Cam. I would your Grace

Would leave your griefs, and take my counsel.

Queen. How, Sir?

Cam. Put your main caufe into the King's pro

tection;

He's loving and moft gracious. 'Twill be much
Both for your honour better, and your caufe;
For if the trial of the law o'er-take you,
You'll part away difgrac'd.

Wal. He tells you rightly.

Queen. Ye tell me what ye with for both, my ruin. Is this your chriftian counsel? Out upon you! Heav'n is above all yet; there fits a judge,

That no King can corrupt.

Cam. Your rage mistakes us.

Queen. The more fhame for you; holy men I thought you,

Upon my foul, two rev'rend Cardinal virtues,
But Cardinal fins, and hollow hearts, I fear you;
Mend 'em for fhame, my Lords. Is this your com-
fort ?

The Cordial that you bring a wretched lady?
A woman loft among you, laugh'd at, fcorn'd?
I will not wish you half my miferies,

I have more charity. But fay, I warn'd ye;
Take heed, take heed, for heav'ns fake, left at once
The burden of my forrows fall upon you.

Wol. Madam; this is a meer distraction;

Ye turn the good we offer into envy.

Queen. Ye turn me into nothing. Wo upon you And all fuch falfe profeffors! would

ye

have me,

If ye have any juftice, any pity,
If ye be any thing but churchmens' habits,

The more frame for you.] If I mistake you, it is by your fault, not mine; for I thought you good. The distress of Cuiba

rine might have kept her from the quibble to which fhe is irrefiftibly tempted by the word Cardinal.

Ff2

Put

Put my fick caufe into his hands that hates me ?
Alas! h'as banish'd me his bed already;
His love, too long ago. I'm old, my Lords;
And all the fellowship I hold now with him
Is only my obedience. What can happen
To me, above this wretchedness? all your ftudies
Make me a curfe, like this!

Cam. Your fears are worfe

Queen. Have I liv'd thus long - let me speak myself, Since virtue finds no friends-a wife, a true one? A woman, I dare fay, without vain-glory, Never yet branded with fufpicion?

Have I, with all my full affections

Still met the King? lov'd him next heav'n? obey'd him?

7

Been, out of fondnefs, fuperftitious to him?

Almost forgot my prayers to content him?
And am I thus rewarded? 'Tis not well, Lords.
Bring me a conftant woman to her husband,
One, that ne'er dream'd a joy beyond his pleasure ;
And to that woman, when fhe has done moft,
Yet will I add an honour; a great patience.

Wol. Madam, you wander from the good we aim at. Queen. My Lord, I dare not make myself fo guilty, To give up willingly that noble title

Your mafter wed me to; nothing but death
Shall e'er divorce my dignities.

Wol. Prav, hear me

Queen. 'Would I had never trod this English earth, Or felt the flatteries that grow upon it!

'Ye've angels' faces, but heav'n knows your hearts. What fhall become of me now! wretched lady! I am the most unhappy woman living.

7

fuperftiticus to him. ] That is, ferved him with fuperfluous attention; done more than was required.

8 Ye've angels' faces.] She may perhaps allude to the old juggle of gli and Angeli.

-Alas!

-Alas! poor wenches, where are now your fortunes?
[To her women.
Ship-wreck'd upon a kingdom, where no pity,
No friends, no hope, no kindred weep for me,
Almoft, no grave allow'd me.
Like the lilly,

That once was miftrefs of the field and flourish'd,
I'll hang my head, and perish.
Wol. If your Grace

Could but be brought to know, our ends are honeft
You'd feel more comfort. Why fhould we good lady,
Upon what caufe, wrong you? alas! our places,
of our profeffion is against it,

The way

We are to cure fuch forrows, not to fow 'em.
For goodness' fake, confider what you do ;
How you may hurt yourself, nay, utterly
Grow from the King's acquaintance by this carriage.
The hearts of Princes kifs obedience,

So much they love it; but to ftubborn spirits,
They fwell and grow as terrible as ftorms.
I know, you have a gentle, noble temper,
A foul as even as a calm; pray, think us

Those we profefs, peace-makers, friends and fervants,
Cam. Madam, you'll find it fo. You wrong your

virtues

With these weak womens' fears. A noble fpirit,
As yours was put into you, ever cafts

Such doubts, as falfe coin, from it. The King loves

you;

Beware, you lofe it not; for us, if you please

To trust us in your business, we are ready
To use our utmoft ftudies in your fervice.

Queen. Do what you will, my Lords; and, pray, forgive me,

If I have us'd myfelf unmannerly.

You know, I am a woman, lacking wit
To make a feemly answer to fuch perfons.
Pray, do my service to his Majefty,

He has my heart yet; and fhall have my pray❜rs,

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While

While I fhall have my life. Come, rev'rend fathers; Beftow your counfels on me. She now begs,

That little thought, when the fet footing here,

She fhould have bought her dignities fo dear. [Exeunt,

SCENE

II.

Antechamber to the King's Apartments.

Enter Duke of Norfolk, Duke of Suffolk, Lord Surrey, and Lord Chamberlain,

Nor. F you will now unite in your complaints,

IF

And force them with a conftancy, the Car-
dinal

Cannot ftand under them. If you omit
The offer of this time, I cannot promise,
But that you shall fuftain more new difgraces,
With these you bear already.

Sur. I am joyful

To meet the leaft occafion that may give me
Remembrance of my father-in-law, the Duke,
To be reveng'd on him.

Suf. Which of the peers

Have uncontemn'd gone by him, ' or at least
Strangely neglected? when did he regard

The

when did be regard The ftamp of nobleness in any perfon

Out of himself?] The expreffion is bad, and the thought falfe. For it fuppofes Wolfey to be noble, which was not fo we fhould read and point,

-when did he regard The ftamp of nobleness in any perfon;

Out OF'T himself? i. e. when did he regard noblenefs

The stamp of nobleness in any person

Out of himself?

Cham. My Lords, you speak your pleasures.
What he deferves of
you and me, I know;
What we can do to him, though now the time
Give way to us, I much fear. If you cannot
Bar his access to the King, never attempt
Any thing on him; for he hath a witchcraft
Over the King in's tongue,

Nor. O, fear him not,

His spell in that is out; the King hath found
Matter against him, that for ever mars

The honey of his language. No, he's fettled,
Not to come off, in his moft high displeasure.
Sur. I fhould be glad to hear fuch news as this
Once every hour.

Nor. Believe it, this is true.

In the Divorce, his contrary proceedings
Are all unfolded; wherein he appears,
As I would with mine enemy.

Sur. How came

His practices to light?

Suf. Moft ftrangely.

Sur. How?

Suf. The Cardinal's letters to the Pope mifcarried,
And came to th' eye o'th'King; wherein was read,
How that the Cardinal did entreat his Holiness
To stay the Judgment o'th' Divorce; for if
It did take place, I do, quoth he, perceive
My King is 'tangled in affection to

A creature of the Queen's, lady Anne Bullen.

nefs of blood in another; having none of his own to value himself upon. WARBURTON,

I do not think this correction proper. The meaning of the prefent reading is ealy. When did he, however careful to carry

his own dignity to its utmoft height, regard any dignity of another.

3 Contrary proceedings.] Private practices oppofite to his publick procedure.

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Sur.