Imatges de pàgina
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I wish it grubb'd up now.

Lov. Methinks, I could

Cry the amen; and yet my confcience fays
She's a good creature, and, fweet lady, does
Deserve our better wishes.

Gar. But, fir, fir,—

Hear me, fir Thomas: You are a gentleman
Of mine own way9; I know you wife, religious;
And, let me tell you, it will ne'er be well,-
"Twill not, fir Thomas Lovel, take't of me,
Till Cranmer, Cromwell, her two hands, and fhe,
Sleep in their graves.

Lov. Now, fir, you speak of two

The moft remark'd i'the kingdom. As for Cromwell,→→→
Befide that of the jewel-houfe, he's made' mafter
O'the rolls, and the king's fecretary; further, fir,
Stands in the gap and trade of more preferments,
With which the time will load him: The archbishop
Is the king's hand, and tongue; And who dare fpeak
One fyllable against him?

Gar. Yes, yes, fir Thomas,

There are that dare; and I myself have ventur'd
To fpeak my mind of him: and, indeed, this day,
Sir, (I may tell it you,) I think, I have
Incens'd the lords o'the council, that he is
(For fo I know he is, they know he is,)
À most arch heretick 3, a peftilence

That does infect the land: with which they moved,

9-mine own way;] Mine own opinion in religion. JOHNSON. he's made-] The pronoun, which was omitted in the old copy, was inferted by Mr. Theobald.

2 Stands in the gap and trade of more preferments,] Trade is the practifed method, the general course. JOHNSON.

Trade has been already used by Shakspeare with this meaning in K.

Richard II:

3

"Some way of common trade." STEEVENS.

I bave

Incens'd the lords o' the council, that he is, &c.

A moft arch beretick,-] I have roufed the lords of the council by fuggefting to them that he is a most arch heretick :-I have thus incited them against him. MALONE.

Have

Have broken with the king4; who hath so far
Given ear to our complaint, (of his great grace
And princely care; forefeeing thofe fell mifchiefs
Our reafons laid before him,) he hath commanded *,
To-morrow morning to the council-board

He be convented. He's a rank weed, fir Thomas,
And we must root him out. From your affairs

I hinder you too long: good night, fir Thomas. Lov. Many good nights, my lord; I reft your fervant. [Exeunt GARDINER, and Page.

As LOVEL is going out, enter the King, and the Duke of
SUFFOLK.

King. Charles, I will play no more to-night;
My mind's not on't, you are too hard for me.
Suf. Sir, I did never win of you before.
King. But little, Charles;

Nor fhall not, when my fancy's on my play.-
Now, Lovel, from the queen what is the news?
Lov. I could not perfonally deliver to her
What you commanded me, but by her woman
I fent your meffage; who return'd her thanks
In the greatest humblenefs, and defir'd your highness
Moft heartily to pray for her.

King. What fay'st thou? ha!

To pray for her? what, is the crying out?

Lov. So faid her woman; and that her fufferance made

Almost each pang a death".

King. Alas, good lady!

Suf. God fafely quit her of her burden, and

With gentle travail, to the gladding of

4-broken with the king;] They have broken filence; told their minds to the king. JOHNSON.

•he bath commanded,] He, which is not in the old copy, was inferted by Mr. Pope. He bath was often written contractedly b'ath. Hence probably the error.

MALONE.

5 He be convented.] Convented is fummoned, convened. STEEVENS. ber fufferance made

Almoft each pang a death.] We have had nearly the fame fentiment before, in Act II. fc. iii.

111

it is a fufferance panging

"As foul and body's fevering." MALONE,

VOL. VII.

I

Your

Your highness with an heir!

King. 'Tis midnight, Charles,

Pr'ythee, to bed; and in thy prayers remember
The eftate of my poor queen. Leave me alone;
For I must think of that, which company
Would not be friendly to.

Suf. I wish your highness

A quiet night, and my good mistress will
Remember in my prayers.

King. Charles, good night.

[Exit SUFFOLK.

Enter Sir Anthony DENNY 7.

Well, fir, what follows?

Den. Sir, I have brought my lord the archbishop,

As you commanded me.

King.

7 Enter Sir Anthony Denny.] The fubftance of this and the two following fcenes is taken from Fox's Alts and Monuments of the Chriftian Martyrs, &c. 1563.

"When night came, the king fent fir Anthonie Denie about midnight to Lambeth to the archbishop, willing him forthwith to refort unto him at the court. The meflage done, the archbishop speedily addreffed himselfe to the court, and comming into the galerie where the king walked and taried for him, his highneffe faid, Ah, my lorde of Canterbury, I can tell you newes. For divers weighty confiderations it is determined by me and the counfaile, that you to-morrowe at nine of the clocke fhall be committed to the Tower, for that you and your chaplaines (as information is given us) have taught and preached, and thereby fown within the realme fuch a number of execrable herefies, that it is feared the whole realme being infected with them, no fmall contention and commotions will rife thereby amongst my fubjects, as of late daies the like was in divers parts of Germanie, and therefore the counfell have requested me for the triall of the matter, to fuffer them to commit you to the Tower, or elfe no man dare come forth, as witnefle in thofe matters, you being a counsellor.

