His noble jury and foul cause can witness. Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be, Sur. By my soul, Your long coat, priest, protects you; thou should'st feel My sword i' the life-blood of thee else. My lords, Can ye endure to hear this arrogance? And from this fellow? If we live thus tamely, To be thus jaded by a piece of scarlet, Farewell nobility; let his grace go forward, And dare us with his cap, like larks.4 Wol. Is poison to thy stomach. All goodness Sur. Since you provoke me, shall be most notorious.- Who, if he live, will scarce be gentlemen, Wol. How much, methinks, I could despise this man, But that I am bound in charity against it! ⚫ Equal. 3 Ridden down. A cardinal's hat is scarlet, and the method of daring larks is by small mirrors on scarlet cloth. Nor. Those articles, my lord, are in the king's hand: But, thus much, they are foul ones. So much fairer, Wol. Sur. This cannot save you I thank my memory, I yet remember Some of these articles; and out they shall. Wol. Speak on, sir: I dare your worst objections: If I blush, It is, to see a nobleman want manners. 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. Then, that, without the knowledge Either of king or council, when you went Ambassador to the emperor, you made bold To carry into Flanders the great seal. Sur. Item, you sent a large commission To Gregory de Cassalis, to conclude, Without the king's will, or the state's allowance, A league between his highness and Ferrara. 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 have 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; to the mere undoing Cham. O my lord, Press not a falling man too far; 'tis virtue: 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. Suf. Lord cardinal, the king's further pleasure is, Because all those things, you have done of late That therefore such a writ be sued against you; Out of the king's protection:-This is my charge. 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 all but WOLSEY. Wol. So farewell to the little good you bear me. Farewell, a long farewell to all my greatness! This is the state of man; to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honours thick upon him : The third day comes a frost, a killing frost; And, when he thinks, good easy man, full surely But far beyond my depth: my high-blown pride 5 Absolute. 6 A writ incurring a penalty. At length broke under me; and now has left me, At Enter CROMWELL, amazedly. Why, how now, Cromwell? What, amaz'd Crom. I have no power to speak, sir. Wol. my misfortunes? can thy spirit wonder, A great man should decline? Nay, an you weep, I am fallen indeed. Crom. Wol. How does your grace? Why, well; Never so truly happy, my good Cromwell. A still and quiet conscience. The king has cur'd me, I humbly thank his grace; and from these shoulders, A load would sink a navy, too much honour; Wol. I hope, I have: I am able now, methinks, (Out of a fortitude of soul I feel,) To endure more miseries, and greater far, my weak-hearted enemies dare offer. What news abroad? Crom. The heaviest, and the worst, Is your displeasure with the king. Wol. God bless him! Crom. The next is, that sir Thomas More is chosen Lord chancellor in your place. That's somewhat sudden: Wol. Long in his highness' favour, and do justice For truth's sake, and his conscience; that his bones, When he has run his course, and sleeps in blessings, May have a tomb of orphans' tears 7 wept on 'em! What more? Crom. That Cranmer is return'd with welcome, Install'd lord archbishop of Canterbury. Wol. That's news indeed. Crom. Last, that the lady Anne, Whom the king hath in secrecy long married, This day was view'd in open, as his queen, Going to chapel; and the voice is now Only about her coronation. Wol. There was the weight that pull'd me down. The king has gone beyond me, all my glories No sun shall ever usher forth mine honours, To be thy lord and master: Seek the king; (I know his noble nature,) not to let Thy hopeful service perish too: Good Cromwell, Neglect him not; make use 8 now, and provide For thine own future safety. 7 The chancellor is the guardian of orphans. Interest. |