'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake7 That virtue must go through. We must not stint3 Our necessary actions, in the fear

To cope 9 malicious censurers; which ever,
As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow
That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
By sick interpreters, once 10 weak ones, is
Not ours, or not allow'd11; what worst, as oft,
Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up

For our best act. If we shall stand still,
In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
We should take root here where we sit, or sit
State statues only.

K. Hen.

Things done well,

And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;
Things done without example, in their issue
Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent
Of this commission? I believe, not any.
We must not rend our subjects from our laws,
And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each?
A trembling contribution! Why, we take,

From every tree, lop, bark, and part o' the timber;
And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd,
The air will drink the sap. Το every county,
Where this is question'd, send our letters, with

7 Thicket of thorns.

To stint is to stop or retard. Vide Romeo and Juliet, Act i. Sc. 3.

9 i. e. to engage with, to encounter. Thus in As You Like It:

'I love to cope him in these sullen fits.'

10 Once is not unfrequently used for sometime, or at one time or other. Thus Drayton in his Thirteenth Idea:

'This diamond shall once consume to dust.'

And in The Merry Wives of Windsor: I pray thee once tonight give my sweet Nan this ring.'

11 i. e. approved. Vide vol. i. p. 223.

Free pardon to each man that has denied
The force of this commission; Pray, look to't;
I put it to your care.

Wol.

A word with you.

[To the Secretary.

Let there be letters writ to every shire,

Of the king's grace and pardon. The griev'd commons
Hardly conceive of me; let it be nois'd,

That, through our intercession, this revokement
And pardon comes: I shall anon advise you
Further in the proceeding.

Enter Surveyor 12,

[Exit Secretary.

Q. Kath. I am sorry, that the duke of Buckingham Is run in your displeasure.

K. Hen. It grieves many : The gentleman is learn'd, and a most rare speaker 13, To nature none more bound; his training such, That he may furnish and instruct great teachers, And never seek for aid out of himself 14.

Yet see

When these so noble benefits shall prove

Not well dispos'd 15, the mind growing once corrupt, They turn to vicious forms, ten times more ugly Than ever they were fair. This man so cómplete, Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we, Almost with ravish'd list'ning, could not find

12 Holinshed says that this surveyor's name was Charles Knyvet.

13 It appears from the prologue to the Romance of the Knight of the Swanne, that it was translated from the French at the request of this unfortunate nobleman. Copland, the printer, says Helyas the Knight of the Swanne, from whom lineally is descended my said lord.' The duke was executed on Friday the 17th of May, 1521. The book has no date.

14 i. e. beyond the treasures of his own mind.

15 Great gifts of nature and education not joined with good dispositions.

His hour of speech a minute; he, my lady,
Hath into monstrous habits put the graces
That once were his, and is become as black
As if besmear'd in hell. Sit by us; you shall hear
(This was his gentleman in trust) of him
Things to strike honour sad.-Bid him recount
The fore-recited practices; whereof

We cannot feel too little, hear too much.

Wol. Stand forth; and with bold spirit relate what

you,

Most like a careful subject, have collected
Out of the Duke of Buckingham.

K. Hen.

Speak freely.

Surv. First, it was usual with him, every day
It would infect his speech, That if the king
Should without issue die, he'd carry 16 it so
To make the sceptre his: These very words
I have heard him utter to his son-in-law,
Lord Aberga'ny; to whom by oath he menac'd
Revenge upon the cardinal.

Wol.

Please your highness, note This dangerous conception in this point. Not friended by his wish, to your high person His will is most malignant; and it stretches Beyond you, to your friends.

Q. Kath.

Deliver all with charity.

K. Hen.

My learn'd lord cardinal,

Speak on:

How grounded he his title to the crown,

Upon our fail? to this point hast thou heard him

At any time speak aught?

Surv.

He was brought to this

By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.
K. Hen. What was that Hopkins?

16 Conduct, manage.

Surv. Not long before your highness sped to
France,

The duke being at the Rose17, within the parish
Saint Lawrence Poultney, did of me demand
What was the speech amongst the Londoners
Concerning the French journey: I replied,
Men fear'd, 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 seal 18
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,

17 This house was purchased about the year 1561, by Richard Hill, sometime master of the merchant tailors' company, and is now the merchant tailors' school, in Suffolk Lane.

18 The old copy has commission's seal.' The emendation is Theobald's, and is warranted as well by the context as by a passage in Holinshed.

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 deceiv'd; and that 'twas dang'rous

for him

To ruminate on this so far, until

It forg'd him some design, which, being believ'd,
It was much like to do: He answer'd, Tush!
It can do me no damage: adding further,
That, had the king in his last sickness fail'd,
The cardinal's and Sir Thomas Lovell's heads
Should have gone off.

K. Hen.

Ha! what, so rank 19? Ah, ha!
-Canst thou say

There's mischief in this man:

After your highness had reprov'd the duke

About Sir William Blomer 20,

K. Hen.

I remember,

Of such a time:-Being my servant sworn,
The duke retain'd 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 play'd The part my father meant to act upon

19 Rank weeds are weeds grown up to great height and strength. What (says the king), was he advanced to this pitch ?'

20 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.