Rich ftuffs, and ornaments of houfhold; which
I find at fuch proud rate, that it out-speaks
Poffeffion of a fubject.

Nor. It is heaven's will;

Some spirit put this paper in the packet,
To bless your eye withal.

King. If we did think

His contemplation were above the earth,
And fix'd on spiritual object, he should still
Dwell in his mufings; but, I am afraid,

His thinkings are below the moon, not worth
His ferious confidering.

[He takes his feat; and whispers Lovel, who goes to Wolfey. Wol. Heaven forgive me!

Ever God bless your highness!

King. Good my lord,

You are full of heavenly stuff, and bear the inventory

Of your beft graces in your mind; the which

You were now running o'er: you have scarce time
To fteal from fpiritual leifure a brief span,

To keep your earthly audit: Sure, in that
I deem you an ill husband; and am glad
To have you therein my companion.
Wol. Sir,

For holy offices I have a time; a time
To think upon the part of bufinefs, which
I bear i'the state; and nature does require
Her times of prefervation, which, perforce,
I her frail fon, amongst my breth'ren mortal,
Muft give my tendance to.

King. You have faid well.

Wol. And ever may your highnefs yoke together, As I will lend you caufe, my doing well

With my well faying!

King. 'Tis well faid again;

And 'tis a kind of good deed, to say well:

And yet words are no deeds. My father lov'd you:
He said, he did; and with his deed did crown
His word upon you. Since I had my office,

I have kept you next my heart; have not alone

Employ'd

Employ'd you where high profits might come home,

But par'd my prefent havings, to bestow

My bounties upon you.

Wol. What should this mean?

Sur. The Lord increafe this business!

King. Have I not made you

The prime man of the ftate? I pray you, tell me,
If what I now pronounce, you have found true :
And, if you may confefs it, fay withal,

[Afide.

If you are bound to us, or no. What say you?
Wol. My fovereign, I confefs, your royal graces,
Shower'd on me daily, have been more, than could
My ftudied purposes requite; which went
Beyond all man's endeavours :-my endeavours
Have ever come too fhort of my defires,
Yet, fil'd with my abilities: Mine own ends
Have been mine fo, that evermore they pointed
To the good of your moft facred perfon, and
The profit of the ftate. For your great graces
Heap'd upon me, poor undeferver, I

Can nothing render but allegiant thanks;
My prayers to heaven for you; my loyalty,
Which ever has, and ever fhall be growing,
Till death, that winter, kill it.
King. Fairly answer'd;

A loyal and obedient fubject is
Therein illuftrated: the honour of it
Does pay the act of it; as, i'the contrary,
The foulness is the punishment. I prefume,
That, as my hand has open'd bounty to you,

My heart dropp'd love, my power rain'd honour, more

8 Beyond all man's endeavours:] The fenfe, is, my purposes went beyond all human endeavour. I purpofed for your honour more than it falls within the compafs of man's nature to attempt. JOHNSON.

I am rather inclined to think, that which refers to "royal graces"; which, fays Wolfey, no human endeavour could requite. MALONE. 9 Yet, fil'd with my abilities:] My endeavours, though less than my defires, have fil'd, that is, have gone an equal pace with my abilities. JOHNSON.

So, in a preceding scene:

-front but in that file

"Where others tell steps with me." STEEVENS,

On you, than any; fo your hand, and heart,
Your brain, and every function of your power,
Should, notwithstanding that your bond of duty",
As 'twere in love's particular, be more
To me, your friend, than any.

Wol. I do profefs,

That for your highness' good I ever labour'd
More than mine own; that am, have, and will be*.
Though all the world fhould crack their duty to you,
And throw it from their foul; though perils did
Abound, as thick as thought could make them, and
Appear in forms more horrid; yet my duty,
As doth a rock against the chiding flood 3,
Should the approach of this wild river break,
And ftand unfhaken yours.

King. 'Tis nobly spoken:

Take notice, lords, he has a loyal breast,
For you have seen him open't.-Read o'er this;

[Giving him papers. And, after, this: and then to breakfast, with What appetite you have.

[Exit King, frowning upon Cardinal Wolfey: the Nobles throng after him, whispering and smiling.

- notwithstanding that your bond of duty,] Befides the general bond of duty, by which you are obliged to be a loyal and obedient fubje&t, you owe a particular devotion of yourself to me, as your particular benefactor. JOHNSON.