When the king had faid his mind, the archbishop kneeled down, and faid, I am content, if it please your grace, with al my hart, to go thi ther at your highnefs commandment; and I moft humbly thank your majefty that I may come to my triall, for there be that have many wales flandered me, and now this way I hope to trie myfelfe not worthy of fuch reporte.

The king perceiving the mans uprightneffe, joyned with fuch fimplicitie, faid; Oh Lorde, what maner o' man be you? What fimplicitie is in you? I had thought that you would rather have fued to us to have tak:n the paines to have heard you and your accufers together for your

triall,

King. Ha! Canterbury?

Den. Ay, my good lord.

King.

triall, without any fuch indurance. Do not you know what state you be in with the whole world, and how many great enemies you have? Do you not confider what an eafie thing it is to procure three or foure falfe knaves to witness against you? Thinke you to have better lucke that waie than your mafter Chrift had? I fee by it you will run headlong to your undoing, if I would fuffer you. Your enemies fhall not fo prevaile against you; for I have otherwife devifed with my felfe to keep you out of their handes. Yet notwithstanding to-morrow when the counfaile fhall fit, and fend for you, refort unto them, and if in charging you with this matter, they do commit you to the Tower, require of them, because you are one of them, a counfailer, that you may have your accufers brought before them without any further indurance, and ufe for your felfe as good perfuafions that way as you may devife; and if no intreatie or reafonable request will ferve, then deliver unto them this my ring (which then the king delivered unto the archbishop,) and saie unto them, if there be no remedie, my lords, but that I must needes go the Tower, then I revoke my caufe from you, and appeale to the kinges owne perfon by this token unto you all, for (faide the king then unto the archbishop) fo foone as they fhall fee this my ring, they knowe it fo well, that they shall understande that I have referved the whole caufe into mine owne handes and determination, and that I have discharged them thereof.

The archbishop perceiving the kinges benignity fo much to him wards, had much ado to forbeare teares. Well, faid the king, go your waies, my lord, and do as I have bidden you. My lord, humbling himselfe with thankes, tooke his leave of the kinges highneffe for that night.

On the morrow, about nine of the clocke before noone, the counfaile fent a gentleman ufher for the archbishop, who, when hee came to the counfaile-chamber doore, could not be let in, but of purpose (as it feemed) was compelled there to waite among the pages, lackies, and ferving men all alone. D. Buts the king's phyfition reforting that way, and efpying how my lord of Canterbury was handled, went to the king's highnelle, and faid; My lord of Canterbury, if it please your grace, is well promoted; for now he is become a lackey or a ferving man, for yonder hee ftandeth this halfe hower at the counfaile-chamber doore amongste them. It is not fo, (quoth the king) I trowe, nor the counfaile hath not fo little difcretion as to use the metropolitane of the realme in that fort, fpecially being one of their own number. But let them alone (faid the king) and we shall heare more foone.

Anone the archbishop was called into the counfaile-chamber, to whom was alleadged as before is rehearfed. The archbishop aunfwered in like fort, as the king had advised him; and in the end when he perceived that no maner of perfuafion or intreatie could serve, he delivered them the

I 2

King, 'Tis true: Where is he, Denny?
Den. He attends your highness' pleasure.
King. Bring him to us.

Lov. This is about that which the bishop fpake;

I am happily come hither.

[Exit DENNY.

[afide.

[Lovel feemeth to ftay.

Re-enter DENNY, with CRANMER.

King. Avoid the gallery.

Ha!I have faid.-Be gone.

What!

[Exeunt LOVEL, and DENNY. Cran. I am fearful:-Wherefore frowns he thus ?

the king's ring, revoking his cause into the king's hands. The whole counfaile being thereat fomewhat amazed, the earle of Bedford with a loud voice confirming his words with a folemn othe, faid; When you first began the matter, my lordes, I told you what would come of it. Do you thinke that the king would fuffer this man's finger to ake? Much more (I warrant you) will hee defend his life against brabling varlets. You doe but cumber yourselves to hear tales and fables against him. And incontinently upon the receipt of the king's token, they all rofe, and carried to the king his ring, furrendring that matter as the order and ufe was, into his own hands.

When they were all come to the kings prefence, his highnefs, with a fevere countenance, faid unto them; ah, my lordes, I thought I had had wifer men of my counfaile than now I find you. What difcretion was this in you thus to make the primate of the realme, and one of you in office, to wait at the counfaille-chamber doore amongst ferving men? You might have confidered that he was a counfailer as wel as you, and you had no fuch commiffion of me fo to handle him. I was content that you should trie him as a counfellor, and not as a meane fubject. But now I well perceive that things be done against him maliciouslie, and if fome of you might have had your mindes, you would have tried him to the uttermoft. But I doe you all to wit, and protest, that if a prince may bee beholding unto his fubject (and fo folemnelie laying his hand upon his breft, faid,) by the faith I owe to God I take this man here, my lord of Canterburie, to bee of all other a most faithfull subject unto us, and one to whome we are much beholding, giving him great commendations otherwife. And, with that, one or two of the chiefeft of the counfaile, making their excufe, declared, that in requefting his induraunce, it was rather ment for his triall and his purga. tion against the common fame and flander of the worlde, than for any malice conceived against him. Well, well, my lords, (quoth the king) take him, and well ufe him, as hee is worthy to bee, and make no more ado. And with that, every man caught him by the hand, and made faire weather of altogethers, which might cafilie be done with that man." STEEVENS.

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