That for your Highness' good I ever labour'd
More than mine own; that am I, have been, 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 'em, and
Appear in forms more horrid; yet, my duty,
As doth a rock against the chiding flood,
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 may.

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

SCENE IV.

Wol. What fhould 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 must read this paper :: I fear, the story of his anger- 'tis fo.

This paper has undone me

'tis th' account

Of all that world of wealth I've 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 cross 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 I 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's holinefs. Nay, then farewel ::
I'ye touch'd the highest point of all my greatnefs

And

And from that full meridian of my glory,

1 hafte now to my fetting.

I fhall fall Like a bright exhalation in the evening,, And no man fee me more.

SCENE V.

Enter to Wolfey, the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, the Earl of Surrey, and the Lord Chamberlain.

Nor, Hear the King's pleasure, Cardinal, who com
mands you

To render up the great feal prefently
Into our hands and to confine your felf
To Aher-house, my lord of Winchester's,
'Till you hear further from his highness.
Wol. Stay:

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

Suf. Who dare cross 'em,

Bearing the King's will from his mouth exprefly?
Wol. 'Till I find more than will, or words to do it,
I mean your malice, know officious lords,

I dare, and muft deny it. Now I feel
Of what coarfe metal ye are molded Envy :
How eagerly ye follow my difgrace
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 a chriftian warrant for 'em, and
In time will find their fit rewards. That feal
You ask with fuch a violence, the King
(Mine and your master) with his own hand
Bad me enjoy it, with the place and honours,
During my life; and to confirm his goodness,
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'rt a proud traitor, priest.

Wol. Proud lord, thou lieft:

Within these forty hours Surrey durft better

gave me

Have

Have burnt that tongue, than said so.

Sur. Thy ambition,

Thou fcarlet fin, robb'd this bewailing land
Of noble Buckingham, my father-in-law:
The heads of all thy brother Cardinals,

With thee and all thy beft parts bound together,
Weigh'd not a hair of his. Plague of your policy,
You fent me deputy for Ireland,

Far from his fuccour; from the King, from all
That might have mercy on the fault thou gav'it him i
Whilft your great goodness, out of holy pity,
Abfolv'd him with an axe.

Wol. This, and all else

This talking lord can lay upon my credit,
I answer, is moft falfe. The Duke by law
Found his deferts. How innocent I was
From any private malice in his end,

His noble jury and foul caufe can witnefs.
If I lov'd many words, lord, I fhould tell you,
You have as little honefty as honour;

That in the way of loyalty and truth

Toward the King, my ever royal master,
Dare mate a founder man than Surrey can be,
And all that love his follies..

Sur. By my foul,

Your long coat, prieft, protects you, thou fhould'ft feel My fword i'th life-blood of thee elfe. 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 fcarlet,

Farewel nobility, let his grace go forward,
And dare us with his cap, like larks.
Wol. All goodness

Is poifon to thy ftomach.

Sur. Yes, that goodness

Of gleaning all the lands-wealth into one,

Into your own hands, Card'nal, by extortion:
The goodness of your intercepted packets

You writ to th' Pope, against the King; your goodnefe, Since you provoke me, fhall be most notorious.

My

My lord of Norfolk, as you're truly noble,
As you refpect the common good, the ftate
Of our defpis'd nobility, our iffues,

Who, if he live, will fcarce be gentlemen,
Produce the grand fum of his fins, the articles
Collected from his life. I'll ftartle you

Worfe than the scaring bell, when the brown wench
Lay kiffing in your arms, lord Cardinal.

Wol. How much methinks I could despise this man, But that I'm bound in charity against it.

Nor. Those articles, my lord, are in th' King's hand : But thus much, they are foul ones.

Wol. So much fairer

And spotlefs fhall mine innocence arise,
When the King knows my truth.

Sur. This cannot fave you :

I thank my memory, I yet remember
Some of these articles, and out they fhall.
Now, if you can, bluth, and cry guilty, Cardinal,
You'll fhew a little honesty.

Wol. Speak on, Sir,

I dare your worst objections: if I blush,
It is to fee a nobleman want manners.
Sur. I'd rather want those than my

you :

head; have as

First, that without the King's affent or knowledge:
You wrought to be a legat, by which power
You maim'd the jurisdiction of all bishops,

Nor. Then, that in all you writ to Rome, or else To foreign Princes, Ego Rex meus

Was ftill infcrib'd; in which you brought the King To be your fervant.

Suf. That without the knowledge

Either of King or council, when you went.
Ambaffador to th' Emperor, you made bold
To carry into Flanders the great feal.

Sur. Item, You fent a large commission

To Gregory de Caffalis, to conclude,

Without the King's will or the State's allowance,.
A league between his Highnefs and Ferrara.

Sufor

Suf. That out of meer ambition, you have made Your holy hat be stampt on the King's coin.

Sur. That you have fent innumerable fubftance (By what means got I leave to your own conscience) To furnish Rome, and to prepare the ways You have for dignities, to th' meer undoing Of all the kingdom. Many more there are, Which fince they are of you, and odious, I will not taint my mouth with.

Cham.

my lord,

Prefs not a falling man too far; 'tis virtue :
His faults lye open to the laws; let them,
Not you, correct him. My heart weeps to fee him
So little of his great felf..

Sur. I forgive him.

Suf. Lord Cardinal, the King's further pleasure is,
Because all thofe things you have done of late,
By your pow'r legatine within this kingdom,
Fall in the compafs of a præmunire)

That therefore fuch a writ be fued against you,
To forfeit all your goods, lands, tenements,
Caftles, and whatfoever, and to be

Out of the King's protection. This is my charge.
Nor. And fo we'll leave you to your meditations
How to live better. For your ftubborn anfwer
About the giving back the great feal to us,

The King fhall know it, and no doubt fhall thank you, So fare you well, my little good lord Cardinal. [Exeunt all but Wolfey

SCENE. VI.

Wol. So, farewel to the little good you bear mej
Farewel, a long farewel to all my greatnefs!
This is the ftate of man; to-day he puts forth
The tender leaves of hopes, to-morrow bloffoms,
And bears his blufhing honours thick upon him :
The third day comes a froft, a killing froft,
And when he thinks, good eafie man, full furely
His greatness is a ripening, nips his root,

And