1

We have feen him set himself.

K. HEN.

It may well be; There is a mutiny in his mind. This morning Papers of state he fent me to peruse,

As I requir'd; And, wot you, what I found
There; on my confcience, put unwittingly?
Forsooth, an inventory, thus importing, ---
The several parcels of his plate, his treasure,
Rich stuffs, and ornaments of household; which
I find at such proud rate, that it out-speaks
Poffeffion of a fubject.

NOR.

It's heaven's will;

Some spirit put this paper in the packet,

To bless your eye withal.

K. HEN.

If we did think

His contemplation were above the earth,

And fix'd on spiritual object, he should still
Dwell in his musings; but, I am afraid,
His thinkings are below the moon, not worth

His ferious confidering.

[He takes his feat; and whispers LOVELL, who goes to WOLSEY.

WOL.

Heaven forgive me!

Ever God bless your highness !

K. HEN.

Good my lord,

You are full of heavenly stuff, and bear the inven

tory

Of your best graces in your mind; the which

You were now running o'er: you have scarce time

To fteal from spiritual leifure a brief span,

To keep your earthly audit: Sure, in that

I deem you an ill husband; and am glad

To have you therein my companion.

WOL.

Sir,

1

For holy offices I have a time; a time
To think upon the part of business, which
I bear i'the state; and nature does require
Her times of preservation, which, perforce,
I her frail fon, amongst my brethren mortal,
Must give my tendance to.

K. HEN,

You have faid well.

WOL. And ever may your highness yoke together,

As I will lend you cause, my doing well

With my well saying!

K. HEN.

'Tis well faid again;

And 'tis a kind of good deed, to say well:
And yet words are no deeds. My father lov'd you:
He faid, he did; and with his deed did crown
His word upon you. Since I had my office,
I have kept you next my heart; have not alone
Employ'd you where high profits might come home,
But par'd my present havings, to bestow

My bounties upon you.

WOL.

What should this mean?

SUR. The Lord increase this business !
K. HEN.

4

[Afide.

Have I not made you The prime man of the state? I pray you, tell me, If what I now pronounce, you have found true : And, if you may confess it, say withal, If you are bound to us, or no. What say you? WOL. My fovereign, I confess, your royal graces, Shower'd on me daily, have been more, than could My studied purposes requite; which went

Beyond all man's endeavours: -my endeavours

2

Beyond all man's endeavours :) The sense is, my purposes went beyond all human endeavour. I purposed for your honour more than it falls within the compass of man's nature to attempt.

JOHNSON,

Have ever come too short of my desires,
Yet, fil'd with my abilities: 3 Mine own ends
Have been mine so, that evermore they pointed
To the good of your most sacred person, and
The profit of the state. For your great graces
Heap'd upon me, poor undeserver, I
Can nothing render but allegiant thanks;
My prayers to heaven for you; my loyalty,
Which ever has, and ever shall be growing,
Till death, that winter, kill it.

K. HEN.

Fairly answer'd;

A loyal and obedient subject is
Therein illustrated: The honour of it
Does pay the act of it; as, i'the contrary,
The foulness is the punishment. I prefume,
That, as my hand has open'd bounty to you,

My heart dropp'd love, my power rain'd honour,

more

On you, than any; so your hand, and heart,
Your brain, and every function of your power,
Should, notwithstanding that your bond of duty,
As 'twere in love's particular, be more
To me, your friend, than any.

I am rather inclined to think, that which refers to "royal graces;" which, says Wolfey, no human endeavour could requite.

3

MALONE.

Yet, fil'd with my abilities:] My endeavours, though less than my defires, have fil'd, that is, have gone an equal pace with my abilities. Johnson.

So, in a preceding scene:

4

notwithstanding that your

bond of duty,] Befides the general bond of duty, by which you are obliged to be a loyal and obedient fubject, you owe a particular devotion of yourself to me,

as your particular benefactor. JOHNSON.

1

WOL.

5

I do profess,
That for your highness' good I ever labour'd
More than mine own; that am, have, and will be.
Though all the world should crack their duty to
you,

And throw it from their foul; though perils did
Abound, as thick as thought could make them, and
Appear in forms more horrid; yet my duty,
As doth a rock against the chiding flood,
Should the approach of this wild river break,
And stand unshaken yours.

K. HEN.

'Tis nobly spoken: Take notice, lords, he has a loyal breast, For you have seen him open't.-Read o'er this;

5

[Giving him papers.

that am, have, and will be.] I can find no meaning in these words, or see how they are connected with the reft of the sentence; and should therefore strike them out. M. MASON.

I suppose, the meaning is, that, or fuch a man, I am, have been, and will ever be. Our author has many hard and forced expreffions in his plays; but many of the hardnesses in the piece before us appear to me of a different colour from those of Shakspeare Perhaps, however, a line following this has been loft; for in the old copy there is no ftop at the end of this line; and indeed I have some doubt whether a comma ought not to be placed at it, rather than a full point. Malone.

6 As doth a rock against the chiding flood,] So, in our author's 116th Sonnet:

"That looks on tempefts, and is never shaken."

The chiding flood is the resounding flood. So, in the verses, in commendation of our author, by J. M. S. prefixed to the folio,

1632:

"-- there plays a fair

"But chiding fountain."

See Vol. XIII. p. 345, n. 9. MALONE.

See alfo Vol. VII. p. 128, n. 6. STEEVENS.

"Ille, velut pelagi rupes immota, refiftit."

Æn. VII. 586. S. W.

And, after, this: and then to breakfast, with
What appetite you have.

[Exit King, frowning upon Cardinal Wolfey; the Nobles throng after him, smiling, and whifpering.

WOL.

What should this mean? What sudden anger's this? how have I reap'd it? He parted frowning from me, as if ruin

Leap'd from his eyes: So looks the chafed lion
Upon the daring huntsman that has gall'd him ;
Then makes him nothing. I must read this paper;
I fear, the story of his anger.-'Tis fo;
This paper has undone me: - 'Tis the account
Of all that world of wealth I have drawn together
For mine own ends; indeed, to gain the popedom,
And fee my friends in Rome. O negligence,
Fit for a fool to fall by! What cross devil
Made me put this main secret in the packet
I sent the king? Is there no way to cure this?
No new device to beat this from his brains?
I know, 'twill ftir him strongly; Yet I know
A way, if it take right, in spite of fortune
Will bring me off again. What's this - To the Pope?
The letter, as I live, with all the business
I writ to his holiness. Nay then, farewell!
I have touch'd the highest point of all my great-

nefs; '

And, from that full meridian of my glory,
I hafte now to my setting: I shall fall

I have touch'd the highest point of all my greatness; So, in

Marlowe's K. Edward II :

"Bafe fortune, now I see that in thy wheel
"There is a point, to which when men aspire,
"They tumble headlong down. That point I touch'd;
" And seing there was no place to mount up higher,
"Why should I grieve at my declining fall?" MALONE.