To render up the Great Seal prefently Where's your commiffion, lords? words cannot carry Suf. Who dare cross 'em, Bearing the King's will from his mouth exprefly? Of what coarse metal ye are molded, Envy: As if it fed ye; and how fleek, and wanton, (Mine and your mafter) with his own hand gave me ; Wol. It must be himself then. Sur. Thou'rt a proud traitor, priest. Within these forty hours Surrey durft better Sur. Thy ambition, Thou scarlet fin, robb'd this bewailing land (With thee, and all thy best parts bound together,) Far from his fuccour; from the King; from all, Abfolv'd. Abfolv'd him with an axe. Wol. This, and all elfe This talking lord can lay upon my credit, His noble jury and foul cause can witness. Sur. By my foul, Your long coat, prieft, protects you; thou fhould'st feel My fword i'th' life-blood of thee elfe. My lords, Can ye endure to hear this arrogance? And from this fellow? if we live thus tamely, go And dare us with his cap, like larks. Is poison to thy stomach. Sur. Yes, that goodness forward, Of gleaning all the land's wealth into one, The goodness of your intercepted packets You writ to th' Pope, against the King; your goodness, Since you provoke me, fhall be moft notorious. My lord of Norfolk, as you're truly noble, Who, if he live, will fcarce be gentlemen; Lay (23) Worfe than the fcaring Bell,-] This abfurd Reading has only found place in Mr. Pope's two Editions. I have reftor'd, from all the beft Copies, facring Bell. That Gentleman, fure, fhould know, that in Lay kiffing in your arms, lord Cardinal. Wol. How much, methinks, I could defpife 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 spotlefs, fhall mine innocence arise ; Sur. This cannot fave you: I thank my memory, I yet remember 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 thofe, than my head; have at you. First, that without the King's affent, or knowledge, You wrought to be a legat; by which power You maim'd the jurifdiction of all bishops. in Roman Catholick Countries the little Bell, which is rung to give Notice of the Hofte approaching when it is carried in proceffion, as also in other Offices of that Church, is call'd, the Sacring, or Confecration Bell; from the French Word, Sacrer. And CHAUCER, I find, in his Dream, has made Use of the Word Sacre, to fignify Confecration, or holy Office. Which Tent was Church Parochial, For the Fefte, and for the Sacre; The facetious Rabelais, Book 2d. ch. 26. particularly mentions the facring Bell. Pleuft à Dieu, que chafcun de vous euft deus paires de Sonnettes de Sacre au Menton. I wish to God, every one of you had two Couples of Sacring Bells dangling at your Chins. And facring is frequently mention'd by Writers about our Author's time. In K. Richard the Firft's time, a Fray happen'd, on the Day of his Coronation, against the Jews, who, contrary to the King's own Proclamation, would needs enter the Church to fee him Sacred. Stow's Survey of London. In the mean time being near to a Church, he heard a little Sacring Bell ring to the Elevation of a Merrow-Mass. You fball ring the Sacring Bell, VOL. V. Scot's Difcovery of Witchcraft. Merry Devil of Edmonton. Nor. Then, that in all you writ to Rome, or else Was still infcrib'd; in which you brought the King Suf. That without the knowledge Sur. Item, You fent a large commiffion Without the King's will or the State's allowance, Suf. That out of meer ambition, you have made Sur. Then, that you have fent innumerable substance (By what means got, I leave to your own confcience) To furnish Rome; and to prepare the vways You have for dignities, to th' meer undoing Of all the kingdom. Many more there are, Which fince they are of you, and odious, I will not taint my mouth with. Cham. O, my lord, Prefs not a falling man too far; 'tis virtue: Not you, correct him. My heart weeps to fee him Sur. I forgive him. Suf. Lord Cardinal, the King's further pleasure is, That therefore fuch a writ be fued against you, Nor. (24) Caftles, and whatsoever,] I have ventur'd to fubftitute Chattels here, as the Author's genuine Word, for this good Reafon because, as our Law-books inform us, the Judgment in a Writ of Præmunire is, that the Defendant shall be from thenceforth out of the King's Protection; and his Lands, Nor. And fo we'll leave you to your meditations How to live better. For your stubborn answer, About the giving back the great Seal to us, The King fhall know it; and, no doubt, fhall thank you. So fare you well, my little good lord Cardinal. [Exeunt all but Wolsey. Wol. So farewel to the little good you bear me. Farewel, a long farewel to all my greatness! This is the ftate of man; to day he puts forth The tender leaves of hopes, to morrow bloffoms, And bears his blufhing honours thick upon him: The third day comes a froft, a killing froft; And when he thinks, good eafie man, full furely His greatness is a ripening, nips his root; And then he falls, as I do. I have ventur'd, Like little wanton boys, that fwim on bladders, These many summers in a fea of glory:" But far beyond my depth: my high-blown pride At length broke under me; and now has left me, Weary, and old with fervice, to the mercy Of a rude stream, that muft for ever hide me. Vain pomp and glory of this 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 fmile we would aspire to, That sweet afpect of Princes, and our 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 fpirit wonder, Lands and Tenements, Goods and CHATTELS forfeited to the King; and that his Body shall remain in prifon at the King's pleasure. But because it may be objected, that Shakespeare had no Acquaintance with the LawBooks, it will be proper to take notice, that this very Description of the Pramunire is fet out by Holingfhead in his Life of K. Henry VIIIth p. 909. |