Enter Brandon, a Serjeant at Arms before him, and tro or three of the guard.

Bran. Your office, Serjeant; execute it.
Serj. Sir,

My Lord the Duke of Buckingham, and Earl
Of Hertford, Stafford, and Northampton, I
Arreft thee of high treason, in the name
Of our most Sov/reign King.

Buck. Lo you, my Lord,

The net has fall'n upon me; I fhall perish
Under device and practice.

Brand. I am forry

To see you ta'en from liberty, to look on

The business prefent.

You fhall to th' Tower.

'Tis his Highness' pleasure

Buck. It will help me nothing

To plead mine innocence; for that dye is on me Which makes my whit'ft part black. The will of heav'n Be done in this and all things! I obey.

O my Lord Aberga'nny, fare ye well..

Bran. Nay, he must bear you company. The King Is pleas'd you shall to th' Tower, till you know How he determines further.

Aber. As the Duke faid,

The will of heav'n be done, and the King's pleasure
By me obey'd!

Bran. Here is a warrant from

The King, t'attach Lord Montague, and the bodies
Of the Duke's confeffor, John de la Court,

And Gilbert Peck, his chancellor.

Buck. So, fo;

There are the limbs o' th' plot. No more, I hope?

Bran A monk o' th' Chartreux.

Buck. Nicholas Hopkins?

Bran. He.

Buck. My furveyor is falfe, the o'er-great Cardinal Hath thew'd him gold; my life is spann'd already. I am the fhadow of poor Buckingham,

Whose figure ev'n this inftant cloud puts on,

By dark'ning my clear fun. My Lord, farewel. [Exc. VOL. V.

A a

SCENE

IV. Changes to the council-chamber.

Cornet. Enter King Henry, leaning on the Cardinal's Shoulder; the nobles, and Sir Thomas Lovell; the Cardinal places himself under the King's feet on his right fide.

King. My life itself, and the best heart of it,
Thanks you for this great care : I stood i'th' level
Of a full charg'd confed'racy, and give thanks
To you that chok'd it. Let be call'd before us
That gentleman of Buckingham's in perfon;
I'll hear him his confeffions juftify,

And point by point the treafons of his master
He fhall again relate.

A noife within, crying, Room for the Queen. Enter the
Queen usher'd by the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk :
She kneels. The King rifeth from his state, takes her
up, kiffes, and placeth her by him.

Queen. Nay, we muft longer kneel; I am a fuitor. King. Arife, and take your place by us; half your Never name to us; you have half our power: The other moiety ere you afk, is given;

Repeat your will, and take it.

Queen. Thank your Majesty.

That you would love yourfelf, and in that love

Not unconfider'd leave your honour, nor

The dignity of your office, is the point

Of my petition.

King. Lady mine, proceed.

Queen. I am folicited not by a few,

And thofe of true condition, that your fubjects

[fuit

Are in great grievance. There have been commiffions
Sent down among 'em, which have fiaw'd the heart
Of all their loyalties; wherein although, [To Wolfey.
My good Lord Cardinal, they vent reproaches
Moft bitterly on you, as putter on

Of these exactions; yet the King our mafter

(Whose honour Heav'n fhield from foil) ev'n he 'fcapes Language unmannerly; yea fuch which breaks The fides of loyalty, and almost appears

In loud rebellion.

[not

Nor. Not almoft appears,

It doth appear; for, upon these taxations,
The clothiers all, not able to maintain
The many to them 'longing, have put off
The fpinsters, carders, fullers, weavers; who,
Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger
And lack of other means, in defp'rate manner
Daring th' event to th' teeth, are all in uproar,
And danger ferves among them.

King. How! taxation?

Wherein and what taxation? My Lord Cardinal,
You, that are blam'd for it alike with us,
Know you of this taxation?

Wol Please you, Sir,

I know but of a fingle part in aught

Pertains to th' ftate, and front but in that file
Where others tell steps with me.

