The most remark'd i'the kingdom. As for Crom

well,

Befide that of the jewel-house, he's made' mafter O'the rolls, and the king's fecretary; further, fir, Stands in the gap and trade of more preferments, With which the time will load him: The archbishop

Is the king's hand, and tongue; And who dare

fpeak

One fyllable against him?

GAR.

Yes, yes, fir Thomas,

There are that dare; and I myself have ventur'd
To speak my mind of him: and, indeed, this day,
Sir, (I may tell it you,) I think, I have
Incens'd the lords o'the council, that he is
(For fo I know he is, they know he is,)
A most arch heretick,' a peftilence

That does infect the land: with which they moved,

5

he's made-] The pronoun, which was omitted in the old copy, was inferted by Mr. Theobald. MALONE.

6 Stands in the gap and trade of more preferments,] Trade is the practifed method, the general courfe. JOHNSON.

Trade has been already ufed by Shakspeare with this meaning in King Richard II:

"Some way of common trade." See Vol. VIII. p. 291, n. 7. STEEVENS.

Incens'd the lords o'the council, that he is &c.

A moft arch heretick,] This paffage, according to the old elliptical mode of writing, may mean-I have incens'd the lords of the council, for that he is, i. e. becaufe. STEEVENS.

I have roufed the lords of the council by fuggefting to them that he is a most arch heretick :-I have thus incited them against him. MALONE.

Incenfed, I believe, in this inftance, and fome others, only means prompted, fet on. So, in King Richard III:

"Think you, my lord, this little prating York
"Was not incenfed by his fubtle mother

STEEVENS,

1

8

Have broken with the king; who hath fo far Given ear to our complaint, (of his great grace And princely care; forefeeing thofe fell mischiefs Our reafons laid before him,) he hath commanded, To-morrow morning to the council-board

He be convented.' He's a rank weed, fir Thomas, And we must root him out. From your affairs I hinder you too long: good night, fir Thomas. Lov. Many good nights, my lord; reft your fervant. [Exeunt GARDINER and Page.

As LOVELL is going out, enter the King, and the Duke of SUFFOLK.

K. HEN. Charles, I will play no more to-night;
My mind's not on't, you are too hard for me.
SUF. Sir, I did never win of you before.
K. HEN. But little, Charles;

Nor fhall not, when my fancy's on my play.-
Now, Lovell, from the queen what is the news?
Lov. I could not perfonally deliver to her
What you commanded me, but by her woman
I fent your meffage; who return'd her thanks
In the greatest humblenefs, and defir'd your highness
Moft heartily to pray for her.

8 broken with the king;] They have broken filence; told their minds to the king. JOHNSON.

So, in Much Ado about nothing: "I will break with her." Again, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona:

9

"I am to break with thee of fome affairs." STEEVENS.

he bath commanded,] He, which is not in the old copy, was inferted by Mr. Pope. He hath was often written contractedly b'ath. Hence probably the error.

MALONE.

2 He be convented.] Convented is fummoned, convened. Vol. IV. p. 364, n. 2. STEEVENS.

K. HEN.

What fay'st thou? ha!

Το pray for her? what, is the crying out?

Lor. So faid her woman; and that her fufferance

made

Almost each pang a death.3

K. HEN.

Alas, good lady!

SUF. God fafely quit her of her burden, and With gentle travail, to the gladding of

Your highness with an heir!

K. HEN.

'Tis midnight, Charles,

Pr'ythee, to bed; and in thy prayers remember
The eftate of my poor queen. Leave me alone;
For I must think of that, which company
Will not be friendly to.

SUF.

I wish your highness

A quiet night, and my good mistress will
Remember in my prayers.

K. HEN.

Charles, good night.[Exit SUFFOLK.

Enter Sir ANTHONY DENNY.4

Well, fir, what follows?

3ber fufferance made

Almoft each pang a death.] We have had nearly the fame fentiment before, in Act II. fc. iii:

- it is a fufferance panging

"As foul and body's fevering.'

MALONE.

