please you sir my company is but meane Stands with your liking I le waite on you Gou. I am glad that all things doe accorde so well Come Maister Bowser let vs in to dinner And Mistrisse Banister be mery woman Come after sorrow now le ts cheere your spirit Knaues haue their due and you but what you merit Exit omnes Enter Cromwell and Hodge in their shirtes and without Hattes Hodg. Call yee this seeing of fashions Marry would I had staide at Putney still O Maister Thomas we are spoiled we are gone Crom. Content thee man this is but fortune Hodg. Fortune a plague of this Fortune makes me goe wetshod the roagues would not leaue me a shooe to my feet for my hoase they scorned them with their heeles but for my Dublet and Hatte O Lord they imbraced mee and vnlased mee and tooke away my cloathes and so disgraced me Crom. Well Hodge what remedie What shift shall we make now Hodg. Nay I know not for begging I am naught for stealing worse by my troth I must euen fall to my olde trade to the Hammer and the Horse heeles againe but now the worst is I am not acquainted with the humor of the horses in this countrie whether they are not coultish giuen much to kicking or no for vvhen I haue one legge in my hand if he should vp and lay tother on my chops I were gone there lay I there lay Hodge Crom. Hodge I beleeue thou must worke for vs both Hodg. O Maister Thomas haue not I tolde you of this haue not I many a time and often said Tom or Maister Thomas learne to make a Horse-shooe it will be your owne another day this was not regarded Harke you Thomas what doe you call the fellowes that robd vs Crom. The Bandetto Hodg. The Bandetto doe you call them I know not what they are called here but I am sure we call them plaine theeues in England O Thâ—mas that we were now at Putney at the ale there Crom. Content thee man here set vp these two billes And let vs keepe our standing on the bridge The fashion of this country is such If any stranger be oppressed with want To write the manner of his misery And such as are disposed to succour him Will doe it what hast thou set them vp Hod. I they 're vp God send some to reade them And not onely to reade them but also to looke on vs And not altogether to looke on vs One standes at one end and one at tother But to releeue vs O colde colde colde Enter Friskiball the Marchant and reades the billes Fris What 's here two Englishmen rob'd by the Bandetto One of them seemes to be a gentleman T is pittie that his fortune was so hard To fall into the desperate hands of theeues I le question him of what estate he is God saue you sir are you an Englishman Crom. I am sir a distressed Englishman Fris And what are you my friend Hod. Who I sir by my troth I doe not know my selfe what I am now but sir I was a Smith sir a poore Farrier of Putney that 's my Maister sir yonder I was robbed for his sake sir Fris I see you haue beene met by the Bandetto And therefore neede not aske how you came thus But Friskiball why doost thou question them Of their estate and not releeue their neede Sir the coyne I haue about me is not much There 's sixteene Duckets for to cloath your selues There 's sixteene more to buy your diet with And there 's sixteene to pay for your horse hier T is all the wealth you see my purse possesses But if you please for to enquire me out You shall not want for ought that I can doe My name is Friskiball a Florence Marchant A man that alwayes loued your nation Crom. This vnexpected fauour at your hands Which God doth know if euer I shall requiâ—e it Necessitie makes me to take your bountie And for your gold can yeeld you naught but thankes Your charitie hath helpt me from dispaire Your name shall still be in my harty prayer Fris It is not worth such thankes come to my house Your want shall better be releeu'd then thus Crom. I pray excuse me this shall well suffice To beare my charges to Bononia Whereas a noble Earle is much distressed An Englishman Russelâ— the Earle of Bedford Is by the French King solde vnto his death It may fall out that I may doe him good To saue his life I le hazard my hart blood Therefore kinde sir thankes for your liberall gift I must be gone to aide him there 's no shift Fris I le be no hinderer to so good an act Heauen prosper you in that you goe about If Fortune bring you this way backe againe Pray let me see you so I take my leave All good a man can wish I doe bequeath Exit Friskiball Crom. All good that God doth send light on your head There 's few such men within our climate bred How say you now Hodge is not this good fortune Hod. How say you I le tell you what maister Thomas If all men be of this Gentlemans minde Le ts keepe our standings vpon this Bridge We shall get more here with begging in one day Then I shall with making Horshoes in a whole yeere Crom. No Hodge we must begone vnto Bononia There to releeue the noble Earle of Bedford Where if I faile not in my policie I shall deceiue their subtile treachery Hodge Nay I le follow you God blesse vs from the theeuing Bandettoes againe Exit omnes Enter Bedford and his Hoast Bed Am I betraide was Bedforde borne to die By such base slaues in such a place as this Haue