1    My life itself, and the best heart of it,
2    Thanks you for this great care: I stood i' the level
3    Of a full-charged confederacy, and give thanks
4    To you that choked it. Let be call'd before us
5    That gentleman of Buckingham's; in person
6    I'll hear him his confessions justify;
7    And point by point the treasons of his master
8    He shall again relate.

9    Nay, we must longer kneel: I am a suitor.

10   Arise, and take place by us: half your suit
11   Never name to us; you have half our power:
12   The other moiety, ere you ask, is given;
13   Repeat your will and take it.

14   Thank your majesty.
15   That you would love yourself, and in that love
16   Not unconsider'd leave your honour, nor
17   The dignity of your office, is the point
18   Of my petition.

19   Lady mine, proceed.

20   I am solicited, not by a few,
21   And those of true condition, that your subjects
22   Are in great grievance: there have been commissions
23   Sent down among 'em, which hath flaw'd the heart
24   Of all their loyalties: wherein, although,
25   My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches
26   Most bitterly on you, as putter on
27   Of these exactions, yet the king our master--
28   Whose honour heaven shield from soil!--even he
29   escapes not
30   Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks
31   The sides of loyalty, and almost appears
32   In loud rebellion.

33   Not almost appears,
34   It doth appear; for, upon these taxations,
35   The clothiers all, not able to maintain
36   The many to them longing, have put off
37   The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who,
38   Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger
39   And lack of other means, in desperate manner
40   Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar,
41   And danger serves among then!

42   Taxation!
43   Wherein? and what taxation? My lord cardinal,
44   You that are blamed for it alike with us,
45   Know you of this taxation?

46   Please you, sir,
47   I know but of a single part, in aught
48   Pertains to the state; and front but in that file
49   Where others tell steps with me.

50   No, my lord,
51   You know no more than others; but you frame
52   Things that are known alike; which are not wholesome
53   To those which would not know them, and yet must
54   Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions,
55   Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are
56   Most pestilent to the bearing; and, to bear 'em,
57   The back is sacrifice to the load. They say
58   They are devised by you; or else you suffer
59   Too hard an exclamation.

60   Still exaction!
61   The nature of it? in what kind, let's know,
62   Is this exaction?

63   I am much too venturous
64   In tempting of your patience; but am bolden'd
65   Under your promised pardon. The subjects' grief
66   Comes through commissions, which compel from each
67   The sixth part of his substance, to be levied
68   Without delay; and the pretence for this
69   Is named, your wars in France: this makes bold mouths:
70   Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze
71   Allegiance in them; their curses now
72   Live where their prayers did: and it's come to pass,
73   This tractable obedience is a slave
74   To each incensed will. I would your highness
75   Would give it quick consideration, for
76   There is no primer business.

77   By my life,
78   This is against our pleasure.

79   And for me,
80   I have no further gone in this than by
81   A single voice; and that not pass'd me but
82   By learned approbation of the judges. If I am
83   Traduced by ignorant tongues, which neither know
84   My faculties nor person, yet will be
85   The chronicles of my doing, let me say
86   'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake
87   That virtue must go through. We must not stint
88   Our necessary actions, in the fear
89   To cope malicious censurers; which ever,
90   As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow
91   That is new-trimm'd, but benefit no further
92   Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
93   By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is
94   Not ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft,
95   Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up
96   For our best act. If we shall stand still,
97   In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
98   We should take root here where we sit, or sit
99   State-statues only.

100  Things done well,
101  And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;
102  Things done without example, in their issue
103  Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent
104  Of this commission? I believe, not any.
105  We must not rend our subjects from our laws,
106  And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each?
107  A trembling contribution! Why, we take
108  From every tree lop, bark, and part o' the timber;
109  And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd,
110  The air will drink the sap. To every county
111  Where this is question'd send our letters, with
112  Free pardon to each man that has denied
113  The force of this commission: pray, look to't;
114  I put it to your care.

115  A word with you.
To the Secretary
116  Let there be letters writ to every shire,
117  Of the king's grace and pardon. The grieved commons
118  Hardly conceive of me; let it be noised
119  That through our intercession this revokement
120  And pardon comes: I shall anon advise you
121  Further in the proceeding.

