SURV. 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 dangerous

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? Ah-ha!
There's mischief in this man :-canst thou say
further?

SURV. I can, my liege. K. HEN.

SURV.

Proceed.
Being at Greenwich,

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 com-
mitted,

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.

K. HEN.

A giant traitor!

CHAM. Is't possible, the spells of France should juggle

Men into such strange mysteries?
SANDS.

New customs,

Though they be never so ridiculous,
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,
Or springhalt, reign'd among 'em.

CHAM.
Death! my lord,
Their clothes are after such a pagan cut too,†
That, sure, they've worn out christendom.

Enter Sir THOMAS LOVELL.

What news, sir Thomas Lovell? Lov.

How now!

Faith, my lord,

I hear of none, but the new proclamation That's clapp'd upon the court-gate.

CHAM.

What is't for?

Lov. The reformation of our travell'd gallants, That fill the court with quarrels, talk, and tailors. CHAM. I'm glad 't is there: now I would pray our monsieurs

To think an English courtier may be wise,
And never see the Louvre.
Lov.

(*) Old text, 4.

They must either

(1) Old text, too't.

e He's traitor to the height!] Mr. Collier's annotator proposes to read,

"He is a daring traitor to the height."

d A fit or two o' the face ;] A grimace or two.

(For so run the conditions) leave those remnants
Of fool and feather, that they got in France,
With all their honourable points of ignorance
Pertaining thereunto, as fights and fireworks;
Abusing better men than they can be,

Out of a foreign wisdom; renouncing clean
The faith they have in tennis, and tall stockings,
Short blister'd breeches, and those types of travel,
And understand again like honest men ;
Or pack to their old playfellows: there, I take it,
They may, cum privilegio, wear
The lag end of their lewdness, and be laugh'd at.
SANDS. 'Tis time to give 'em physic, their
diseases

Are grown so catching.

CHAM.

*

away

What a loss our ladies Will have of these trim vanities!

Lov. Ay, marry, There will be woe indeed, lords: the sly whoresons Have got a speeding trick to lay down ladies; A French song and a fiddle has no fellow.

SANDS. The devil fiddle 'em! I am glad they are going,

(For, sure, there's no converting of 'em ;) now An honest country lord, as I am, beaten

A long time out of play, may bring his plainsong,

And have an hour of hearing; and, by'r-lady,
Held current music too.

O, my lord, you're tardy; The very thought of this fair company Clapp'd wings to me.

CHAM. You are young, sir Harry Guilford. SANDS. Sir Thomas Lovell, had the cardinal But half my lay-thoughts in him, some of these Should find a running banquet ere they rested, I think, would better please 'em : by my life, They are a sweet society of fair ones.

Lov. O, that your lordship were but now confessor

To one or two of these!

Place you that side; I'll take the charge of this:
His
grace is ent'ring.-Nay, you must not freeze;
Two women plac'd together makes cold weather :-
My lord Sands, you are one will keep 'em waking;
Pray sit between these ladies.
SANDS.

By my faith,

of this piece is disfigured; unless we are to read, "first-good," that is, first-rate, "company," ," of which compound no other example has yet been discovered.

A noble troop of strangers,

For so they seem: they've left their barge, and landed;

And hither make, as great ambassadors
From foreign princes.

WOL.

Good lord chamberlain,

Go, give 'em welcome; you can speak the French

tongue;

And, pray receive 'em nobly, and conduct 'em Into our presence, where this heaven of beauty Shall shine at full upon them.-Some attend him.[Exit Chamberlain, attended. All rise, and tables removed.

You have now a broken banquet; but we'll mend.

it.

A good digestion to you all: and, once more, I shower a welcome on ye-welcome all!

Hautboys. Enter the KING and others, as masquers, habited like shepherds; ushered by the Lord Chamberlain. They pass directly before the CARDINAL, and gracefully salute him.

A noble company! what are their pleasures? CHAM. Because they speak no English, thus they pray'd

To tell your grace ;-That, having heard by fame
Of this so noble and so fair assembly

This night to meet here, they could do no less,
Out of the great respect they bear to beauty,
But leave their flocks; and, under your fair

conduct,

Crave leave to view these ladies, and entreat An hour of revels with 'em.

WOL.

Say, lord chamberlain,

They have done my poor house grace; for which

I pay 'em

A thousand thanks, and pray 'em take their pleasures.

[Ladies chosen for the dance. The KING chooses ANNE BULLEN.

K. HEN. The fairest hand I ever touch'd! O, beauty, Till now I never knew thee!

WOL. My lord,

CHAM.

WOL.

[Music. Dance.

Your grace?

Pray, tell 'em thus much from me:

There should be one amongst 'em, by his person, More worthy this place than myself; to whom,

fire which destroyed the Globe Theatre in 1613. See the Introductory Notice.