K. Hen. The fairest hand I ever touch'd! O, beauty, Till now I never knew thee.

Wol. My lord.

Cham.

Your grace?

[Music, Dance.

Wol. Pray, tell them thus much from me:
There should be one amongst them, by his person,
More worthy this place than myself; to whom,
If I but knew him, with my love and duty
I would surrender it.

Cham.

I will, my lord. [Cham. goes to the company, and returns.

Wol. What say they?

Cham.

Such a one, they all confess," There is, indeed; which they would have your grace Find out, and he will take it.

Wol.

Let me see then.

[Comes from his state. By all your good leaves, gentlemen; Here I 'll make

My royal choice.
K. Hen.

You have found him, cardinal:

[Unmasking.

You hold a fair assembly; you do well, lord:
You are a churchman, or I'll tell you, cardinal,

I should judge now unhappily.

I am glad

Your grace

grown so pleasant.

K. Hen.

My lord chamberlain,

Prithee, come hither: What fair lady 's that?

Cham. An 't please your grace, sir Thomas Bullen's daughter,

The viscount Rochford, one of her highness' women.

K. Hen. By heaven, she is a dainty one.-Sweetheart,

I were unmannerly to take you out,

And not to kiss you.-A health, gentlemen,

Let it go round.

Wol. Sir Thomas Lovell, is the banquet ready I' the privy chamber?

Your grace,

I fear, with dancing is a little heated.
K. Hen, I fear, too much.

Wol. There's fresher air, my lord,

In the next chamber.

K. Hen. Lead in your ladies, every one.-Sweet partner,

I must not yet forsake you.-Let's be merry --
Good my lord cardinal, I have half a dozen healths
To drink to these fair ladies, and a measure
To lead them once again; and then let 's dream
Who's best in favour.-Let the music knock it.
[Exeunt, with trumpets.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-A Street.

Enter Two Gentlemen, meeting.

1 Gent. Whither away so fast?

2 Gent.

0,-God save you!

Even to the hall, to hear what shall become

Of the great duke of Buckingham.

1 Gent.

I'll save you

That labour, sir. All's now done, but the ceremony

Of bringing back the prisoner.

2 Gent. Were you there?

1 Gent. Yes, indeed, was I.

2 Gent.

Pray speak what has happen'd.

1 Gent. You may guess quickly what. 2 Gent. Is he found guilty? 1 Gent. Yes, truly is he, and condemn'd upon it. 2 Gent. I am sorry for 't.

1 Gent.

So are a number more.

2 Gent. But, pray, how pass'd it?

1 Gent. I'll tell you in a little. The great duke Came to the bar; where to his accusations

He pleaded still, not guilty, and alleg'd
Many sharp reasons to defeat the law.
The king's attorney, on the contrary,
Urg'd on the examinations, proofs, confessions
Of divers witnesses; which the duke desir'd
To have brought, viva voce, to his face:
At which appear'd against him, his surveyor;
Sir Gilbert Peck his chancellor; and John Car,
Confessor to him; with that devil-monk,
Hopkins, that made this mischief.

a In the original, "to him brought."

2 Gent.

That fed him with his prophecies?

1 Gent.

That was he

The same.

All these accus'd him strongly ; which he fain

Would have flung from him, but, indeed, he could not:
And so his peers, upon this evidence,

Have found him guilty of high treason. Much
He spoke, and learnedly, for life; but all

Was either pitied in him, or forgotten.

2 Gent. After all this, how did he bear himself? 1 Gent. When he was brought again to the bar, to

hear

His knell rung out, his judgment, he was stirr'd
With such an agony, he sweat extremely,
And something spoke in choler, ill, and hasty:
But he fell to himself again, and sweetly
In all the rest show'd a most noble patience.
2 Gent. I do not think he fears death.
1 Gent.

He never was so womanish; the cause
Ile may a little grieve at.

2 Gent.

The cardinal is the end of this.

1 Gent.

Sure, he does not,

Certainly

T is likely,

By all conjectures: First, Kildare's attainder,
Then deputy of Ireland; who remov'd,

Eail Surrey was sent thither, and in haste too,
Lest he should help his father.

2 Gent.

Was a deep envious one.

1 Gent.

That trick of state

At his return,

No doubt he will requite it. This is noted,
And generally, whoever the king favours,
The cardinal instantly will find employment,
And far enough from court too.

All the commons

2 Gent. Hate him perniciously, and, o' my conscience,

Wish him ten fathom deep: this duke as much

They love and dote on; call him bounteous Bucking

Enter BUCKINGHAM from his arraignment; Tipstaves before him; the axe with the edge towards him; halberds on each side; accompanied with SIR Tuo MAS LOVELL, SIR NICHOLAS VAUX, SIR WILLIAM SANDS, and common people.

1 Gent. Stay there, sir, And see the noble ruin'd man you speak of.

2 Gent. Let's stand close, and behold him. Buck. All good people, You that thus far have come to pity me,

Hear what I say, and then go home and lose me.

I have this day receiv'd a traitor's judgment,

And by that name must die: Yet, heaven bear witness,
And if I have a conscience let it sink me,

Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful!
The law I bear no malice for my death,
It has done, upon the premises, but justice:

But those that sought it I could wish more christians:
Be what they will, I heartily forgive them :

Yet let them look they glory not in mischief,
Nor build their evils on the graves of great men ;

For then my guiltless blood must cry against them.
For further life in this world I ne'er hope,

Nor will I sue, although the king have mercies

More than I dare make faults. You few that lov'd me, And dare be bold to weep for Buckingham,

His noble friends, and fellows, whom to leave

Is only bitter to him, only dying,

Go with me, like good angels, to my end;
And, as the long divorce of steel falls on nie,
Make of your prayers one sweet sacrifice,

And lift my soul to heaven.-Lead on, o' God's name.