As they were living; think, you see them great,
And follow'd with the general throng, and sweat,
Of thousand friends; then, in a moment, see
How soon this mightiness meets misery!
And, if you can be merry then, I'll say,
A man may weep upon his wedding-day.

KING HENRY VIII.

ACT I.

SCENE I-London. An antechamber in the Palace. Enter the Duke of Norfolk, at one door; at the other, the Duke of Buckingham, and the Lord Abergavenny.

GOOD

Buckingham.

morrow, and well met. How have you done,

Since last we saw in France?

Nor.

I thank your grace:

Healthful; and ever since a fresh admirer
Of what I saw there.

Buck.

An untimely ague

Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber, when
Those suns of glory, those two lights of men,!
Met in the vale of Arde.

Nor. 'Twixt Guynes and Arde: I was then present, saw them salute on horseback; Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clung In their embracement, as they grew together; Which had they, what four thron'd ones could have weigh'd

Such a compounded one?

Buck.

All the whole time

Then you lost

I was my chamber's prisoner.

Nor.

(1) Henry VIII. and Francis I. king of France.

The view of earthly glory: Men might say,
Till this time, pomp was single; but now married
To one above itself. Each following day
Became the next day's master, till the last
Made former wonders it's: To-day, the French,
All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,
Shone down the English: and, to-morrow, they
Made Britain, India: every man, that stood,
Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
As cherubims, all gilt: the madams too,
Not us'd to toil, did almost sweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a painting: now this mask
Was cry'd incomparable; and the ensuing night
Made it a fool, and beggar. The two kings,
Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst,
As presence did present them; him in eye,
Still him in praise: and, being present both,
'Twas said, they saw but one; and no discerner
Durst wag his tongue in censure.2 When these suns
(For so they phrase them,) by their heralds chal-
leng'd

The noble spirits to arms, they did perform
Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous

story,

Being now seen possible enough, got credit,
That Bevis3 was believ'd.

Buck.

O, you go far.

Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect
In honour honesty, the tract of every thing
Would by a good discourser lose some life,
Which action's self was tongue to. All was royal;
To the disposing of it nought rebell'd;

Order gave each thing view; the office did
Distinctly his full function.

Buck.

(1) Glittering, shining.

Who did guide,

(2) In opinion, which was most noble. (3) Sir Bevis, an old romance.

I

mean, who set the body and the limbs Of this great sport together, as you guess? Nor. One, certes, that promises no element2 In such a business.

Buck.

I pray you, who, my lord? Nor. All this was order'd by the good discretion Of the right reverend cardinal of York.

Buck. The devil speed him! no man's pie is freed From his ambitious finger. What had he To do in these fierce3 vanities? I wonder, That such a keech4 can with his very bulk Take up the rays o'the beneficial sun, And keep it from the earth.

Nor. Surely, sir, There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends :For, being not propp'd by ancestry (whose grace Chalks successors their way,) nor call'd upon For high feats done to the crown; neither allied To eminent assistants, but, spider-like, Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note, The force of his own merit makes his way; A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys A place next to the king.

I cannot tell

Aber. What heaven hath given him, let some graver eye Pierce into that; but I can see his pride

Peep through each part of him: Whence has he that?

If not from hell, the devil is a niggard;

Or has given all before, and he begins
A new hell in himself.

Buck.

Why the devil,

Upon this French going-out, took he upon him,
Without the privity o'the king, to appoint

Who should attend on him? He makes up the files
Of all the gentry; for the most part such
Too, whom as great a charge as little honour

(1) Certainly. Lump of fat.

He meant to lay upon: and his own letter,!
The honourable board of council out,
Must fetch him in he papers.

I do know

Aber.
Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have
By this so sicken'd their estates, that never
They shall abound as formerly.

Buck.

O, many

Have broke their backs with laying manors on them
For this great journey. What did this vanity,
But minister communication of

A most poor
Nor.

The peace

issue?

Grievingly I think,

between the French and us not values

The cost that did conclude it.

Buck.
Every man,
After the hideous storm that follow'd, was
A thing inspir'd: and, not consulting, broke
Into a general prophecy, That this tempest,
Dashing the garment of this peace, aboded
The sudden breach on't.

Nor.

Which is budded out; For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux.

Aber.

The ambassador is silenc'd?

Nor.

Is it therefore

Marry, is't.

Aber. A proper title of a peace; and purchas'd

At a superfluous rate!

Buck.

Our reverend cardinal carried.2

Nor.

Why, all this business

'Like it your grace,

The state takes notice of the private difference
Betwixt you and the cardinal.

I advise you,

(And take it from a heart that wishes towards you Honour and plenteous safety,) that you read

(1) Sets down in his letter without consulting the

council.

(2) Conducted.