This morning come before us; where I know,
You cannot with fuch freedom purge your felf,
But that, 'till further trial, in those charges
Which will require your anfwer, you must take
Your patience to you, and be well contented
To make your house our Tower; You a brother of

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us,

It fits we thus proceed; or elfe no witness
Would come against you.

Cran. I humbly thank your Highness,
And am right glad to catch this good occafion
Moft throughly to be winnow'd, where my chaff
And corn fhall fly afunder. For, I know,
There's none ftands under more calumnious tongues
Than I my felf, poor man.

King. Stand up, good Canterbury;
Thy truth and thy integrity is rooted
In us, thy friend. Give me thy hand, stand
up;
Pr'ythee, let's walk. Now, by my holy dame,
What manner of man are you? my lord, I look'd,
You would have given me your petition, that
I should have ta'en fome pains to bring together
Your felf and your accufers, and have heard you
Without indurance further.

Cran. Moft dread Liege,

The good I ftand on is my truth and honesty:
If they fhall fall, I with mine enemies

Will triumph o'er my perfon; which I weigh not,
Being of thofe virtues vacant. I fear nothing
What can be faid against me.

King. Know you not

How your ftate ftands i'th' world, with the whole

world?

Your foes are many, and not fmall; their practices
Muft bear the fame proportion; and not ever
The juftice and the truth o' th' question carries
The due o' th' verdict with it. At what ease
Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt
To fwear againft you? fuch things have been done.
You're potently oppos'd; and with a malice
Of as great fize. Ween you of better luck,

I mean,

I mean, in perjur'd witness, than your mafter,
Whose minister you are, while here he liv'd
Upon this naughty earth? go to, go to,
You take a precipice for no leap of danger,
And woo your own destruction.
Cran. God and your Majefty

Protect mine innocence, or I fall into
The trap
is laid for me!

King. Be of good cheer;

They fhall no more prevail, than we give way to:
Keep comfort to you, and this morning fee
You do appear before them. If they chance
In charging you with matters, to commit you
The best perfuafions to the contrary
Fail not to ufe; and with what vehemency
Th' occafion fhall inftru&t you. If intreaties
Will render you no remedy, this Ring

Deliver them, and your appeal to us
There make before them. Look, the good man

weeps!

He's honeft, on mine honour.
I fwear, he is true-hearted; and a foul
None better in my kingdom.
And do as I have bid you.
H'as ftrangled all his language in his tears.

God's bleft mother!

Get you gone,

[Exit Cranmer.

Enter an old Lady.

Gen. [Within.] Come back; what mean you?
Lady. I'll not come back: the tidings that I
bring

Will make my boldness manners. Now good angels
Fly o'er thy royal head, and shade thy person
Under their blessed wings!

Is the Queen deliver'd ?

King. Now, by thy looks
I guess thy meffage.
Say, ay; and of a boy.
Lady. Ay, ay, my Liege;
And of a lovely boy; the God of heav'n
Both now and ever blefs her !-'tis a girl,
Promises boys hereafter. Sir, your Queen

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S

Defires

1

Defires your vifitation; and to be

Acquainted with this ftranger; 'tis as like you,
As cherry is to cherry.

King. Lovell

Lov. Sir.

King. Give her an hundred marks.

Queen.

I'll to the [Exit King.

Lady. An hundred marks! by this light, I'll ha'

more.

An ordinary groom is for fuch payment.
I will have more, or fcold it out of him.
Said I for this, the girl was like him? I'll
Have more, or else unfay't: now, while 'tis hot,
I'll put it to the iffue.

Gran.

[Exit Ladye

SCENE IV.

Before the Council-chamber.

Enter Cranmer.

I Hope, I'm not too late; and yet the gentle

man,

That was fent to me from the Council, pray'd me
To make great hafte. All faft? what means this?

hoa?

Who waits there? fure, you know me?

Enter Door-Keeper.

D. Keep. Yes, my lord;
But yet I cannot help you.

Cran. Why?

D. Keep. Your Grace muft wait, 'till you be call'ď

for.

Enter Doctor Butts.

Cran. So

Butts. This is a piece of malice: I am glad,
I came this way fo happily. The King
Shall understand it presently.

Cran. 'Tis Butts,

[Exit Butts.

The

The King's phyfician; as he past along,
How earnestly he caft his eyes upon me!
Pray heav'n, he found not my difgrace! for certain,
This is of purpofe laid by fome that hate me,
(God turn their hearts! I never fought their malice)
To quench mine honour: they would shame to make

me

Wait elfe at door: a fellow-counfellor,"

'Mong boys and grooms and lackeys! but their plea- ́; fures

Muft be fulfill'd, and I attend with patience.

Enter the King and Butts, at a window above. Butts. I'll fhew your Grace the ftrangest fightKing. What's that, Butts?

Butts. I think, your Highness faw this many a

day.

King. Body o' me: where is it?

Butts. There, my lord:

The high promotion of his Grace of Canterbury,
Who holds his ftate at door 'mongst pursuivants,
Pages, and foot-boys.

King. Ha! 'tis he, indeed.

Is this the honour they do one another?
'Tis well, there's one above 'em yet. I thought,
They'd parted fo much Honesty among 'em,
At least, good manners; as not thus to fuffer
A man of his place, and fo near our favour,
To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasures;
And at the door too, like a poft with packets.
By holy Mary, Butts, there's knavery;
Let 'em alone, and draw the curtain close,
We fhall hear more anon

SCENE V.

The COUNCIL..

A council-table brought in with chairs and fools, and placed under the fate. Enter Lord Chancellor, places himself at the upper end of the table on the left hand : A feat being left void above him, as for the Archbishop of Canterbury. Duke of Suffolk, Duke of Norfolk, Surrey, Lord Chamberlain, and Gardiner, feat themselves in order on each fide. Cromwell at the lower end, as Secretary.

Chan. Why are we met in Council ?

SP

Crom. Please your Honours,

PEAK to the bufinefs, Mr. Secretary:

The cause concerns his Grace of Ganterbury.
Gard. Has he had knowledge of it?
Crom. Yes.

Nor. Who waits there?

D. Keep. Without, my noble lords
Gard. Yes.

D. Keep. My lord Archbishop;

And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures.

Chan. Let him come in.

D. Keep Your Grace may enter now.

3

[Cranmer approaches the council-tables

Chan. My good lord Archbishop, I'm very forry
To fit here at this prefent, and behold
That chair ftand empty: but 3 we are all men
In our own natures frail, and capable
Of frailty, few are angels; from which frailty

we are all men

In our own natures frail, and capable Offrailty, -] If all men were actually frail, they were more than capable of frailty; to understand this therefore, as only faid of the natural weakness of humanity, it is abfurdly expreffed; but this was not our author's fenfe: By, in our own natures frail, he alludes to the doctrine of original fin: So that the fentie ment is this, We are finners by imputation, and liable to become actually fo.

And