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Enter Brandon; a Serjeant at arms before him, and two or three of the guard.

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

My lord the duke of Buckingham, and earl
Of Hereford, Stafford, and Northampton, I
Arrest thee of high treason, in the name
Of our most sovereign king.

Buck. Lo you, my lord,

The net has fallen upon me; I fhall perish
Under device and practice.

Bran. I am forry

To see you ta'en from liberty, 'to look on
The business prefent: 'Tis his highness' pleasure
You fhall to the Tower.

Buck. It will help me nothing,

To plead mine innocence; for that dye is on me,
Which makes my whiteft part black. The will of heaven
Be done in this and all things!-I obey—

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my lord Aberga'ny, fare
you well.

Bran. Nay, he must bear you company :-The king

[Tr Aberg. Is pleas'd, you fhall to the Tower, 'till you know How he determines further.

Aber. As the duke said,

The will of heaven be done, and the king's pleasure
By me obey'd.

Bran. Here is a warrant from

The king, to attach lord Montacute; and the bodies
Of the duke's confeffor, John de la Court,

9 device and pra&tice.]—evil machination, and stratagem.
to look on the business prefent :]-to be a fpectator of your prefent

attachment.

One

One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor,

Buck. So, fo;

These are the limbs of the plot: No more, I hope.

Bran. A monk o' the Chartreux.

Buck. O, Nicholas Hopkins?

Bran. He.

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Buck. My furveyor is false; the o'er-great cardinal
Hath fhew'd him gold: my life 'is fpann'd already :
I am the shadow of poor Buckingham;

"Whose figure even this inftant cloud puts out,
By dark'ning my clear fun. My lord, farewel. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The Council Chamber.

Cornet. Enter king Henry, leaning on the Cardinal's fhoulder; the Nobles, and Sir Thomas Lovel. 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 ftood *i' the level
Of a full-charg'd confederacy and give thanks
To you that choak'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 mafter
He fhall again relate.

• My furveyor]-My steward.

is Spann'a-within my enemy's gripe; its term is now fixed, contracted to a span.

"Whofe figure even this inftant cloud puts out, &c ]-The figure or outline of my fhadow begins now to fade away, being extinguished by this impending cloud-my prefent difgrace, which darkens, or interpofes between me and my clear fky-my prince's favour.-puts on

the best beart of it,]-" my heart of heart." Ham. *' the level]-within the line and reach of the piece. POEMS. 759. A noife

Q92

A noife within, crying, Room for the Queen. Enter the Queen, ufbered by the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk: fhe kneels. The King rifeth from his state, takes her up, kisses, and placeth her by him.

Queen. Nay, we must longer kneel; I am a fuitor.

King. Arife, and take your place by us:-Half your fuit Never name to us; you have half our power:

The other moiety, ere you ask, is given;
Repeat your will, and take it.

Queen. Thank your majesty.

That you would love yourself; 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.

y

Queen. I am folicited, not by a few,

And thofe of true condition, that your subjects

Are in great grievance: There have been commiffions
Sent down among them, which have 'flaw'd the heart
Of all their loyalties:wherein, although,

My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches
Most bitterly on you, as putter-on

b

Of these exactions, yet the king our master,

[To Wolfey.

(Whose honour heaven fhield from foil!) even he escapes

not

Language unmannerly, yea, fuch which breaks
The fides of loyalty, and almost appears

In loud rebellion.

Nor. Not almost appears,

y I am folicited, &c.]-I have been entreated, by a confiderable number of well difpofed perfons, to inform you, that, &c.

2 commiffions-warrants to levy contributions.

a

flaw'd-broken.

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putter-cn-the chief promoter.

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

King. 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, fir,

"I know but of a fingle part, in aught

Pertains to the ftate; and front but in that file

Where others tell fteps with me.

Queen. No, my lord,

You know no more than others: but you frame

Things, that are "known alike; which are not wholesome
To those which would not know them, and yet muft
Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions,
Whereof my fovereign would have note, they are
Most peftilent to the hearing; and, to bear them,
The back is facrifice to the load. They fay,
They are devis'd by you; or elfe
you fuffer

Too hard an exclamation.

many]-CORIOLANUS, A&III. S. 1. Their numerous dependents. d Unfit for other life,]-Having no other method of gaining a livelihood.

And lack of other means,]-of relief, than the prefent outrageous ones. fferves]-as their leader.

I know but of a single part, &c.]—Though I rank in the line of counsellors, I am admitted but to a common fhare in the fecrets of ftate;—I am but one of the many, that advised this ftep, and therefore only refponfible for it in conjunction with the reft.

known alike; which are not wholefome]-throughout the realm, univerfally; which are irkfoms uneasy.

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King. Still exaction!

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

Queen. I am much too venturous

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

Is nam'd, your wars in France: This makes bold mouths:
Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze
Allegiance in them; their curfes now,

Live where their prayers did; and it's come to pass,
That 'tractable obedience is a slave

To each incenfed will. I would, your highness
Would give it quick confideration, for

There is no primer business.

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 past me, but
By learned approbation of the judges. If I am
Traduc'd by ignorant 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 "ftint

1 tractable obedience is a flave, &c.]-a once orderly people are now changed into obftinate oppofers of government, and entirely under the wild control of a will exafperated with oppreffion.

no primer business.]-that more requires difpatch-baseness—no evil that calls louder for redress.

1 rough brake]-the thorny path.

m fint]-interrupt the course of.

Our

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