Queen. No, my Lord,

You know no more than others: but you frame
Things that are known alike *, which are not whol-

fome

To those which would not know them, and yet must
Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions
(Whereof my Sov'reign would have note) they are
Moft peftilent to th' hearing; and to bear 'em,
The back is facrifice to th' load; they say
They are devis'd by you, or else you fuffer
Too hard an exclamation.

King. Still, exaction!

The nature of it, in what kind let's know
Is this exaction?

Queen. I am much too vent'rous

In tempting of your patience, but am bolden'd
Under your promis'd pardon. The fubjects' grief
Comes thro' commiffions, which compel from each
The fixth part of his substance, to be levy'd
Without delay; and the pretence for this

Is nam'd your wars in France. This makes bold mouths,
Tongues fpit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze
Allegiance in them; all their curses now

Live where their pray'rs did; and 'tis come to país,

* alike, for equally to all.

That tractable obedience is a flave

To each incenfed will. I would your Highness
Would give it quick confideration, for
There is no primer bufinefs.

King. By my life,

This is against our pleasure.

Wol. And for me,

I have no further gone in this, than by
A fingle voice; and that not paft me, but
By learned approbation of the judges.

If I'm traduc'd by tongues, which neither know
My faculties, nor perfon, yet will be
The chronicles of my doing; let me fay,
'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake
That virtue muft go through: we must not kint
Our neceffary actions, in the fear

To cope malicious cenfurers; which ever,
As rav'nous fishes, do a veffel follow

That is new trimm'd, but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do beft,
By fick interpreters, or weak ones, is

*

Not ours, or not allowed; what worft, as oft
Hitting a groffer quality, is cry'd up
For our best act: if we ftand ftill, in fear
Our motion will be mock'd or carped at,
We fhould take root here where we fit,
Or fit ftate-statues only.

King. Things done well,

1

And with a care, exempt themfelves from fear;
Things done without example, in their iffue
Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent
Of this commiffion? I believe not any.
We must not rend our subjects from our laws,
And tick them in our will. Sixth part of each!
A trembling contribution!Why, we take
From ev'ry tree, lop †, bark, and part o' th' timber:
And though we leave it with a root thus hack'd,
The air will drink the fap. To ev'ry county,
Where this is question'd, send our letters, with
Free pardon to each man that has deny'd
The force of this commiffion: pray look to't;

Wol. A word with you.

[To the Secretary.

I put it to your care.

Let there be letters writ to every fhire,

Of the King's grace and pardon. The griev'd commons
Hardly conceive of me, let it be nois'd,

That, through our interceffion, this revokement
And pardon comes; I fhall anon advise you
Further in the proceeding.

[Exit Secretary.

SCENE V. Enter Surveyor.

Queen. I'm forry that the Duke of Buckingham Is rua in your displeasure.

King. It grieves many.

The gentleman is learn'd, a most rare speaker,
To nature none more bound; his training fuch,
That he may furnish and instruct great teachers,
And never feek for aid out of himself.
Yet fee when noble benefits * shall prove
Not well difpos'd †, the mind grown once corrupt,
They turn to vicious forms ‡, ten times more ugly
Than ever they were fair. This man fo 'complish'd,
Who was inroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we,
Almost with lift'ning ravish'd, 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 befmear'd in hell. Sit, you shall hear
(This was his gentleman in truft) of him
Things to ftrike honour fad.

Bid him recount

The fore-recited practices, whereof

We cannot feel too little, hear too much.

Wol. Stand forth, and with bold fpirit relate, what

Most like a careful fubject, have collected

Out of the Duke of Buckingham.

King. Speak freely.

Surv. First, it was ufual with him, ev'ry day

It would infect his fpeech, that if the King

Should without iffue die,

he'd carry it fo

To make the fceptre his.

• benefits, for accomplishments. t difpos'd, for placed, fituate.

These very words

[you,

forms, for habits; which he afterwards calls monftrous habits.