Lovell,I as free forgive you As I would be forgiven.I forgive all.There cannot be those numberless offences 'Gainst me that I cannot take peace with.No black envy Shall mark my grave.Commend me to his Grace;And if he speak of Buckingham,pray tell him You met him half in heaven.My vows and prayers Yet are the King's,and,till my soul forsake,Shall cry for blessings on him.May he live Longer than I have time to tell his years;Ever belov'd and loving may his rule be;And when old Time shall lead him to his end,Goodness and he fill up one monument!LOVELL.To th'water side I must conduct your Grace;Then give my charge up to Sir Nicholas Vaux,Who undertakes you to your end.VAUX.Prepare there;The Duke is coming;see the barge be ready;And fit it with such furniture as suits The greatness of his person.BUCKINGHAM.Nay,Sir Nicholas,Let it alone;my state now will but mock me.When I came hither I was Lord High Constable And Duke of Buckingham;now,poor Edward Bohun.Yet I am richer than my base accusers That never knew what truth meant;I now seal it;And with that blood will make 'em one day groan for't.My noble father,Henry of Buckingham,Who first rais'd head against usurping Richard,Flying for succour to his servant Banister,Being distress'd,was by that wretch betray'd And without trial fell;God's peace be with him!Henry the Seventh succeeding,truly pitying My father's loss,like a most royal prince,Restor'd me to my honours,and out of ruins Made my name once more noble.Now his son,Henry the Eighth,life,honour,name,and all That made me happy,at one stroke has taken For ever from the world.I had my trial,And must needs say a noble one;which makes me A little happier than my wretched father;Yet thus far we are one in fortunes:both Fell by our servants,by those men we lov'd most-
-A most unnatural and faithless service.Heaven has an end in all.Yet,you that hear me,This from a dying man receive as certain:Where you are liberal of your loves and counsels,Be sure you be not loose;for those you make friends And give your hearts to,when they once perceive The least rub in your fortunes,fall away Like water from ye,never found again But where they mean to sink ye.All good people,Pray for me!I must now forsake ye;the last hour Of my long weary life is come upon me.Farewell;And when you would say something that is sad,Speak how I fell.I have done;and God forgive me!Exeunt BUCKINGHAM and train FIRST GENTLEMAN.O,this is full of pity!Sir,it calls,I fear,too many curses on their heads That were the authors.SECOND GENTLEMAN.If the Duke be guiltless,'Tis full of woe;yet I can give you inkling Of an ensuing evil,if it fall,Greater than this.FIRST GENTLEMAN.Good angels keep it from us!What may it be?You do not doubt my faith,sir?SECOND GENTLEMAN.This secret is so weighty,'twill require A strong faith to conceal it.FIRST GENTLEMAN.Let me have it;I do not talk much.SECOND GENTLEMAN.I am confident.You shall,sir.Did you not of late days hear A buzzing of a separation Between the King and Katharine?FIRST GENTLEMAN.Yes,but it held not;For when the King once heard it,out of anger He sent command to the Lord Mayor straight To stop the rumour and allay those tongues That durst disperse it.SECOND GENTLEMAN.But that slander,sir,Is found a truth now;for it grows again Fresher than e'er it was,and held for certain The King will venture at it.Either the Cardinal Or some about him near have,out of malice To the good Queen,possess'd him with a scruple That will undo her.To confirm this too,Cardinal Campeius is arriv'd and lately;As all think,for this business.FIRST GENTLEMAN.'Tis the Cardinal;And merely to revenge him on the Emperor For not bestowing on him at his asking The archbishopric of Toledo,this is purpos'd.SECOND GENTLEMAN.I think you have hit the mark;but is't not cruel That she should feel the smart of this?The Cardinal Will have his will,and she must fall.FIRST GENTLEMAN.'Tis woeful.We are too open here to argue this;Let's think in private more.Exeunt
SCENE 2.London.The palace
Enter the LORD CHAMBERLAIN reading this letter CHAMBERLAIN.'My lord,'The horses your lordship sent for,with all the care had,I saw well chosen,ridden,and furnish'd.They were young and handsome,and of the best breed in the north.When they were ready to set out for London,a man of my Lord Cardinal's,by commission,and main power,took 'em from me,with this reason:his master would be serv'd before a subject,if not before the King;which stopp'd our mouths,sir.'
I fear he will indeed.Well,let him have them.He will have all,I think.
Enter to the LORD CHAMBERLAIN the DUKES OF NORFOLK and SUFFOLK
NORFOLK.Well met,my Lord Chamberlain.CHAMBERLAIN.Good day to both your Graces.SUFFOLK.How is the King employ'd?CHAMBERLAIN.I left him private,Full of sad thoughts and troubles.NORFOLK.What's the cause?CHAMBERLAIN.It seems the marriage with his brother's wife Has crept too near his conscience.SUFFOLK.No,his conscience Has crept too near another lady.NORFOLK.'Tis so;This is the Cardinal's doing;the King-Cardinal,That blind priest,like the eldest son of fortune,Turns what he list.The King will know him one day.SUFFOLK.Pray God he do!He'll never know himself else.NORFOLK.How holily he works in all his business!And with what zeal!For,now he has crack'd the league Between us and the Emperor,the Queen's great nephew,He dives into the King's soul and there scatters Dangers,doubts,wringing of the conscience,Fears,and despairs--and all these for his marriage;And out of all these to restore the King,He counsels a divorce,a loss of her That like a jewel has hung twenty years About his neck,yet never lost her lustre;Of her that loves him with that excellence That angels love good men with;even of her That,when the greatest stroke of fortune falls,Will bless the King--and is not this course pious?CHAMBERLAIN.Heaven keep me from such counsel!'