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Into our presence, where this heaven of beauty Shall fhine at full upon them:-Some attend him.

[Exit Chamberlain, attended. All arise, and tables removed.

You have now a broken banquet; but we'll mend it. A good digeftion to you all: and, once more,

I fhower a welcome on you ;-Welcome all.

Hautboys. Enter the King, and twelve others, as Mafkers, habited like Shepherds, with fixteen torchbearers; uber'd by the Lord Chamberlain. They pafs directly before the Cardinal, and gracefully falute him.

A noble company! What are their pleasures? CHAM. Because they speak no English, thus they pray'd

To tell your grace;-That, having heard by fame Of this fo noble and fo fair affembly

This night to meet here, they could do no less,

3 Enter the King, and twelve others, as Mafkers,] For an account of this masquerade fee Holinfhed, Vol. II. p. 921. STEEVENS.

The account of this masquerade was first given by Cavendish, in his Life of Wolfey, which was written in the time of Queen Mary; from which Stowe and Holinfhed copied it. Cavendish was himfelf prefent. Before the king, &c. began to dance, they requested leave (fays Cavendish) to accompany the ladies at mumchance. Leave being granted, "then went the mafquers, and first faluted all the dames, and then returned to the most worthieft, and then opened the great cup of gold filled with crownes, and other pieces to caft at. Thus perufing all the gentlewomen, of fome they wonne, and to fome they loft. And having viewed all the ladies they returned to the Cardinal with great reverence, pouring downe all their gold, which was above two hundred crownes. At all, quoth the Cardinal, and cafting the die, he wonne it; whereat was made great joy." Life of Wolfey, p. 22, edit. 1641. MALONE.

Out of the great refpect they bear to beauty,
But leave their flocks; and, under your fair conduct,
Crave leave to view these ladies, and entreat

An hour of revels with them.

WOL. Say, lord chamberlain, They have done my poor houfe grace; for which I pay them

A thousand thanks, and pray them take their pleafures.

[Ladies chofen for the dance. The King choofes ANNE BULLEN.

K. HEN. The faireft hand I ever touch'd! O,

beauty,

Till now I never knew thee.

WOL. My lord,—

CHAM.

Your grace?

[Mufick. Dance.

WOL. Pray, tell them thus much from me: There fhould be one amongst them, by his perfon, More worthy this place than myself; to whom, If I but knew him, with my love and duty

I would furrender it.

CHAM.

I will, my lord.

[Cham. goes to the company, and returns.

WOL. What fay they?

Снам.

Such a one, they all confefs,

There is, indeed; which they would have your grace Find out, and he will take it."

WOL.

Let me fee then.

[Comes from his ftate.

By all your good leaves, gentlemen;-Here I'll

make

My royal choice.

4 take it.] That is, take the chief place. JOHNSON.

K. HEN.

You have found him, cardinal: "

[Unmasking.

You hold a fair affembly; you do well, lord: You are a churchman, or, I'll tell you, cardinal, I fhould judge now unhappily."

WOL.

Your grace is grown so pleasant.

I am glad,

K. HEN. My lord chamberlain, Pr'ythee, come hither: What fair lady's that? CHAM. An't please your grace, fir Thomas Bullen's daughter,

The viscount Rochford, one of her highnefs' women.

K. HEN. By heaven, she is a dainty one.-Sweetheart,

I were unmannerly, to take you out,

And not to kiss you.'-A health, gentlemen,
Let it go round.

5 You have found him, cardinal:] Holinfhed fays the Cardinal miftook, and pitched upon fir Edward Neville; upon which the king laughed, and pulled off both his own mask and fir Edward's. Edwards's MSS. STEEVENS.

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unhappily.] That is, unluckily, mischievously.

JOHNSON.

So, in A merye Fefte of a Man called Howleglas, bl. 1. no date: in fuch manner colde he cloke and hyde his unhappinesse and falfneffe." STEEVENS.

See Vol. IV.

P. 440, n. 9. MALONE.

1 I were unmannerly, to take you out,

And not to kiss you.] A kifs was anciently the established fee of a lady's partner. So, in A Dialogue between Cuftom and Veritie, concerning the Ufe and Abufe of Dauncing and Minftrelfie, bl. 1. no date, "Imprinted at London, at the long fhop adjoining unto faint Mildred's church in the Pultrie, by John Allde:”

"But fome reply, what foole would daunce,

"If that when daunce is doon,

"He may not have at ladyes lips

"That which in daunce he woon?" STEEVENS.

See Vol. III. p. 41, n. 6. MALONE.

WOL. Sir Thomas Lovell, is the banquet ready I' the privy chamber?

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K. HEN. Lead in your ladies, every one.-Sweet

partner.

I must not yet forfake you :-Let's be merry ;-
Good my lord cardinal, I have half a dozen healths
To drink to these fair ladies, and a measure
To lead them once again; and then let's dream
Who's best in favour.-Let the mufick knock it."
[Exeunt, with trumpets.

This cuftom is ftill prevalent, among the country people, in many, perhaps all, parts of the kingdom. When the fiddler thinks his young couple have had mufick enough, he makes his inftrument fqueak out two notes which all understand to say—kiss her!

RITSON.

8 a little heated.] The king on being discovered and defired by Wolfey to take his place, faid that he would "firft go and fhift him and thereupon, went into the Cardinal's bedchamber, where was a great fire prepared for him, and there he new appareled himselfe with rich and princely garments. And in the king's abfence the dishes of the banquet were cleane taken away, and the tables covered with new and perfumed clothes.-Then the king took his feat under the cloath of estate, commanding every perfon to fit ftill as before; and then came in a new banquet before his majeftie of two hundred dishes, and fo they paffed the night in banqueting and dancing untill morning." Cavendish's Life of Wolfey. MALONE.

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Let the mufick knock it.] So, in Antonio and Mellida, Part I. 1602:

"Fla. Faith, the fong will feem to come off hardly.
"Catz. Troth, not a whit, if you feem to come off

quickly.

"Fla. Pert Catzo, knock it then." STEEVENS.

ACT II. SCENE I.

A Street.

Enter two Gentlemen, meeting.

1. GENT. Whither away fo faft?

2. GENT.

O,-God fave you! 2

Even to the hall, to hear what fhall become
Of the great duke of Buckingham.

1. GENT.

I'll fave you

That labour, fir. All's now done, but the ceremony Of bringing back the prisoner.

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1. GENT. Yes, truly, is he, and condemn'd upon it.

2. GENT. I am forry for❜t.

I. GENT.

So are a number more.

2. GENT. But, pray, how pass'd it?

1. GENT. I'll tell you in a little. The great duke Came to the bar; where, to his accufations,

He pleaded ftill, not guilty, and alledg'd
Many fharp reafons to defeat the law.
The king's attorney, on the contrary,

Urg'd on the examinations, proofs, confeffions
Of divers witneffes; which the duke defir'd

20-God fave you!] Surely, (with Sir Thomas Hanmer) we fhould complete the measure by reading:

O, fir, God fave you! STEEVENS,

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