THEACTORSNAMES。
OLDCROMWELL,aBlack-smithatPutney。
YoungTHOMASCROMWELLhisson。
HODGE,WILL,andTOM,oldCromwell’sservants。
EarlofBEDFORDandhisHost。
DukesofNORFOLKandSUFFOLK。
SirCHRISTOPHERHALES。
CardinalWOLSEY。
SirTHOMASMOOR。
GARDINERBishopofWinchester。
SirRALPHSADLER。
M。BOUSERaMerchant。
BANISTER,abrokenMerchantandhiswife。
BAGOT,acruelcovetousBroker。
FRISKIBALLaFlorentineMerchant。
TheGovernoursoftheENGLISHhouseatANTWERP。
StatesandOfficersofBONONIA。
Good-manSEELYandhiswifeJOAN。
CHORUS。
APOST。
MESSENGERS。
USHERSandSERVANTS。
LIEUTENANTOFTHETOWER。
TWOCITIZENS。
TWOMERCHANTS。
ACTI。SCENEI。Putney。Theentranceofasmith’sshop。
[EnterthreeSmiths,Hodgeandtwoother,oldCromwell’smen。]
HODGE。
Come,masters,Ithinkitbepastfiveaclock;isitnottimewewereatwork:myoldMasterhe’llbestirringanon。
FIRSTSMITH。
Icannottellwhethermyoldmasterwillbestirringorno:butIamsureIcanhardlytakemyafternoon’snap,formyyoungMasterThomas,hekeepssuchaquileinhisstudy,withtheSun,andtheMoon,andthesevenstars,thatIdoverilythinkhe’llreadouthiswife。
HODGE。
Heskillofthestars!there’sgood-manCarofFulhum,hethatcarriedustothestrongAle,wheregoodyTrundellhadhermaidgotwithchild:Oheknowsthestars。He’lltickleyouCharlesWaineinninedegrees。
ThatsamemanwilltellyougoodyTrundellwhenherAleshallmiscarry,onlybythestars。
SECONDSMITH。
Aye,that’sagreatvirtue;indeedIthinkThomasbenobodyincomparisontohim。
FIRSTSMITH。
Well,masters,come,shallwetoourhammers?
HODGE。
Aye,content;firstlet’stakeourmorning’sdraught,andthentoworkroundly。
SECONDSMITH。
Aye,agreed;goin,Hodge。
[Exitomnes。]
ACTI。SCENEII。Thesame。
[EnteryoungCromwell。]
CROMWELL。
Goodmorrow,morn,Idosalutethybrightness。
Thenightseemstedioustomytroubledsoul,WhoseblackobscuritybindsinmymindAthousandsundrycogitations:
AndnowAurora,withalivelydye,Addscomforttomyspiritthatmountsonhigh——
Toohighindeed,mystatebeingsomean。
Mystudy,likeamineralofgold,Makesmyheartproud,whereinmyhopesenrolled;
MybooksisallthewealthIdopossess。
[Herewithintheymustbeatwiththeirhammers。]
AnduntothemIhaveengagedmyheart。
Olearning,howdivinethouseemstome:
Withinwhosearmsisallfelicity。
Peacewithyourhammers!leaveyourknockingthere:
Youdodisturbmystudyandmyrest。
Leaveoff,Isay,youmadmewiththenoise。
[EnterHodgeandthetwoMen。]
HODGE。
Why,hownow,MasterThomas,hownow?Willyounotletusworkforyou?
CROMWELL。
Youfretmyheart,withmakingofthisnoise。
HODGE。
How,fretyourheart?Aye,butThomas,you’llfretyourfather’spurseifyouletusfromworking。
SECONDSMITH。
Aye,thistisforhimtomakehimagentleman。Shallweleaveworkforyourmusing?that’swell,Ifaith;
Butherecomesmyoldmasternow。
[EnterOldCromwell。]
OLDCROMWELL。
Youidleknaves,what,areyouloiteringnow?
Nohammerswalkingandmyworktodo!
What,notaheatamongyourworktoday?
HODGE。
Marry,sir,yoursonThomaswillnotletusworkatall。
OLDCROMWELL。
Why,knave,Isay,haveIthuscarked&car’dAndalltokeeptheelikeagentleman;
Anddostthouletmyservantsattheirwork,Thatsweatforthee,knave,labourthusforthee?
CROMWELL。
Father,theirhammersdooffendmystudy。
OLDCROMWELL。
Outofmydoors,knave,ifthoulikestitnot。
Icryyoumercy!isyourearssofine?
Itellthee,knave,thesegetwhenIdosleep;
IwillnothavemyAnvilstandforthee。
CROMWELL。
There’smoney,father,Iwillpayyourmen。
[Hethrowsmoneyamongthem。]
OLDCROMWELL。
HaveIthusbroughttheeupuntomycost,Inhopethatonedaythouwouldstrelievemyage,Andartthounowsolavishofthycoin,Toscatteritamongtheseidleknaves。
CROMWELL。
Father,bepatient,andcontentyourself。
ThetimewillcomeIshallholdgoldastrash:
AndhereIspeakwithapresagingsoul,Tobuildapalacewherenowthiscottagestands,AsfineasisKingHenry’shouseatSheene。
OLDCROMWELL。
Youbuildahouse!youknave,you’llbeabeggar。
Now,aforeGod,allisbutcastaway,Thatisbestoweduponthisthriftlesslad。
Well,hadIboundhimtosomehonesttrade,Thishadnotbeen,butitwashismother’sdoing,TosendhimtotheUniversity。
How?buildahousewherenowthiscottagestands,AsfairasthatatSheene!——[Aside。]Heshallnothearme。
AgoodboyTom!IcontheethankTom!
WellsaidTom!gramarciesTom!——
Intoyourwork,knaves;hence,yousaucyboy。
[ExitallbutyoungCromwell。]
CROMWELL。
Whyshouldmybirthkeepdownmymountingspirit?
Arenotallcreaturessubjectuntotime:
Totime,whodothabusetheworld,Andfillsitfullofhodge-podgebastardy?
There’slegionsnowofbeggarsontheearth,ThattheiroriginaldidspringfromKings:
AndmanyMonarchsnowwhosefatherswereTheriffe-raffeoftheirage:forTimeandFortuneWearsoutanobletraintobeggary,AndfromthehunghillminionsdoadvanceTostateandmarkinthisadmiringworld。
Thisisbutcourse,whichinthenameofFateIsseenasoftenasitwhirlsabout:
TheRiverThames,thatbyourdoordothpass,Hisfirstbeginningisbutsmallandshallow:
Yetkeepingonhiscourse,growstoasea。
AndlikewiseWolsey,thewonderofourage,Hisbirthasmeanasmine,aButcher’sson,Nowwhowithinthislandagreaterman?
