No doubt, he will requite it; this is noted,
And gen'rally, who-ever the King favours,
The Cardinal inftantly will find employment for,
And far enough from court too.

2 Gen. All the commons

Hate him pernicioufly: and o'my conscience
With him ten fathom deep: this Duke as much
They love and doat on, call him bounteous Buckingham,
The mirror of all courtesy.

Enter Buckingham from his Arraignment, (Tipfaves before
him, the Axe with the edge towards him. Halberds on each
fide) accompanied with Sir Thomas Lovel, Sir Nicholas
Vaux, Sir William Sands, and common People, &c.
1 Gen. Stay there, Sir,

And fee the noble ruin'd man you speak of.

2 Gen. Let's stand clofe and behold him. --Buck. All good people,

You that thus far have come to pity me,

Hear what I fay, and then go home and lofe me:
I have this day receiv'd a traitor's judgment,

And by that name must die; yet, heav'n bear witness,
And if I have a confcience, let it fink me
Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful.
To th' law I bear no malice for my death,
'T has done, upon the premifes, but juftice:
But those that fought it, I could with more christians;
Re what they will, I heartily forgive 'em;
Yet let 'em look, they glory not in mischief;
Nor build their evils on the graves of great men ;
For then, my guiltless blood muft cry against 'em.
For further life in this world I ne'er hope,

Nor will I fue, although the King have mercies
More than I dare make faults. You few that lov'd me
And dare be bold to weep for Buckingham,
His noble friends and fellows, whom to leave
Is only bitter to him, only dying;
Go with me, like good Angels, to my end:
And as the long divorce of steel falls on me,
Make of your prayers one (weet facrifice,

And

And lift my foul to heaven. Lead on, o' Gods name.
Lov. I do befeech your Grace for charity,
If ever any malice in your heart

Were hid againft me, now forgive me frankly.

Buck. Sir Thomas Lovel, I as free forgive you, As I would be forgiven: 1 forgive all.

There cannot be thofe numberlefs offences
Gainst me, I can't take peace with: no black envy
Shall make my grave.-Commend me to his Grace:
And if he speak of Buckingham, pray tell him,
You met him half in heaven: my vows and pray❜rs
Yet are the King's; and 'till my foul forfake me,
Shall cry for bleffings on him. May he live
Longer than I have time to tell his years!
Ever belov'd and loving may his rule be!
And when old time fhall lead him to his end,
Goodness, and he, fill up one monument!

Lov. Tó th' water-fide I must conduct your Grace,
Then give my charge up to Sir Nicholas Vaux,
Who undertakes you to your end.

Vaux. Prepare there,

The Duke is coming: fee, the barge be ready
And fit it with fuch furniture as fuits

The greatness of his Perfon.

Buck. Nay, Sir Nicholas,

Let it alone; my ftate now will but mock me.
When I came hither, I was Lord high Conftable,
And Duke of Buckingham; now, poor Edward Bohun.
Yet I am richer than my base accufers,

That never knew what truth meant.

I now feal it;

And with that blood, will make 'em one day groan for❜t. My noble father, Henry of Buckingham,

Who first rais'd head against ufurping Richard,

Flying for fuccour to his fervant Banifter,
Being diftrefs'd, was by that wretch betray'd,

And without tryal fell; God's peace be with him!
Henry the Sev'nth fucceeding, truly pitying
My father's lofs, like a moft royal Prince
Reftor'd to me my honours; and from ruins,
Made my name once more noble. Now his fon,

Henry

Henry the Eighth, life, honour, name, and all
That made me happy, at one ftroak has taken
For ever from the world. I had my tryal,

And muft needs fay, a noble one; which makes me
A little happier that my wretched father:
Yet thus far we are one in fortune, both
Fell by our fervants, by those men we lov'd.
A moft unnatural and faithlefs fervice!

Heav'n has an end in all yet, you that hear me,
This from a dying man receive as certain:

Where you are lib'ral of your loves and counsels,
Be fure, you be not loose; those you make friends,
And give your hearts to, when they once perceive
The leat rub in your fortunes, fall away

Like water from ye, never found again,

But where they mean to fink ye. All good people
Pray for me! I must leave ye; the laft hour
Of my long weary life is come upon me:

Farewel; and when you would fay fomething fad, Speak, how I fell I've done; and God forgive me. [Exeunt Buckingham and Train,

1

1 Gen. O, this is full of pity; Sir, it calls, I fear, too many curfes on their heads,

That were the authors.

