Thou scarlet fin, robb'd this bewailing land
Of Noble Buckingham, my father-in-law.
The heads of all thy brother Cardinals,
(With thee and all thy best parts bound together),
Weigh'd not a hair of his. Plague of your policy!
You fent me deputy for Ireland,
Far from his fuccour; from the King; from all
That might have mercy on the fault thou gav'st him;
Whilft your great goodness, out of holy pity,
Abfolv'd him with an ax.
Wol. This, and all elfe
This talking Lord can lay upon my credit,
I answer is most false. The Duke by law,
Found his deferts How innocent I was
From any private malice in his end,
His noble jury and foul cause can witness.
If I lov'd many words, Lord, I should tell you,
You have as little honesty as honour;
That I, i' th' way of loyalty and truth
Toward the King, my ever-royal master,
Dare mate a founder man than Surry can be,
And all that loves his follies.
Your long coat, priest, protects you; thou shouldst feel
My fword i' th' life-blood of thee else. My Lords,
Can you endure to hear this arrogance?
And from this fellow? If we live thus tamely,
To be thus jaded by a piece of scarlet,
Farewel, nobility; let his Grace go forward,
And dare us with his cap, like larks.
Wol. All goodness
Is poison to thy stomach.
Sur. Yes, that goodness
Of gleaning all the land's wealth into one,
Into your own hands, Cardinal, by extortion;
The goodness of your intercepted packets
You writ to th' Pope, against the King; your goodness,
Since you provoke me, thall be most notorious.
My Lord of Norfolk, as you're truly noble,
As you refpect the common good, the state
Of our despis'd nobility, our issues,
Who, if he live, will scarce be gentlemen,
Produce the grand fum of his fins, the articles
Collected from his life. I'll startle you,
Worse than the facring bell, when the brown wench
Lay kiffing in your arms, Lord Cardinal.
Wol. How much, methinks, I could despise this man, But that I'm bound in charity against it!
Nor. Those articles, my Lord, are in th' King's hand:
But thus much, they are foul ones.
Wol. So much fairer
And fpotless shall mine innocence arife,
When the King knows my truth.
Sur. This cannot fave you.
I thank my memory, I yet remember
Some of these articles, and out they shall.
Now, if you can blush, and cry, Guilty, Cardinal;
You'll fhew a little honesty.
Wol. Speak on, Sir;
I dare your worst objections: if I blush,
It is to fee a nobleman want manners.
Sur. I'd rather want those than my head; have at you.
First, that without the King's affent or knowledge,
You wrought to be a legate; by which power
You maim'd the jurisdiction of all bishops.
Nor. Then, that in all you writ to Rome, or elfe
To foreign princes, Ego & Rex meus
Was ftill infcrib'd; in which you brought the King
To be your fervant.
Suf. That, without the knowledge
Either of King or council, when you went
Ambaffador to th' Emperor, you made bold
To carry into Flanders the great feal.
Sur. Item, You fent a large commiffion
To Gregory de Caffado, to conclude,
Without the King's will, or the state's allowance,
A league between his Highness and Ferrara.
Suf. That, out of mere ambition, you have made
Your holy hat be stamp'd on the King's coin.
Sur. That you have fent innumerable fums
(By what means got, I leave to your own confcience)
To furnish Rome, and to prepare the ways
You have for dignities, to th' mere undoing
Of all the kingdom. Many more there are,
Which fince they are of you, and odious,
I will not taint my mouth with.
Prefs not a falling man too far; 'tis virtue :
His faults lie open to the laws; let them,
Not you, correct him. My heart weeps to fee him
So little of his great felf.
Suf. Lord Cardinal, the King's further pleasure is, Because all those things you have done of late By your power legatine within this kingdom, Fall in the compass of a pramunire, That therefore fuch a writ be fu'd against you, To forfeit all your goods, lands, tenements, And chattles, and whatsoever, and to be Out of the King's protection. This is my charge. Nor. And fo we'll leave you to your meditations How to live better. For your stubborn anfwer, About the giving back the great feal to us, The King shall know it; and, no doubt, shall thank you. So fare you well, my little good Lord Cardinal.