Then,Cromwell,cheertheeup,andtellthysoul,Thatthoumaistlivetoflourishandcontrol。
[EnterOldCromwell。]
OLDCROMWELL。
TomCromwell!what,Tom,Isay!
CROMWELL。
Doyoucall,sir。
OLDCROMWELL。
HereismasterBowsercometoknowifyouhavedispatchedhispetitionfortheLordsofthecounselorno。
CROMWELL。
Father,Ihave;pleaseyoutocallhimin。
OLDCROMWELL。
That’swellsaid,Tom;agoodlad,Tom。
[EnterMasterBowser。]
BOWSER。
Now,MasterCromwell,haveyoudispatchedthispetition?
CROMWELL。
Ihave,sir;hereitis:pleaseyouperuseit。
BOWSER。
Itshallnotneed;we’llreaditaswegobywater:
And,MasterCromwell,IhavemadeamotionMaydoyougood,andifyoulikeofit。
OurSecretaryatAntwerp,sir,isdead,AndtheMerchantstherehathsenttome,Fortoprovideamanfitfortheplace:
NowIdoknownonefitterthanyourself,Ifwithyourlikingitstand,masterCromwell。
CROMWELL。
Withallmyheart,sir,andImuchambound,Inloveanddutyforyourkindnessshown。
OLDCROMWELL。
Bodyofme,Tom,makehaste,leastsomebodygetbetweentheeandhome,Tom。Ithankyou,goodmasterBowser,Ithankyouformyboy;I
thankyoualways,Ithankyoumostheartily,sir。
Ho,acupofBeerthereformasterBowser。
BOWSER。
Itshallnotneed,sir。MasterCromwell,willyougo?
CROMWELL。
Iwillattendyou,sir。
OLDCROMWELL。
Farewell,Tom;Godblessthee,Tom;Godspeedthee,goodTom。
[Exitomnes。]
ACTI。SCENEIII。London。AstreetbeforeFrescobald’shouse。
[EnterBagot,aBroker,solus。]
BAGOT。
Ihopethisdayisfataluntosome,AndbytheirlossmustBagotseektogain。
ThisisthelodgingofmasterFriskiball,AliberalMerchant,andaFlorentine,TowhomBanisterowesathousandpound,AMerchantBanckrout,whoseFatherwasmymaster。
WhatdoIcareforpityorregard?
Heoncewaswealthy,buthenowisfallen,AndthismorninghaveIgothimarrested,AtthesuitofmasterFriskiball,AndbythismeansshallIbesureofcoin,Fordoingthissamegoodtohimunknown:
Andingoodtime,seewherethemerchantcomes。
[EnterFriskiball。]
BAGOT。
GoodmorrowtokindmasterFriskiball。
FRISKIBALL。
Goodmorrowtoyourself,goodmasterBagot,Andwhat’sthenews,youaresoearlystirring:
Itisforgain,Imakenodoubtofthat。
BAGOT。
Itisforthelove,sir,thatIbeartoyou。
WhendidyouseeyourdebtorBanister?
FRISKIBALL。
Ipromiseyou,IhavenotseenthemanThistwomonthsday;hispovertyissuch,AsIdothinkheshamestoseehisfriends。
BAGOT。
Why,then,assureyourselftoseehimstraight,ForatyoursuitIhavearrestedhim,Andheretheywillbewithhimpresently。
FRISKIBALL。
Arresthimatmysuit?youweretoblame。
Iknowtheman’smisfortunetobesuch,Ashe’snotablefortopaythedebt,Andwereitknowntosomehewereundone。
BAGOT。
Thisisyourpitifulhearttothinkitso,ButyouaremuchdeceivedinBanister。
Whysuchashewillbreakforfashionsake,Anduntothosetheyoweathousandpound,Payscarceahundred。O,sir,bewareofhim。
ThemanislewdlygiventoDiceandDrabs,Spendsallhehathinharlots’companies;
Itisnomercyfortopityhim。
Ispeakthetruthofhim,fornothingelse,ButforthekindnessthatIbeartoyou。
FRISKIBALL。
Ifitbeso,hehathdeceivedmemuch,Andtodealstrictlywithsuchaoneashe——
Betterseverethantoomuchlenity。
ButhereisMasterBanisterhimself,Andwithhim,asItake,theofficers。
[EnterBanister,hiswife,andtwoofficers。]
BANISTER。
OmasterFriskiball,youhaveundoneme。
Mystatewaswellnighoverthrownbefore,Nowaltogetherdown-castbyyourmeans。
MISTRESSBANISTER。
OmasterFriskiball,pitymyhusband’scase。
heisamanhathlivedaswellasany,TillenviousfortuneandtheravenousseaDidrob,disrobe,andspoilusofourown。
FRISKIBALL。
MistressBanister,Ienvynotyourhusband,NorwillinglywouldIhaveusedhimthus,ButthatIhearheissolewdlygiven,Hauntswickedcompany,andhathenoughTopayhisdebts,yetwillnotbeknownthereof。
BANISTER。
ThisisthatdamnedBroker,thatsameBagot,WhomIhaveoftenfrommyFrencherfed。
IngratefulVillainfortousemethus!
BAGOT。
WhatIhavesaidtohimisnaughtbuttruth。
MISTRESSBANISTER。
Whatthouhastsaidspringsfromanenviousheart。
ACannibalthatdotheatmenalive!
Buthereuponmyknee,believeme,sir,AndwhatIspeak,sohelpmeGod,istrue:
Wescarcehavemeattofeedourlittlebabes。
MostofourPlateisinthatBroker’shand,Which,hadwemoneytodefrayourdebt,Othink,。wewouldnotbidethatpenury。
Bemerciful,kindmasterFriskiball。
Myhusband,children,andmyselfwilleatButonemealaday,theotherwillWekeepandsellAsparttopaythedebtweowetoyou:
Ifevertearsdidpierceatendermind,Bepitiful,letmesomefavourfind。
BAGOT。
Benotyousomad,sir,tobelievehertears。
FRISKIBALL。
Goto,Iseethouartanenviousman。
GoodmistressBanister,kneelnottome;
Iprayriseup,youshallhaveyourdesire。
Hold;officers,begone,there’sforyourpains。——
Youknowyouowetomeathousandpound:
Here,takemyhand;ifearGodmakeyouable,Andplaceyouinyourformerstateagain,Payme:butifstillyourfortunefrown,UponmyfaithI’llneveraskyoucrown:
Ineveryetdidwrongtomeninthrall,ForGoddothknowwhattomyselfmayfall。
BANISTER。
Thisunexpectedfavour,undeserved,Dothmakemyheartbleedinwardlywithjoy。
Ne’ermayoughtprosperwithmeismyown,IfIforgetthiskindnessyouhaveshown。
MISTRESSBANISTER。
Mychildrenintheirprayers,bothnightandday,Foryourgoodfortuneandsuccessshallpray。
FRISKIBALL。
Ithankyouboth;Ipray,dodinewithme。
Withinthesethreedays,ifGodgivemeleave,IwilltoFlorence,tomynativehome。
Bagot,hold;there’saPortaguetodrink,Althoughyouilldeserveditbyyourmerit。
Givenotsuchcruelscopeuntoyourheart;
Besuretheillyoudowillberequited。
RememberwhatIsay,Bagot;farewell。
Come,MasterBanister;youshallwithme。
Myfareisbutsimple,butwelcomeheartily。
[ExitallbutBagot。]
BAGOT。
Aplaguegowithyou;wouldyouhadeatyourlast!
