Have ever come too fhort of my defires,
Yet, fill'd with my abilities, mine own ends
Have been mine fo, that evermore they pointed
To th' good of your most facred person, 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 heav'n for you; my loyalty,
Which ever has, and ever shall be growing,
'Till death, that winter, kill it.

King. Fairly answer'd`:

A loyal and obedient subject is
Therein illuftrated; the honour of it
Does pay the act of it, as i' th' contrary

The foulness is the punishment. I prefume,
That as my hand has open'd bounty to you,
My heart dropp'd love; my pow'r rain'd honour, more
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 profefs,

That for your Highness' good I ever labour'd,

More than mine own; that am I, have been, will bet
Though all the world fhould crack their duty to you,
And throw it from their foal; 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 unshaken yours.

King. 'Tis nobly spoken;

Take notice, Lords, he has a loyal breast,
For you have feen him open't. Read o'er this,

[Giving him papers. And, after, this; and then to break faft, with

What appetite you may.

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

Wol. What fhould this mean?

What fudden anger's this? how have I reap'd it i
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 ftory 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 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 fir him strongly; 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's Holiness.

Nay, then farewel;

I've touch'd the highest point of all my greatness ;
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 fee me more.

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 commands you

To render up the great feal presently

Into our hands, and to confine yourself
To Aber-boufe, 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

I dare, and muft deny it. Now I feel
Of what coarse metal ye are molded, Envy:
How eagerly ye follow my difgrace,

As if it fed yes and how fleek, and wanton,
Y' appear in every thing may bring my rain.
Follow your envious courfes, men of malice;
You have chriftian warrant for 'em, and, no doubt,
In time will find their fit rewards. That feal,
You afk with fuch a violence, the King

(Mine and your matter) with his own hand gave me ;
Bade 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, prieft.

Wol. Proud Lord, thou lyeft:

Within thefe forty hours Surrey durft bettter
Have burnt that tongue, than faid fo.

Sur. Thy ambition,

Thou fearlet 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 best 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'ft him :
Whilft your great goodnefs, out of holy pity,
Abfolv'd him with an axe.

Wol. This, and all elfe

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 cause can witness.
If I lov'd many words, Lord, I should tell you,
You have as little honefly as honour;
That I, i' th' way of loyalty and truth
Toward the King, my ever royal master,
Dare mate a founder man than Surrey can be,

Q2

And

And all that love his follies.

Sur. By my foul,

Your long coat, prieft, protects you; thou fhould't feel
My sword 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 scarlet,
Farewel, nobility; let his Grace go forward,
And dare us with his cap, like larks.
Wol. All goodness

Is poifon to thy flomach,

Sur. Yes, that goodness

Of gleaning all the land's 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 goodness,
Since you provoke me, fhall be most notorious.
My Lord of Norfolk, as you're truly noble,
As you refpect the common good, the state
Of our defpis'd nobility, our iffues,
Who, if he live, will fearce be gentlemen;
Produce the grand sum of his fins, the articles
Collected from his life. I'll startle you, (23)
Worfe than the facring bell, when the brown wench
Lay

(22) Worfe than the fearing bell, This abfurd reading has only found place in Mr. Pope's two editions. I have reftor'd, from all the best copies, facring bell. That gentleman, fure, fhould know, that in Roman Catholick countries the little bell, which is rung to give notice of the Host approaching when it is carried in proceffion, as alfo in other offices of that church, is call'd, the fairing, or confecration bell; from the French word, Sacrer. And, CHAUCER, I find, in his dream, has made ufe of the word Sacre, to fignify confecration, or holy office.

Which tent was church parochial,"
Ordaint was in especial

For the fefte, and for the Sacre;

facetious Rabelais, 'book zd. ch. 26. particularly mentions the facring bell. Pleust a Dieu, que chafcun de vous euft deus paires de sornettes de facre un merton. I wish to God, every one of you had two couples of facring bells dangling at your chins.

And facring is frequently mention'd by writers about our author's time.

1 K. Richard the firft's time, a fray happen'd, on the day of his coronation,

Lay kiffing in your arms, Lord Cardinal.

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

Nor. Thofe articles, my Lord, are in th' King's hand: But thus much, they are foul ones.til dro Wol. So much fairer,116

ed of stub

And fpotlefs, fhall mine innocence arife

When the King knows my truth. Y 55 -1
Sur. This cannot fave you :

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

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 thofe, than my head; have at you.
First, that without the King's affent, or knowledge,
You wrought to be a legat; by which power
You maim'd the jurifdiction of all bishops.

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

Was ftill inferib'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 commiffion
To Gregory de Caffado, to conclude,

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

Suf. That out of mere ambition, you have made

coronation, against the Jews, who, contrary to the King's own proclamation, would needs enter the church to fee him facred. Stow's Survey of London. In the mean time being near to a church, he heard a little facring bell ring to the elevation of a morrow-mafs.

- Scot's Discovery of Witcheraft.,

You shall ring the facring bell,
Keep your hours, and tell your knell.

Q3

Merry Devil of Edmonton.

Your