SCENE I. A Street. ACT II. Enter two Gentlemen at feveral doors. 1 Gen. HITHER away fo faft? 2 Gen. 0,-God fave you! Even to the hall, to hear what fhall become Of the great duke of Buckingham. 1 Gen. I'll fave you Then deputy of Ireland; who remov'd, 2 Gin. That trick of ftate 1 Gen. At his return, That labour, fir. All's now done, but the ceremony And far enough from court too. Of bringing back the prifoner, 2 Gen. Were you there? 1 Gen. Yes, indeed, was I. 2 Gen. Pray, fpeak, what has happen'd? I Gen. You may guefs quickly what. 2 Gen. Is he found guilty? 1 Gen. Yes, truly, is he, and condemn'd upon it. And fee the noble ruin'd man you speak of. 2 Gen. I am forry for't. I Gn. So are a number more. The great duke 2 Gen. But, pray, how pafs'd it? He pleaded itill, not guilty, and alledg'd 2 Gen. That was he, That fed him with his prophecies? 1 Gen. The fame. All these accus'd him ftrongly; which he fain 2 Gen. After all this, how did he bear himfelf? His knell rung out, his judgment,--he was ftir'd With fuch an agony, he fweat extremely I, And fomething spoke in choler, ill, and hasty ; But he fell to himself again, and, fweetly, In all the reft shew'd a most noble patience. 2 Gen. I do not think, he fears death. 1 Gen. Sure, he does not, He never was fo womanifh; the caufe He may a little grieve at. 2 Gen. Certainly, The cardinal is the end of this. 1 Gen. 'Tis likely, By all conjectures: First, Kildare's attainder, Enter Buckingham from his arraignment, (Tipfiaves before him, the axe with the edge toward him; bilberds on each Jide) accompanied with Sir Tho mas Lovel, Sir Nicholas Vaux, Sir William Sands, and common people, Ic. 2 Gen. Let's ftand clofe, and behold him. Buck. All good people, You that thus far have come to pity me, Hear what I fay, and then go home and lofe me. I have this day receiv'd a traitor's judgment, witness, And, if I have a confcience, let it fink me, The law I bear no malice for my death, Be what they will, I heartily forgive 'em: lov'd me, name. Lov. I do befeech your grace, for charity, If ever any malice in your heart Were hid against me, now to forgive me frankly. Buck. Sir Thomas Lovel, I as free forgive you, As I would be forgiven: I forgive all ; There cannot be thofe numberlefs offences This circumftance is taken from Holinfhed. 'Gait 'Gainft me, that I can't take peace with: no black | envy Shall make my grave -Commend me to his grace; Yet are the king's; and, 'till my foul forfake me, Lov. To the water-fide I must conduct your Then give my charge up to Sir Nicholas Vaux, Who undertakes you to your end. Vaux. Prepare there, The duke is coming: fee, the barge be ready; Buck. Nay, Sir Nicholas, Let it alone; my state now but will mock me. When I came hither, I was lord high conftable, And duke of Buckingham; now, poor Edward Bohun: Yet I am richer than my bafe accufers, That never knew what truth meant: Inow feal it; And with that blood, will make 'em one day groan for't. My noble father, Henry of Buckingham, -- A most unnatural and faithlefs fervice! And give your hearts to, when they once perceive hour Of my long weary life is come upon me, And when you would fay fomething that is fad, Speak how I feil.-I have done; and God forgive me! [Exeunt Buckingham, and Train. 1 Gen. O, this is full of pity!-Sir, it calls, I fear, too many curfes on their heads, That were the authors. 2 Gen. If the duke be guiltless, 'Tis full of woe: yet I can give you inkling Of an enfuing evil, if it fall, Greater than this. 1 Gen. Good angels keep it from us! What may it be? You do not doubt my faith, fir? 2 Gen. This fecret is fo weighty, 'twill require Aftrong faith 2 to conceal it. 1 Gen. Let me have it; I do not talk much. 2 Gen. I am confident; You fhall, fir: Did you not of late days hear Between the king and Katharine ? 1 Gen. Yes, but it held not: For when the king once heard it, out of anger 2 Gan. But that flander, fir, 1 Gen. 'Tis the cardinal; 2 Gen. I think, you have hit the mark: But is't That the fhould feel the fmart of this? The cardinal. Will have his will, and the muft fall. We are too open here to argue this; SCENE II. [Exeunt. An Antichamber in the Palace. Enter the Lord Chamberlain, reading a Letter. My Lord, the knifes your lordfrip fent for, with all the care I had, I faw well chefin, ridden, and furnished. They were young, and handfome; und of the best breed in the north. When they were ready to fet out for London, a man of my iard cardinal'ı, by commiffion, and main power, tosk 'em from me; with this reafon,-His mafier would be fert'd before a fubject, if not before the king: which jiopp'd cur mouths, fir. I fear, he will, indeed: Well, let him have them; He will have all, I think. Enter the Dukes of Norfolk, and Suffolk. Nor. Well met, my lord chamberlain. Cham. Good day to both your graces. Meaning, that envy fhould not procure or advance his death. 