Wol. And for me,

I have no further gone in this, than by
A fingle voice; and that not paft me, but
By learned approbation of the judges,

If I'm traduc'd by tongues, which neither know
My faculties, nor perfon; yet will be
The chronicles of my doing; let me say,
'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake.
That virtue muft go through. We must not stint
Our neceffary actions, in the fear

To cope malicious cenfurers; which ever,
As rav'nous fishes do a veffel follow

That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do beft,
3 By fick interpreters, or weak ones, is
Not ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft
Hitting a groffer quality, is cry'd up

4

For our best act. If we ftand ftill, in fear
Our motion will be mock'd or carped at,
We fhould take root here where we fit, or fit
State-ftatues only.

King. Things done well,

And with a care, exempt themfelves from fear;
Things done without example, in their issue
Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent
Of this commiffion? I believe, not any.
We must not rend our fubjects from our laws,
And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each!
A trembling contribution!-why, we take

'From ev'ry tree, lop, bark, and part o'th' timber;
And though we leave it with a root, thus hackt,
The air will drink the fap. To ev'ry county,
Where this is queftion'd, fend our letters, with
Free pardon to each man that has deny'd
The force of this commiffion. Pray, look to't;
I put it to your care.

Wol. A word with you.

[To the Secretary.

Let there be letters writ to ev'ry fhire,
Of the King's grace and pardon.

commons

Hardly conceive of me, let it be nois'd,

The griev❜d

That, through our interceffion, this revokement
And pardon comes; I fhall anon advise you
Further in the proceeding.

S

[Exit Secretary.

CENE V.

Enter Surveyor.

Queen. I'm forry, that the Duke of Buckingham Is run in your displeasure.

King. It grieves many.

The gentleman is learn'd, a most rare speaker,
To nature none more bound; his training fuch,
That he may furnish and inftruct great teachers,
And never feek for aid out of himself.

Yet fee, when 7 noble benefits fhall prove
Not well difpos'd, the mind growing once corrupt,
They turn to vicious forms,
Than ever they were fair.

s From every tree, lop, bark, and part o' th' timber:] Lop is a fubftantive, and fignifies the branches. WARBURTON.

6 out of himself.] Beyond the treafures of his own mind.

ten times more ugly This man fo compleat, Who

7 Noble benefits-not well dif pofed.] Great gifts of nature and education, not joined with good difpofitions.

-This man fo compleat, Who was enroll'd'mongst wonders, and when we,

Cc 4

Almost

Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we
Almoft with lift'ning ravifh'd, could not find
His hour of speech, a minute; he, my lady,
Hath into monftrous habits put the graces
That once were his; and is become as black,
As if befmear'd in hell.. Sit by us, you fhall hear
(This was his gentleman in truft) of him
Things to ftrike honour fad. Bid him recount
The fore recited practices, whereof

We cannot feel too little, hear too much.

Wel. Stand forth, and with bold fpirit relate, what you, Moft like a careful fubject, have collected.

Out of the Duke of Buckingham.

King. Speak freely.

Surv. First; it was ufual with him, ev'ry day It would infect his fpeech, that if the King Should without iffue die, he'd carry it fo

To make the fcepter his.

Thefe very words

I've heard him utter to his fon-in-law,

Lord Aberga'ny, to whom by oath he menaç'd
Revenge upon the Cardinal.

Wol. Pleafe your Highness, note

This dangerous conception in this point.

Almost with lining ravif'd, could not find!

His hour of peech, a minute; be, my lady, &c. ] This fentence is broken and confufed, though, with the allowances always to be made to our authour, it may be underfood. Yet it may be proper to examine the old edition, which gives it thus:

and when we,

Almoft with ravish'd liftning I know not whether we may not read,

this man

Almoft were ravish'd_liftening, could not find

His hour Speech a minute. To liften a man, for, to hearken to him, is commonly used by our authour, So by "Miltan,

1 life'd them a while... I do not rate my conjecture at mach; but as the common reading is without authority, femething may be tried. Perhaps the paffage is belt as it was originally published.

