King HENRY VIII.

ACT I

SCENE I.

An Antechamber in the Palace.

Enter the Duke of Norfolk, at one door; at the other the Duke of Buckingham, and the Lord Abergavenny.

G

BUCKINGHAM.

OOD morrow, and well met. How have you done,

Since last we faw in France?

Nor. I thank your Grace,

Healthful, and ever fince

Of what I faw there.

Buck. An untimely ague

a fresh admirer

Staid me a prifoner in my chamber, when
Thofe funs of glory, thofe two lights of men,
Met in the vale of Arde.

Nor. 'Twixt Guynes and Arde:

I was then prefent, faw 'em falute on horse-back,
Beheld them when they lighted, how they clung
In their embracement, as they grew together;

a fresh admirer.] An admirer untired; an admirer

ftill feeling the impreffion as if it were hourly renewed. Bb 4 What

Which had they, what four thron'd ones could have weigh'd

Such a compounded one?

Buck. All the whole time, I was my chamber's prifoner. Nor. Then you loft

The view of earthly glory; men might say,

'Till this time Pomp was fingle, but now marry'd... To one above itself. * Each following day Became the next day's mafter, till the last Made former wonders, it's. To day the French, 3 All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods, Shone down the English; and to-morrow they Made Britain, India, every man that stood, Shew'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were As Cherubins, all gilt; the Madams too, Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bear The pride upon them; that their very labour Was to them as a painting. Now this mask Was cry'd, incomparable; and th'enfuing night Made it a fool and beggar. The two Kings, Equal in luftre, were now beft, now worst,

As prefence did prefent them; him in eye,
Still him in praife; and being present both,
'Twas faid, they faw but one; and no difcerner
'Durft wag his tongue in cenfure. When these funs,
For fo they phrafe 'em, by their heralds challeng'd
The noble fpirits to arms, they did perform
Beyond thought's compafs; that old fabulous ftory,
Being now feen poffible enough, got credit;

6

That Bevis was believ'd,

Buck. Oh, you go

far.

Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect
In honour, honefty, 7 the tract of every thing
Would by a good difcourfer lofe some life,
Which Action's felf was tongue to.

All was royal,
To the difpofing of it; nought rebell'd,
Order gave each thing view; 9 The office did
Diftinctly his full function.

Buck. Who did guide,

I mean, who fet the body and the limbs

Of this great fport together, as you guess?

4

-Him in eye,

umphs and pleasures, however

Still him in praife ;] So Dry- well related, muft lofe in the

defcription part of that spirit and energy which were expreffed in the real action.

I

Nor. One, certes, that premifes no element In fuch a bufinefs.

Buck. Pray you, who, my Lord?

Nor. All this was order'd by the good discretion Of the right rev'rend Cardinal of York.

Buck. The devil fpeed him! no man's pye is freed
From his ambitious finger. What had he
To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder,
3 That fuch a keech can with his very bulk
Take up the rays o'th'beneficial fun,
And keep it from the earth.
Nor. Yet, furely, Sir,

There's in him ftuff that puts him to these ends,
For being not propt by ancestry, whofe grace
Chalks fucceffors their way; nor call'd upon
For high feats done to th'Crown; neither ally'd
To eminent affiftants; but fpider-like

* Out of his felf drawing web;-this gives us note,
The force of his own merit makes his way;
A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys

Element.] No initiation, no previous practices. Elements are first principles of things, or rudiments of knowledge. The word is here applied not without a catachrefis, to a perfon.

2 Fierce vanities. ] Fierce is here, I think, ufed like the French for for proud, unless we fuppofe an allufion to the mimical ferocity of the combatants in the tilt.

3 That fuch a keech- -] Ketch, from the Italian Caicchio, fignifying a tub, barrel, or hogfhead. Skinner. POPE.

The word in the folio is keech, which not being understood, is changed into ketch.

A keech is a folid lump or mafs. A cake of wax or tallow formed

in a mould is called yet in fome places a keech.

4 Out of his felf drawing web.] Thus it ftands in the first edition. The later Editors, by injudicious correction, have printed,

Out of his felf-drawn web.

A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys

A place next to the King.] It is evident a word or two in the fentence is mifplaced, and that we should read,

A gift that heaven gives; which buys for him

A place next to the King

WARBURTON.

It is full as likely that ShakeSpeare wrote, gives to him, which will fave any greater alteration.

A

A place next to the King.

Aber. I cannot tell

What heav'n hath given him; let fome graver eye
Pierce into that but I can fee his pride

Peep through each part of him; whence has he that
If not from hell, the devil is a niggard,
Or has giv'n all before; and he begins
A new hell in himself.

Buck. Why the devil,

Upon this French Going out took he upon him,
Without the privity o'th' King, t'appoint
Who should attend him? he makes up the file
Of all the gentry; for the most part fuch,
To whom as great a charge as little honour
He meant to lay upon;. And his own letter,
The honourable board of council out,
7 Muft fetch in him he papers.

Aber. I do know

Kinsmen of mine, three at the leaft, that have
By this fo ficken'd their eftates, that never

They shall abound as formerly.

Buck. O, many

Have broke their backs with laying manours on 'em

For this great journey.

What did this vanity

But minifter communication of

A most poor iffue?

Nor. Grievingly, I think,

The peace between the French and us not values
The coft, that did conclude it.