IsthisthethanksIhaveforallmypains?
Confusionlightuponyouallforme。
Wherehehadwonttogiveascoreofcrowns,DothhenowfoistmewithaPortague?
Well,IwillberevengeduponthisBanister。
I’lltohiscreditors,buyallthedebtsheowes,AsseemingthatIdoitforgoodwill。
Iamsuretohavethemataneasyrate,Andwhentisdone,inchristendomhestaysnot,ButI’llmakehishearttoachewithsorrow:
AndifthatBanisterbecomemydebtor,ByheavenandearthI’llmakehisplaguethegreater。
[ExitBagot。]
ACTII。
[EnterChorus。]
CHORUS。
Now,gentlemen,imaginethatyoungCromwellisInAntwerpledgerfortheEnglishMerchants:
AndBanister,toshunthisBagot’shate,Hearingthathehathgotsomeofhisdebts,IsfledtoAntwerp,withhiswifeandchildren;
WhichBagothearingisgoneafterthem:
Andthithersendshisbillsofdebtbefore,ToberevengedonwretchedBanister。
Whatdothfallout,withpatiencesitandsee,Ajustrequitaloffalsetreachery。
[Exit。]
ACTII。SCENEI。Antwerp。
[Cromwellinhisstudywithbagsofmoneybeforehimcastingofaccount。]
CROMWELL。
Thusfarmyreckoningdothgostraight&even,But,Cromwell,thissameploydingfitsnotthee:
Thymindisaltogethersetontravel,AndnottolivethuscloisteredlikeaNun。
Itisnotthissametrashthatiregard,Experienceisthejewelofmyheart。
[EnteraPost。]
POST。
Ipray,sir,areyoureadytodispatchme?
CROMWELL。
Yes;here’sthosesumsofmoneyyoumustcarry;
YougosofarasFrankford,doyounot?
POST。
Ido,sir。
CROMWELL。
Well,pritheemakeallthehatethoucanst,FortherebecertainEnglishgentlemenAreboundforVenice,andmyhappilywant,Andifthatyoushouldlingerbytheway:
Butinhopethatyou’llmakegoodspeed,There’stwoAngelstobuyyouspursandwands。
POST。
Ithankyou,sir;thiswilladdwingsindeed。
[ExitPost。]
CROMWELL。
GoldisofpowerwouldmakeanEaglespeed。
[EnterMistressBanister。]
Whatgentlewomanisthisthatgrievessomuch?
Itseemsshedothaddressherselftome。
MISTRESSBANISTER。
Godsaveyou,sir,sir;pray,isyournamemasterCromwell?
CROMWELL。
MynameisThomasCromwell,gentlewoman。
MISTRESSBANISTER。
KnowyounotoneBagot,sir,that’scometoAntwerp?
CROMWELL。
No,trustme,Ineversawtheman,ButherearebillsofdebtIhavereceived,AgainstoneBanister,aMerchantfallenintodecay。
MISTRESSBANISTER。
Intodecay,indeed,longofthatwretch。
IamthewifetowoefulBanister:
AndbythatbloodyvillainampursuedFromLondonheretoAntwerp。
Myhusbandheisinthegovernour’shands,AndGodnodoubtwilltrebleblessyourgain。
CROMWELL。
GoodmistressBanister,whatIcan,Iwill,Inanythingthatlieswithinmypower。
MISTRESSBANISTER。
OspeaktoBagot,thatsamewickedwretch,AnAngel’svoicemaymoveadamneddevil。
CROMWELL。
Why,ishecometoAntwerp,asyouhere?
MISTRESSBANISTER。
Iheardhelandedsometwohourssince。
CROMWELL。
Well,mistressBanister,assureyourself。
I’llspeaktoBagotinyourownbehalf,AndwinhimtoallthepitythatIcan。
Meantime,tocomfortyouinyourdistress,ReceivetheseAngelstorelieveyourneed,AndbeassuredthatwhatIcaneffectTodoyougood,nowayIwillneglect。
MISTRESSBANISTER。
ThatmightyGod,thatknowseachmortal’sheart,Keepyoufromtrouble,sorrow,grief,andsmart。
[ExitMistressBanister。]
CROMWELL。
Thanks,courteouswoman,forthyheartyprayer。
Itgrievesmysoultoseehermisery,Butwethatliveundertheworkoffate,Mayhopethebest,yetknowsnottowhatstateOurstarsanddestinieshathusassigned。
Fickleisfortuneandherfaceisblind。
[Exit。]
ACTII。SCENEII。AstreetinAntwerp。
[EnterBagotsolus。]
BAGOT。
Soallgoeswell;itisasIwouldhaveit。
BanisterheiswiththeGovernourAndshortlyshallhaveguivesuponhisheels。
Itgladsmyhearttothinkupontheslave;
Ihopetohavehisbodyrotinprison,Andafterherehiswifetohangherself,Andallhischildrendieforwantoffood。
TheJewelsthatIhavebroughttoAntwerpArerecondtobeworthfivethousandpound,Whichscarcelystoodmeinthreehundrethpound。
Iboughtthemataneasykindofrate;
IcarenotwhichwaytheycamebythemThatsoldthemme,itcomesnotnearmyheart:
Andleastthyshouldbestolen——assuretheyare——
IthoughtitmeettosellthemhereinAntwerp,AndsohaveleftthemintheGovernour’shand,WhooffersmewithintwohundrethpoundOfallmyprice。Butnownomoreofthat:
Imustgoseeandifmybillsbesafe,ThewhichIsenttomasterCromwell,Thatifthewindshouldkeepmeonthesea,HemightarresthimherebeforeIcame:
[EnterCromwell。]
Andingoodtime,seewhereheis。Godsaveyousir。
CROMWELL。
Andyou:praypardonme,Iknowyounot。
BAGOT。
Itmaybeso,sir,butmynameisBagot,Themanthatsenttoyouthebillsofdebt。
CROMWELL。
O,themanthatpursuesBanister。
Herearethebillsofdebtyousenttome:
Asfortheman,youknowbestwhereheis。
Itisreportedyouhaveaflintyheart,Amindthatwillnotstooptoanypity,Aneyethatknowsnothowtoshedatear,Ahandthat’salwaysopenforreward;
But,masterBagot,wouldyouberuledbyme,Youshouldturnallthesetothecontrary。
Yourheartshouldstillhavefeelingofremorse,YourmindaccordingtoyourstatebeliberalTothosethatstandinneedandindistress;
Yourhandtohelpthemthatdostandinwant,Ratherthanwithyourpoisetoholdthemdown;
Foreveryillturnshowyourselfmorekind;
ThusshouldIdo;pardon,Ispeakmymind。
BAGOT。
Aye,sir,youspeaktohearwhatIwouldsay,Butyoumustlive,Iknow,aswellasI:
Iknowthisplacetobeextortion,Andtisnotforamantokeephim,Buthemustlie,cogwithhisdearestfriend,Andasforpity,scornit,hateallconscience。
ButyetIdocommendyourwitinthis,TomakeashowofwhatIhopeyouarenot;
ButIcommendyouandtiswelldone:
Thisistheonlywaytobringyourgain。
CROMWELL。
Mygain!Ihadratherchainmetoanoar,Andlikeaslavetheretoiloutallmylife,BeforeI’dlivesobaseaslaveasthou:
I,likeanhypocrite,tomakeashowOfseemingvirtueandadevilwithin!
