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CHAM. HOW now? what is 't?

SERV.

Re-enter Servant.

A noble troop of strangers;

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

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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. directly before the CARDINAL, and gracefully salute him.

A noble company! what are their pleasures?

CHAM. Because they speak no English, thus they pray'd
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 pay them
A thousand thanks, and pray them take their pleasures.
[Ladies chosen for the dance.

K. HEN. The fairest hand I ever touch'd!

Till now I never knew thee.

WOL. My lord.

CHAM.

WOL.

They pass

The KING chooses ANNE BULLEN. O, beauty,

[Music. Dance.

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.

[Chamberlain 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.

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

K. HEN.

Let me see then.

[Comes from his state.

[Unmasking.

You have found him, cardinal :
You hold a fair assembly; you do well, lord:

You are a churchman, or I 'll tell you, cardinal,
I should judge now unhappily.

WOL.

I am glad

Your grace is grown so pleasant.

K. HEN.

My lord chamberlain,

Prithee, 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.-A health, gentlemen,
Let it go round.

WOL. Sir Thomas Lovell, is the banquet ready

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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 favour.-Let the music knock it.

[Exeunt with trumpets.

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That labour, sir. All 's now done, but the ceremony
Of bringing back the prisoner.

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All these accus'd 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. Much
He spoke, and learnedly, for life; but all

Was either pitied in him, or forgotten.

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 stirr'd
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 show'd 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

The cardinal is the end of this.

a This is usually pointed thus:-" Pray, speak, what has happened?" In the original, " to him brought."

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Hate him perniciously, and, o' my conscience,

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.

1 GENT.

Stay there, sir,

And see the noble ruin'd man you speak of. 2 GENT. Let's stand close, and behold him. BUCK.

You that thus far have come to pity me,

All good people,

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,

a There are many similar instances in Shakspere of this construction;-for being here understood;-as in 'The Merchant of Venice:'

"How good a gentleman you sent relief” (to).

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