Wol. So farewel to the little good you bear me!
Farewel, a long farewel to all my greatness !
This is the state of man: To-day he puts forth
The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow bloffoms,
And bears his blushing honours thick upon him;
The third day comes a frost, a killing froft,
And when he thinks, good eafy man, full furely
His-greatness is a ripening, nips his shoot;
And then he falls, as I do. I have ventur'd,
Like little wanton boys, that swim on bladders,
These many fummers in a fea of glory;
But far beyond my deep my high-blown pride
At length broke under me; and now has left me,
Weary, and old with service, to the mercy
Of a rude stream, that must forever hide me.
Vain pomp and glory of the world, I hate ye;
I feel my heart new open'd. Oh, how wretched
Is that poor man that hangs on princes' favours !
There is, betwixt that smile he would aspire to,
That sweet afpect of princes, and his ruin,
More pangs and fears than war or women have;
And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer,
Never to hope again.
Enter Cromwell, standing amaz'd.
Why, how now, Cromwell ?
Crom. I have no power to speak, Sir.
Wol. What, amaz'd
At my misfortunes? can thy spirit wonder
A great man should decline? nay, if you weep,
I'm fallen indeed.
Crom. How does your Grace?
Wol. Why, well;
Never fo truly happy, my good Cromwell.
I know myself now, and I feel within ine
A peace above all earthly dignities;
A ftill and quiet confcience. The King has cur'd me,
I humbly thank his Grace; and, from these shoulders,
These ruin'd pillars, out of pity taken
A load would fink a navy, too much honour.
O, 'tis a burden, Cromwell, 'tis a burden,
Too heavy for a man that hopes for heav'n?
Crom. I'm glad your Grace has made that right use
Wol. I hope I have: I'm able now, methinks,
Out of a fortitude of foul I feel,
T'endure more miseries, and greater far,
Than my weak-hearted enemies dare offer,
What news abroad?
Crom. The heaviest, and the worst,
Is your difpleasure with the King.
Wol. God bless him!
Crom. The next is, that Sir Thomas More is chofen
Lord Chancellor in your place.
Wol. That's fomewhat fudden
But he's a learned man.
Long in his Highness' favour. and do justice
For truth's fake and his confcience; that his bones, When he has run his course, and sleeps in bleffings,
May have a tomb of orphans' tear wept on him!
What more?
Crom. That Cranmer is return'd with welcome;
Install'd Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.
Wol. That's news indeed.
Crom. Laft, that the Lady Anne,
Whom the King hath in fecrecy long married, -
This day was view'd in open as his Queen,
Going to chapel; and the voice is now
Only about her coronation.
Wol. There was the weight that pull'd me down. O
The King has gone beyond me: all my glories
In that one woman I have loft for ever.
No fun fhall ever usher forth my honours,
Or gild again the noble troops that waited
Upon my fimiles. Go, get thee from me, Cromwell;
I am a poor fall'n man, unworthy now
To be thy Lord and master. Seek the King,
(That fun I pray may never fet); I've told him
What and how true thou art; he will advance thee:
Some little memory of me will ftir him,
I know his noble nature, not to let
Thy hopeful fervice perish too. Good Cromwell,.
Neglect him not make use now, and provide
For thine own future fafety.
Must then leave you? must I needs forego
So good, fo noble, and fo true a master?
Bear witness, all that have not hearts of iron,
With what a forrow Cromwell leaves his Lord.
The King shall have my fervice, but my prayers
For ever, and for ever, shall be your's.
Wol. Cromwel, I did not think to shed a tear
In all my miferies; but thou hast force'd me,
Out of thy honest truth, to play the woman-
Let's dry our eyes: and thus far hear me, Cromwell;
And when I am forgotten, as i shall be,
And fleep in dull cold marble, where no mention,
Of me muft more be beard, fay then I taught thee;
Say, Wolfey, that once rode the waves of glory,
And founded all the deeps and thoals of honour,
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