To th' law I bear no malice for my death,
'T has done, upon the Premises, but Juftice:
But those that fought it, I could with more Chriftians;
Be what they will, I heartily forgive 'em ;
Yet let 'em look they glory not in mischief,
Nor build their evils on the graves of great men ;
For then, my guiltless blood muft cry against 'em.
For further life in this world I ne'er hope,
Nor will I fue, 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 me,
Make of your prayers one fweet facrifice,

And lift my foul to heav'n. Lead on o' God's name.
Lov. I do befeech your Grace for charity,

If ever any malice in your heart

Were hid against me, now forgive me frankly.

Buck. Sir Thomas Lovell, I as free forgive you As I would be forgiven: I forgive all.

There cannot be thofe numberlefs offences

'Gainft me, I can't take
I can't take peace with: no black envy
Shallmark my grave. Commend me to his Grace:
And if he fpeak of Buckingham, pray tell him,
You met him half in heav'n: my vows and pray'rs
Yet are the King's; and 'till my foul forfake me,
Shall cry for bleffings on him. May he live
Longer than I have time to tell his years!
Ever belov'd and loving may his rule be!
And when old time fhall lead him to his end,

Goodness and he fill up one monument!

Lov. To th' water-fide I must conduct your Grace,
Then give my charge up to Sir Nicholas Vaux,
Who undertakes you to your end.

Vaux. Prepare there,

4 make

...

did edit. Warb. emend.

The

The Duke is coming: fee the barge be ready,
And fit it with fuch furniture as fuits
The greatness of his perfon.

Buck. Nay, Sir Nicholas,

Let it alone; my state now will but mock me.
When I came hither, I was Lord high Conftable,
And Duke of Buckingham; now, poor Edward Bobun.
Yet I am richer than my base accufers,

That never knew what truth meant; I now feal it;
And with that blood will make 'em one day groan for't.
My noble father, Henry of Buckingham,

Who first rais'd head against ufurping Richard,
Flying for fuccour to his fervant Banifter,
Being distress'd, was by that wretch betray'd,
And without tryal fell; God's peace be with him!
Henry the Sev❜nth fucceeding, truly pitying
My father's lofs, like a most royal Prince
Reftor'd to me my honours; and from ruins,
Made my name once more noble. Now his fon,
Henry the Eighth, name, honour, life, and all
That made me happy, at one ftroak has taken
For ever from the world. I had my tryal,
And must needs fay, a noble one; which makes me
A little happier than my wretched father:
Yet thus far we are one in fortune, both
Fell by our fervants, by thofe men we lov'd.
A moft unnatural and faithlefs fervice!

Heav'n has an end in all: yet, you that hear me,
This from a dying man receive as certain:
Where you are lib'ral of your loves and counfels,
Be fure you be not loofe; thofe you make friends,
And give your hearts to, when they once perceive
The least rub in your fortunes, fall away
Like water from ye, never found again,
But where they mean to fink ye. All good people
Pray for me! I must leave ye; the laft hour
Of my long weary life is come upon me:
Farewel; and when you would fay fomething fad,

Speak

Speak how I fell --- I've done; and God forgive me! [Exeunt Buckingham and Train.

1 Gen. O, this is full of pity; Sir, it calls, I fear, too many curfes on their heads, That were the authors.

2 Gen. If the Duke be guiltless,

'Tis full of woe; yet I can give you inkling Of an enfuing evil, if it fall,

Greater than this.

1 Gen. Good angels keep it from us!

What may it be? you do not doubt my faith, Sir? 2 Gen. This fecret is fo weighty, 'twill require

A ftrong faith to conceal it.

I Gen. Let me have it;

I do not talk much.

2 Gen. I am confident;

You fhall, Sir; did you not of late days hear
A buzzing of a feparation

Between the King and Cath'rine?

1 Gen. 'But it held not;

For when the King once heard it, out of anger
He fent command to the Lord Mayor ftrait
To ftop the rumour, and allay thofe tongues
That durft difperse it.

2 Gen. But that flander, Sir,

Is found a truth now; for it grows again
Fresher than e'er it was, and held for certain
The King will venture at it. Either the Cardinal,
Or fome about him near, have out of malice
To the good Queen poffeft him with a scruple
That will undo her: to confirm this too,
Cardinal Campeius is arriv'd, and lately;
As all think, for this bufinefs.

I Gen. 'Tis the Cardinal;

And meerly to revenge him on the Emperor,
For not bestowing on him, at his asking,

Th' Arch-bishoprick of Toledo, this is purpos'd.

5 Yes, but

2 Gen.

2 Gen. I think you've hit the mark; but is't not cruel, That she should feel the smart of this? the Cardinal Will have his will, and she must fall.

I Gen. 'Tis woful.

We are too open here to argue this:
Let's think in private more.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

III.

An Antichamber in the Palace.

Enter Lord Chamberlain, reading a letter.

M2

Y Lord, the borfes your Lordship fent for, with all the care I bad I faw well chofen, ridden, and furnifb'd. They were young and handfome, and of the best breed in the North. When they were ready to fet out for London, a man of my Lord Cardinal's, by commiffion and main power took 'em from me, with this reafon; his mafter would be ferv'd before a fubject, if not before the King, which stopp'd our mouths, Sir.

I fear he will indeed; well, let him have them;
He will have all, I think.

Enter to the Lord Chamberlain the Dukes of Norfolk
and Suffolk.

Nor. Well met, 'my good

Lord Chamberlain.

Cham. Good day to both

Suf. How is the King employ'd?
Cham. I left him private,

Full of fad thoughts and troubles.

Nor. What's the cause?

Cham. It feems the marriage with his brother's wife

Has crept too near his confcience.

Suf. No, his confcience

6 my Lord

Has

Has crept too near another Lady.

Nor. 'Tis fo;

This is the Cardinal's doing; the King-Cardinal :
That blind Prieft, like the eldest fon of fortune,
Turns what he lift. The King will know him one day.
Suf. Pray God he do; he'll never know himself elfe.
Nor. How holily he works in all his bufinefs.

And with what zeal! for now he has crackt the league
"Tween us and th' Emperor, the Queen's great nephew,
He dives into the King's foul, and there fcatters
Doubts, dangers, wringing of the confcience,
Fears, and defpair, and all these for his marriage;
And out of all these to restore the King,
He counfels a divorce, a lofs of her
That like a jewel has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never loft her luftre;
Of her that loves him with that excellence,
That angels love good men with; even of her,
That, when the greatest stroke of fortune falls,
Will blefs the King; and is not this courfe pious? [true,
Cham. Heav'n keep me from fuch counfel! 'tis moft
These news are ev'ry where, ev'ry tongue fpeaks 'em,
And ev'ry true heart weeps for't. All, that dare
Look into these affairs, fee his main end,

The French King's fifter. Heav'n will one day open
The King's eyes, that so long have slept upon

This bold, bad man.

Suf. And free us from his flavery.

Nor. We had need pray, and heartily, for deliv'rance;

Or this imperious man will work us all

From Princes into Pages; all mens honours
Lye like one lump before him, to be fashion'd
Into what 'pinch` he please.

Suf. For me, my Lords,

I love him not, nor fear him, there's my creed :
As I am made without him, fo I'll ftand,

If the King please: his curfes and his bleffings

{7 pitch... Old edit. Warb, emend.

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