His Fears were that the Interview betwixt
England and France, might through their Amity
Breed him fome prejudice; for from this League
Peep'd harms, that menac'd him. He privily
Deals with our Cardinal, and as I trow,
Which I do well-for I am fure the Emperor
Paid e'er he promis'd, whereby his fuit was granted
E'er it was ask'd. But when the way was made,
And pav'd with Gold; the Emperor thus defir'd,
That he would please to alter the King's course,
And break the forefaid Peace. Let the King know,
As foon he shall by me, that thus the Cardinal
Does buy and fell his Honour as he pleases,
And for his own Advantage.

Nor. I am forry

To hear this of him; and could wish you were
Something mistaken in't.

Buck. No, not a Syllable:

I do pronounce him in that very Shape

He fhall appear in proof.

Enter Brandon, a Serjeant at Arms before him, and two or

three of the Guard.

Bran. Your Office, Serjeant; execute it.
Serj. Sir,

My Lord the Duke of Buckingham, and Earl
Of Hertford, Stafford and Northampton, I
Arreft thee of High Treafon, in the name
Of our most Sovereign King.

Buck, Lo you, my Lord,

The Net has fall'n upon me; I fhall perish
Under device and practice.

Bran. I am forry

To fee you ta'en from Liberty, to look on
The bufinefs prefent. 'Tis his Highness pleasure
You fhall to th' Tower.

Buck, It will help me nothing

To plead mine Innocence; for that Dye is on me,
Which makes my whit'ft part black. The will of Heav'n
Be done in this and all things: I obey.

O my Lord Abergavenny, fare ye well.

Bran.

Bran. Nay, he must bear you Company. The King
Is pleas'd you fhall to th' Tower, 'till you know
How he determines further.

Aber. As the Duke faid,

The Will of Heav'n be done, and the King's Pleasure
By me obey'd..

Bran. Here is a Warrant from

The King, t'attach Lord Montague, and the Bodies
Of the Duke's Confeffor, John de la Car,
One Gilbert Peck, his Counsellor.

Buck So, fo;

Thefe are the Lambs o'th' Plot, no more, I hope.
Bran. A Monk o'th' Chartreux.

Buck. O Michael Hopkins.

Bran. He.

Buck My Surveyor is falfe, the o'er-great Cardinal Hath fhew'd him Gold; my Life is fpann'd already: I am the fhadow of poor Buckingham,

Whose Figure even this inftant Cloud puts on,

By dark'ning my clear Sun. My Lord, farewel. [Exeunt.

Cornets:

Enter King Henry, leaning on the Cardinal's Shoulder; | the Nobles and Sir Thomas Lovel; the Cardinal places him under the King's Feet, on his right fide.

King. My Life it felf, and the beft Heart of it,
Thanks you for this great Care: I ftood i'th' level
Of a full-charg'd Confederacy, and give thanks
To you that choak'd it. Let be call'd before us
That Gentleman of Buckingham's in Perfon,
I'll hear him his Confeffions juftifie,

And point by point the Treafons of his Mafter
He fhall again relate.

A noise, with crying, Room for the Queen, Usher' d by the Duke of Norfolk. Enter the Queen, Norfolk and Suffolk; he kneels. The King rifeth from his State, takes her up, kiffes and placeth her by him.

Queen. Nay, we muft longer kneel; I am a Suitor:

King. Arife, and take place by us; half your Suit
Never name to us; you have half our Power:
The other moiety e'er you ask is given;
Repeat your Will, and take it.

Queen. Thank your Majefty.

That you would love your felf, and in that love
Not unconfidered leave your Honour, nor
The dignity of your Office, is the point
Of my Petition.

King. Lady mine, proceed.

Queen. I am follicited, not by a few,

And thofe of true Condition, that your Subjects
Are in great Grievance; there have been Commiffions
Sent down among 'em, which have flaw'd the Heart
Of all their Loyalties; wherein, although,
My good Lord Cardinal, they vent Reproaches
Moft bitterly on you, as putter on

Of thefe Exactions, yet the King, our Mafter,

[To Wolfey.

