Than ever they were fair. This man, so cómplete,
Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we,
Almost with ravish'd list'ning, could not find
His hour of speech a minute; he, my lady,
Hath into monstrous habits put the graces
That once were his, and is become as black
As if besmear'd in hell. Sit by us; you shall hear
(This was his gentleman in trust,) of him
Things to strike honour sad.-Bid him recount
The fore-recited practices; whereof

We cannot feel too little, hear too much.

Wol. Stand forth; and with bold spirit relate what you,
Most like a careful subject, have collected
Out of the duke of Buckinghom.
K.Hen. Speak freely.

Surv. First, it was usual with him, every day
It would infect his speech, That if the king
Should without issue die, he'd carry it so
To make the sceptre his: These very words
I have heard him utter to his son-in-law,
Lord Aberga'ny; to whom by oath he menac'd
Revenge upon the cardinal.

Wol. Please your highness, note
This dangerous conception in this point. 9
Not friended by his wish, to your high person
His will is most malignant; and it stretches
Beyond you, to your friends.

Q.Kath. My learn'd lord cardinal,

Deliver all with charity.
K.Hen. Speak on;

How grounded he his title to the crown,
Upon our fail? to this point hast thou heard him
At any time speak aught ?

Surv. He was brought to this

By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.
K.Hen. What was that Hopkins?
Surv. Sir, a Chartreux friar,

His confessor; who fed him every minute
With words of sovereignty.

K.Hen. How know'st thou this?

Surv. Not long before your highness sped to France,

The duke being at the Rose, within the parish
Saint Lawrence Poultney, did of me demand
What was the speech amongst the Londoners

[9] Note this particular part of this dangerous design.

JOHNS.

Concerning the French journey: I replied,
Men fear'd, the French would prove perfidious,
To the king's danger. Presently the duke
Said, 'Twas the fear, indeed; and that he doubted,
'Twould prove the verity of certain words
Spoke by a holy monk; that oft, says he,
Hath sent to me, wishing me to permit
John de la Court, my chaplain, a choice hour
To hear from him a matter of some moment :
Whom after under the confession's seal
He solemnly had sworn, that, what he spoke,
My chaplain to no creature living, but
To me, should utter, with demure confidence
This pausingly ensu'd, -Neither the king, nor his heirs,
(Tell you the duke) shall prosper : bid him strive
To gain the love of the commonalty ; the duke
Shall govern England.

Q.Kath. If I know you well,

You were the duke's surveyor, and lost your office
On the complaint o' the tenants: take good heed,
You charge not in your spleen a noble person,
And spoil your nobler soul! I say, take heed;
Yes, heartily beseech you.

K.Hen. Let him on :

Go forward.

Surv. On my soul, I'll speak but truth.
I told my lord the duke, by the devil's illusions

The monk might be deceiv'd; and that 'twas dang'rous

for him

To ruminate on this so far, until

It forg'd him some design, which, being believ'd,

It was much like to do: He answer'd, Tush!

It can do me no damage: adding further,

That, had the king in his last sickness fail'd,
The cardinal's and Sir Thomas Lovel's heads

Should have gone off.

K.Hen. Ha! what so rank? Ah, ha!

There's mischief in this man. - Canst thou say further

Surv. I can, my liege.

K.Hen. Proceed.

Surv. Being at Greenwich,

After your highness had reprov'd the duke

About Sir William Blomer,

[1] Rank weeds, are weeds grown up to great height and strength. Whet, says the king, was he advanced to this pitch? JOHNS.

3

VOL. VI.

K.Hen. I remember,

Of such a time :-Being my servant sworn, 2
The duke retain'd him his. But on; what hence ?

Surv. If, quoth he, I for this had been committed, As, to the Tower, I thought, -I would have play'd The part my father meant to act upon

The usurper Richard: who, being at Salisbury,
Made suit to come in his presence; which, if granted,
As he made semblance of his duty, would
Have put his knife into him.

K.Hen. A giant traitor !

Wol. Now, madam, may his highness live in freedom, And this man out of prison ? Q.Kath. God mend all !

K.Hen. There's something more would out of thee; What say'st?

Sur. After, the duke his father, with the knife,--He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his dagger, Another spread on his breast, mounting his eyes, He did discharge a horrible oath; whose tenor Was,-Were he evil us'd, he would out-go His father, by as much as a performance Does an irresolute purpose.

K.Hen. There's his period,

To sheath his knife in us. He is attach'd;
Call him to present trial: if he may
Find mercy in the law, 'tis his; if none,
Let him not seek't of us: By day and night,

He's traitor to the height.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

A Room in the Palace. Enter the Lord Chamberlain, and Lord

SANDS.

