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A council-table brought in with chairs and ftools, 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.

S

PEAK to the bufinefs, Mr. Secretary:

Why are we met in Council?

Crom. Please your Honours,

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 P
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.

[Cranmer approaches the council-tables

Chan. My good lord Archbishop, I'm very forry

To fit here at this present, 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

3

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

And want of wisdom, you, that best fhould teach us,
Have misdemean'd your felf, and not a little:
Toward the King first, then his Laws, in filling
The whole realm, by your teaching and your chap-
lains,

(For fo we are inform'd) with new opinions
Divers and dang'rous, which are herefies;
And, not reform'd, may prove pernicious.

Gard! Which reformation must be sudden too, My noble lords; for those, that tame wild horses, Pace 'em not in their hands to make 'em gentle;

But ftop their mouths with ftubborn bits, and fpur

'em.

'Till they obey the manage. If we suffer
(Out of our eafinefs and childish pity

To one man's honour) this contagious fickness,
Farewel all phyfick: and what follows then?
Commotions, uproars, with a gen❜ral taint
Of the whole ftate: as of late days our neighbours
The upper Germany can dearly witness,
Yet freshly pitied in our memories.

Cran. My good lords, hitherto, in all the progrefs

Both of my life and office, I have labour'd
(And with no little study) that my teaching,
And the ftrong courfe of my Authority,
Might go one way, and safely; and the end
Was ever to do well: nor is there living
(I fpeak it with a fingle heart, my lords)
A man that more detefts, more ftirs against,
(Both in his private confcience and his place)
Defacers of the publick peace, than I do.
Pray heav'n, the King may never find a heart
With lefs allegiance in it! Men that make
Envy and crooked malice nourishment,
Dare bite the best. I do beseech your lordships,
That, in this cafe of justice, my accufers,

Be what they will, may ftand forth face to face,
And freely urge against me.

Suf. Nay, my lord,

That cannot be you are a counsellor,

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And

And by that virtue no man dare accufe you.

Gard. My lord, because we've business of more moment,

We will be short wi'you. 'Tis his Highness' pleasure,
And our confent, for better tryal of you,

From hence you be committed to the Tower;
Where, being but a private man again,
You fhall know, many dare accufe you boldly,

More than, I fear, you are provided for.

Cran. Ay, my good lord of Winchefter, I thank

you,..

You're always my good friend; if your will pass,
I fhall both find your lordship judge and juror,
You are fo merciful. I fee your end,
"Tis my undoing. Love and meekness, lord,
Become a churchman better than ambition:
Win ftraying fouls with modefty again,
Caft none away. That I fhall clear my felf,
(Lay all the weight ye can upon my patience).
I make as little doubt, as you do confcience
In doing daily wrongs. I could fay more,
But rev'rence to your Calling makes me modeft.
Gard. My lord, my lord, you are a fectary,
That's the plain truth; your painted glofs discovers,
To men that understand you, words and weakness.
Crom. My lord of Wincheffer, you are a little,
By your good favour, too fharp; men fo noble,
However faulty, yet should find respect

For what they have been: 'tis a cruelty
To load a falling man.

I

Gard. Good Mr. Secretary,

cry your honour mercy; you may, worft: Of all this table, say so.

Crom. Why, my lord?

Gard. Do not I know you for a favourer

Of this new fect? ye are not found.

Crom. Not found

Gard. Not found, I fay.

Crom. 'Would you were half fo honeft!<

Men's prayers then would feek you, not their fears.
Gard. I fhall remember this bold language.

Crom

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Cham. Then thus for you, my lord it ftands a greed,

I take it, by all voices, that forthwith

You be convey'd to th' Tower a prisoner;

There to remain, 'till the King's further pleasure
Be known unto us. Are you all agreed, lords
All. We are.

Cran. Is there no other way of mercy,,

But I muft needs to th' Torver, my lords?
Gard. What other

Would you expect? you're strangely troublesome
Let fome o' th' Guard be ready there.

Cran. For me?

Enter the Guard..

Must I go like a traitor then

Gard. Receive him,.

And fee him fafe i' th' Tower:
Cran. Stay, good my lords,

I have a little yet to fay. Look there, lords;
By virtue of that Ring, I take my caufe
Out of the gripes of cruel men, and give it
To a most noble judge, the King my mafter..
Cham. This is the King's Ring.

Sur. 'Tis no counterfeit.

Suf. 'Tis his right Ring, by heav'n, I told ye all, When we firft put this dangerous ftone a rowling,

"Twould fall upon ourselves.

Nor. D'you think, my lords,

The King will fuffer but the little finger.

Of this man to be vex'd?

Cham. 'Tis now too certain.

How much more is his life in value with him?

'Would I were fairly out on't.

Crom. My mind gave me,

In feeking tales and informations

Against this man, whofe honefty, the devil

And his difciples only envy at,

Ye blew the fire that burns ye; now have at ye.

SCENE VI.

Enter King, frowning on them; takes his feat.

Gard: Dread Sovereign, how much are we bound to heav'n

In daily thanks, that gave us fuch a Prince ; ·
Not only good and wife, but most religious :
One that in all obedience makes the Church:
The chief aim of his honour; and to strengthen
That holy duty, out of dear respect,
His royal felf in judgment comes to hear
The caufe betwixt her and this great offenders.

King. You're ever good at fudden commendations,
Bishop of Winchefter. But know, I come not
To hear fuch flatt'ries now: and in my prefence
They are too thin and base to hide offences.
To me you cannot reach: you play the spaniel,
And think with wagging of your tongue to win me:
But whatsoe'er thou tak'ft me for, I'm sure,
Thou haft a cruel nature, and a bloody.

Good man, fit down: now let me fee the proudeft
[To Cran.

He, that dares moft, but wag his finger at thee.
By all that's holy, he had better starve,
Than but once think, this place becomes thee not.
Sur. May't please your Grace-

King. No, Sir, it does not please me.

I thought, I had had men of fome understanding:
And wifdom, of my Council; but I find none.
Was it discretion, lords, to let this man,
This good man, (few of you deferve that title)
This honeft man, wait like a lowfie foot-boy
At chamber-door, and one as great as you are?
Why, what a fhame was this? did my commiffion
Bid ye
fo far forget your felves? I gave ye
Pow'r, as he was a counsellor to try him ;

Not

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