2 i. e. great fidelity. King. Who's there? ha? Nor. Pray God, he be not angry! King. Who's there, I fay? How dare you thrust yourfelves Into my private meditations? Nor. A gracious king, that pardons all offences, Between us and the emperor, the queen's great Go to; I'll make ye know your times of business: nephew, He dives into the king's foul; and there scatters The king's eyes, that fo long have slept upon This bold bad man. Suf. And free us from his flavery. And heartily, for our deliverance; Suf. For me, my lords, I The duchefs of Alencon. Pitch here implies height. I'll venture one heave at him. Afide. Suf. I another. [Exeunt Norf. and Suf.) Above all princes, in committing freely I mean, the learned ones, in chriftian kingdoms, Have their free voices: Rome, the nurfe of judg ment, Invited by your noble felf, hath fent One general tongue unto us, this good man, And thank the holy conclave for their loves; 2 Meaning, that the cardinal can, as he pleafes, make high or low. 3 i. e. fo fick as he is proud. You You are fo noble: To your highness' hand His highnefs having liv'd fo long with her; and the King. Two equal men. The queen fhall be Still growing in a majesty and pomp,-the which So dear in heart, not to deny her that favour and my Would move a monfter. Old L. Hearts of moft hard temper inne. O, God's will! much better, She ne'er had known pomp: though it be tempos.", Old L. Alas, poor lady! Anne. So much the more Old L. Our content, Is our belt having 5. Anne. By my troth, and maidenhead, Old L. Befhrew me, I would, And venture maidenhead for't; and fo would yea, [him; For all this fpice of your hypocrify: Cam. They will not stick to fay, you envy'd And, fearing he would rife, he was fo virtuous, Kept him a foreign man ftill: which to griev'd That he ran mad, and dy'd. [him, Wol. Heaven's peace be with him! An Antichamber of the Queen's Apartments. You, that have fo fair parts of woman on you, Of your foft cheveril confcience would receive, [be a queen? Anne. Nay, good troth.— Old as I am, to queen it: but, I pray you, i. e. kept him out of the king's prefence, by employing him in foreign emballies. 2 i. c. to fend her away contemptuously. 3 Dr. Warburton fays, "the calls fortune a quarrel or arrow, from her ftriking fo deep and fuddenly. Quarrel was a large arrow fo called.". Dr Johnson, however, thinks the poet may be eafily fuppofed to use quarrel for quarreller, as murder for murderer, the aft for the agent. 4 i. c. fhe is again an alien; not only no longer queen, but no longer an Englishwoman. 5 i. e. our belt poffeffion. 6 Cheveril, kid-fkin, foft leather. 7 i. e. let us defçend full lowa, and more upon a level with your own quality, You'd Old L. With your theme, I could A thousand pounds a year! for pure refpect; Is longer than his fore-fkirt. By this time, Anne. Good lady, Anne. Now I pray God, Amen! [bleffings That promifes more thoufands: honour's train Cham. You bear a gentle mind, and heavenly Follow fuch creatures. That you may, fair lady, Perceive I speak fincerely, and high notes Ta'en of your many virtues, the king's majesty Commends his good opinion to you, and Does purpofe honour to you no lefs flowing Than marchionefs of Pembroke; to which title A thoufand pounds a year, annual fupport, Out of his grace he adds. Anne. I do not know, What kind of my obedience I fhould tender; Are all I can return. Befeech your lordship, Cham. Lady, I shall not fail to approve the fair conceit But from this lady may proceed a gem, And fay, I spoke with you. I have been begging fixteen years in court, Make yourself mirth with your particular fancy, The queen is comfortless, and we forgetful 4 SCENE IV. [Exeunt. A Hall in Black-Fryars. Trumpets, Sennt, and Cornets. Enter two Vergers with fhort Silver Wands; next them, tron Scribes in the babits of Dottors; after them, the archbishop of Canterbury alone; after him, the Biflops of Lincoln, Ely, Rockefer, and Saint japh; next them, with fome small diftance, follows a Gentleman bearing the l'ufe, with the Great Seal, and a Cardinal's Hat; then two Priefts, bearing each a Silver Grofs; then a Gentleman-ujher bareLeaded, accompanied with a Serjeant at Am», bearing a Silver Mace; then two Genti men, bearing two great Silver Pillars 5; after them, fide by jid, the two Cardinals; two Noblemen with the Sword and Mace. The King takes place under the Cloth of State; the two Cardinals fit under him, as Judges. The Ducen takes plate fone distance om the King The Bishops place themselves on each fide the Court, in manner of a Conijny ; below them, the Scribes. The Lo as fit next the Bighops. f 1 The meaning, according to Dr. Johnfon, is," You would venture to be diftinguished by the ball, the enfign of royalty." Mr. Tollet, however, fays, "Dr. Johnton's explanation cannot be right, becaule a queen-confort, fuch as Anne Bullen was, is not diftinguished by the ball, the enlign of royalty, nor has the poet exprefied that he was so distinguished.” 2 From this and many other artful ftrokes of addrefs the poet has thrown in upon queen Elizabeth and her mother, it should feem, that this play was written and performed in his royal miftrefs's time: if fo, fome lines were added by him in the laft fcene, after the acceffion of her fucceffor, king James. 3 Mr. Steevens on this paffage remarks," Forty pence was in thofe days the proverbial expreffion of a mall wage, or a imall fum. Money was then reckoned by pounds, marks, and nobles. Forty fence is half a noble, or the fixth part of a pound. Forty pence, or three and four pence, ftill remains in many offices the legal and etablished fer." 4 Dr. Burney in his General Hiflory of Mufic conjectures,, that fennet may mean a flourish for the purpose of affembling chicfs, or apprizing the people of their approach. Mi. Steevens adds, that he has been informed that fenefte is the name of an antiquated French tune5 Pillars were fome of the enfigns of dignity carried before cardinals. Wolfey had two great fler pillars ufually borne before him by two of the talleft priefts that he could get within the realm. This remarkable piece of pageantry did not efcape the notice of Shakspeare. The |