Thy God's, and truth's; then if thou fall'st, O

Cromwell,

Thou fall'st a blessed martyr.

And,-Pr'ythee, lead me in:

Serve the king;

There take an inventory of all I have,

To the last penny; 'tis the king's: my robe,
And my integrity to heaven, is all

I dare now call mine own. O Cromwell, Cromwell,
Had I but serv'd my God with half the zeal3
I serv'd my king, he would not in mine age
Have left me naked to mine enemies.

Crom. Good sir, have patience.
Wol.

So I have. Farewell

The hopes of court! my hopes in heaven do dwell.

[Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. A Street in Westminster.

Enter Two Gentlemen, meeting.

1 Gent. You are well met once again.

2 Gent.

And so are you.

1 Gent. You come to take your stand here, and

behold

The lady Anne pass from her coronation?

2 Gent. "Tis all my business. At our last encounter,

The duke of Buckingham came from his trial.

5 Had I but serv'd my God, &c.] This sentence was really uttered by Wolsey. But it was a strange sentence for him to utter, who was disgraced for the basest treachery to his King in the affair of the divorce: but it shows how naturally men endeavour to palliate their crimes even to themselves.

1 Gent. Tis very true: but that time offer'd

sorrow;

This, general joy.

2 Gent.

"Tis well: The citizens,

I am sure, have shown at full their royal minds; As, let them have their rights, they are ever forward In celebration of this day with shows,

Pageants, and sights of honour.

1 Gent.

Never greater,

Nor, I'll assure you, better taken, sir.

2 Gent. May I be bold to ask what that contains,

That paper in your hand?

1 Gent.

Yes; 'tis the list

Of those, that claim their offices this day,

By custom of the coronation.

The duke of Suffolk is the first, and claims

To be high steward; next, the duke of Norfolk,
He to be earl marshal: you may read the rest.

2 Gent. I thank you, sir; had I not known those

customs,

I should have been beholden to your paper.
But, I beseech you, what's become of Katharine,
The princess dowager? how goes her business?

1 Gent. That I can tell you too. The archbishop
Of Canterbury, accompanied with other
Learned and reverend fathers of his order,
Held a late court at Dunstable, six miles off
From Ampthill, where the princess lay; to which
She oft was cited by them, but appear'd not:
And, to be short, for not appearance, and
The king's late scruple, by the main assent
Of all these learned men she was divorc'd,
And the late marriage' made of none effect:
Since which, she was removed to Kimbolton,

८

7

this day i. e. such a day as this, a coronation day. the late marriage-] i. e. the marriage lately considered as a valid one.

Where she remains now, sick.

2 Gent.

Alas, good lady!— [Trumpets.

The trumpets sound: stand close, the queen is

coming.

THE ORDER OF THE PROCESSION.

A lively flourish of Trumpets: then, enter 1. Two Judges.

2. Lord Chancellor, with the purse and mace before

him.

3. Choristers singing.

[Musick. 4. Mayor of London bearing the mace. Then Garter, in his coat of arms, and, on his head, a gilt copper crown.

5. Marquis Dorset, bearing a sceptre of gold, on his head a demi-coronal of gold. With him,

the Earl of Surrey, bearing the rod of silver with the dove, crowned with an earl's coronet. Collars of SS.

6. Duke of Suffolk, in his robe of estate, his coronet on his head, bearing a long white wand, as high-steward. With him, the Duke of Norfolk, with the rod of marshalship, a coronet on his head. Collars of SS.

7. A canopy borne by four of the Cinque-ports; under it, the Queen in her robe; in her hair richly adorned with pearl, crowned. On cach side of her, the Bishops of London and Winchester.

8. The old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronal of gold, wrought with flowers, bearing the Queen's train.

9. Certain Ladies or Countesses, with plain circlets of gold without flowers.

2 Gent. A royal train, believe me.-These I

know ;

Who's that, that bears the scepter?

1 Gent.

Marquis Dorset : And that the earl of Surrey, with the rod.

2 Gent. A bold brave gentleman: And that should

be

The duke of Suffolk.

1 Gent.

"Tis the same; high-steward.

2 Gent. And that my lord of Norfolk?

1 Gent.

2 Gent.

Yes.

Heaven bless thee!

[Looking on the Queen.

Thou hast the sweetest face I ever look'd on.

Sir, as I have a soul, she is an angel;

Our king has all the Indies in his arms,

And more, and richer, when he strains that lady :
I cannot blame his conscience.

1 Gent.

They, that bear

The cloth of honour over her, are four barons

Of the Cinque-ports.

2 Gent. Those men are happy; and so are all, are near her.

I take it, she that carries up the train,

Is that old noble lady, duchess of Norfolk.

1 Gent. It is; and all the rest are countesses. 2 Gent. Their coronets say so. These are stars, indeed;

And, sometimes, falling ones.

1 Gent.

No more of that. [Exit Procession, with a great flourish of Trumpets.

Enter a third Gentleman.

God save you, sir! Where have you been broiling? 3 Gent. Among the crowd i'the abbey; where a

Could not be wedg'd in more; and I am stifled
With the mere rankness of their joy.

3 Gent. As well as I am able. The rich stream Of lords, and ladies, having brought the queen To a prepar'd place in the choir, fell off

A distance from her; while her grace sat down
To rest a while, some half an hour, or so,
In a rich chair of state, opposing freely
The beauty of her person to the people.
Believe me, sir, she is the goodliest woman
That ever lay by man: which when the people
Had the full view of, such a noise arose
As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest,
As loud, and to as many tunes: hats, cloaks,
(Doublets, I think,) flew up; and had their faces
Been loose, this day they had been lost.
I never saw before. Great-bellied women,
That had not half a week to go, like rams
In the old time of war, would shake the press,
And make them reel before them. No man living
Could say, This is my wife, there; all were woven
So strangely in one piece.

2 Gent.

Such joy

But, 'pray, what follow'd? 3 Gent. At length her grace rose, and with mo

dest paces

Came to the altar: where she kneel'd, and, saint-like, Cast her fair eyes to heaven, and pray'd devoutly. Then rose again, and bow'd her to the people : When by the archbishop of Canterbury

like rams-] That is, like battering rams.