4 Enter Sir Anthony Denny.] The fubftance of this and the two following scenes is taken from Fox's Acts and Monuments of the Chriftian Martyrs, &c. 1563:

"When night came, the king fent fir Anthonie Denie about midnight to Lambeth to the archbishop, willing him forthwith to refort unto him at the court. The meffage done, the archbishop speedily addreffed himselfe to the court, and comming into the

DEN. Sir, I have brought my lord the archbishop, As you commanded me.

galerie where the king walked and taried for him, his highneffe faid, Ah, my lorde of Canterbury, I can tell you newes. For divers weighty confiderations it is determined by me and the counfaile, that you to-morrowe at nine of the clocke fhall be committed to the Tower, for that you and your chaplaines (as information is given us) have taught and preached, and thereby fown within the realme fuch a number of execrable herefies, that it is feared the whole realme being infected with them, no fmall contention and commotion will rife thereby amongst my fubjects, as of late daies the like was in divers parts of Germanie; and therefore the counfell have requested me for the triall of the matter, to fuffer them to commit you to the Tower, or elfe no man dare come forth, as witneffe in those matters, you being a counsellor.

"When the king had faid his mind, the archbishop kneeled down, and faid, I am content, if it please your grace, with al my hart, to go thither at your highnefs commandment; and I most humbly thank your majefty that I may come to my triall, for there be that have many waies flandered me, and now this way I hope to trie myfelfe not worthy of fuch reporte.

"The king perceiving the mans uprightneffe, joyned with fuch fimplicitie, faid; Oh Lorde, what maner o'man be you? What fimplicitie is in you? I had thought that you would rather have fued to us to have taken the paines to have heard you and your accufers together for your triall, without any fuch indurance. Do you not know what ftate you be in with the whole world, and how many great enemies you have? Do you not confider what an eafie thing it is to procure three or foure falfe knaves to witness against you? Thinke you to have better lucke that waie than your mafter Chrift had? I fee by it you will run headlong to your undoing, if I would fuffer you. Your enemies fhall not fo prevaile against you; for I have otherwife devifed with my felfe to keep you out of their handes. Yet notwithstanding to-morrow when the counfaile fhall fit, and fend for you, refort unto them, and if in charging you with this matter, they do commit you to the Tower, require of them, because you are one of them, a counfailer, that you may have your accufers brought before them without any further indurance, and ufe for your felfe as good perfuafions that way as you may devife; and if no intreatie or reasonable requeft will ferve, then deliver unto them this my ring (which then the king delivered unto the archbishop,) and faie unto them, if there be no remedie, my lords, but that I must needs go to the Tower, then I revoke my cause from you, and appeale to the kinges owne perfon by this token unto you all, for (faide the king then unto the archbishop)

K. HEN.

Ha! Canterbury?

DEN. Ay, my good lord.

fo foone as they fhall fee this my ring, they knowe it fo well, that they fhall underftande that I have referved the whole caufe into mine owne handes and determination, and that I have discharged them thereof.

“The archbishop perceiving the kinges benignity fo much to him wards, had much ado to forbeare teares. Well, faid the king, go your waies, my lord, and do as I have bidden you. My lord, humbling himselfe with thankes, tooke his leave of the kinges highneffe for that night.

"On the morrow, about nine of the clocke before noone, the counfaile fent a gentleman ufher for the archbishop, who, when hee came to the counfaile-chamber doore, could not be let in, but of purpose (as it feemed) was compelled there to waite among the pages, lackies, and ferving men all alone. D. Buts the king's phyfition reforting that way, and efpying how my lord of Canterbury was handled, went to the king's highneffe, and faid; My lord of Canterbury, if it pleafe your grace, is well promoted; for now he is become a lackey or a ferving man, for yonder hee ftandeth this halfe hower at the counfaile-chamber doore amongste them. It is not fo, (quoth the king,) I trowe, nor the counfaile hath not fo little difcretion as to use the metropolitane of the realme in that forte, fpecially being one of their own number. But let them alone (faid the king) and we fhall heare more foone.

"Anone the archbishop was called into the counfaile-chamber, to whom was alleadged as before is rehearfed. The archbishop aunfwered in like fort, as the king had advised him; and in the end when he perceived that no maner of perfuafion or intreatie could ferve, he delivered them the king's ring, revoking his caufe into the king's hands. The whole counfaile being thereat somewhat amazed, the carle of Bedford with a loud voice confirming his words with a folemn othe, faid, when you firft began the matter, my lordes, I told you what would come of it. Do you thinke that the king would fuffer this man's finger to ake? Much more (I warrant you) will he defend his life against brabling varlets. You doe but cumber yourselves to hear tales and fables against him. And incontinently upon the receipt of the king's token, they all rofe, and carried to the king his ring, furrendring that matter as the order and use was, into his own hands.

"When they were all come to the king's prefence, his highness, with a fevere countenance, faid unto them; ah, my lordes, I thought I had wifer men of my counfaile than now I find you.