No,Bagot,wouldthyconsciencewereasclear:
PoorBanisterne’erhadbeentroubledhere。
BAGOT。
Nay,goodmasterCromwell;benotangry,sir。
Iknowfullwellyouarenosuchman;
ButifyourconsciencewereaswhiteasSnow,Itwillbethoughtthatyouareotherwise。
CROMWELL。
WillitbethoughtthatIamotherwise?
Letthemthatthinksoknowtheyaredeceived。
ShallCromwelllivetohavehisfaithmisconstered?
Antwerp,forallthewealthwithinthyTown,Iwillnotstayherenottwohourslonger。
Asgoodluckserves,myaccountsareallmadeeven;
ThereforeI’llstraightuntothetreasurer。
Bagot,Iknowyou’lltothegovernour;
Commendmetohim,sayIamboundtotravail,ToseethefruitfulpartsofItaly,AndasyoueverboreaChristianmind,LetBanistersomefavourofyoufind。
BAGOT。
Foryoursake,sir,I’llhelphimallIcan——
[Aside。]Tostarvehisheartouterehegetagroat。
So,masterCromwell,doItakemyleave,ForImuststraightuntothegovernour。
[ExitBagot。]
CROMWELL。
Farewell,sir;prayyourememberwhatIsaid。——
No,Cromwell,no;thyheartwasne’ersobase,Tolivebyfalsehoodorbybrokery!
But’tfallesoutwell,Ilittleitrepent;
Hereafter,timeintravelshallbespent。
[EnterHodge,hisfather’sman。]
HODGE。
YoursonThomas,quothyou:IhavebeenThomast!
Ihadthoughtithadbeennosuchmattertoagonebywater:foratPutneyI’llgoyoutoParish-gardenfortwopence,sitasstillasmaybe,withoutanywaggingorjoltinginmyguts,inalittleboattoo:herewewerescarcefourmileinthegreatgreenwater,butI——thinkingtogotomyafternoon’surgings,astwasmymannerathome——butIfeltakindofrisinginmyguts。AtlastoneatheSailorsspyingofme,beagoodcheer,sayshe,setdownthyvictuals,andupwithit,thouhastnothingbutanEelinthybelly。WelltootwentI,tomyvictualswenttheSailors,andthinkingmetobeamanofbetterexperiencethananyintheship,askedmewhatWoodtheshipwasmadeof:theyallsworeItoldthemasrightasifIhadbeenacquaintedwiththeCarpenterthatmadeit。Atlastwegrewnearland,andIgrewvillainoushungry,wenttomybag:thedevilabittherewas。TheSailorshadtickledme;yetIcannotblamethem:itwasapartofkindness,forIinkindnesstoldthemwhatWoodtheshipwasmadeof,andtheyinkindnesseatupmyvictuals,asindeedonegoodturnaskethanother。Well,wouldIcouldfindmymasterThomasinthisDutchTown;hemightputsomeEnglishBeerintomybelly。
CROMWELL。
What,Hodge,myfather’sman?bymyhand,welcome!
Howdothmyfather?what’sthenewsathome?
HODGE。
MasterThomas,OGod,masterThomas,yourhand,gloveandall。Thisistogiveyoutounderstandingthatyourfatherisinhealth,andAliceDowningherehathsentyouaNutmeg,&BessMakewateraraceofGinger;myfellowWill&Tomhathbetweenthemsentyouadozenofpoints,&goodmanTolleoftheGoatapairofmittens;myselfcameinperson:andthisisallthenews。
CROMWELL。
Gramarcy,goodHodge,andthouartwelcometome,Butinasillatimethoucomestasmaybe:
ForIamtravellingintoItaly。
Whatsayestthou,Hodge?wiltthoubearmecompany?
HODGE。
WillIbeartheecompany,Tom?Whattell’stmeofItaly?
wereittothefurthestpartofFlanders,Iwouldgowiththee,Tom。Iamthineinallwealandwoe,thyowntocommand。What,Tom!IhavepassedtherigorouswavesofNeptune’sblasts;Itellyou,Thomas,Ihavebeeninthedangerofthefloods;andwhenIhaveseenBoreasbegintoplaytheRuffinwithus,thenwouldIdownofmykneesandcalluponVulcan。
CROMWELL。
Andwhyuponhim?
HODGE。
Because,asthissamefellowNeptuneisGodoftheSeas,soVulcanisLordovertheSmiths,andtherefore,I,beingaSmith,thoughthisGodheadwouldhavesomecareyetofme。
CROMWELL。
Agoodconceit,buttellme,hastthoudinedyet?
HODGE。
Thomas,tospeakthetruth,notabityetI。
CROMWELL。
Come,gowithme;thoushalthavecheergoodstore。
Andfarewell,Antwerp,ifIcomenomore。
HODGE。
Ifollowthee,sweetTom,Ifollowthee。
[Exitomnes。]
ACTII。SCENEIII。Anotherstreetinthesame。
[EntertheGovernouroftheEnglishhouse,Bagot,Banister,hiswife,andtwoofficers。]
GOVERNOUR。
IsCromwellgonethen,sayyou,masterBagot?
Whatdislike,Ipray?whatwasthecause?
BAGOT。
Totellyoutrue,awildbrainofhisown;
Suchyouthastheycannotseewhentheyarewell:
Heisallbenttotravail,that’shisreason,Anddothnotlovetoeathisbreadathome。
GOVERNOUR。
Well,goodfortunewithhim,ifthemanbegone。
Wehardlyshallfindsuchaoneashe,Tofitourturns;hisdealingsweresohonest。
Butnow,sir,foryourJewelsthatIhave,Whatdoyousay?willyoutakemyprise?