9 This dang yous conception in this point. Note this parti-s cular part of this dangerous de

Who was enroll's with wonder, figu and whom we

Not

Not friended by his wifh to your high perfon,
His will is moft malignant, and it stretches
Beyond you to your friends.

Queen. My learn'd Lord Cardinal,
Deliver all with charity.

King. Speak on.

How grounded he his title to the crown,

Upon our fail? To this point haft thou heard him
At any time speak aught?

Surv. He was brought to this,

By a vain prophefy of Nicholas Hopkins.
King. What was that Hopkins?

Surv. Sir, a Chartreux Friar,

His confeffor, who fed him every minute
With words of Sev'reignty.

King. How know'st thou this?

Surv. Not long before your highnefs fped to France,

The Duke being at the Rofe, within the parish
St. Lawrence Poultney, did of me demand
What was the fpeech among the Londoners
Concerning the French journey? I reply'd,
Men fear'd, the French would prove perfidious,
To the King's danger. Prefently the Duke
Said, 'twas the fear, indeed; and that he doubted,
'Twould prove the verity of certain words
Spoke by a holy Monk; that oft, says he,
Hath fent to me, wifhing me to permit & Wadd
John de la Court, my Chaplain, a choice hour

In former editions:
By a vain Prophecy of Nicho-
las HENTON.] We heard be-
fore, from Brandon, of one Ni-.
cholas Hopkins; and now his.
Name is changed into Henton;
fo that Brandon and the Surveyor.
feem to be n two Stories. There
is, however, but one and the
fame Perfon meant, Hopkins; as
I have reftored it in the Text, for
Perfpicuity's Sake: yet will it

I

T

12

not be any Difficulty to account for the other Name, when we come to confider, that he was a Monk of the Convent, call'd Henton, near Briftal. So both Hall and Holing head acquaint us.. And he might, according to the Cuftom of thofe Times, be called Nicholas of Henton, from the Place; as Hopkins, from his Family.

THEOBALD.

To

To hear from him a matter of fome moment;
Whom after, under the Confeffion's feal
He folemnly had fworn, that, what he spoke,
My Chaplain to no creature living, but

To me, fhould utter; with demure confidence,
Thus paufingly enfu'd;-Neither the King, nor's heirs
(Tell you the Duke) fhall profper; bid him ftrive
To gain the love o' th' commonalty; the Duke
Shall govern England.

Queen. If I know you well,

You were the Duke's Surveyor, and loft your office On the complaint o' th' tenants.

Take good heed,

You charge not in your fpleen a noble perfon,

And spoil your nobler foul. I fay, take heed;
Yes, heartily I beseech you.

King. Let him on.

-Go forward.

Surv. On my foul, I'll fpeak but truth.

I told my Lord the Duke, by th' devil's illufions
The Monk might be deceiv'd; and that 'twas dang'rous
For him to ruminate on this, until

It forg'd him fome defign, which, being believ'd,
It was much like to do: he anfwer'd, Tufb,
It can do me no damage. Adding further,
That had the King in his last fickness fail'd,
The Cardinal's and Sir Thomas Lovell's heads
Should have gone off.

under the Commiffion's whom our Author took the Sub-
Seal
ftance of this Paffage, may be
call'd in as a Teftimony.

He folemnly had worn.] So all the Editions down from the very Beginning But, what Commiion's Seal? That is a Queftion, I dare fay, none of our diligent Editors ever afk'd themfelves. The Text must be refored, as I have corrected it; and honest Holing fhead, from

The Duke in Talk told the "Monk, that he had done very "well to bind his Chaplain, "John de la Court, under the "Seal of Confeffion, to keep fe"cret fuch Matter." Vid. Life of Henry VIII. p. 863.

THEOBALD.