They love and doat on, call him bounteous Bucking The mirror cf all courtesy.

SCENE II.

[ham,

Enter Buckingham from his arraignment, (tipftaves before him, the ax with the edge towards him, halberts on each fide), accompanied with Sir Thomas Lovell, Sir Nicholas Vaux, Sir William Sands, and commen 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 judgement,

And by that name muft die; yet, Heav'n bear witness,
And if I have a confcience, let it fink me

Even as the ax falls, if I be not faithful.
To th' law I bear no malice for my death,
'T has done, upon the premiffes, but justice,

But thofe that fought it, I could wish more Chriftians,
Be 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 must 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 fweet facrifice,

And lift my foul to heav'n. Lead on, o'God's name.
Lov. I do befeech your Grace for charity,

If ever any malice in your heart

Were hid against me, now forgive me frankly,

Buck. Sir Thomas Lovell, I as free forgive you, As I would be forgiven. I forgive all.

There cannot be thofe numberlefs offences

'Gainft me, I can't take peace with: no black envy
Shall mark my grave.-Commend me to his Grace:
And, if he fpeak of Buckingham, pray tell him,
You met him half in heav'n: 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. To 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 Constable,
And Duke of Buckingham; now poor Edward Bohun.
Yet I am richer than my bafe accufers,

That never knew what truth meant. I now feal it ;
And with that blood will make 'em one day grone for❜t,
My noble father, Henry of Buckingham,

Who first rais'd head against usurping Richard,

Flying for fuccour to his fervant Banister,
Being distress'd, was by that wretch betray'd,
And without trial fell; God's peace be with him!
Henry the Sev'ath fucceeding, truly pitying
My father's lofs, like a molt royal prince,
Reftor'd to me my honours; and, from ruins,
Made my name once more noble.

Now his fon,

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

And must needs fay, a noble one; which makes me

A little happier than my wretched father.

Yet thus far we are one in fortune, both
Fell by our fervants, by thofe men we lov'd:
A most 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 counfels,
Be fure you be not loofe; thofe you make friends,
And give your hearts to, when they once perceive
The least 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 muft 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 Gen. O, this is full of pity; Sir, it calls,

I fear, too many curfes on their heads

That were the authors.

2 Gen If the Duke be guiltless,

'Tis full of woe: yet I can give you inkling 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, 'twill require A frong 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 Cath'rine ?

1 Gen. Yes; but it held not;

For when the King once heard it, out of anger
He fent command to the Lord Mayor ftrait
To top 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,

Th' archbishoprick of Toledo, this is purpos'd.

2 Gen. I think you've hit the mark; but is't not cruel, That the fhould feel the fmart of this? the Cardinal Will have his will, and the muft fall.

I Gen. 'Tis woeful.

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

[Exeunt.

SCENE IH. An antichamber in the palace.
Enter Lord Chamberlain reading a letter.

r Lord, the borfes your Lordship fent for, with all

M the care I had, I faw well chofen, ridden, and fur

nifh'd. They were young and handjome, and of the best breed in the north. When they were ready to fet out for London, a man of my Lord Cardinal's, by commiffion and main power, took 'em from me, with this reafon, His ma- · fter would be ferv'd before a fubject, if not before the King; which topp'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 Suffolk.

Nor. Well met, iny Lord Chamberlain.

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 cause?

Cham. It seems 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 prielt, like the eldelt ion of Fortune,

Turns what he lifts. The King will know him one day.
Suf. Pray God he do! he'll never know himself else.
Nor. How holily he works in all his business,

And with what zeal! for now he has crack'd the league
'Tween us and the Emperor, the Queen's great nephew,
He dives into the King's foul, and there featters
Doubts, dangers, wringing of the conscience,
Fears, and defpair, and all these for his marriage;
And out of all thefe, to reftore the King,
He counfels a divorce; a lofs of her,
That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never lost her lustre ;
Of her that loves him with that excellence,
That angels love good men with; even of her
That, when the greatest stroke of fortune falls,
Will bless the king and is not this course pious!
Cham. Heav'n keep me from fuch counfel! 'tis moft
true,

These news are ev'ry where; ev'ry tongue fpe ks 'em,
And ev'ry true heart weeps for't. All that dare
Look into these affairs, see his main end,

The French King's fifter. Heav'n will one day open
The King's eyes, that fo long have slept 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
Into what pinch he please.

Suj. For me, my Lords,

I love him not, nor fear him, there's my creed.
As I am made without him, fo I'll ftand,

If the King pleafe: his curfes and his bleffings
Touch me alike; they're breath I not believe in.
I knew him, and I know him fo I leave him
To him that made him proud, the Pope.

Nor. Let's in ;

And with fome other business put the King

From thefe fad thoughts, that work too much upon My Lord, you'll bear us company?

Cham. Excufe me.

[him.