Wish him ten fathom deep: this duke as much

They love and dote on; call him bounteous Buckingham, The mirror of all courtesy.

Enter BUCKINGHAM from his arraignment; Tipstaves before him; the axe with the edge towards him; halberds on each side; accompanied with SIR THOMAS LOVELL, SIR NICHOLAS VAUX, SIR WILLIAM SANDS, and common people.

And see the noble ruin'd man you speak of.

2 Gent. Let's stand close, and behold him.
Buck.
All good people,

You that thus far have come to pity me,

Hear what I say, and then go home and lose me.

I have this day receiv'd a traitor's judgment,

And by that name must die: Yet, Heaven bear witness,

And if I have a conscience let it sink me,

Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful!

The law I bear no malice for my death,

It has done, upon the premises, but justice:

But those that sought it I could wish more christians :

Be what they will, I heartily forgive them :

Yet let them look they glory not in mischief,
Nor build their evils on the graves of great men ;

For then my guiltless blood must cry against them.
For further life in this world I ne'er hope,

Nor will I sue, 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 sweet sacrifice,

And lift my soul to heaven.-Lead on, o' God's name.
Lov. I do beseech your grace, for charity,

If ever any malice in your heart

Were hid against me, now to forgive me frankly.

Buck. Sir Thomas Lovell, I as free forgive you

As I would be forgiven: I forgive all : There cannot be those numberless offences 'Gainst me that I cannot take

peace with: No black envy shall make my grave.

Commend me to his grace; a

And if he speak of Buckingham, pray tell him,
You met him half in heaven: my vows and prayers
Yet are the king's; and, till my soul forsake,b
Shall cry for blessings on him: May he live
Longer than I have time to tell his years!
Ever belov'd, and loving, may his rule be!
And, when old Time shall lead him to his end,

Goodness and he fill up one monument!

Lov. To the water side I must conduct your grace ; Then give my charge up to sir Nicholas Vaux,

Who undertakes you to your end.

Vaux.

Prepare there,

The duke is coming; see the barge be ready;
And fit it with such furniture as suits

The greatness of his person.

Buck.

Nay, sir Nicholas,

Let it alone; my state now will but mock me.

When I came hither I was lord high constable,

And duke of Buckingham; now, poor Edward Bohun:
Yet I am richer than my base accusers,

That never knew what truth meant: I now seal it;
And with that blood will make them one day groan for 't.
My noble father, Henry of Buckingham,

Who first rais'd head against usurping Richard,
Flying for succour to his servant Banister,

Being distress'd, was by that wretch betray'd,

a These short lines are not introduced without a meaning. With those pauses in the delivery that properly belong to one speaking under such circumstances they add to the pathos. They are ordinarily printed after the uniform metrical fashion of the modern editors.

"'Gainst me I can't take peace with: no black envy

Shall make my grave. Commend me to his grace."

b Rowe here stuck in me—" till my soul forsake me." It is not difficult to see that Shakspere had a different metaphysical notion from that of his editors: the me places the individuality in the body alone.

And without trial fell; God's peace be with him!
Henry the seventh succeeding, truly pitying
My father's loss, like a most royal prince,
Restor❜d me to my honours, and, out of ruins,
Made my name once more noble. Now his son,
Henry the eighth, life, honour, name, and all
That made me happy, at one stroke has taken
For ever from the world. I had my trial,
And, must needs
say, a
noble one; which makes me
A little happier than my wretched father:

Yet thus far we are one in fortunes,-Both
Fell by our servants, by those men we lov’d most;
A most unnatural and faithless service!

Heaven has an end in all: Yet, you that hear me,
This from a dying man receive as certain :

Where you are liberal of your loves and counsels,
Be sure you be not loose; for those you make friends,
And give your hearts to, when they once perceive
The least rub in your fortunes, fall away

Like water from ye, never found again

But where they mean to sink ye. All good people,
Pray for me! I must now forsake ye; the last hour
Of my long weary life is come upon me.

Farewell:

And when you would say something that is sad, Speak how I fell.—I have done; and God forgive me! [Exeunt BUCKINGHAM and Tra'n,

1 Gent. O, this is full of pity!-Sir, it calls,

I fear, too many curses on their heads

That were the authors.

2 Gent.

If the duke be guiltless,

'Tis full of woe: yet I can give you inkling

Of an ensuing evil, if it fall,

Greater than this.

1 Gent.

Good angels keep it from us!

What may it be? You do not doubt my faith, sir?

a What may it be? "where may it be?"

All the modern editors, without any authority, read,

2 Gent. This secret is so weighty, 't will require A strong faith to conceal it.

1 Gent.

I do not talk much.

2 Gent.

Let me have it;

I am confident;

You shall, sir: Did you not of late days hear

A buzzing, of a separation

Between the king and Katharine?

1 Gent.

Yes, but it held not :

For when the king once heard it, out of anger
He sent command to the lord mayor, straight
To stop the rumour, and allay those tongues
That durst disperse it.

2 Gent.

But that slander, sir,

Is found a truth now: for it grows again

Fresher than e'er it was; and held for certain
The king will venture at it. Either the cardinal,
Or some about him near, have, out of malice
To the good queen, possess'd him with a scruple
That will undo her: To confirm this too,

Cardinal Campeius is arriv'd, and lately;

As all think, for this business.

"T is the cardinal;

1 Gent. And merely to revenge him on the emperor,

For not bestowing on him, at his asking,

The archbishopric of Toledo, this is purpos'd.

2 Gent. I think you have hit the mark: But is 't not

cruel

That she should feel the smart of this? The cardinal

Will have his will, and she must fall.

1 Gent.

We are too open here to argue this;
Let's think in private more.

'Tis woful.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.—An Antechamber in the Palace.

Enter the Lord Chamberlain, reading a letter.

Cham.

"My lord,―The horses your lordship sent for, with all the care I had I saw well chosen, ridden, and furnished. They were young and handsome; and of the best

breed in the north. When they were ready to set out for London, a man of my lord cardinal's, by commission, and main power, took 'em from me; with this reason, His master would be served before a subject, if not before the king; which stopped our mouths, sir."

I fear, he will, indeed: Well, let him have them:
He will have all, I think.

Enter the DUKES OF NORFOLK and SUFFOLK.

Nor. Well met, my lord chamberlain."
Cham. Good day to both your graces.
Suf. How is the king employ'd?
Cham.

Full of sad thoughts and troubles.

a

I left him private,

What's the cause?

Nor.
Cham. It seems the marriage with his brother's wife

Has crept too near his conscience.

Suf.

Has crept too near another lady.

No, his conscience

"T is so :

Nor.
This is the cardinal's doing, the king-cardinal:
That blind priest, like the eldest son of fortune,
Turns what he list. The king will know him one day.
Suf. Pray God he do! he 'll never know himself else.
Nor. How holily he works in all his business!

And with what zeal! For now he has crack'd the league
Between us and the emperor, the queen's great nephew :
He dives into the king's soul; and there scatters
Dangers, doubts, wringing of the conscience,

Fears, and despairs, and all these for his marriage :
And out of all these to restore the king,

He counsels a divorce: a loss of her
That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never lost her lustre :
Of her that loves him with that excellence
That angels love good men with; even of her

That when the greatest stroke of fortune falls

Will bless the king: And is not this course pious?

Cham. Heaven keep me from such counsel! 'Tis most

true

a Good" my good lord chamberlain "-has been here thrust into the text.