K. Hen. I remember,

Of such a time :-Being my servant sworn,'
The duke retain'd him his.-But on; What hence ?
Surv. If, quoth he, I for this had been committed,
As, to the Tower, I thought,-I would have play'd
The part my father meant to act upon

Th' usurper Richard: who, being at Salisbury,
Made suit to come in his presence; which, if granted,
As he made semblance of his duty, would

Have put his knife into him.

K. Hen. A giant traitor!

Wol. Now, madam, may his highness live in freedom, And this man out of prison?

Q. Kath. God mend all!

K. Hen. There's something more would out of thee; What say'st?

Surv. After the duke his father, with the knife,
He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his dagger,
Another spread on his breast, mounting his eyes,
He did discharge a horrible oath; whose tenor
Was,-Were he evil us'd, he would out-go
His father, by as much as a performance
Does an irresolute purpose.

K. Hen. There's his period,

To sheath his knife in us.

He is attach'd;

Call him to present trial: if he may

Find mercy in the law, 'tis his; if none,
Let him not seek't of us: By day and night,

He's traitor to the height.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

A Room in the Palace. Enter the Lord Chamberlain, and

Lord SANDS.

Cham. Is it possible, the spells of France should juggle Men into such strange mysteries ?3

Sands. New customs,

Though they be never so ridiculous,

Nay, let them be unmanly, yet are follow'd.

Cham. As far as I see, all the good our English

[2] Sir William Blomer, (Holinshed calls him Bulmer,) was reprimanded by the king in the star-chamber, for that, being his sword servant, he had left the king's STEEVENS. service for the duke of Buckingham's. Edwards' MSS.

[S] Mysteries were allegorical shows, which the mummers of those times exhibited in odd fantastick habits. Mysteries are used, by an easy figure, for those that exhibited mysteries; and the sense is only, that the travelled Englishmen were metamorphosed, by foreign fashions into such an uncouth appearance that they looked like mummers in a mystery. JOHNSON.

Have got by the late voyage, is but merely

A fit or two o' th' face; but they are shrewd ones;
For when they hold them, you would swear directly,
Their very noses had been counsellors

To Pepin, or Clotharius, they keep state so.

Sands. They have all new legs, and lame ones; one would take it,

That never saw them pace before, the spavin,

A springhalt reign'd among them.

Cham. Death! my lord,

5

Their clothes are after such a pagan cut too,

That, sure, they have worn out christendom. How now? What news, sir Thomas Lovell ?

Enter Sir THOMAS LOVELL.

Lov. 'Faith, my lord,

I hear of none, but the new proclamation
That's clapp'd upon the court-gate.

Cham. What is't for?

Lov. The reformation of our travell'd gallants,

That fill the court with quarrels, talk, and tailors.

Cham. I am glad, 'tis there; now I would pray our

To think an English courtier may be wise,

And never see the Louvre.

Lov. They must either

[monsieurs

(For so run the conditions,) leave these remnants
Of fool, and feather, that they got in France,
With all their honourable points of ignorance,
Pertaining thereunto, (as fights, and fireworks;
Abusing better men than they can be,

Out of a foreign wisdom,) renouncing clean
The faith they have in tennis, and tall stockings,
Short blister'd breeches, and those types of travel,
And understand again like honest men ;

Or pack to their old playfellows: there, I take it,
They may, cum privilegio, wear away

The lag end of their lewdness, and be laugh'd at.

Sands. 'Tis time to give them physic, their diseases

Are grown so catching.

Cham. What a loss our ladies

Will have of these trim vanities!

Lov. Ay, marry,

[4] A fit of the face seems to be what we now term a grimace, an artificial cast of the countenance. JOHNSON.

[5] The stringhalt, or springhalt, (as the old copy reads,) is a disease incident to horses, which gives them a convulsive motion in their paces.

9

- VOL. VII.

STEEVENS.

F 2

There will be woe indeed, lords; the sly whoresons
Have got a speeding trick to lay down ladies;

A French song, and a fiddle, has no fellow.

Sands. The devil fiddle them! I am glad, they're going; (For, sure, there's no converting of them ;) now An honest country lord, as I am, beaten

A long time out of play, may bring his plain-song,
And have an hour of hearing; and by'r-lady,
Held current music too.

Cham. Well said, lord Sands;

Your colt's tooth is not cast yet.
Sands. No, my lord;

Nor shall not, while I have a stump.

Cham. Sir Thomas, Whither were you a going?

Lov. To the cardinal's ; Your lordship is a guest too.

Cham. O, 'tis true :

This night he makes a supper, and a great one,

To many lords and ladies; there will be

The beauty of this kingdom, I'll assure you.

Lov. That churchman bears a bounteous mind indeed,

A hand as fruitful as the land that feeds us;

His dews fall every where.