Whose Honour Heav'n fhield from Soil, even he efcapes not Language unmannerly; yea, fuch which breaks

The fides of Loyalty, and almoft appears

In loud Rebellion.

Norf. Not almoft appears,

It doth appear; for, upon thefe Taxations,
The Clothiers all, not able to maintain
The many to them 'longing, have put off
The Spinfters, Carders, Fullers, Weavers, who,
Unfit for other Life, compell'd by Hunger,
And lack of other Means, in desperate manner,
Daring th' event to th' Teeth, are all in uproar,
And danger ferves among them.

King, Taxation?

Wherein? and what Taxation? My Lord Cardinal,
You that are blam'd for it alike with us,

Know you

of this Taxation?

Wel. Please you, Sir,

I know but of a fingle part in ought

Pertains to th' State, and front but in that file

Where others tell Steps with me.

Queen. No, my Lord,

You know no more than others: but you frame

Things

Things that are known alike, which are not wholsome
To thofe which would not know them, and yet muft
Perforce be their acquaintance. These Exactions
(Whereof my Sovereign would have note) they are
Moft peftilent to th' hearing, and to bear 'em,
The Back is facrifice to th' Load; they fay,
They are devis'd by you, or elfe you fuffer
Too hard an Exclamation.

King. Still Exaction!

The nature of it, in what kind, let's know,
Is this Exaction?

Queen. I am much too venturous

In tempting of your Patience, but am boldned
Under your promis'd Pardon. The Subjects Grief
Comes through Commiffions, which compels from each
The fixth part of his Substance, to be levied

Without delay; and the pretence for this

Is nam'd, your Wars in France; this makes bold Mouths; Tongues fpit their Duties out, and cold Hearts freeze

Allegiance in them; their Curfes now

Live where their Prayers did; and it's come to pafs,
That tractable Obedience is a Slave

To each incenfed Will: I would your Highness
Would give it quick Confideration, for

There is no primer baseness.

King. By my Life,

This is against our Pleasure.

Wol. And for me,

I have no further gone in this, than by

A fingle Voice, and that not paft me, but
By learned Approbation of the Judges: If I am
Traduc'd by ignorant Tongues, which neither know
My Faculties nor Perfon, yet will be

The Chronicles of my doing; let me fay,
'Tis but the fate of Place, and the rough Brake
That Virtue muft go through: We must not stint
Our neceffary Actions in the fear

To cope malicious Cenfurers, which ever,
As rav'nous Fishes, do a Veffel follow

That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further

Than vainly longing. What we oft do beft,

By

By fick Interpreters, once weak ones, is
Not ours, or not allow'd; what worft, as oft
Hitting a groffer quality, is cry'd up
For our beft A&; if we ftand still,

In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
We should take root here where we fit;
Or fit State- Statues only.
King. Things done well,

And with a care, exempt themselves from fear.
Things done without Example, in their iffue
Are to be fear'd. Have you a Prefident
Of this Commiffion? I believe not any.

.

We must not rend our Subjects from our Laws,
And stick them in our Will. Sixth part of each!
A trembling Contribution-why we take
From every Tree, Lop, Bark, and part o'th' Timber:
And though we leave it with a root thus hackt,
The Air will drink the Sap.. To every County
Where this is queftion'd, fend our Letters, with
Free pardon to each Man that has deny'd
The Force of this Commiffion; pray look to't,
I put it to your Care.

Wol. A word with you.

Let there be Letters writ to every Shire

[To the Secretary.

Of the King's Grace and Pardon; the griev'd Commons Hardly conceive of me. Let it be nois'd,

That through our Interceffion, this Revokement

And Pardon comes; I fhall anon advise you

Further in the Proceeding.

Enter Surveyor.

[Exit Secretary.

Queen. I am forry that the Duke of Buckingham Is run in your Displeasure.

King. It grieves many;

The Gentleman is Learn'd, and a most rare Speaker,
To Nature none more bound, his training fuch,
That he may furnish and inftru& great Teachers,
And never feek for Aid out of himself; yet fee,
When these fo Noble Benefits fhall prove
Not well difpos'd, the Mind growing once corrupt,
They turn to vicious Forms, ten times more ugly
Than ever they were fair. This Man fo compleat,

Who