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Hautboys. Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY, attended; and

takes his state.

Wol. You are welcome, my fair guests; that noble

lady,

Or gentleman, that is not freely merry,

Is not my friend. This, to confirm my welcome;
And to you all good health.

Your

grace

[Drinks.

Sands. is noble ;Let me have such a bowl may hold my thanks,

And save me so much talking.

Wol.
My lord Sands,
I am beholden to you; cheer your neighbors.-
Ladies, you are not merry;-Gentlemen,
Whose fault is this?

Sands.

The red wine first must rise

In their fair cheeks, my lord; then we shall have them Talk us to silence.

Anne. You are a merry gamester, my lord Sands. Sands. Yes, if I make my play.'

Here's to your ladyship; and pledge it, madam,

For 'tis to such a thing,

Anne.

You cannot show me.

Sands. I told your grace, they would talk anon.

Wol.

[Drum and trumpets within: chambers2

discharged.

What's that?

[Exit a Servant.

What warlike voice?

Cham. Look out there, some of you.

Wol.

And to what end is this?-Nay, ladies, fear not;
By all the laws of war you are privileged.

Re-enter Servant.

Cham. How now? what is't?

Serv.

A noble troop of strangers;

For so they seem: they have left their barge, and landed;

1 i. e. if I may choose my game.

2 Chambers are short pieces of ordnance.

And hither make, as great ambassadors

From foreign princes.

Wol.

Good lord chamberlain,

Go, give them welcome; you can speak the French

tongue;

And, pray, receive them nobly, and conduct them
Into our presence, where this heaven of beauty
Shall shine at full upon them.-Some attend him.-—
[Exit Chamberlain, attended. All arise,

and tables removed.

You have now a broken banquet; but we'll mend it.
A good digestion to you all; and, once more,
I shower a welcome on you;-Welcome all.

Hautboys. Enter the King, and twelve others, as maskers, habited like Shepherds, with sixteen torchbearers; ushered by the Lord Chamberlain. They pass directly before the Cardinal, and gracefully salute him.

A noble company! What are their pleasures?

Cham. Because they speak no English, thus they prayed

To tell your grace ;-That, having heard by fame
Of this so noble and so fair assembly

This night to meet here, they could do no less,
Out of the great respect they bear to beauty,

But leave their flocks; and under your fair conduct,
Crave leave to view these ladies, and entreat
An hour of revels with them.'

Wol.

Say, lord chamberlain,

They have done my poor house grace; for which I

them

pay

A thousand thanks, and pray them take their pleasures. [Ladies chosen for the dance.

ANNE BULLEN.

The King chooses

K. Hen. The fairest hand I ever touched! O,

beauty,

Till now I never knew thee.

Wol. My lord,

[Music. Dance.

Cham.

Wol.

Your grace?

Pray tell them thus much from me :

There should be one amongst them, by his person,
More worthy this place than myself; to whom,
If I but knew him, with my love and duty

I would surrender it.

Cham.

I will, my lord.

[Cham. goes to the company, and returns.

Wol. What say they?

Cham.

Such a one, they all confess, There is, indeed; which they would have your grace

Find out, and he will take it.

Wol.

Let me see, then.—

[Comes from his state.

By all your good leaves, gentlemen :-Here I'll make
My royal choice.
K. Hen.

You have found him, cardinal:

[Unmasking.

You hold a fair assembly; you do well, lord:
You are a churchman, or, I'll tell you, cardinal,
I should judge now unhappily.1

Wol.

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I am glad,

My lord chamberlain,

Pr'ythee, come hither. What fair lady's that?

Cham. An't please your grace, sir Thomas Bullen's daughter,

The viscount Rochford, one of her highness' women.

K. Hen. By Heaven, she is a dainty one.-Sweetheart,

I were unmannerly to take you out,

And not to kiss you.2-A health, gentlemen;

Let it go round.

Wol. Sir Thomas Lovell, is the banquet ready

I' the privy chamber?

Lov.

Wol.

Yes, my lord.

Your grace,

I fear, with dancing, is a little heated.

1 i. e. waggishly, mischievously.

2 A kiss was anciently the established fee of a lady's partner.

K. Hen. I fear, too much.

Wol.

In the next chamber.

There's fresher air, my lord,

K. Hen. Lead in your ladies, every one.-Sweet partner,

I must not yet forsake you.-Let's be merry :-
Good my lord cardinal, I have half a dozen healths
To drink to these fair ladies, and a measure
To lead them once again; and then let's dream
Who's best in favor.-Let the music knock it.1

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I'll save you

Even to the hall to hear what shall become

Of the great duke of Buckingham.

1 Gent.

That labor, sir. All's now done, but the ceremony

Of bringing back the prisoner.

2 Gent.

1 Gent. Yes, indeed, was I.

2 Gent.

Were you there?

Pray, speak, what has happened?

1 Gent. You may guess quickly what. 2 Gent.

Is he found guilty?

1 Gent. Yes, truly is he, and condemned upon it. 2 Gent. I am sorry for't.

1 Thus in Antonio and Mellida :-
:-

"Fla. Faith, the song will seem to come off hardly.

Catz. Troth, not a whit, if you seem to come off quickly.
Fla. Pert Catzo, knock it, then."

1 Gent.

So are a number more.

2 Gent. But, pray, how passed it?

1 Gent. I'll tell you in a little. The great duke
Came to the bar; where, to his accusations,
He pleaded still, not guilty, and alleged
Many sharp reasons to defeat the law.
The king's attorney, on the contrary,
Urged on the examinations, proofs, confessions
Of divers witnesses; which the duke desired
To have brought, viva voce, to his face :

At which appeared against him, his surveyor;
Sir Gilbert Peck his chancellor; and John Court,
Confessor to him; with that devil-monk,
Hopkins, that made this mischief.

2 Gent.

That fed him with his prophecies ?

1 Gent.

That was he

The same.

All these accused him strongly ; which he fain

Would have flung from him, but, indeed, he could not;
And so his peers, upon this evidence,
Have found him guilty of high treason.

He spoke, and learnedly, for life; but all

Was either pitied in him, or forgotten.

Much

2 Gent. After all this, how did he bear himself?
1 Gent. When he was brought again to the bar,-
to hear

His knell rung out, his judgment,-he was stirred
With such an agony, he sweat extremely,
And something spoke in choler, ill, and hasty ;
But he fell to himself again, and, sweetly,
In all the rest showed a most noble patience.
2 Gent. I do not think he fears death.
1 Gent.

Sure, he does not;

He never was so womanish; the cause
He may a little grieve at.

2 Gent.

Certainly,

'Tis likely,

The cardinal is the end of this.

1 Gent.

By all conjectures. First, Kildare's attainder,
Then deputy of Ireland; who removed,

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