You'd 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 cure fuch forrows, not to fow them.
For goodness' fake, confider what you do;
How you may hurt yourself, ay, utterly
Grow from the king's acquaintance, by this car-
riage.

The hearts of princes kifs obedience,

So much they love it; but, to stubborn spirits,
They fwell, and grow as terrible as storms."
I know, you have a gentle, noble temper,
A foul as even as a calm; Pray, think us
Those we profess, peace-makers, friends, and fer-

vants.

CAM. Madam, you'll find it fo. You wrong
your virtues

With these weak women's fears. A noble spirit,
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 trust us in your business, we are ready

To use our utmoft ftudies in your fervice.
2. KATH. Do what ye will, my lords: And, pray,
forgive me,

6 The hearts of princes kifs obedience,

So much they love it; but, to fubborn fpirits,

They fwell, and grow as terrible as ftorms.] It was one of the charges brought against Lord Effex in the year before this play was probably written, by his ungrateful kinfman, Sir Francis Bacon, when that nobleman to the difgrace of humanity was obliged by a junto of his enemies to kneel at the end of the council-table for feveral hours, that in a letter written during his retirement in 1598, to the Lord Keeper, he had faid, "There is no tempeft to the paffionate indignation of a prince." MALONE.

If I have us'd myself unmannerly;"
You know, I am a woman, lacking wit
To make a feemly answer to fuch perfons.
Pray, do my fervice to his majesty:

He has my heart yet; and shall have my prayers,
While I fhall have my life. Come, reverend fathers,
Beftow your counfels on me: fhe now begs,
That little thought, when the fet footing here,
She should have bought her dignities fo dear.
[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Antechamber to the King's Apartment.

Enter the Duke of NORFOLK, the Duke of SUFFOLK, the Earl of SURREY, and the Lord Chamberlain.

8

NOR. If you will now unite in your complaints, And force them with a conftancy, the cardinal Cannot ftand under them: If you omit

The offer of this time, I cannot promife,

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

SUR.

I am joyful
To meet the least occafion, that may give me
Remembrance of my father-in-law, the duke,
To be reveng'd on him.

SUF.

Which of the peers

7 If I have us'd myself unmannerly;] That is, if I have behaved myfelf unmannerly. M. MASON.

And force them-] Force is enforce, urge. JOHNSON.

So, in Measure for Measure:

"That thus can make him bite the law by the nose,
"When he would force it?" STEEVENS.

Have uncontemn'd gone by him, or at least
Strangely neglected?" when did he regard
The ftamp of nobleness in any perfon,
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
Gives way to us,) I much fear. If you cannot
Bar his accefs to the king, never attempt
Any thing on him; for he hath a witchcraft
Over the king in his tongue.

Nor.
O, fear him not;
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 difpleasure.

SUR.

9 -or at leaft

Sir,

Strangely neglected?] Which of the peers has not gone by him contemned or neglected? JOHNSON.

Our author extends to the words, ftrangely neglected, the negative comprehended in the word uncontemn'd. M. MASON.

Uncontemn'd, as I have before obferved in a note on As you like it, must be understood, as if the author had written not contemn'd. See Vol. VI. p. 31, n. 5. MALONE.

2

when did he regard

The ftamp of nobleness in any perfon,

Out of himself?] The expreflion is bad, and the thought falfe. For it fuppofes Wolfey to be noble, which was not fo: we should read and point;

when did he regard

The ftamp of nobleness in any perfon;

Out of 't himself?

i. e. When did he regard noblenefs of blood in another, having none of his own to value himself upon? WARBURTon.

I do not think this correction proper. The meaning of the prefent reading is eafy. When did be, however careful to carry his own dignity to the utmoft height, regard any dignity of another?

JOHNSON.

I should 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 could with mine enemy.

SUR.

His practices to light?

SUF.

SUR.

3

How came

Moft ftrangely.

O, how, how?

SUF. The cardinal's letter to the pope mifcarried,
And came to the eye o'the king: wherein was read,
How that the cardinal did entreat his holiness
To ftay the judgement o' the 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.

SUR.

Believe it.

Will this work?

CHAM. The king in this perceives him, how he

coafts,

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.

3 contrary proceedings-] Private practices oppofite to his publick procedure. JOHNSON.

4 And hedges, his own way.

To hedge, is to creep along by

the hedge: not to take the direct and open path, but to steal covertly through circumvolutions. JOHNSON.

Hedging is by land, what coafting is by fea. M. MASON.

SUF. There's order given for her coronation:
Marry, this is yet but young,' and may be left
To fome ears unrecounted. But, my lords,
She is a gallant creature, and complete

In mind and feature: I perfuade me, from her
Will fall fome bleffing to this land, which fhall
In it be memoriz'd."

SUR.

But, will the king

Digeft this letter of the cardinal's?

The lord forbid!

Nor.

SUF.

Marry, amen!

No, no;

There be more wasps that buz about his nose,
Will make this fting the fooner. Cardinal Campeius
Is ftolen away to Rome; hath ta'en no leave;
Has left the caufe o' the 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.

4 Trace the conjunction !] To trace, is to follow. JOHNSON. So, in Macbeth:

The form of Surrey's wifh has been anticipated by Richmond in King Richard III. fc. ult:

"Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction!" STEEVENS. but young,] The fame phrase occurs again in Romee and Juliet, A&t I. fc. i:

5

"Good morrow, coufin.

Is the day fo young?"

See note on this paffage. STEEVENS.

6 In it be memoriz'd.] To memorize is to make memorable. The word has been already used in Macbeth, A&t I. fc. ii.

STEEVENS.