Of the duke's confessor, John de la Car,
One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor,

BUCK.

So, so;

These are the limbs o' the plot: no more, I hope.
BRAN. A monk o' the Chartreux.

BUCK.

BRAN.

O, Nicholas Hopkins?

He.

BUCK. My surveyor is false; the o'er-great cardinal Hath show'd him gold; my life is spann'd already : I am the shadow of poor Buckingham,

Whose figure even this instant cloud puts on,

By darkening my clear sun. My lord, farewell. [Exeunt.

SCENE II-THE SAME

THE COUNCIL-CHAMBER

Cornets. Enter KING HENRY, leaning on the CARDINAL's shoulder; the Nobles, and SIR THOMAS LOVELL: the CARDINAL places himself under the KING's feet on his right side

KING. My life itself, and the best heart of it, Thanks you for this great care: I stood i' the level

was Henry Pole, eldest brother of Cardinal Pole, son-in-law of Lord Abergavenny, and grandson of George, Duke of Clarence, Richard III's brother and victim.

222 surveyor] steward, factor. Cf. line 115, supra.

223 my life is spann'd] my life is measured, my days are numbered. 225-226 Whose figure . sun] Buckingham means that this present calamity invests him with the dark figure or form of a shadow by withdrawing him from the sun of royal favour.

2-3 i' the level of a full-charged confederacy] within range of the aim of a matured conspiracy. The figure is drawn from a loaded cannon.

220

Of a full-charged confederacy, and give thanks
To you that choked it. Let be call'd before us
That gentleman of Buckingham's; in person
I'll hear him his confessions justify;

And point by point the treasons of his master
He shall again relate.

A noise within, crying "Room for the Queen !” Enter QUEEN
KATHARINE, ushered by the DUKE OF NORFOLK, and the DUKE
OF SUFFOLK: she kneels. The KING riseth from his state, takes
her up, kisses and placeth her by him

Q. KATH. Nay, we must longer kneel: I am a suitor. KING. Arise, and take place by us: half your suit Never name to us; you have half our power:

The other moiety ere you ask is given;

Repeat your will and take it.

Q. KATH.

Thank your majesty.

That you would love yourself, and in that love

Not unconsider'd leave your honour nor

The dignity of your office, is the point

Of my petition.

KING.

Lady mine, proceed.

Q. KATH. I am solicited, not by a few,

And those of true condition, that your subjects

10

Are in great grievance: there have been commissions 20 Sent down among 'em, which hath flaw'd the heart

Of all their loyalties: wherein although,

My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches

19 true condition] honest temper.

21 flaw'd] cracked..

Most bitterly on you as putter on

Of these exactions, yet the king our master

Whose honour heaven shield from soil!- even he
escapes not

Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks
The sides of loyalty, and almost appears

In loud rebellion.

NOR.

Not almost appears;

It doth appear; for, upon these taxations,
The clothiers all, not able to maintain
The many to them 'longing, have put off
The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who,
Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger
And lack of other means, in desperate manner
Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar,
And danger serves among them.

Taxation!

KING.
Wherein? and what taxation? My lord cardinal,
You that are blamed for it alike with us,
Know you of this taxation ?

WOL.

30

Please you, sir,

40

I know but of a single part in aught

24 putter on] instigator.

27-28 breaks The sides of loyalty] bursts the bounds of loyalty.

32 The many to them 'longing.

spinsters] The train of workers de

pending on them, have dismissed the (male) spinners.

36 Daring the event to the teeth] Recklessly defying the consequence. 37 danger serves among them] danger has taken service among them, is

in their train.

41-43 I know

.

"Danger" is boldly personified.

steps with me] I fill merely a limited part in state affairs, and only hold a front place in that file or company of coun

Pertains to the state, and front but in that file
Where others tell steps with me.

Q. KATH.

No, my lord,

You know no more than others: but you frame
Things that are known alike, which are not wholesome
To those which would not know them, and yet must.
Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions,
Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are
Most pestilent to the hearing; and, to bear 'em,
The back is sacrifice to the load. They say
They are devised by you; or else you suffer
Too hard an exclamation.

KING.

Still exaction!

The nature of it? in what kind, let's know,
Is this exaction?

Q. KATH.

I am much too venturous

In tempting of your patience, but am bolden'd

Under your promised pardon. The subjects' grief
Comes through commissions, which compel from each
The sixth part of his substance, to be levied
Without delay; and the pretence for this

Is named your wars in France: this makes bold mouths: 60 Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze Allegiance in them; their curses now

sellors, who keep step with me, who march in the same line with me. “Tell steps,” i. e., count steps, merely means "keep step," (as of a file of soldiers). For a similar use of "file," cf. III, ii, 171, infra. 45 known alike] ultimately known to all alike.

47 be their acquaintance] come to their knowledge. 52 exclamation] outcry or denunciation.

60 this makes bold mouths] this elicits bold speech.

Live where their prayers did; and it's come to pass,
This tractable obedience is a slave

To each incensed will. I would your highness

Would give it quick consideration, for

There is no primer business.

KING.

This is against our pleasure.

WOL.

By my life,

And for me,

I have no further gone in this than by

A single voice, and that not pass'd me but
By learned approbation of the judges. If I am
Traduced by ignorant tongues, which neither know
My faculties nor person, yet will be

The chronicles of my doing, let me say

'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake
That virtue must go through. We must not stint
Our necessary actions, in the fear

To cope malicious censurers; which ever,
As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow
That is new-trimm'd, but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is

64 This tractable obedience . . . will] The spirit of docile obedience gives way, succumbs to each individual's roused sense of resentment. 67 no primer business] Business is Hanmer's emendation for the Folio reading baseness. The queen means that no matter of state presses more urgently for attention.

75 the rough brake] the rugged barrier or obstacle.

78 To cope malicious censurers] Of encountering malicious critics. 82 sick interpreters ... weak ones] interpreters distorted in mind; in fact, weak sort of creatures. "Once" is often found for "once for all," "in a word.”

70

80