BAGOT。
O,sir,youoffertoomuchunderfoot。
GOVERNOUR。
Tisbuttwohundredpoundbetweenus,man。
What’sthatinpaymentoffivethousandpound?
BAGOT。
Twohundredpound!birlady,sir,tisgreat:
BeforeIgotsomuch,itmademesweat。
GOVERNOUR。
Well,MasterBagot,I’llproferyoufairly。
YouseethisMerchant,masterBanister,Isgoingnowtoprisonatyoursuit。
Hissubstanceallisgone;whatwouldyouhave?
YetinregardIknewthemanofwealth——
Neverdishonestdealing,butsuchmishapsHathfallenonhim,maylightonmeoryou——
Thereistwohundredpoundbetweenus;
Wewilldividethesame:I’llgiveyouone,Onthatconditionyouwillsethimfree:
Hisstateisnothing,thatyouseeyourself,Andwherenaughtis,theKingmustlosehisright。
BAGOT。
Sir,sir,youspeakoutofyourlove,Tisfoolishlove,sir,sure,topityhim:
Therefore,contentyourself;thisismymind:
TodohimgoodIwillnotbateapenny。
BANISTER。
Thisismycomfort:thoughthoudoostnogood,Amightyebbfollowsamightyflood。
MISTRESSBANISTER。
Othoubasewretch,whomwehavefosteredEvenasaSerpentfortopoisonus,IfGoddideverrightawoman’swrong,TothatsameGodIbendandbowmyheart,Tolethisheavywrathfallonthyhead,Bywhommyhopesandjoysarebutchered。
BAGOT。
Alas,fondwoman,Ipraythee,praythyworst;
TheFoxfaresbetterstillwhenheiscurst。
[EnterMasterBowser,aMerchant。]
GOVERNOUR。
MasterBowser!you’rewelcome,sir,fromEngland。
What’sthebestnews?howdothallourfriends?
BOWSER。
Theyareallwellanddocommendthemtoyou:
There’slettersfromyourbrotherandyourson:
Sofairyouwell,sir;Imusttakemyleave。
Myhasteandbusinessdothrequiresuch。
GOVERNOUR。
Beforeyoudine,sir?What,goyououtoftown?
BOWSER。
Aye,faith,unlessIhearsomenewsintown,Imustaway;thereisnoremedy。
GOVERNOUR。
MasterBowser,whatisyourbusiness?mayIknowit?
BOWSER。
Youmay,sir,andsoshallalltheCity。
TheKingoflatehathhadhistreasuryrobbed,Andofthechoicestjewelsthathehad:
Thevalueofthemwassomeseventhousandpound。
Thefellowthatdidstealthesejewels,heishanged,AnddidconfessthatforthreehundredpoundHesoldthemtooneBagotdwellinginLondon:
NowBagot’sfled,and,aswehear,toAntwerp,AndhitheramIcometoseekhimout;
AndtheythatfirstcantellmeofhisnewsShallhaveahundredpoundfortheirreward。
BANISTER。
HowjustisGodtorighttheinnocent。
GOVERNOUR。
MasterBowser,youcomeinhappytime:
HereisthevillainBagotthatyouseek,AndallthosejewelshaveIinmyhands。
Officers,looktohim,holdhimfast。
BAGOT。
Thedeviloughtmeashame,andnowhathpaidit。
BOWSER。
IsthisthatBagot?fellows,bearhimhence。
Wewillnotnowstandforhisreply。
LadehimwithIrons;wewillhavehimtriedInEngland,wherehisvillainiesareknown。
BAGOT。
Mischief,confusion,lightuponyouall!
Ohangme,drownme,letmekillmyself!
Letgomyarms;letmerunquicktohell。
BOWSER。
Away,bearhimaway;stoptheslave’smouth。
[Theycarryhimaway。]
MISTRESSBANISTER。
Thyworksareinfinite,greatGodofheaven。
GOVERNOUR。
IheardthisBagotwasawealthyfellow。
BOWSER。
Hewasindeed,forwhenhisgoodswereseized,OfJewels,coin,andPlatewithinhishouse,Wasfoundthevalueoffivethousandpound;
Hisfurniturefullyworthhalfsomuch,Whichbeingallstrainedfor,fortheKing,HefranklygaveittotheAntwerpmerchants,Andtheyagain,outoftheirbounteousmind,Hathtoabrotheroftheircompany,AmandecayedbyfortuneoftheSeas,GivenBagot’swealth,tosethimupagain,Andkeepitforhim:hisnameisBanister。
GOVERNOUR。
MasterBowser,withthishappynewsYouhaverevivedtwofromthegatesofdeath:
ThisisthatBanister,andthishiswife。
BOWSER。
Sir,Iamgladmyfortuneissogood,Tobringsuchtidingsasmaycomfortyou。
BANISTER。
Youhavegivenlifeuntoamandeemeddead,Forbythesenews,mylifeisnewlybred。
MISTRESSBANISTER。
ThankstomyGod,nexttomySovereignKing,Andlasttoyouthatthesegoodhopesdothbring。
GOVERNOUR。
ThehundredpoundImustreceiveasdueForfindingBagot,Ifreelygivetoyou。
BOWSER。
And,MasterBanister,ifsoyouplease,I’llbearyoucompany,whenyoucrosstheSeas。
BANISTER。
Ifitpleaseyou,sir;mycompanyisbutmean。
Standswithyourliking,I’llwaitonyou。
GOVERNOUR。
Iamgladthatallthingsdoaccordsowell:
Come,MasterBowser,letusintodinner:
And,MistressBanister,bemerry,woman!
Come,aftersorrownowlet’scheeryourspirit;
Knaveshavetheirdue,andyoubutwhatyoumerit。
[Exitomnes。]
ACTIII。SCENEI。TheprincipalbridgeatFlorence。
[EnterCromwellandHodgeintheirshirts,andwithoutHats。]
HODGE。
Callyethisseeingoffashions?Marry,wouldIhadstayedatPutneystill。O,MasterThomas,wearespoiled,wearegone。
CROMWELL。
Contentthee,man,thisisbutfortune。
HODGE。
Fortune;aplagueofthisFortunemakesmegowetshod;
therogueswouldnotleavemeashoetomyfeet。Formyhose,theyscornedthemwiththeirheels;butformyDoubletandHat,OLord,theyembracedme,andunlacedme,andtookawaymyclothes,andsodisgracedme。
CROMWELL。
Well,Hodge,whatremedy?Whatshiftshallwemakenow?
