Sur. Has the King this?

Suf. Believe it.

Sur. Will this work?

Cham. The King in this perceives him, how he coafts And hedges his own way. But in this point All his tricks founder, and he brings his phyfick After his patients death; the King already Hath married the fair lady.

Sur. 'Would he had!

Suf May you

be happy in your wish, my Lord,

For, I profefs, you have it.

Sur. Now all joy

Trace the conjunction!

Suf. My Amen to't!
Nor. All mens'!

Suf. There's order given for her Coronation.
Marry, this is yet but young; and may be left
To fome ears unrecounted; but, my Lords,
She is a gallant creature, and compleat

In mind and feature. I perfuade me, from her
Will fall fome bleffing to this land, which fhall
In it be memoriz'd.

Sur. But will the King

Digeft this letter of the Cardinal's?

The Lord forbid!

Nor. Marry, Amen.

Suf. No, no:

There be more wafps, that buz about his nofe,
Will make this fting the fooner. Cardinal Campeius
Is ftoln away to Rome, has ta'en no leave,
Hath left the cause o'th' King unhandled; and

4 And HEDGES his own way.] It is not faid, that the King perceives how he obstructs his own way; but how obliquely he purfues it: we should read therefore, EDGES kis orun away.

WARBURTON.

To bedge, is, to creep along by the hedge; not to take the direct and open path, but to fteal covertly through circumvolutions.

To trace, is, to follow.

Is

Is pofted, as the agent of our Cardinal,
To fecond all his plot. I do affure you,
The King cry'd, Ha! at this.

Cham. Now, God incenfe him;
And let him cry, ha, louder!
Nor. But, my Lord,
When returns Cranmer ?

Suf. He is return'd with his opinions, which
Have fatisfy'd the King for his Divorce,
Gather'd from all the famous colleges
Almost in Christendom; fhortly, I believe,
His fecond marriage shall be publish'd, and
Her Coronation. Catharine no more

Shall be call'd Queen; but Princefs dowager,
And widow to Prince Arthur.

Nor. This fame Cranmer's

A worthy fellow, and hath ta'en much pain
In the King's business.

Suf. He has, and we shall see him

For it an Archbishop.

Nor. So I hear.

Suf. 'Tis fo.

Enter Wolfey and Cromwell.

The Cardinal

Nor. Obferve, obferve, he's moody.
Wol. The packet, Cromwell,

Gave it you the King?

Crom. To his own hand, in's bed-chamber.
Wol. Look'd he o'th'infide of the paper?
Crom. Presently

He did unfeal them, and the firft he view'd,
He did it with a ferious mind; a heed
Was in his countenance. You he bade

Attend him here this morning.

Wol. Is he ready

To come abroad ?

Ι

Crom.

Crom. I think, by this he is.
Wol. Leave me a while.

It fhall be to the Dutchefs of Alanfon,

[Exit Cromwell.

The French King's fifter; he fhall marry her.
Anne Bullen! no, I'll no Anne Bullens for him,-
There's more in't than fair vifage-Bullen!
No, we'll no Bullens !-speedily, I wish

To hear from Rome-The marchionefs of Pembroke?-
Nor. He's difcontented.

Suf. May be, he hears the King

Does whet his anger to him,
Sur. Sharp enough,

Lord, for thy juftice!

Wol. [Afide.] The late Queen's gentlewoman, a Knight's daughter,

To be her mistress' mistress? the Queen's Queen ?-
This candle burns not clear, 'tis I muft fnuff it,
Then out it goes-what though I know her virtuous,
And well deferving? yet I know her for

A fpleeny Lutheran; and not wholfome to
Our caufe, that the fhould lie i'th' bofom of
Our hard-rul'd King. Again, there is fprung up
An heretick, an arch one, Cranmer; one,
Hath crawl'd into the favour of the King,
And is his oracle.

Nor. He's vex'd at fomething.

SCENE III.

Enter King, reading of a schedule; and Lovell,

Sur. I would, 'twere fomething 'that would fret the ftring,

The mafter cord of's heart!

Suf. The King, the King.

King. What piles of wealth hath he accumulated To his own portion! what expence by th' hour Seems to flow from him! how, i'th' name of thrift,

Does

Does he take this together!-Now, my Lords;
Saw you the Cardinal?

Nor. My Lord, we have,

Stood here obferving him; fome ftrange Commotion
Is in his brain; he bites his lip, and starts,
Stops on a fudden, looks upon the ground,
Then lays his finger on his temple; ftrait,
Springs out into faft gait, then stops again,
Strikes his breast hard, and then anon he cafts
His eye against the moon; in most strange postures
We've seen him fet himself.

King. It may well be,

There is a mutiny in's mind. This morning
Papers of state he fent me to perufe,

As I requir'd; and, wot you, what I found
There, on my confcience put unwittingly?
Forfooth, an inventory, thus importing,
The feveral parcels of his plate, his treasure,
Rich ftuffs and ornaments of houfhold, which
I find at fuch proud rate, that it out-fpeaks
Poffeffion of a fubject.

Nor. It's heav'n's will;

Some fpirit put this paper in the packet,
To bless your eye withal.

King. If we did think,

His contemplations were above the earth,
And fix'd on fpiritual objects, he should still
Dwell in his mufings; but, I am afraid,

His thinkings are below the moon, nor worth
His ferious confidering.

[He takes his feat, whispers Lovell, who goes to
Wolfey.

Wol. Heav'n forgive me

Ever God bless your Highness!

King. Good my Lord,

You are full of heav'nly stuff, and bear the inventory
Of
your beft graces in your mind, the which
You were now running o'er you have scarce time

To

To fteal from spiritual leisure a brief span,
To keep your earthly audit; fure, in that
I deem you an ill husband, and am glad
To have you therein my companion.
Wol. Sir,

For holy offices I have a time;

A time, to think upon the part of business
I bear i'th' ftate; and nature does require
Her times of prefervation, which, perforce,
I her frail fon, amongft my brethren mortal,
Muft give my tendance to.

King. You have faid well.

Wol. And ever may your Highness yoke together, As I will lend you caufe, my doing well

With my well faying!

King. 'Tis well faid again;

And 'tis a kind of good deed to fay well,

And yet words are no deeds. My father lov'd you;
He faid, he did, and with his deed did crown
His word upon you. Since I had my office,
I've kept you next my heart'; have not alone
Imploy'd you where high profits might come home,
But par'd my prefent havings, to bestow

My bounties upon you.

Wol. What should this mean?

Sur. The Lord increase this business!

King. Have I not made you

[Afide,

[Afide.

The prime man of the ftate? I pray, tell me,
If what I now pronounce, you have found true;
And, if you may confefs it, fay withal,

If you are bound to us, or no.

What say you? Wol. My Sovereign, I confefs your royal graces Showr'd on me daily have been more than could My ftudied purpofes requite, which went

Beyond all man's endeavours. My endeavours

Have

Beyond all man's endea- deferts. But the Oxford Editor, vours.- -] Endeavours for not knowing the sense in which

the