The merciful conftruction of good wom'n; (For fuch a one we fhew'd 'em) If they smile, And fay, 'twill do; I know within a while All the beft men are ours; for 'tis ill hap, If they hold, when their ladies bid'em clap.

The End of the Fifth Volume.