HODGE。
Nay,Iknownot。ForbeggingIamnaught,forstealingworse:
bymytroth,Imustevenfalltomyoldtrade,totheHammerandtheHorseheelsagain:butnowtheworstis,Iamnotacquaintedwiththehumorofthehorsesinthiscountry,whethertheyarenotcoltish,givenmuchtokicking,orno;forwhenI
haveoneleginmyhand,ifheshouldupandlaytotheronmychops,Iweregone:therelayI,therelayHodge。
CROMWELL。
Hodge,Ibelievethoumustworkforusboth。
HODGE。
O,MasterThomas,havenotItoldyouofthis?havenotImanyatimeandoftensaid,Tom,orMasterThomas,learntomakeaHorse-shoe,itwillbeyourownanotherday:thiswasnotregarded。Harkyou,Thomas,whatdoyoucallthefellowsthatrobbedus?
CROMWELL。
TheBandetti。
HODGE。
TheBandetti,doyoucallthem?Iknownotwhattheyarecalledhere,butIamsurewecallthemplainthievesinEngland。O
Thomas,thatwewerenowatPutney,atthealethere。
CROMWELL。
Contentthee,man;heresetupthesetwobills,Andletuskeepourstandingonthebridge:
Thefashionofthiscountryissuch,Ifanystrangerbeoppressedwithwant,Towritethemannerofhismisery,Andsuchasaredisposedtosuccourhim,Willdoit。What,hastthousetthemup?
HODGE。
Aye,they’reup;Godsendsometoreadthem,andnotonlytoreadthem,butalsotolookonus;andnotaltogethertolookonus,[Onestandsatoneend,andoneattother。]
Buttorelieveus。Ocold,cold,cold。
[EnterFriskiball,theMerchant,andreadsthebills。]
FRISKIBALL。
What’shere?twoEnglishmenrobbedbytheBandetti!
Oneofthemseemstobeagentleman。
Tispitythathisfortunewassohard,Tofallintothedesperatehandsofthieves。
I’llquestionhimofwhatestateheis。
Godsaveyou,sir;areyouanEnglishman?
CROMWELL。
Iam,sir,adistressEnglishman。
FRISKIBALL。
Andwhatareyou,myfriend?
HODGE。
Who?I,sir?bymytroth,IdonotknowmyselfwhatIamnow,but,sir,Iwasasmith,sir,apoorFarrierofPutney。That’smymaster,sir,yonder。Iwasrobbedforhissake,sir。
FRISKIBALL。
IseeyouhavebeenmetbytheBandetti,Andthereforeneednotaskhowyoucamethus。
But,Friskiball,whydoostthouquestionthemOftheirestateandnotrelievetheirneed?
Sir,thecoinIhaveaboutmeisnotmuch:
There’ssixteenDucatsfortoclotheyourselves,There’ssixteenmoretobuyyourdietwith,Andthere’ssixteentopayforyourhorsehire:
Tisallthewealth,yousee,mypursepossesses,Butifyoupleasefortoenquiremeout,YoushallnotwantforoughtthatIcando。
MynameisFriskiball,aFlorenceMerchant,Amanthatalwayslovedyournation。
CROMWELL。
Thisunexpectedfavouratyourhands,WhichGoddothknowifeverIshallrequiteit——
Necessitymakesmetotakeyourbounty,Andforyourgoldcanyieldyounaughtbutthanks。
Yourcharityhathhelpedmefromdespair;
Yournameshallstillbeinmyheartyprayer。
FRISKIBALL。
Itisnotworthsuchthanks。Cometomyhouse;
Yourwantshallbetterberelievedthenthus。
CROMWELL。
Ipray,excuseme;thisshallwellsufficeTobearmychargestoBononia,WhereasanobleEarlismuchdistressed:
AnEnglishman,Russell,theEarlofBedford,IsbytheFrenchKingsolduntohisdeath:
Itmayfallout,thatImaydohimgood;
Tosavehislife,I’llhazardmyheartblood。
Therefore,kindsir,thanksforyourliberalgift;
Imustbegonetoaidehim;there’snoshift。
FRISKIBALL。
I’llbenohinderertosogoodanact。
Heavenprosperyouinthatyougoabout!
IfFortunebringyouthiswaybackagain,Prayletmeseeyou:soItakemyleave;
Allgoodamancanwish,Idobequeath。
[ExitFriskiball。]
CROMWELL。
AllgoodthatGoddothsendlightonyourhead;
There’sfewsuchmenwithinourclimatebred。
Howsayyounow,Hodge?isnotthisgoodfortune?
HODGE。
Howsayyou?I’lltellyouwhat,masterThomas;ifallmenbeofthisGentleman’smind,let’skeepourstandingsuponthisBridge:weshallgetmoreherewithbegginginoneday,thanIshallwithmakingHorseshoesinawholeyear。
CROMWELL。
NoHodge,wemustbegoneuntoBononia,TheretorelievethenobleEarlofBedford:
Where,ifIfailnotinmypolicy,Ishalldeceivetheirsubtletreachery。
HODGE。
Nay,I’llfollowyou。GodblessusfromthethievingBandettoesagain。
[Exitomnes。]
ACTIII。SCENEII。Aroominanhotel。
[EnterBedfordandhisHost。]
BEDFORD。
AmIbetrayed?wasBedfordborntodieBysuchbaseslavesinsuchaplaceasthis?
HaveIescapedsomanytimesinFrance,SomanybattleshaveIoverpassed,AndmadetheFrenchstirwhentheyheardmyname;
AndamInowbetrayeduntomydeath?
Someoftheirhearts’bloodfirstshallpayforit。
HOST。
Theydodesire,myLord,tospeakwithyou。
BEDFORD。
Thetraitorsdodesiretohavemyblood,Butbymybirth,myhonour,andmyname,Byallmyhopes,mylifeshallcostthemdear。
Openthedoor;I’llventureoutuponthem,AndifImustdie,thenI’lldiewithhonour。
HOST。
Alas,myLord,thatisadesperatecourse;
Theyhavebegirtyouroundaboutthehouse;
Theirmeaningistotakeyouprisoner,AndsotosendyourbodyuntoFrance。
BEDFORD。
FirstshalltheOceanbeasdryassand,BeforealivetheysendmeuntoFrance:
I’llhavemybodyfirstboredlikeaSieve,AnddieasHector,gainsttheMirmidons,EreFranceshallboastBedford’stheirprisoner。
TreacherousFrance,that,gainstthelawofarms,Hathherebetrayedthyenemytodeath。
Butbeassured,mybloodshallberevengedUponthebestlivesthatremainsinFrance。——
[EnteraServant。]
Standback,orelsethourun’stuponthydeath。
MESSENGER。
Pardon,myLord;Icometotellyourhonour,ThattheyhavehiredaNeopolitan,WhobyhisOratoryhathpromisedthem,Withoutthesheddingofonedropofblood,Intotheirhandssafetodeliveryou,AndthereforecravesnonebuthimselfmayenterAndapoorswainthatattendsonhim。
[Exitservant。]
BEDFORD。
ANeopolitan?bidhimcomein。
WereheascunninginhisEloquenceAsCicero,thefamousmanofRome,Hiswordswouldbeaschaffagainstthewind。
SweettonguedUlyssesthatmadeAjaxmad,Wereheandhistongueinthisspeaker’shead,Alivehewinsmenot;then,tisnoconquestdead。
[EnterCromwelllikeaNeopolitan,andHodgewithhim。]
CROMWELL。
Sir,areyouthemasterofthehouse?
