Into our hands; and to confine yourself Where's your commission, lords? words cannot carry Suf. Who dare cross them? Bearing the king's will from his mouth expressly? Wol. Till I find more than will, or words, to do it, (I mean, your malice,) know, officious lords, I dare, and must deny it. Now I feel Of what coarse metal ye are moulded,-envy. As if it fed ye? and how sleek and wanton You have christian warrant for them, and, no doubt, (Mine, and your master,) with his own hand gave me : Bade me enjoy it, with the place and honours, During my life; and, to confirm his goodness, Tied it by letters patents: Now, who'll take it? Wol. It must be himself then. Sur. Thou art a proud traitor, priest. Within these forty hours Surrey durst better Sur. Thy ambition, Thou scarlet sin, robb'd this bewailing land Of noble Buckingham, my father-in-law: The heads of all thy brother cardinals, (With thee, and thy best parts bound together,) Weigh'd not a hair of his. Plague of your policy! You sent me deputy for Ireland; Far from his succour, from the king, from all That might have mercy on the fault thou gav'st him; Whilst your great goodness, out of holy pity, Absolv'd him with an axe. Wol. This, and all else This talking lord can lay upon my credit, I answer, is most false. The duke by law His noble jury and foul cause can witness. Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be, Sur. By my soul, Your long coat,priest, protects you; thou should'st feel My sword i'the life-blood of thee else.-My lords, Can ye endure to hear this arrogance? And from this fellow? If we live thus tamely, Farewell nobility; let his grace go forward, Is poison to thy stomach. Sur. Yes, that goodness Of gleaning all the land's wealth into one, Into your own hands, cardinal, by extortion; The goodness of your intercepted packets, You writ to the pope, against the king: your goodness, Since you provoke me, shall be most notorious. My lord of Norfolk,-as you are truly noble, As you respect the common good, the state Who, if he live, will scarce be gentlemen,- Worse than the sacring bell, 2 when the brown wench Wol. How much, methinks, I could despise this man, But that I am bound in charity against it! Nor. Those articles, my lord, are in the king's hand: But, thus much, they are foul ones. Wol. So much fairer, And spotless, shall mine innocence arise, Sur. This cannot save you : I thank my memory, I yet remember. [] The hat of a cardinal is scarlet; and one of the methods of daring tarks was by small mirrors fastened on scarlet cloth, which engaged the attention of these birds while the fowler drew his net over them. STEEV. [2] The little bell, which is rung to give notice of the Host approaching when it is carried in procession, as also in other offices of the Romish church, is called the sacring, or consecration bell; from the French sacrer. THEO. 6* VOL. VI. Now, if you can blush, and cry guilty, cardinal, Wol. Speak on, sir; I dare your worst objections: if I blush, It is, to see a nobleman want manners. Sur. I'd rather want those than my head. Have at you. First, that, without the king's assent, or knowledge, You wrought to be a legate; by which power You maim'd the jurisdiction of all bishops. Nor. Then, that, in all you writ to Rome, or else Was still inscrib'd; in which you brought the king Suf. Then, that, without the knowledge Sur. Item, you sent a large commission Without the king's will, or the state's allowance, Suf. That, out of mere ambition, you have caus'd Sur. Then, that you have sent innumerable substance, (By what means got, I leave to your own conscience,) To furnish Rome, and to prepare the ways You have for dignities; to the mere undoing Of all the kingdom. Many more there are; Which, since they are of you, and odious, I will not taint my mouth with. Cham. O my lord, Press not a falling man too far; 'tis virtue : Not you, correct him. My heart weeps to see him Sur. I forgive him. Suf. Lord cardinal, the king's further pleasure is,Because all those things, you have done of late By your power legatine within this kingdom, Fall into the compass of a præmunire,2. That therefore such a writ be su'd against you; To forfeit all your goods, lands, tenements, Chattels, and whatsoever, and to be [2] It is almost unnecessary to observe that præmunire is a barbarous word used instead of pramonere. STEEV. Out of the king's protection :-This is my charge. The king shall know it, and, no doubt, shall thank you. So fare you well, my little good lord cardinal. [Exeunt all but WOLSEY. But far beyond my depth : my high-blown pride Enter CROMWELL amazedly. Why, how now, Cromwell? Crom. I have no power to speak, sir. Wol. What, amaz'd At my misfortunes? can thy spirit wonder, A great man should decline? Nay, an you weep, Crom. How does your grace? Wol. Why, well; Never so truly happy, my good Cromwell. I know myself now; and I feel within me A peace above all earthly dignities, A still and quiet conscience. The king has cur'd me, I humbly thank his grace; and from these shoulders, These ruin'd pillars, out of pity, taken A load would sink a navy, too much honour: Cro. I am glad, your grace has made that right use of it. Wol. I hope, I have : I am able now, methinks, (Out of a fortitude of soul I feel,) To endure more miseries, and greater far, Than my weak-hearted enemies dare offer. Crom. The heaviest, and the worst, Is your displeasure with the king. Wol. God bless him! Crom. The next is, that sir Thomas More is chosen Lord Chancellor in your place. Wol. That's somewhat sudden : But he's a learned man. May he continue For truth's sake, and his conscience; that his bones, Crom. That Cranmer is return'd with welcome, Install'd lord archbishop of Canterbury. Wol. That's news indeed. Crom. Last, that the lady Anne, Whom the king hath in secrecy long married, This day was view'd in open, as his queen, Going to chapel; and the voice is now Only about her coronation. Wol. There was the weight that pull'd me down. The king has gone beyond me, all my glories In that one woman I have lost for ever: No sun shall ever usher forth mine honours, Or gild again the noble troops that waited Upon my smiles. Go, get thee from me, Cromwell; I am a poor fallen man, unworthy now To be thy lord and master. Seek the king; That sun, I pray, may never set! I have told him What, and how true thou art he will advance thee; Some little memory of me will stir him, (I know his noble nature,) not to let Thy hopeful service perish too: Good Cromwell, [3] The chancellor is the general guardian of orphans. A tomb of tears is very harsh, [4] i. e. make interest. STEEV. JOHNS. |