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The King takes his state*. The Lords of the Council take their several places. The Cardinal places himself under the King's feet, on his right side.

A noise within, crying Room for the Queen. Enter the Queen, ushered by the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk: she kneels. The King riseth from his state, takes her up, kisses, and placeth her by him.

Q. Kath. Nay, we must longer kneel; I am a

suitor.

K. Hen. Arise, and take place by us :-Half,

suit

Never name to us; you have half our power:
The other moiety, ere you ask, is given;

Repeat your will, and take it.

Q. Kath.

your

Thank your majesty.

That you would love yourself; and, in that love,

Not unconsider'd leave your honour, nor

The dignity of your office, is the point

Of my petition.

K. Hen.

Lady mine, proceed.

Q. Kath. I am solicited, not by a few,

And those of true condition, that your subjects
Are in great grievance: there have been commissions
Sent down among them, which hath flaw'd the heart
Of all their loyalties:-wherein, although,
My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches
Most bitterly on you, as putter-on

Of these exactions, yet the king our master
(Whese honour Heaven shield from soil!) even he
escapes not

Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks
The sides of loyalty, and almost appears

In loud rebellion.

Chair.

Nor.

Not almost appears,

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 desperate manner
Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar,
And Danger serves among them.

K. Hen.

Taxation!

Wherein? and what taxation?-My lord cardinal, You that are blam'd for it alike with us,

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Please you, sir,

I know but of a single part, in aught

Pertains to the state; and front but in that file*
Where others tell steps with me.

Q. Kath.
No, my lord,
You know no more than others: but you frame
Things, that are known alike; which are not whole-

some

To those which would not know them, and yet must
Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions,
Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are
Most pestilent to the hearing; and, to hear them,
The back is sacrifice to the load. They say,
They are devis'd by you; or else
Too hard an exclamation.

K. Hen.

you suffer

Still exaction!

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

Is this exaction?

Q. Kath.

I am much too venturous

In tempting of your patience; but am bolden'd Under your promis'd pardon. The subject's grief Comes through commissions, which compel from

each

The sixth part of his substance, to be levied
Without delay; and the pretence for this

I am only one among the other counsellors.

Is nam'd, your wars in France: This makes bold

mouths:

Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze Allegiance in them; their curses now,

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

To each incensed will. I would, your highness
Would give it quick consideration, for

There is no primer business.

K. Hen.

This is against our pleasure.

Wol.

By my life,

And for me,

I have no farther gone in this, than by

A single voice; and that not pass'd me, but
By learned approbation of the judges.

If I am traduc'd by tongues, which neither know
My faculties, nor person, yet will be

The chronicles of my doing,-let me say,

'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake* That virtue must go through. We must not stintt Our necessary actions, in the fear

To cope malicious censurers; which ever,
As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow
That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is
Not ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft,
Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up
For our best act. If we shall stand still,
In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
We should take root here where we sit, or sit
State statues only.

K. Hen.

Things done well,

And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;
Things done without example, in their issue
Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent
Of this commission? I believe, not any.

Thicket of thorns.
Sometime.

+ Retard.

Approved..

Encounter.

Sixth part of each?
Why, we take,

and part o' the timber;

We must not rend our subjects from our laws,
And stick them in our will.
A trembling contribution!
From every tree, lop, bark,
And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd,
The air will drink the sap. To every county,
Where this is question'd, send our letters, with
Free pardon to each man that has denied
The force of this commission: Pray, look to't;
I put it to your care.

Wol.

A word with you.

[To the Secretary.

Let there be letters writ to every shire,

Of the king's grace and pardon. The griev'd commons Hardly conceive of me; let it be nois'd,

That, through our intercession, this revokement

And pardon comes: I shall anon advise you
Further in the proceeding.

Enter Surveyor.

[Exit Secretary.

Q. Kath. I am sorry, that the duke of Bucking.

ham

Is run in your displeasure.

K. Hen. It grieves many: The gentleman is learn'd, and a most rare speaker, To nature none more bound; his training such, That he may furnish and instruct great teachers, And never seek for aid out* of himself.

Yet see

When these so noble benefits shall prove

Not well-dispos'd, the mind growing once corrupt,
They turn to vicious forms, ten times more ugly
Than ever they were fair. This man so cómplete,
Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we,
Almost with ravish'd list'ning, could not find
His hour of speech a minute; he, my lady,
Hath into monstrous habits put the graces

* Beyond.

That once were his, and is become as black

As if besmear'd in hell. Sit by us; you shall hear (This was his gentleman in trust), of him

Things to strike honour sad.-Bid him recount
The fore-recited practices; whereof

We cannot feel too little, hear too much.

Wol. Stand forth; and with bold spirit relate what

you,

Most like a careful subject, have collected
Out of the duke of Buckingham.

K. Hen.

Speak freely.

Surv. First, it was usual with him, every day
It would infect his speech, That if the king
Should without issue die, he'd carry* it so
To make the sceptre his: These very words
I have heard him utter to his son-in-law,
Lord Aberga'ny; to whom by oath he menac'd
Revenge upon the cardinal.

Wol.

Please your highness, note This dangerous conception in this point. Not friended by his wish, to your high person His will is most malignant; and it stretches Beyond you, to your friends.

Q. Kath.

Deliver all with charity.

K. Hen.

My learn'd lord cardinal,

Speak on:

How grounded he his title to the crown,

Upon our fail? to this point hast thou heard him
At any time speak aught?

Surv.

He was brought to this

Sir, a Chartreux friar,

By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.
K. Hen. What was that Hopkins?

Surv.

His confessor; who fed him

With words of sovereignty.

K. Hen.

every minute

How know'st thou this?"

Surv. Not long before your highness sped to

France,

* Conduct, manage.

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