HOST。
Iam,sir。
CROMWELL。
Bythissametokenyoumustleavethisplace,AndleavenonebuttheEarlandItogether,AndthismyPeasantheretotendonus。
HOST。
Withallmyheart。Godgrant,youdosomegood。
[ExitHost。Cromwellshutsthedoor。]
BEDFORD。
Now,sir,what’syouwillwithme?
CROMWELL。
Intendsyourhonournottoyieldyourself?
BEDFORD。
No,goodmangoose,notwhilemysworddothlast。
Isthisyoureloquencefortopersuademe?
CROMWELL。
MyLord,myeloquenceisfortosaveyou。
Iamnot,asyoujudge,aNeopolitan,ButCromwell,yourservant,andanEnglishman。
BEDFORD。
How?Cromwell?notmyFarrier’sson?
CROMWELL。
Thesame,sir,andamcometosuccouryou。
HODGE。
Yes,faith,sir;andIamHodge,yourpoorSmith。
ManyatimeandofthaveIshoedyourDapperGray。
BEDFORD。
Andwhatavailsitmethatthouarthere?
CROMWELL。
Itmayavail,ifyou’llberuledbyme。
MyLord,youknowthemenofMantuaAndtheseBononiansareatdeadlystrife,Andthey,myLord,bothloveandhonouryou。
CouldyoubutgetoutoftheMantuaport,Thenwereyousafedespiteofalltheirforce。
BEDFORD。
Tut,man,thoutalkestofthingsimpossible。
Dostthounotseethatweareroundbeset?
How,then,isitpossibleweshouldescape?
CROMWELL。
Byforcewecannot,butbypolicy。
PutontheapparelherethatHodgedothwear,Andgivehimyours——theStates,theyknowyounot,For,asIthink,theyneversawyourface——
Andatawatch-wordmustIcallthemin,Andwilldesire,thatwesafemaypassToMantua,whereI’llsaymybusinesslies。
HowdothyourHonorlikeofthisdevise?
BEDFORD。
Owondrousgood!Butwiltthouventer,Hodge?
HODGE。
WillI?——
OnobleLord,Idoaccord,InanythingIcan,Anddoagree,tosettheefree,Dofortunewhatshecan。
BEDFORD。
Come,then,let’schangeourapparelstraight。
CROMWELL。
Go,Hodge;makehaste,leasttheychancetocall。
HODGE。
IwarrantyouI’llfithimwithasuit。
[ExitEarl&Hodge。]
CROMWELL。
Heavensgrantthispolicydothtakesuccess,AndthattheEarlmaysafelyscapeaway。
Andyetitgrievesmeforthissimplewretch,Forfeartheyshouldofferhimviolence:
Butoftwoevils,tisbesttoshunthegreatest,Andbetterisitthathelivesinthrall,ThansuchaNobleEarlasheshouldfall。
Theirstubbornhearts,itmaybe,willrelent,Sinceheisgonetowhomtheirhateisbent。——
MyLord,haveyoudispatched?
[EnterBedfordliketheClown,andHodgeinhiscloakandhisHat。]
BEDFORD。
Howdoostthoulikeus,Cromwell?isitwell?
CROMWELL。
O,myLord,excellent:Hodge,howdoostfeelthyself?
HODGE。
HowdoIfeelmyself?why,asaNoblemanshoulddo。
O,howIfeelhonorcomecreepingon!MyNobilityiswonderfulmelancholy:IsitnotmostGentlemenliketobemelancholy?
CROMWELL。
Yes,Hodge;nowgositdowninhisstudy,andtakestateuponthee。
HODGE。
Iwarrantyou,myLord;letmealonetotakestateuponme:butharkyou,myLord,doyoufeelnothingbiteaboutyou?
BEDFORD。
No,trustme,Hodge。
HODGE。
Aye,theyknowtheywanttheirpasture;it’sastrangethingofthisvermine,theydarenotmeddlewithNobility。
CROMWELL。
Go,takethyplace,Hodge;I’llcallthemin。——
[Hodgesitsinthestudy,andCromwellcallsintheStates。]
Allisdone,enterandifyouplease。
[EntertheStatesandOfficers,withHalberts。]
GOVERNOUR。
What,haveyouwonhim?willheyieldhimself?
CROMWELL。
Ihave,an’tpleaseyou,andthequietEarlDothyieldhimselftobedisposedbyyou。
GOVERNOUR。
Givehimthemoneythatwepromisedhim;
Solethimgo,whetheritpleasehimself。
CROMWELL。
Mybusiness,sir,liesuntoMantua,Pleaseyoutogivemesafeconductthether。
GOVERNOUR。
GoandconducthimtotheMantuaPort,Andseehimsafedeliveredpresently。
[ExitCromwellandBedford。]
Godrawthecurtains,letusseetheEarl。——
O,heiswriting;standapartawhile。
HODGE。
FellowWilliam,IamnotasIhavebeen:IwentfromyouaSmith,IwritetoyouasaLord。Iam,atthispresentwriting,amongthePolonianSasiges。
IdocommendmyLordshiptoRaphe&toRoger,toBridget&toDoritie,&sotoalltheyouthofPutney。
GOVERNOUR。
Sure,thesearethenamesofEnglishNoblemen,Someofhisspecialfriends,towhomhewrites:
Butstay,hedothaddresshimselftosing。
[Herehesingsasong。]
MyLord,Iamgladyouaresofrolicandsoblithe:
Believeme,nobleLord,ifyouknewall,You’dchangeyourmerryveintosuddensorrow。
HODGE。
Ichangemymerryvein?no,thouBononian,no。
IamaLord——andthereforeletmego——
AnddodefytheeandthySasigis;
Thereforestandoff,andcomenotnearmyhonor。
GOVERNOUR。
MyLord,thisjestingcannotserveyourturn。
HODGE。
Doostthink,thoublackBononianbeast,ThatIdoflout,dogibe,orjest,No,no,thouBeer-pot,knowthatI,AnobleEarl,aLordpardie——
[ATrumpetsounds。]
GOVERNOUR。
WhatmeansthisTrumpet’ssound?