Cham. No doubt, he's noble ;

He had a black mouth, that said other of him.

Sands. He may, my lord, he has wherewithal; in him, Sparing would show a worse sin than ill doctrine :

Men of his way should be most liberal,

They are set here for examples.

Cham. True, they are so;

But few now give so great ones. My barge stays;

Your lordship shall along :-Come, good Sir Thomas,
We shall be late else which I would not be,

For I was spoke to, with Sir Henry Guildford,
This night, to be comptrollers.

Sands. I am your lordship's.

SCENE IV.

[Exeunt.

A

The Presence Chamber in York-Place. Hautboys. small table under a state for the Cardinal, a longer table for the Guests. Enter at one door Lords, ANNE Bullen, and divers Ladies, and Gentlewomen, as Guests; at another door, enter Sir HENRY GUILDFORD. Guil. Ladies, a gen

welcome from his grace

rlier.]

Salutes you all This night he dedicates

:

To fair content, and you: none here, he hopes,
In all this noble bevy, that has brought with her
One care abroad; he would have all as merry
As first-good company, good wine, good welcome
Can make good people.-

-O, my lord, you are tardy;

Enter Lord Chamberlain, Lord SANDS, and Sir THOMAS LOVELL.

The very thought of this fair company

Clapp'd wings to me.

Cham. You are young, Sir Harry Guildford. Sands. Sir Thomas Lovell, had the cardinal But half my lay-thoughts in him, some of these Should find a running banquet ere they rested, I think, would better please them: By my life They are a sweet society of fair ones.

Lov. O, that your lordship were but now confessor To one or two of these!

Sands. I would, I were;

They should find easy penance.

Lov. 'Faith, how easy?

Sands. As easy as a down-bed would afford it.

Cham. Sweet ladies, will it please you sit ?-sir Harry,

Place you that side, I'll take the charge of this :
His grace is ent'ring.-Nay, you must not freeze;
Two women plac'd together makes cold weather:

My lord Sands, you are one will keep them waking;
Pray, sit between these ladies.

Sands. By my faith,

And thank your lordship.-By your leave, sweet ladies : [Seats himself between ANNE BULLEN, and another Lady. If I chance to talk a little wild, forgive me ;

I had it from my father.

Anne. Was he mad, sir?

Sands. O, very mad, exceeding mad, in love too :

But he would bite none; just as I do now,

He would kiss you twenty with a breath.
Cham. Well said, my lord.-

So, now you are fairly seated :-Gentlemen,
The penance lies on you, if these fair ladies
Pass away frowning.

Sands. For my little cure,

Let me alone.

[Kisses her.

[6] Milton has copied this word; "A bevy of fair dames.” JOHNSON

Hautboys. Enter Cardinal WOLSEY, attended; and takes.

his state.

Wol. You are welcome, my fair guests: That noble lady, Or gentleman, that is not freely merry,

Is not my friend: This, to confirm my welcome ;
And to you all good health.

Sands. Your grace is noble :

Let me have such a bowl may hold my thanks,
And save me so much talking.

Wol. My lord Sands,

I am beholden to you: cheer your neighbours.—
Ladies, you are not merry; Gentlemen,

Whose fault is this?

Sands. The red wine first must rise

[Drinks.

In their fair cheeks, my lord; then we shall have them Talk us to silence.

Anne. You are a merry gamester,

My lord Sands.

Sands. Yes, if I make my play.

Here's to your ladyship and pledge it, madam,

For 'tis to such a thing,

Anne. You cannot show me.

Sands. I told your grace, they would talk anon.

[Drum and trumpets within; Chambers discharg'd.

Wol. What's that?

Cham. Look out there, some of you. [Exit a Servant.
Wol. What warlike voice?

And to what end is this ?-Nay, ladies, fear not;
By all the laws of war you are privileg'd.

Re-enter Servant.

Cham. How now? what is't?

Serv. A noble troop of strangers;

For so they seem: they have left their barge, and landed ; And hither make, as great ambassadors

From foreign princes.

Wol. Good lord chamberlain,

Go, give them welcome, you can speak the French tongue;
And, pray, receive them nobly, and conduct them
Into our presence, where this heaven of beauty

[7] A chamber is a gun which stands erect on its breech. Such are used only on occasions of rejoicing, and are so contrived as to carry great charges, and thereby to make a noise more than proportioned to their bulk. They are called chambers because they are mere chambers to lodge powder; a chamber being the technical term for that cavity in a piece of ordnance which contains the combustibles. Some of them are still fired in the Park, and at the places opposite to the parliament-house when the king goes thither. Camden enumerates them among other guns, as follows:-" cannons, demi-cannons, chambers, arquebuse, musquet." STEEVENS.