Lov. O, that your lordship were but now confessor To one or two of these! SANDS. I would, I were; 'Faith, how easy? They should find easy penance. Lor. SANDS. As easy as a down-bed would afford it. CHAM. Sweet ladies, will it please you sit? Sir Harry, Place you that side, I'll take the charge of this: His grace is ent'ring.-Nay, you must not freeze; Two women plac'd together makes cold weather:My lord Sands, you are one will keep them waking; Pray, sit between these ladies. SANDS. By my faith, And thank your lordship.-By your leave, sweet ladies: [Seats himself between ANNE BULLEN and If I chance to talk a little wild, forgive me; ANNE. Was he mad, sir? SANDS. O, very mad, exceeding mad, in love too: But he would bite none; just as I do now, He would kiss you twenty with a breath. CHAM. [Kisses her. Well said, my lord.— So, now you are fairly seated:-Gentlemen, The penance lies on you, if these fair ladies Pass away frowning. SANDS. For my little cure, Hautboys. Enter Cardinal WOLSEY, attended; and takes his state. WOL. You are welcome, my fair guests; that noble lady, Or gentleman, that is not freely merry, Is not my friend: This, to confirm my welcome; And to you all good health. [Drinks. SANDS. Let me have such a bowl may hold my thanks, And save me so much talking. Your grace is noble : WOL. My lord Sands, I am beholden to you: cheer your neighbours.Ladies, you are not merry ;-Gentlemen, Whose fault is this? SANDS. The red wine first must rise In their fair cheeks, my lord; then we shall have Yes, if I make my play.9 Here's to your ladyship: and pledge it, madam, For 'tis to such a thing, 9 ANNE. You cannot show me. if I make my play.] i. e. if I make my party. Rather-if I may choose my game. RITSON. STEEVENS. As the measure, in this place, requires an additional syllable, we may, commodiously enough, read, with Sir T. Hanmer : Yes, if I may make my play. STEevens. SANDS. I told your grace, they would talk anon. [Drum and Trumpets within: Chambers WOL. discharged.1 CHAM. Look out there, some of you. WOL. What's that? [Exit a Servant. What warlike voice? And to what end is this?-Nay, ladies, fear not; By all the laws of war you are privileg'd. Re-enter Servant. CHAM. How now? what is't? SERV. A noble troop of strangers; 2 For so they seem: they have left their barge, and landed; And hither make, as great ambassadors From foreign princes, 1 WOL. Good lord chamberlain, Chambers discharged.] A chamber is a gun which stands erect on its breech. Such are used only on occasions of rejoicing, and are so contrived as to carry great charges, and thereby to make a noise more than proportioned to their bulk, They are called chambers because they are mere chambers to lodge powder; a chamber being the technical term for that cavity in a piece of ordnance which contains the combustibles. Some of them are still fired in the Park, and at the places opposite to the parliament-house when the king goes thither. Camden enumerates them among other guns, as follows: demi-cannons, chambers, arquebuse, musquet." Again, in A new Trick to cheat the Devil, 1636: I still think o' the Tower ordinance, "Or of the peal of chambers, that's still fir'd "When my lord-mayor takes his barge." STEEVENS, they have left their barge,] See p. 49, n. 5. 66 -cannons, MALONE Go, give them welcome, you can speak the French tongue; And, pray, receive them nobly, and conduct them, Into our presence, where this heaven of beauty Shall shine 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. Hautboys. Enter the King, and twelve Others, as Maskers, habited like Shepherds, with sixteen Torch-bearers; ushered by the Lord Chamberlain. They pass directly before the Cardinal, and gracefully salute him. A noble company! what are their pleasures? CHAM. Because they speak no English, thus they pray'd 3 Enter the King, and twelve Others, as Maskers,] For an account of this masquerade, see Holinshed, Vol. II. p. 921. STEEVENS. The account of this masquerade was first given by Cavendish, in his Life of Wolsey, which was written in the time of Queen Mary; from which Stowe and Holinshed copied it. Cavendish was himself present. Before the King, &c. began to dance, they requested leave (says Cavendish) to accompany the ladies at mumchance. Leave being granted, " then went the masquers, and first saluted all the dames, and then returned to the most worthiest, and then opened the great cup of gold filled with crownes, and other pieces to cast at. Thus perusing all the gentlewomen, of some they wonne, and to some they lost. 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 casting the die, he wonne it; whereat was made great joy." Life of Wolsey, p. 22, edit. 1641. MALONE. To tell your grace;-That, having heard by fame This night to meet here, they could do no less, WOL. Say, lord chamberlain, They have done my poor house grace; for which I pay them A thousand thanks, and pray them take their plea sures. [Ladies chosen for the Dance. The King chooses ANNE BULLEN. K. HEN. The fairest hand I ever touch'd! O, WOL. Pray, tell them thus much from me: There should be one amongst them, by his person, More worthy this place than myself; to whom, If I but knew him, with my love and duty I would surrender it. CHAM. I will, my lord. [Cham. goes to the Company, and returns. WOL. What say they? CHAM. Such a one, they all confess, There is, indeed; which they would have your grace Find out, and he will take it.* WOL. Let me see then. [Comes from his State. take it.] That is, take the chief place. JOHNSON. |