Since virtue finds no friends) a wife, a true one?
A woman (I dare fay, without vain-glory ;)
Never yet branded with fufpicion?

Have I, with all my full affections

Still met the King? lov'd him next heav'n, obey'd him?
Been, out of fondness, fuperftitious to him;
Almost forgot my prayers to content him?
And am I thus rewarded? 'tis not well, lords.
Bring me a conftant woman to her husband,
One, that ne'er dream'd a joy beyond his pleasure;
And to that woman, when the has done moft,
Yet will I add an honour; a great patience.

Wol. Madam, you wander from the good we aim at. Queen. My lord, I dare not make my felf fo guilty, To give up willingly that noble title

Your mafter wed me to: nothing but death
Shall e'er divorce my dignities.

Wol. Pray, hear me

Queen. Would I had never trod this English earth,
Or felt the flatteries that grow upon it!

Ye've angels faces, but heav'n knows your hearts.
What shall become of me now! wretched lady!
I am the most unhappy woman living.

.

Alas! poor wenches, where are now your fortunes?
[To her women.
Ship-wrack'd upon a kingdom, where no pity,
No friends, no hope! no kindred weep for me!
Almoft, no grave allow'd me! like the lilly,
That once was mistress of the field and flourish'd,
I'll hang my head, and perish.

Wol. If your Grace

Could but be brought to know, our ends are honest ; You'ld feel more comfort. Why fhould we, good lady, Upon what cause, wrong you? alas! our places,

The way of our profeffion is against it:

We are to ear fuch forrows, not to fow 'em. (20)

(20) We are to cure fuch Sorrows, not to fow 'em.] There is no Antithefis in these Terms, nor any Confonance of the Metaphors: both which my Emendation restores.

We

For goodness fake, confider what you do;
How you may hurt your felf; nay, utterly
Grow from the King's acquaintance, by this carriage.
The hearts of Princes kifs obedience,

So inuch they love it: but to ftubborn spirits,
They fwell and grow as terrible as ftorms.
I know, you have a gentle, noble temper,
A foul as even as a calm; pray, think us

Those we profefs, peace-makers, friends and fervants.
Cam. Madam, you'll find it fo: you wrong your virtues
With these weak womens fears. A noble fpirit,
As yours was put into you, ever cafts
Such doubts, as falfe coin, from it. The King loves you;
Beware, you lofe it not; for us (if you please
To truft us in your bufinefs) we are ready
To ufe our utmost ftudies in your service.

Queen. Do what you will, my lords; and,
If I have us'd my felf unmannerly.
You know, I am a woman, lacking wit
To make a feemly anfwer to fuch perfons.
Pray, do my fervice to his Majefty.

[give me,

pray, for

He has my heart yet; and fhall have my prayers,
While I fhall have my life. Come, rev'rend fathers:
Bestow your counfels on me. She now begs,
That little thought, when the fet footing here,
She should have bought her dignities fo dear.

[Exeunt.

We are to ear fuch, Sorrows, not to fowe 'em. i. e. to weed them up, har row them out. So our Poet uses this Word in his Anth. and Cleop. Act 1. O then we bring forth Weeds,

When our quick Winds lie ftill; and our Ills, told us,

Is as our earing.

i. e. as, rooting them up. This Word with us may be deriv'd not only from arare to plow; but the old Saxon Word, Ear, which fignified a Harrow.

SCENE,

SCENE, Antechamber to the King's Apart

ments.

Enter Duke of Norfolk, Duke of Suffolk, Lord Surrey, and Lord Chamberlain.

Nor.

I

F you will now unite in your complaints,

And force them with a conftancy, the Cardinal Cannot stand under them. If you omit

The offer of this time, I cannot promise,

But that you shall fuftain more new difgraces,
With these you bear already.

Sur. I am joyful

To meet the leaft occafion that may give me
Remembrance of my father-in-law, the Duke,
To be reveng'd on him.
Suf. Which of the Peers

Have uncontemn'd gone by him, or at least
Strangely neglected? when did he regard (21)
The ftamp of nobleness in any person

Out of himself?