Cham. Is it possible, the spells of France should juggle

Men into such strange mysteries ?3

Sands. New customs,

Though they be never so ridiculous,
Nay, let them be unmanly, yet are follow'd.

Cham. As far as I see, all the good our English

[2] Sir Willliam Blomer, (Holinshed calls him Bulmer.) was reprimanded by the king in the star-chamber, for that, being his sword servant, he had left the king's service for the duke of Buckingham's. Edwards' MSS. STEEV.

[3] Mysteries were allegorical shows, which the mummers of those times exhibited in odd fantastick habits. Mysteries are used, by an easy figure, for those that exhibited mysteries; and the sense is only, that the travelled Englishmen were metamorphosed, by foreign fashions into such an uncouth ap pe arance that they looked like mummers in a mystery. JOHNS.

Have got by the late voyage, is but merely
A fit or two o' the face ; but they are shrewd ones;
For when they hold them, you would swear directly,

Their very noses had been counsellors

To Pepin, or Clotharius, they keep state so.

Sands. They have all new legs, and lame ones; ore

would take it,

That never saw them pace before, the spavin,

A springhalt reign'd among them.s

Cham. Death! my lord,

Their clothes are after such a pagan cut too,

That, sure, they have worn out christendom. How now

What news, sir Thomas Lovell ?

Enter Sir THOMAS LOVEL.

Lov. 'Faith, my lord,

I hear of none, but the new proclamation

That's clapp'd upon the court-gate.

Cham. What is't for?

Lov. The reformation of our travell'd gallants, That fill the court with quarrels, talk, and tailors.

Cham. I am glad, 'tis there; now I would pray our To think an English courtier may be wise, [monsieurs, And never see the Louvre.

Lov. They must either

(For so run the conditions,) leave these remnants
Of fool, and feather, that they got in France,
With all their honourable points of ignorance,
Pertaining thereunto, (as fights, and fireworks;
Abusing better men than they can be,
Out of a foreign wisdom,) renouncing clean
The faith they have in tennis, and tall stockings,
Short blister'd breeches, and those types of travel,
And understand again like honest men;

Or pack to their old playfellows: there, I take it,
They may, cum privilegio, wear away
The lag end of their lewdness, and be laugh'd at.

Sands. 'Tis time to give them physic, their diseases
Are grown so catching.

Cham. What a loss our ladies Will have of these trim vanities! Lov. Ay, marry,

[4] A fit of the face seems to be what we now term a grimace, an artificial cast of the countenance. JOHNS.

[5] The stringhalt, or springhalt, (as the old copy reads,) is a disease incident to horses, which gives them a convulsive motion in their paces. STEE.

There will be woe indeed, lords; the sly whoresons
Have got a speeding trick to lay down ladies;
A French song, and a fiddle, has no fellow.

Sands. The devil fiddle them! I am glad, they're going; (For, sure, there's no converting of them ;) now An honest country lord, as I am, beaten

A long time out of play, may bring his plain-song,
And have an hour of hearing; and, by'r-lady,
Held current music too.

Cham, Well said, lord Sands;
Your colt's tooth is not cast yet.
Sands. No, my lord;

Nor shall not, while I have a stump.
Cham. Sir Thomas,

Whither were you a going?
Lov. To the cardinal's;

Your lordship is a guest too.
Cham. O, 'tis true :

This night he makes a supper, and a great one,
To many lords and ladies; there will be

The beauty of this kingdom, I'll assure you.

Lov. That churchman bears a bounteous mind indeed, A hand as fruitful as the land that feeds us; His dews fall every where.

Cham. No doubt, he's noble;

He had a black mouth, that said other of him.

Sands. He may, my lord, he has wherewithal; in him, Sparing would show a worse sin than ill doctrine: Men of his way should be most liberal, They are set here for examples.

Cham. True, they are so;

But few now give so great ones. My barge stays; Your lordship shall along :- Come, good Sir Thomas, We shall be late else: which I would not be,

For I was spoke to, with Sir Henry Guildford,

This night, to be comptrollers.

Sands. I am your lordship's.

SCENE IV.

[Exeunt.

The Presence Chamber in York-Palace. Hautboys. A small table under a state for the Cardinal, a longer table for the Guests. Enter at one door Lords, ANNE BULLEN, and divers Ladies, and Gentlewomen, as Guests; at another door, enter Sir HENRY GUILDFORD.

Guil. Ladies, a general welcome from his grace