1

2 Gen. If the Duke be guiltless,

"Tis full of woe; yet I can give you inkting Of an enfuing evil, if it fall,

Greater than this.

1 Gen. Good angels keep it from us!

What may it be? you do not doubt my faith, Sir 2 Gen. This fecret is fo weighty, will require A ftrong faith to conceal it.

1 Gen. Let me have it ;

I do not talk much,

2 Gen. I am confident;

You fhall, Sir; did you not of late days hear
A buzzing of a feparation

Between the King and Cathrine ?

I Gen. Yes, but it held not;

For when the King once heard it, out of anger

He

He fent command to the Lord Mayor ftrait
To stop the rumour; and allay those tongues,
That durft difperfe it.

2 Gen. But that flander, Sir,"

Is found a truth now; for it grows again
Fresher than e'er it was: and held for certain,
The King will venture at it. Either the Cardinal,
Or fome about him near, have (out of malice
To the good Queen) poffefs'd him with a fcruple
That will undo her: to confirm this too,
Cardinal Campeius is arriv'd, and lately,
As all think, for this bufinefs.

1 Gen. 'Tis the Cardinal:

And merely to revenge him on the Emperor,
For not beftowing on him, at his asking,

The Arch-bishoprick of Toledo, this is purpos'd.

2 Gen. I think, you've hit the mark; bat is't not cruel, That the fhould feel the smart of this

Will have his will, and the muft fall.

1 Gen. "Tis woeful.

We are too open here to argue this:
Let's think in private more.

the Cardinal

[Exeunt.

SCENE, an Antichamber in the Palace.
Enter Lord Chamberlain, reading a latter.

Ύ

Y Lord, the horfes your Lordship fent for, with all the care I bad, I faw well chofen, ridden, and furnish'd. They were young and handsome, and of the best breed in the North. When they were ready to jet cut for London, a man of my Lord Cardinal's, by commiffion and main pover took 'em from me, with this reafon; his master would be ferv'd before a fubject, if not before the King, which stopp'd our mouths, Sir.

I fear, he will indeed; well, let him have them;
He will have all, I think.

Enter to the Lord Chamberlain the Dukes of Norfolk and

Cham. Good-day to both your Graces.

Suf. How is the King employ'd?
Cham. I left him private,

Full of fad thoughts and troubles.

Nor. what's the caufe?

Cham. It feems, the marriage with his brother's wife Has crept too near his confcience.

Suf. No, his confcience

Has crept too near another Lady.
Nor. 'Tis fo;

This is the Cardinal's doing; the King-Cardinal:
That blind prieft, like the eldeft fon of fortune,
Turns what he lifts. The King will know him one day.
Suf. Pray God, he do! he'll never know himself elfe.
Nor. How holily he works in all his business,
And with what zeal? for now he has crack'd the league
"Tween us and th' Emperor, the Queen's great nephew,
He dives into the King's foul, and there fcatters
Doubts, dangers, wringing of the confcience,
Fears, and defpair, and all thefe for his marriage;
And out of all these, to restore the King,
He counfels a divorce; a lofs of her,
That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never loft her luftre ;
Of her, that loves him with that excellence,
That angels love good men with even of her,
That, when the greateft ftroke of fortune falls,
Will blefs the King; and is not this courfe pious?
Cham. Heav'n keep me from fuch counfel! 'tis moft true,
These news are ev'ry where; ev'ry tongue fpeaks 'em,
And ev'ry true heart weeps for't. All, that dare
Look into thefe affairs, see his main end,

The French King's fifter. Heav'n will one day open
The King's eyes, that fo long have flept upon

This bold, bad man.

Suf. And free us from his flavery.

Nor. We had need pray, and heartily, for deliv'rance; Or this imperious man will work us all

From Princes into pages; all mens honours
Lie like one lump before him, to be fashion'd