Gar.

I

cry your

Good master secretary,

honour mercy; you may, worst

Of all this table, say so.

Crom.

Why, my lord?

Gar. Do not I know you for a favourer Of this new sect? ye are not sound.

Crom.

Not sound?

'Would you were half so honest;

Gar. Not sound, I say.

Crom.

Men's prayers then would seek you, not their fears. Gar. I shall remember this bold language.

Chan. Then thus for you, my lord,—It stands

agreed,

I take it, by all voices, that forthwith

You be convey'd to the 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
But I must needs to the Tower, my lords?

mercy,

What other

Gar. Would you expect? You are strangely troublesome! Let some of the guard be ready there.

I have a little yet to say. Look there, my lords;
By virtue of that ring, I take my cause
Out of the gripes of cruel men, and give it
To a most noble judge, the king my master.
Chan. This is the king's ring 9.

Sur.

'Tis no counterfeit.

Suf. 'Tis the right ring, by heaven: I told ye all, When we first put this dangerous stone a rolling, 'Twould fall upon ourselves.

Nor.

The king will suffer but the little finger

Of this man to be vex'd?

Chan.

Do you think, my lords,

'Tis now too certain :

My mind gave me,

How much more is his life in value with him?

'Would I were fairly out on't.

Crom.

In seeking tales, and informations,

Against this man (whose honesty the devil
And his disciples only envy at),

Ye blew the fire that burns ye: Now have at ye.

Enter the King, frowning on them; takes his seat. Gar. Dread sovereign, how much are we bound to heaven

In daily thanks, that gave us such a prince;

9 It seems to have been a custom, began probably in the dark ages, before literature was generally diffused, and before the regal power experienced the restraints of law, for every monarch to have a ring, the temporary possession of which invested the holder with the same authority as the owner himself could exercise. The production of it was sufficient to suspend the execution of the law; it procured indemnity for offences committed, and imposed acquiescence and submission to whatever was done under its authority. See Procopius de Bell. Vandal. l. i. p. 15. The traditional story of the earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth, and the countess of Nottingham, long considered as an incident of a romance, is generally known, and now as generally credited. See Birch's Negotiations, p. 206.

Not only good and wise, 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 self in judgment comes to hear
The cause betwixt her and this great offender.
K. Hen. You were ever good at sudden commen-
dations,

Bishop of Winchester. But know, I come not
To hear such flattery now, and in my presence;
They are too thin and bare to hide offences 10.
To me you cannot reach, you play the spaniel,
And think with wagging of your tongue to win me;
But, whatsoe'er thou tak'st me for, I am sure,
Thou hast a cruel nature, and a bloody.-
Good man, [To CRANMER.] sit down. Now let
me see the proudest

He, that dares most, but wag his finger at thee:
By all that's holy, he had better starve,

Than but once think his place becomes thee not 11. Sur. May it please your grace,-.

K. Hen.

No, sir, it does not please me.
I had thought, I had had men of some understanding
And wisdom of my council; but I find none.
Was it discretion, lords, to let this man,

This good man (few of you deserve that title),
This honest man, wait like a lousy footboy
At chamber door? and one as great as you are?
Why, what a shame was this? Did my commission
Bid ye so far forget yourselves? I gave ye

10 i. e. the commendations abovementioned are too thin and bare, the intention of them is too palpably seen through.. The old copy reads thin and base;' the emendation was suggested by Malone.

11 Who dares to suppose that the place or situation in which he is, is not suitable to thee also? Who supposes that thou art not as fit for the office of a privy counsellor as he is?

see,

Power as he was a counsellor to try him,
Not as a groom; There's some of ye, I
More out of malice than integrity,
Would try him to the utmost, had ye mean;
Which ye shall never have, while I live.

Chan.

Thus far, My most dread sovereign, may it like your grace To let my tongue excuse all. What was purpos'd Concerning his imprisonment, was rather

(If there be faith in men) meant for his trial, And fair purgation to the world, than malice; I am sure, in me.

K. Hen.

Well, well, my lords, respect him; Take him, and use him well, he's worthy of it.

I will say thus much for him, If a prince
May be beholden to a subject, I

Am, for his love and service, so to him.

Make me no more ado, but all embrace him:

Be friends, for shame, my lords.—My lord of Canterbury,

I have a suit which you must not deny me;

That is, a fair young maid that yet wants baptism,
You must be godfather, and answer for her 12.
Cran. The greatest monarch now alive may glory
In such an honour; how may I deserve it,
That am a poor and humble subject to you?
K. Hen. Come, come, my lord, you'd spare your
spoons 13; you shall have

12 i. e. You must be godfather [to] and answer for her.' Our prelates formerly were often employed on like occasions. Cranmer was godfather to Edward VI. See Hall, fo. 232. Archbishop Warham to Henry's eldest son by Queen Katharine; and the bishop of Winchester to Henry himself. See Sandford, 479. 495.

13 It was an ancient custom (which is not yet quite out of use) for the sponsors at christenings to offer silver or silver gilt spoons as a present to the child. The ancient offerings upon such occasions were called Apostle-spoons, because the extremity of the

Two noble partners with you; the old duchess of

Norfolk,

And lady marquis Dorset; Will these please you? Once more, my lord of Winchester, I charge you, Embrace, and love this man.

Gar.

And brother-love, I do it.

Cran.

With a true heart,

And let heaven

Witness, how dear I hold this confirmation.

K. Hen. Good man, those joyful tears show thy true heart.

The common voice, I see, is verified

Of thee, which says thus, Do my lord of Canterbury A shrewd turn, and he is your friend for ever.— Come, lords, we trifle time away; I long

handle was formed into the figure of one or other of the apostles. Such as were opulent and generous gave the whole twelve; those who were more moderately rich or liberal, escaped at the expense of the four evangelists; or even sometimes contented themselves with presenting one spoon only, which exhibited the figure of any saint, in honour of whom the child received its name. Thus in The Noble Gentleman of Beaumont and Fletcher :

I'll be a gossip, Bewford,

I have an odd apostle-spoon.'

And in Middleton's Chaste Maid of Cheapside:

2 Goss. What has he given her?--what is it, gossip? 3 Goss. A fair high standing cup, and two great 'postle spoons, one of them gilt.'

The following story is related of Shakspeare and Ben Jonson in a collection of anecdotes, entitled Merry Passages and Jeasts. MSS. Harl. 6395:

Shakspeare was godfather to one of Ben Jonson's children; and after the christening, being in deepe study, Jonson came to cheer him up, and ask'd him why he was so melancholy? No faith, Ben, says he, not I; but I have been considering a great while what should be the fittest gift for me to bestow upon my godchild, and I have resolved at last. I prythee what? says he. I'faith, Ben, I'll give him a douzen good latten [Latin] spoons, and thou shalt translate them.' The collector of these anecdotes appears to have been a nephew of Sir Roger L'Es trange. He names Donne as the relater of this story.