I

Come no more to make you laugh; Things now,
That bear a Weighty, and a Serious Brow,
Sad, high, and working, full of State and Woe;
Such noble Scenes, as draw the Eye to flow,
We now prefent. Thofe that can Pity, here
May, if they think it well, let fall a Tear,
The Subject will deferve it. Such as give
Their Mony out of hope they may believe,
May here find Truth too. Those that come to fee
Only a show or two, and fo agree,

The Play may pafs: If they be still, and willing,
I'll undertake may fee away their Shilling
Richly in two fort Hours. Only they
That come to hear a merry, bawdy Play,
A noife of Targets: Or to fee a Fellow

In a long Motley Coat, guarded with Yellow,
Will be deceiv'd: For, gentle Hearers, know
To rank our chofen Truth with fuch a show
As Fool, and Fight is, befide forfeiting
Our own Brains, and the Opinion that we bring
That make that only true, we now intend,
Will leave us never an understanding Friend.
Therefore, for Goodness fake, and as you are known
The first and happiest Hearers of the Town,
Be fad, as we would make ye. Think ye fee
The very Perfons of our noble Story,

As they were Living': Think you fee them Great,
And follow'd with the general Throng, and sweat
Of thousand Friends; then, in a moment, fee
How foon this Mightiness meets Mifery.
And if you can be merry then, I'll say,
A Man may weep upon his Wedding Day.

THE

THE

LIFE

O F

King HENRY VIII.

A CTI SCENEL

Enter the Duke of Norfolk at one Door: At the other, the Duke of Buckingham, and the Lord Abergavenny.

BUCKINGHAM.

OOD morrow, and well met. How have

Since laft we faw y'in France?

Nor. I thank your Grace:

Lye done

Healthful, and ever fince a fresh admirer

Of what I faw there.

Buck. An untimely Ague

Staid me a Prifoner in my Chamber, when
Thofe Sons of Glory, thofe two Lights of Men
Met in the vale of Ardres.

Nor. 'Twixt Guynes and Ardres,

I was then prefent, faw them falute on Horse-back,

Beheld

Beheld them when they lighted, how they clung
In their Embracement, as they grew together;
Which had they,

What four Thron'd ones could have weigh'd
Such a compounded one?

Buck All the whole time

I was my Chamber's Prisoner.
Nor. Then you loft

The view of earthly Glory: Men might fay
'Till this time Pomp was fingle, but now married
To one above it felf. Each following day
Became the next Day's Mafter, 'till the laft
Made former Wonders, its. To day the French,
All Clinquant, all in Gold, like Heathens Gods
Shone down the English; and to morrow, they
Made Britain, India: Every Man that ftood,
Shew'd like a Mine. Their Dwarfish Pages were
As Cherubins, all gilt; the Madams too,
Not us'd to toil, did almoft fweat to bear
The Pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a Painting. Now this Mask
Was cry'd incomparable; and th enfuing night
Made it a Fool, and Beggar. The two Kings
Equal in luftre, were now beft, now worst
As prefence did prefent them; him in Eye,
Sill him in praife; and being prefent both,
'Twas faid they faw but one, and no Difcerner
Durft wag his Tongue in cenfure. When thefe Suns
For fo they phrafe 'em, by their Heralds, challeng'd
The noble Spirits to Arms, they did perform
Beyond thought's compafs, that former fabulous Story
Being now feen poffible enough, got credit
That Bevis was believ'd.

Back. Oh, you go far.

Nor. As I belong to worship, and affe&,
In Honour, Honefty, the tract of ev'ry thing
Would by a good Difcourfer lofe fome life,
Which Actions felf was Tongue to

Buck. All was Royal,

To the difpofing of it nought rebell'd,

Order gave each thing view. The Office did

Diftinctly

Diftin&ly his full Function; who did guide,
I mean who fit the Body and the Limbs
Of this great fport together,

As you guess?

Nor. One certes, that promifes no Element In fuch a Bufinefs.

Buck. I pray you, who, my Lord?

Nor. All this was order'd by the good Difcretion Of the right Reverend Cardinal of York.

Buck. The Devil fpeed him: No Man's Pye is freed
From his ambitious Finger. What had he

To do in thefe fre ce Vanities? I wonder
That fuch a Ketch can with his very Bulk
Take up the Rays o'th' Beneficial Sun,
And keep it from the Earth.

Nor. Surely, Sir,

There's in him ftuff that puts him to thefe Ends:
For being not propt by Anceftry, whofe Grace
Chalks Succeffors their way; nor call'd upon
For high Feats done to the Crown; neither Allied
To eminent Affiftants; but Spider-like

Out of his felf-drawn Web; O! gives us note,
The force of his own merit makes his way,
A Gift that Heaven gives for him, which buys
A place next to the King.

Aber. I cannot tell

What Heav'n hath given him; let fome graver Eye
Pierce into that: but I can fee his Pride

Peep through each part of him; whence has he that,
If not from Hell; the Devil is a Niggard,

Or has given him all before, and he begins
A new Hell in himself.

Buck. Why the Devil,

Upon this French going out, took he upon him,
Without the privity o'th' King, t'appoint
Who fhould attend on him? he makes up the File
Of all the Gentry; for the moft part fuch
To whom as great a Charge as little Honour
He meant to lay upon; and his own Letter
The Honourable Board of Council out
Muft fetch him in, he Papers.

Aber.

Aber. I do know

Kinfmen of mine, three at the leaft, that have
By this fo ficken'd their Eftates, that never
They shall abound, as formerly.

Buck. O many

Have broke their Backs with laying Manors on 'em
For this great Journey. What did this great Vanity
But minifter Communication of

A moft poor Iffue.

Nor. Grievingly, I think,

The Peace between the French and us not values
The Coft that did conclude it.

Buck. Every Man,

After the hideous Storm that follow'd, was
A thing infpir'd, and not confulting, broke
Into a general Prophefie; that this Tempeft,
Dafking the Garment of this Peace, aboaded
The fudden breach on't.

Nor. Which is budded out

For France hath flaw'd the League, and hath attach'd
Our Merchants Goods at Bourdeaux.

Aber. Is it therefore

Th' Ambaffador is filenc'd?

Nor. Marry is❜t.

Aber. A proper Title of Peace, and purchas'd At a fuperfluous rate.

Buck. Why all this bufinefs

Our Reverend Cardinal carried.

Nor. Like it your Grace,

The State takes notice of the private Difference
Betwixt you and the Cardinal. I advise you
(And take it from a Heart that wishes towards your
Honour, and plenteous Safety) that you read
The Cardinal's Malice, and his Potency
Together: To confider further, that

What his high Hatred would affect, wants not
A Minifter in his Power. You know his Nature,
That he's revengeful; and I know, kis Sword
Hath a sharp edge: It's long, and't may be faid,
It reaches far, and where 'twill not extend,
Thither he darts it. Bofom up my Counsel,

You'll