To nature none more bound; his training such
That he may furnish and instruct great teachers,
And never seek for aid out of himself.
Yet see,

When these so noble benefits shall prove

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

King.

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'll carry it so

To make the sceptre his: these very words
I've heard him utter to his son-in-law,

Lord Abergavenny; to whom by oath he menaced
Revenge upon the cardinal.

Wol.

Please your highness, note

IIO. in, into.

120

130

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.

King.

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.

By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Henton.
King. What was that Henton ?

Surv.

140

He was brought to this

Sir, a Chartreux friar,

How know'st thou this? 150

His confessor; who fed him every minute

With words of sovereignty.

King.
Surv. Not long before your highness sped to
France,

The duke being at the Rose, within the parish
Saint Lawrence Poultney, did of me demand
What was the speech among 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 Car, my chaplain, a choice hour
To hear from him a matter of some moment:
Whom after under the confession's seal

147. Nicholas Henton; Nicholas Hopkins, 'a monk of an house of the Chartreux order beside Bristow [Bristol], called Henton,' Holinshed, iii. 862. The

160

slip is doubtless Shakespeare's.

162. choice, carefully chosen. 164. confession's. Theobald's correction (from Holinshed) of Ff commissions.'

N

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's
heirs,

Tell you the duke, shall prosper: bid him strive
To gain the love o' 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.

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 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.

King.

Ha! what, so rank? Ah ha! There's mischief in this man: canst thou say

further?

Surv. I can, my liege.

170

180

King.

Surv.

Proceed.

Being at Greenwich,

170. To gain the love. So F4. The first three Ff have to the

love.'

After your highness had reproved the duke
About Sir William Bulmer,-

King.

I remember

Of such a time: being my sworn servant,
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

The usurper Richard; who, being at Salisbury, Made suit to come in's presence; which if granted,

As he made semblance of his duty, would

Have put his knife into him.'

King.

A giant traitor!

Wol. Now, madam, may his highness live in

freedom,

And this man out of prison?

Q. Kath.

God mend all!

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

Surv. After the duke his father,' with the 'knife,'

He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his
dagger,

Another spread on 's breast, mounting his eyes,
He did discharge a horrible oath; whose tenour
Was, were he evil used, he would outgo

His father by as much as a performance
Does an irresolute purpose.

190. Sir William Bulmer. Ff Blumer.' Holinshed 'Bulmer. He had offended the king by quitting his service for the duke's.

197. Made suit to come, etc.

190

204

Cf. Rich. III. v. 1. 1, where, however, no allusion is made to the elder Buckingham's alleged design. Holinshed mentions it in both the corresponding passages of his Chronicle (iii. 744 and 864).

King.

To sheathe his knife in us.

There's his period,

He is attach'd;

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.

210

SCENE III. An antechamber in the palace.

Enter the LORD CHAMBERLAIN and LORD SANDS.

Cham. Is 't possible the spells of France should

juggle

Men into such strange mysteries?

Sands.

Though they be never so ridiculous,

New customs,

Nay, let 'em be unmanly, yet are follow'd.

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 'em, 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 'em pace before, the spavin

Sc. 3. By FLETCHER (Sp.). 2. mysteries, fantastic fashions. 7. A fit or two o the face, a grimace or two.

7. shrewd, knowing.

IO. Pepin or Clotharius, ancient French kings (of the

Carlovingian and Merovingian dynasties respectively).

10. keep state so, affect such inordinate pomposity.

12. spavin or springhalt, two diseases in the legs of horses causing lameness.