Concerning the French journey: I replied,
Men feared the French would prove perfidious,
To the king's danger. Presently the duke

Said, 'Twas the fear indeed; and that he doubted,
'Twould prove the verity of certain words
Spoke by a holy monk: That oft, says he,
Hath sent to me, wishing me to permit
John de la Court, my chaplain, a choice hour
To hear from him a matter of some moment;
Whom after under the confession's seal1
He solemnly had sworn, that, what he spoke,
My chaplain to no creature living, but

To me, should utter, with demure confidence

This pausingly ensued,—Neither the king, nor his heirs, (Tell you the duke,) shall prosper; bid him strive

To gain the love of the commonalty; the duke

Shall govern England.

Q. Kath.

If I know you well,

You were the duke's surveyor, and lost

your

office

On the complaint o'the tenants. Take good heed
You charge not in your spleen a noble person,
And spoil your nobler soul! I say, take heed;
Yes, heartily beseech you.

K. Hen. Go forward.

Surv.

Let him on :

On my soul, I'll speak but truth.

I told my lord the duke, By the devil's illusions

The monk might be deceived; and that 'twas dangerous for him

To ruminate on this so far, until

It forged him some design, which, being believed,
It was much like to do. He answered, Tush!

It can do me no damage; adding further,
That, had the king in his last sickness failed,
The cardinal's and sir Thomas Lovell's heads
Should have gone off.

K. Hen.

Ha! what, so rank? Ah, ah!
-Canst thou say further?

There's mischief in this man.

1 The old copy has “commission's seal."

Surv. I can, my liege.

K. Hen.

Surv.

Proceed.

Being at Greenwich,

After your highness had reproved the duke
About sir William Blomer,'-

K. Hen.

I remember,

Of such a time :-Being my servant sworn,
The duke retained him his.

-But on; what hence?
Surv. If, quoth he, I for this had been committed,
As, to the Tower, I thought,-I would have played
The part my father meant to act upon

The usurper Richard; who, being at Salisbury, Made suit to come in his presence; which if granted, As he made semblance of his duty, would

Have put his knife into him.2

K. Hen.

A giant traitor!

Wol. Now, madam, may his highness live in freedom, And this man out of prison?

Q. Kath.

God mend all!

K. Hen. There's something more would out of thee; what say'st?

Surv. After the duke his father,―with the knife,He stretched him, and, with one hand on his dagger, Another spread on his breast, mounting his eyes, He did discharge a horrible oath; whose tenor Was,-Were he evil used, he would outgo

His father, by as much as a performance

Does an irresolute purpose.

K. Hen.

There's his period,

To sheath his knife in us. He is attached:

Call him to present trial: if he may

Find mercy in the law, 'tis his; if none,
Let him not seek't of us. By day and night!
He's traitor to the height.

[Exeunt.

1 Sir William Blomer (Holinshed calls him Bulmer) was reprimanded by the king in the Star Chamber, for that, being his sworn servant, he had left the king's service for the duke of Buckingham's.

2 The accuracy of Holinshed, from whom Shakspeare took his account of the accusations and punishment, together with the qualities of the duke of Buckingham, is proved, in the most authentic manner, by a very curious report of his case in East. Term., 13 Hen. VIII., in the year books published by authority, edit. 1597, f. 11, 12.

SCENE III. A Room in the Palace.

Enter the Lord Chamberlain, and LORD SANDS.'

Cham. Is it possible, the spells of France should

New customs,

Though they be never so ridiculous,

Nay, let them be unmanly,-yet are followed.
Cham. As far as I see, all the good our English
Have got by the late voyage, is but merely

A fit or two o' the face; but they are shrewd ones;
For when they hold them, you would swear directly,
Their very noses had been counsellors

To Pepin, or Clotharius, they keep state so.

Sands. They have all new legs, and lame ones; one would take it,

That never saw them pace before, the spavin,

A springhalt reigned among them.

Cham.

Death! my lord,

Their clothes are after such a pagan cut too,

That, sure, they have worn out Christendom. How now? What news, sir Thomas Lovell?

Lov.

Enter SIR THOMAS LOVEll.

'Faith, my lord,

What is't for?

I hear of none, but the new proclamation
That's clapped upon the court gate.

Cham.
Lov. The reformation of our travelled gallants,
That fill the court with quarrels, talk, and tailors.

1 Shakspeare has placed this scene in 1521. Charles earl of Worcester was then lord chamberlain, and continued in the office until his death, in 1526. But Cavendish, from whom this was originally taken, places this event at a later period, when lord Sands himself was chamberlain. Sir William Sands of the Vine, near Basingstoke, Hants, was created a peer in 1524. He succeeded the earl of Worcester as chamberlain. 2 A grimace, an artificial cast of the countenance.

Cham. I am glad 'tis there; now I would pray our

monsieurs

To think an English courtier may be wise,
And never see the Louvre.

Lov.
They must either
(For so run the conditions) leave these remnants
Of fool and feather, that they got in France,
With all their honorable points of ignorance,
Pertaining thereunto, (as fights, and fireworks;
Abusing better men than they can be,

Out of a foreign wisdom,) renouncing clean
The faith they have in tennis, and tall stockings,
Short blistered breeches, and those types of travel,
And understand again like honest men;

Or pack to their old playfellows: there, I take it,
They may, cum privilegio, wear away

The lag end of their lewdness, and be laughed at.
Sands. 'Tis time to give them physic, their diseases
Are grown so catching.

Cham.

What a loss our ladies

Will have of these trim vanities!

Lov.

Ay, marry,

There will be woe indeed, lords; the sly whoresons Have got a speeding trick to lay down ladies;

A French song, and a fiddle, has no fellow.

Sands. The devil fiddle them! I am glad they're going,

(For, sure, there's no converting of them :) now
An honest country lord, as I am, beaten

A long time out of play, may bring his plain-song,
And have an hour of hearing; and, by'r lady,
Held' current music too.

1 The late edition of Mr. Boswell reads hold, noticing that held is the reading of the first folio.

Lov.

Your lordship is a guest too.

Cham.

To the cardinal's;

O, 'tis true;

This night he makes a supper, and a great one,

To many lords and ladies; there will be

The beauty of this kingdom, I'll assure you.

Lov. That churchman bears a bounteous mind indeed, A hand as fruitful as the land that feeds us;

His dews fall every where.

Cham.

No doubt he's noble;

He had a black mouth, that said other of him.

Sands. He may, my lord, he has wherewithal; in him,

Sparing would show a worse sin than ill doctrine :
Men of his way should be most liberal;

They are set here for examples.

Cham. True, they are so; But few now give so great ones. My barge stays; Your lordship shall along.-Come, good sir Thomas, We shall be late else; which I would not be, For I was spoke to, with sir Henry Guildford, This night to be comptrollers.

Sands.

I am your lordship's.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. The Presence Chamber in York Place.

Hautboys. A small table under a state for the Cardinal, a longer table for the guests. Enter, at one door, ANNE BULLEN, and divers Lords, Ladies, and Gentlewomen, as guests; at another door, enter SIR HENRY GUILDFORD.

Guild. Ladies, a general welcome from his grace Salutes ye all. This night he dedicates

To fair content, and you: none here, he hopes,
In all this noble bevy, has brought with her
One care abroad: he would have all as merry

As first-good company, good wine, good welcome,
Can make good people.-O, my lord, you are tardy;