Cham. My lords, you speak your pleasures:
What he deferves of you and me, I know:
What we can do to him, (though now the time
Give way to us) I much fear. If you cannot
Bar his access to th' King, never attempt
Any thing on him; for he hath a witchcraft
Over the King in's tongue.

Nor. O, fear him not,

(21)

when did he regard

The Stamp of Nobleness in any perfon

Out of himself?] Mr. Warburton thinks, this borders upon the abfurd, both in the Expreffion and Matter: and advises to read,

when did he regard

The Stamp of Nobleness in any Man,

Out of't himself?

This adds a Poínancy, 'tis certain, and Satyrical Reflection to Suffolk's Speech; and accounts, why Wolfey fhould not regard Nobility in another, who had no native pretenfions to it, upon which to value himself.

His fpell in that is out; the King hath found
Matter against him, that for ever mars
The honey of his language. No, he's fettled,
Not to come off, in his most high displeasure.
Sur. I fhould be glad to hear fuch news as this
Once every hour.

Nor. Believe it, this is true.

In the Divorce, his contrary proceedings
Are all unfolded; wherein he appears,
As I would wish mine enemy.

Sur. How came

His practices to light?

Suf. Moft ftrangely.
Sur. How?

Suf. The Cardinal's letters to the Pope miscarried,
And came to th' eye o'th' King; wherein was read,
How that the Cardinal did intreat his Holiness
To stay the Judgment o'th' Divorce; for if
It did take place, I do, quoth he, perceive
My King is tangled in affection to

A creature of the Queen's, lady Anne Bullen.
Sur. Has the King this?

Suf. Believe it.

Sur. Will this work?

Cham. The King in this perceives him, how he coasts

And hedges his own way. But in this point

All his tricks founder; and he brings his phyfick

After his patient's death; the King already

Hath married the fair lady.

Sur. 'Would he had!

Suf. May you be happy in your wish, my lord, For, I profefs, you have it.

Sur. Now all joy

Trace the conjunction !

Suf. My Amen to't!

Nor. All mens!

Suf. There's order given for her Coronation :

Marry,

Marry, this is yet but young; and may be left (22)
To fome ears unrecounted. But, my lords,
She is a gallant creature, and compleat

In mind and feature. I perfuade me, from her
Will fall fome bleffing to this land, which shall
In it be memoriz❜d.

Sur. But will the King

Digest this letter of the Cardinal's?

The lord forbid !

Nor. Marry, Amen!

Suf. No, no:

There be more wafps, that buz about his nose,
Will make this fting the fooner. Cardinal Campeius
Is ftol'n away to Rome, has ta'en no leave,
Hath left the cause o'th' King unhandled; and
Is pofted, as the agent of our Cardinal,

To fecond all his plot. I do affure you,

The King cry'd, ha! at this.

Cham. Now, God incenfe him ;
And let him cry, ha, louder!
Nor. But, my lord,

When returns Cranmer ?

Suf. He is return'd with his opinions, which
Have fatisfy'd the King for his Divorce,
Gather'd from all the famous colleges
Almoft in Chriftendom; fhortly, I believe,

(22) Marry this is but young,] All the Old Copies read with me,
Marry, this is yet but young;

But the modern Editors have expung'd this harmless Monofyllable, yet; fuppofing, the Verfe would fcan more fmoothly without it.

Mar ry this is but young |

I should not take Notice of fo trifling a Variation, were it not proper to observe, that They herein advance a falfe Nicety of Ear against the Licence of SHAKESPEARE'S Numbers: nay, indeed, against the Licence of all English Verfification, in common with that of other Languages. They do not feem to apprehend, that Mărry this is in Scanfion plainly an Anapeft; and equal to a Spondee, or Foot of two Syllables. I fhall take an Opportunity, when I come to Hamlet, to fpeak of the Pes proceleufmaticus, fo frequent in Homer, Virgil, and other the beft Claffical Poets. I'll only add here, that I could produce at least two thousand of our Poet's Verses, that would be difturb'd by this modern, unreasonable, Chaftness of Metre.