122  I am sorry that the Duke of Buckingham
123  Is run in your displeasure.

124  It grieves many:
125  The gentleman is learn'd, and a most rare speaker;
126  To nature none more bound; his training such,
127  That he may furnish and instruct great teachers,
128  And never seek for aid out of himself. Yet see,
129  When these so noble benefits shall prove
130  Not well disposed, the mind growing once corrupt,
131  They turn to vicious forms, ten times more ugly
132  Than ever they were fair. This man so complete,
133  Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we,
134  Almost with ravish'd listening, could not find
135  His hour of speech a minute; he, my lady,
136  Hath into monstrous habits put the graces
137  That once were his, and is become as black
138  As if besmear'd in hell. Sit by us; you shall hear--
139  This was his gentleman in trust--of him
140  Things to strike honour sad. Bid him recount
141  The fore-recited practises; whereof
142  We cannot feel too little, hear too much.

143  Stand forth, and with bold spirit relate what you,
144  Most like a careful subject, have collected
145  Out of the Duke of Buckingham.

146  Speak freely.

147  First, it was usual with him, every day
148  It would infect his speech, that if the king
149  Should without issue die, he'll carry it so
150  To make the sceptre his: these very words
151  I've heard him utter to his son-in-law,
152  Lord Abergavenny; to whom by oath he menaced
153  Revenge upon the cardinal.

154  Please your highness, note
155  This dangerous conception in this point.
156  Not friended by by his wish, to your high person
157  His will is most malignant; and it stretches
158  Beyond you, to your friends.

159  My learn'd lord cardinal,
160  Deliver all with charity.

161  Speak on:
162  How grounded he his title to the crown,
163  Upon our fail? to this point hast thou heard him
164  At any time speak aught?

165  He was brought to this
166  By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.

167  What was that Hopkins?

168  Sir, a Chartreux friar,
169  His confessor, who fed him every minute
170  With words of sovereignty.

171  How know'st thou this?

172  Not long before your highness sped to France,
173  The duke being at the Rose, within the parish
174  Saint Lawrence Poultney, did of me demand
175  What was the speech among the Londoners
176  Concerning the French journey: I replied,
177  Men fear'd the French would prove perfidious,
178  To the king's danger. Presently the duke
179  Said, 'twas the fear, indeed; and that he doubted
180  'Twould prove the verity of certain words
181  Spoke by a holy monk; 'that oft,' says he,
182  'Hath sent to me, wishing me to permit
183  John de la Car, my chaplain, a choice hour
184  To hear from him a matter of some moment:
185  Whom after under the confession's seal
186  He solemnly had sworn, that what he spoke
187  My chaplain to no creature living, but
188  To me, should utter, with demure confidence
189  This pausingly ensued: neither the king nor's heirs,
190  Tell you the duke, shall prosper: bid him strive
191  To gain the love o' the commonalty: the duke
192  Shall govern England.'

193  If I know you well,
194  You were the duke's surveyor, and lost your office
195  On the complaint o' the tenants: take good heed
196  You charge not in your spleen a noble person
197  And spoil your nobler soul: I say, take heed;
198  Yes, heartily beseech you.

199  Let him on.
200  Go forward.

201  On my soul, I'll speak but truth.
202  I told my lord the duke, by the devil's illusions
203  The monk might be deceived; and that 'twas dangerous for him
204  To ruminate on this so far, until
205  It forged him some design, which, being believed,
206  It was much like to do: he answer'd, 'Tush,
207  It can do me no damage;' adding further,
208  That, had the king in his last sickness fail'd,
209  The cardinal's and Sir Thomas Lovell's heads
210  Should have gone off.

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

213  I can, my liege.

214  Proceed.

215  Being at Greenwich,
216  After your highness had reproved the duke
217  About Sir William Blomer,--

218  I remember
219  Of such a time: being my sworn servant,
220  The duke retain'd him his. But on; what hence?

221  'If,' quoth he, 'I for this had been committed,
222  As, to the Tower, I thought, I would have play'd
223  The part my father meant to act upon
224  The usurper Richard; who, being at Salisbury,
225  Made suit to come in's presence; which if granted,
226  As he made semblance of his duty, would
227  Have put his knife to him.'

228  A giant traitor!

229  Now, madam, may his highness live in freedom,
230  and this man out of prison?

231  God mend all!

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

233  After 'the duke his father,' with 'the knife,'
234  He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his dagger,
235  Another spread on's breast, mounting his eyes
236  He did discharge a horrible oath; whose tenor
237  Was,--were he evil used, he would outgo
238  His father by as much as a performance
239  Does an irresolute purpose.

240  There's his period,
241  To sheathe his knife in us. He is attach'd;
242  Call him to present trial: if he may
243  Find mercy in the law, 'tis his: if none,
244  Let him not seek 't of us: by day and night,
245  He's traitor to the height.