2- that am, bave, and will be.] I fuppofe, the meaning is, that, or fuch a man, I am, have been, and will ever be. Our author has many hard and forced expreffions in his plays; but many of the hardneffes in the piece before us appear to me of a different colour from those of Shakspeare. Perhaps, however, a line following this has been loft; for in the old copy there is no ftop at the end of this line; and indeed I have fome doubt whether a comma ought not to be placed at it, rather than a full point. MALONE.

3 As doth a rock against the chiding flood,] So, in our author's 116th

Sonnet:

66 it is an ever-fixed mark,

"That looks on tempefts, and is never shaken."

The chiding flood is the refounding flood. So, in the verses in commendation of our author, by J. M. S. prefixed to the folio, 1632: there plays a fair

"But chiding fountain."

See alfo Vol. V. p. 502, n. 7. MALONE.

Ille, velur pelagi rupes immota, refiftit." Æn. VII. 586. S. W.

Wol.

Wol. What should this mean?

What fudden anger's this? how have I reap'd it?
He parted frowning from me, as if ruin

Leap'd from his eyes: So looks the chafed lion
Upon the daring huntfman that has gall'd him;
Then makes him nothing. I muft read this paper;
I fear, the story of his anger.-'Tis fo;

This paper has undone me :-'Tis the account
Of all that world of wealth I have drawn together
For mine own ends; indeed, to gain the popedom,
And fee my friends in Rome. O negligence,
Fit for a fool to fall by! What crofs devil
Made me put this main fecret in the packet
I fent the king? Is there no way to cure this?
No new device to beat this from his brains?
I know, 'twill stir him ftrongly; Yet I know
A way, if it take right, in fpight of fortune
Will bring me off again. What's this-To the Pope?
The letter, as I live, with all the business

I writ to his holinefs. Nay then, farewel!
I have touch'd the highest point of all my greatnefs;
And, from that full meridian of my glory,

I hafte now to my fetting: I fhall fall

Like a bright exhalation in the evening,
And no man see me more.

Re-enter the Dukes of NORFOLK and SUFFOLK, the Earl of SURREY, and the Lord Chamberlain.

Nor. Hear the king's pleasure, cardinal: who commands you

To render up the great feal presently

Into our hands; and to confine yourself

To Asher house, my lord of Winchester's ",
Till you hear further from his highness.

4 To Ather bouse,] This, as Mr. Warner has obferved, was the ancient name of Eber; as appears from Holinfbed: "—and everie man took their horfes and rode ftrait to Aber." Holinfhed, Vol. II. p. 909. MALONE. 5-my lord of Winchester's,] Shakspeare forgot that Wolfey was himself bishop of Winchefter: unless he meant to fay, you must confine yourself to that house which you poflefs as bishop of Winchester. Asher, near Hampton Court, was one of the houfes belonging to that bifhoprick. MALONE.

G. 3

Wol.

Wol. Stay,

Where's your commiffion, lords? words cannot carry
Authority fo weighty.

Suf. Who dare cross them?

Bearing the king's will from his mouth expressly? Wel. Till I find more than will, or words, to do it, (I mean, your malice,) know, officious lords,

dare, and must deny it. Now I feel

envy.

Of what coarfe metal ye are moulded,
How eagerly ye follow my difgraces,
As if it fed ye? and how fleek and wanton
Ye appear in every thing may bring my ruin?
Follow your envious courfes, men of malice;

You have chriftian warrant for them, and, no doubt,
In time will find their fit rewards.

That feal,

You afk with fuch a violence, the king,

(Mine, and your mafter,) with his own hand gave me :
Bade me enjoy it, with the place and honours,
During my life; and, to confirm his goodnefs,

Ty'd it by letters patents: Now, who'll take it?
Sur. The king, that gave it.

Wol. It must be himself then.

Sur. Thou art a proud traitor, priest.
Wol. Proud lord, thou lieft;

Within these forty hours Surrey durft better
Have burnt that tongue, than said so.
Sur. Thy ambition,

Thou scarlet fin, robb'd this bewailing land
Of noble Buckingham, my father-in-law:

The heads of all thy brother cardinals,

-fo weighty.] The editor of the third folio changed weighty to mighty, and all the fubfequent editors adopted his capricious alteration.

6 Till I find more than will, or words, to do it,

(I mean, your malice,) know, &c.] Wolfey had faid:

qwords cannot carry

Authority fo mighty.

To which they reply: Who dare cross them? &c.

MALONE.

Wolfey, answering them, continues his own speech: Till I find more than will or words, (I mean more than your malicious will and words,) to do it; that is, to carry authority fo mighty; I will deny to return what the king has given me. JoHNSON.

(With