Anne. You cannot fhew me.

For 'tis to fuch a thing

Sands. I told your Grace, that they would talk anon. [Drum and trumpets, chambers difcharged.

Wol. What's that?

Cham. Look out there, fome of ye.

Wol. What warlike voice,

And to what end is this? nay, ladies, fear not;

By all the laws of war y'are privileged.

Enter a Servant.

Cham. How now, what is't?

Serv. A noble troop of strangers,

For fo they seem, have left their barge and landed
And hither make, as great ambassadors

From foreign Princes.

Wol. Good Lord Chamberlain,

Go, give 'em welcome; you can speak the French tongue
And, pray, receive 'em nobly, and conduct 'em
Into our presence, where this heav'n of beauty
Shall shine at full upon them. Some attend him.

[All arife, and tables removed.
You've now a broken banquet, but we'll mend it.
A good digestion to you all; and once more,
I showre a welcome on ye: welcome all.

Hautboys. Enter King and others as Maskers, habited like. Shepherds, ufber'd by the Lord Chamberlain. They pass directly before the Cardinal, and gracefully falute bim.

A noble company! what are their pleasures?

Cham. Because they speak no English, thus they pray'd
To te your Grace, that having heard by fame
Of this fo noble and so fair affembly,

This night to meet here, they could do no lefs,
Out of the great refpect 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 'em.

Wol. Say, Lord Chamberlain,

They've done my poor house grace: for which I pay 'em

A

A thousand thanks, and pray 'em, take their pleafures. [Chufe ladies, King and Anne Bullen.

King. The faireft hand I ever touch'd! O beauty,

Till now I never knew thee.

Wol. My Lord,

Cham. Your Grace;

[Mufick. Dance.

Wol. Pray tell 'em thus much from me:
There should be one amongst 'em by his perfon
More worthy this place than myself, to whom,
If I but knew him, with my love and duty
I would furrender it.

Cham. I will, my Lord.

Wol. What fay they?

Cham. Such a one, they all confefs,

[Whisper.

There is, indeed; which they would have your Grace

Find out, and he will take it.

Wol. Let me fee then:

By all your good leaves, gentlemen, here I'll make
My royal choice.

King. You've found him, Cardinal:

You hold a fair affembly: you do well, Lord.
You are a churchman, or, I'll tell you Cardinal,
I fhould judge now unhappily.

Wol. I'm glad,

Your Grace is grown fo pleasant,

King. 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.

King. By heaven, fhe's a dainty one: fweet heart,

I were unmannerly to take you out,

[To Anne Bullen.

And not to kifs you. A health, gentlemen,

Let it go round.

Wol. Sir Thomas Lovell, is the banquet ready

I'th' privy chamber?

Lov. Yes, my Lord.

Wel. Your Grace,

I fear, with dancing is a little heated,

King. I fear too much.

Wol.

Wol. There's fresher air, my lord,

In the next chamber.

King. Lead in your ladies every one sweet partner, I must not yet forfake you; let's be merry.

Good my lord Cardinal, I have half a dozen healths
To drink to thefe fair ladies, and a measure

To lead them once again; and then let's dream
Who's best in favour. Let the mufick knock it.

[Exeunt with Trumpets.

ACT II.

SCENE, a Street.

Enter two Gentlemen at feveral Doors.

I GENTLEMAN.

HITHER away fo faft?

WHITH

2 Gen. O Sir, God fave ye :

Ev'n to the hall, to hear what fhall become

Of the great Duke of Buckingham.

1 Gen. I'll fave you

That labour, Sir. All's now done, but the Ceremony Of bringing back the pris'ner.

2 Gen. Were you there?

1 Gen. Yes, indeed, was I.

2 Gen. Pray, fpeak, what has happen'd? 1 Gen. You may guefs quickly, what.

2 Gen. Is he found guilty?

1 Gen. Yes, truly is he, and condemn'd upon't. 2 Gen. I'm forry for't.

1 Gen. So are a number more.

2 Gen. But, pray, how pafs'd it?

1 Gen. I'll tell you in a little. The great Duke Came to the Bar; where, to his Accufations

He pleaded ftill not guilty; and alledg'd

Many

Many fharp reafons to defeat the law.
The King's Attorney, on the contrary,
Urg'd on examinations, proofs, confeffions.
Of divers witneffes, which the Duke defir'd..
To have brought vivê voce to his Face;
At which appear'd against him, his furveyor,
Sir Gilbert Pecke his chancellor, and John Court
Confeffor to him, with that devil-Monk
Hopkins, that made this mischief.

2 Gen. That was he,

That fed him with his prophecies.

I Gen. The fame.

All these accus'd him ftrongly, which he fain
Would have flung from him; but, indeed, he could not :
And fo his Peers upon this evidence

Have found him guilty of high treafon. Much
He fpoke, and learnedly for life; but all
Was either pitied in him, or forgotten.

2 Gen. After all this, how did he bear himself? 1 Gen. When he was brought again to th' bar, to hear His knell rung out, his Judgment, he was ftirr'd With fuch an agony, he fweat extremely; And fomething fpoke in choler, ill and hafty; But he fell to himfelf again, and fweetly In all the reft fhew'd a moft noble patience. 2 Gen. I do not think, he fears death. 1 Gen. Sure, he does not,

T

He never was fo womanish;. the caufe
He may a little grieve at.

2 Gen. Certainly,

The Cardinal is the end of this.

1 Gen. 'Tis likely,

By all conjectures: firft, Kildare's attainder,

Then Deputy of Ireland; who remov'd,

Earl Surrey was fent thither, and in hafte too,
Left he should help his father..

2 Gen. That trick of state.

Was a deep, envious one.

1 Gen. At his return,

No doubt, he will requite it; this is noted,

And,

And, gen'rally, who ever the King favours,
The Cardinal inftantly will find employment for,
And far enough from court too.

2 Gen. All the commons

Hate him perniciously and, o' my confcience,
With him ten fathom deep: this Duke as much
They love and doát on, call him bounteous Buckinghams
The Mirror of all courtefie.

Enter Buckingham from his Arraignment, (Tipfaves before him, the Axe with the edge toward him. Halberds on each fide) accompanied with Sir Thomas Lovell, Sir Nicholas Vaux, Sir William Sands, and common People, &c.

1 Gen. Stay there, Sir,

And fee the noble ruin'd Man you speak of.

2 Gen Let's ftånd clofe and behold him.
Buck: All good People,

You that thus far have come to pitŷ me,
Hear what I fay, and then go home and lofe me:
I have this day receiv'd a traitor's judgment,

And by that name muft die; yet, heav'n bear witnefs,
And if I have a confcience, let it fink me

Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful.
To th' law I bear no malice for my death,
'T has done, upon the Premifes, but Justice:
But thofe that fought it, I could wifh more Chriftians 3
Be what they will, I heartily forgive 'em;

Yet let 'em look, they glory not in mischief;
Nor build their evils on the graves of great mens
For then, my guiltless blood must cry against 'em.
For further life in this world I ne'er hope,

Nor will I fue, although the King have mercies

More than I dare make faults. You few that lov'd me,
And dare be bold to weep for Buckingham,

His noble friends and fellows, whom to leave
Is only bitter to him, only dying;

Go with me, like good Angels, to my end:
And as the long divorce of steel falls on me,
Make of your prayers one fweet facrifice,

And