[EnteraMessenger。]
CITIZEN。
OnecomefromtheStatesofMantua。
GOVERNOUR。
Whatwouldyouwithus?speak,thoumanofMantua。
MESSENGER。
MenofBononia,thismymessageis:
ToletyouknowtheNobleEarlofBedfordIssafewithinthetownofMantua,Andwillsyousendthepeasantthatyouhave,Whohathdeceivedyourexpectation;
OrelsetheStatesofMantuahavevowedTheywillrecallthetrucethattheyhavemade,Andnotamanshallstirfromforthyourtown,Thatshallreturn,unlessyousendhimback。
GOVERNOUR。
Othismisfortune,howitmadsmyheart!
TheNeopolitanhathbeguiledusall。
Hencewiththisfool!whatshallwedowithhim,TheEarlbeinggone?aplagueuponitall。
HODGE。
No,I’llassureyou,IamnoEarl,butasmith,sir;
OneHodge,asmithatPutney,sir;
Onethathathgulledyou,thathathboredyou,sir。
GOVERNOUR。
Awaywithhim!takehencethefoolyoucamefor。
HODGE。
Aye,sir,andI’llleavethegreaterfoolwithyou。
MESSENGER。
Farewell,Bononians。Come,friend,alongwithme。
HODGE。
Myfriend,afore;myLordshipwillfollowthee。
[Exit。]
GOVERNOUR。
Well,Mantua,sincebytheetheEarlislost,WithinfewdaysIhopetoseetheecrossed。
[Exitomnes。]
[EnterChorus。]
CHORUS。
ThusfaryouseehowCromwell’sfortunepassed。
TheEarlofBedford,beingsafeinMantua,DesiresCromwell’scompanyintoFrance,Tomakerequitalforhiscourtesy:
ButCromwelldothdenytheEarlhissuit,Andtellshimthatthosepartshemeanttosee,hehadnotyetsetfootingontheland,AndsodirectlytakeshiswaytoSpain:
TheEarltoFrance,andsotheybothdopart。
Nowletyourthoughts,asswiftasisthewind,Skipsomefewyears,thatCromwellspentintravel,AndnowimaginehimtobeinEngland,ServantuntothemasteroftheRules,Whereinshorttimehetherebegantoflourish。
Anhourshallshowyouwhatfewyearsdidcherish。
[Exit。]
ACTIII。SCENEIII。London。AroominSirChristopherHales’shouse。
[TheMusicplays,theybringoutthebanquet。EnterSirChristopherHales,andCromwell,andtwoservants。]
HALES。
Come,sirs,becarefulofyourmaster’scredit,AndasourbountynowexceedsthefigureOfcommonentertainment:sodoyouWithlooksasfreeasisyourmaster’ssoul,Giveformalwelcometothethrongedtables,ThatshallreceivetheCardinal’sfollowersAndtheattendantsoftheLordChancellor。
Butallmycare,Cromwell,dependsonthee。
Thouartamandifferingfromvulgarform,AndbyhowmuchthyspiritisrankedbovetheseInrulesofArt,bysomuchitshinesbrighterBytravelwhoseobservancepleadshismerit,Inamostlearned,yetunaffectingspirit,GoodCromwell,castaneyeoffairregardBoutallmyhouse,andwhatthisruderflesh,Throughignorance,orwine,domiscreate,Salvethouwithcourtesy:ifwelcomewant,Fullbowlsandamplebanquetswillseemscant。
CROMWELL。
Sir,whatsoeverliesinme,Assureyou,Iwillshewmyutmostduty。
[ExitCromwell。]
HALES。
Aboutit,then;theLordswillstraightbehere。——
Cromwell,thouhastthosepartswouldrathersuitTheserviceofthestate,thanofmyhouse。
Ilookupontheewithalovingeye,Thatonedaywillpreferthydestiny。
[EnterMessenger。]
MESSENGER。
Sir,theLordsbeathand。
HALES。
Theyarewelcome;bidCromwellstraightattendus,Andlookyouallthingsbeinperfectreadiness。
[TheMusicplays。EnterCardinalWolsey,SirThomasMoreandGardiner。]
WOLSEY。
O,sirChristopher,Youaretooliberal。What,abanketto?
HALES。
MyLords,ifwordscouldshowtheamplewelcome,Thatmyfreeheartaffordsyou,IcouldthenBecomeaprater,butInowmustdealLikeafeastPoliticianwithyourLordships;
Deferyourwelcometillthebanketend,Thatitmaythensalveourdefectoffair:
YetWelcomenowandallthattendonyou。
WOLSEY。
ThankstothekindmasteroftheRules。
Comeandsitdown;sitdown,sirThomasMore。
Tisstrange,howthatweandtheSpaniarddiffer。
Theirdinnerisourbanquetafterdinner,Andtheyaremenofactivedisposition。
ThisIgather:thatbytheirsparingmeatTheirbodyismorefitterforthewars,Andifthatfaminechancetopinchtheirmaws,Beingusedtofastitbreedslesspain。
HALES。
FillmesomeWine:I’llanswerCardinalWolsey。
MyLord,weEnglishareofmorefreersoulsThanhungerstarvedandillcomplexionedspaniards。
TheythatarerichinSpainsparebellyfood,TodecktheirbackswithanItalianhood,AndSilksofCivil:AndthepoorestSnake,ThatfeedsonLemons,Pilchers,andnearheatedHispalletwithsweetflesh,willbearacaseMorefatandgallantthanhisstarvedface。
Pride,theInquisition,andthisbellyevil,Are,inmyjudgement,Spain’sthreeheadeddevil。
MORE。
Indeeditisaplagueuntotheirnation,Whostaggerafterinblindimitation。
HALES。
MyLords,withwelcome,IpresentyourLordshipsAsolemnhealth。
MORE。
Ilovehealthwell,butwhenashealthsdobringPaintotheheadandbodiessufeiting,ThenceaseIhealths。——
Nay,spillnot,friend,forthoughthedropsbesmall,Yethavetheyforce,toforcementothewall。
WOLSEY。
SirChristopher,isthatyourman?
HALES。
Andlikeyourgrace;heisaScholarandALingest,onethathathtravelledmanypartsOfChristendom,myLord。
WOLSEY。
Myfriend,comenearer;haveyoubeenatraveller?
CROMWELL。
MyLord,IhaveaddedtomyknowledgethelowCountries,France,Spain,Germany,andItaly:
AndthoughsmallgainofprofitIdidfind,Yetdiditpleasemyeye,contentmymind。
WOLSEY。
WhatdoyouthinkoftheseveralstatesAndprinces’Courtsasyouhavetravelled?
CROMWELL。
MyLord,noCourtwithEnglandmaycompare,Neitherforstatenorcivilgovernment:
LustdwellsinFrance,inItaly,andSpain,FromthepoorpeasanttothePrince’strain,InGermanyandHollandriotserves,Andhethatmostcandrink,mosthedeserves:
EnglandIpraisenot,forIherewasborne,Butthatshelaugheththeothersuntoscorn。
WOLSEY。