I escaped so many times in France So many battailes haue I ouer passed And made the French stirre when they hard my name And am I now betraide vnto my death Some of their harts bloud first shall pay for it Hoa. They doe desire my Lord to speake with you Bed The traitors doe desire to haue my bloud But by my birth my honour and my name By all my hopes my life shall cost them deare Open the dore I le venter out vpon them And if I must die then I le die with honour Hoa. Alas my Lord that is a desperate course They haue begirt you round about the house Their meaning is to take you prisoner And so to send your body vnto France Bed First shall the Ocean beas dry as sand Before aliue they send me vnto France I le haue my body first bored like a Siue And die as Hector gainst the Mermidons Eare France shall boast Bedfordes their prisoner Trecherous France that gainst the law of armes Hath here betraide thy enemy to death But be assured my bloud shall be reuenged Vpon the best liues that remaines in France Stand backe or else thy run'st vpon thy death Enter a Seruant Mes Pardon my Lord I come to tell your honour That they haue
But now I see what after ages shall The greater man more sudden is their fall And now I doe remember the Earle of Bedford Was very desirous for to speake to me And afterward sent vnto me a letter The which I thinke I haue still in my pocket Now may I read it for I now haue leasure And this I take it is He readeâ— the Letter My Lord come not this night to Lambeth For if you doe your state is ouerthrowne And much I doubt your life and if you come Then if you loue your selfe stay where you are O God had I but read this letter Then had I beene free from the Lions paw Deferring this to read vntill to morrow I spurnd at ioy and did imbrace my sorrow Enter the Leiutenant of the Tower and officers Now Maister Lieutenant when 's this day of death Lieu. Alas my Lord would I might neuer see it Here are the Dukes of Suffolke and of Norfolke Winchester Bedford and sir Richard Ratcliffe With others but why they come I know not Crom. No matter wherefore Cromwell is prepard For Gardiner has my state and life insnard Bid them come in or you shall doe them wrong For here stands he whom some thinkes liues too long Learning killes learning and insteed of Inck To dip his Pen Cromwels heart blood doth drinke Enter all the Nobles Norf. Good morrow Cromwell what alone so sad Crom. One good among you none of you are bad For my part it best fits me be alone Sadnesse with me not I with any one What is the King acquainted with my cause Norf. We haue and he hath answered vs my Lord. Crom. How shall I come to speake with him my selfe Gard. The King is so aduertised of your guilt He will by no meanes admit you to his presence Crom. No way admit me am I so soone forgot Did he but yesterday imbrace my neck And said that Cromwell was euen halfe himselfe And is his Princely eares so much bewitched With scandolous ignomie and slanderous speeches That now he doth deny to looke on me Well my Lord of Winchester no doubt but you Are much in fauour with his Maiestie Will you beare a letter from me to his grace Gard. Pardon me I le beare no traitors letters Crom. Ha will you doe this kindnesse then Tell him by word of mouth what I shall say to you Gard. That will I. Crom. But on your honour will you Gard. I on my honour Crom. Beare witnesse Lords Tell him when he hath knowne you And tried your faith but halfe so much as mine Hee le finde you to be the falsest harted man In England Pray tell him this Bed Be patient good my Lord in these extreames Crom. My kinde and honorable Lord of Bedford I know your honour alwaies loued me well But pardon me this still shall be my theame Gardiner is the cause makes Cromwell so extreame Sir Ralph Sadler pray a word with you You were my man and all that you possesse Came by my meanes to requite all this Will you take this letter here of me And giue it with your owne hands to the King Sad. I kisse your hand and neuer will I rest Eare to the King this be deliuered Exit Sadler Crom. Why yet Cromwell hath one friend in store Gard. But all the â—ast he makes shall be but vaine Here 's a discharge for your prisoner To see him executed presently My Lord you here the tenor of your life Crom. I doe imbrace it welcome my last date And of this glistering world I take last leaue And noble Lords I take my leaue of you As willingly I goe to meete with death As Gardiner did pronounce in with his breath From treason is my hart as white as Snow My death onely procured by my foe I pray commend me to my Soueraigne King And tell him in what sort his Cromwell died To loose his head before his cause were tride But let his Grace when he shall here my name Say onely this Gardiner procured the same Enter young Cromwell Lieu. Here is your sonne come to take his leaue Crom. To take his leaue Come hether Harry Cromwell Marke boy the last words that I speake to thee Flatter not Fortune neither fawne vpon her Gape not for state yet loose no sparke of honour Ambition like the plague see thou eschew it I die for treason boy and neuer knew it Yet let thy faith as spotlesse be as mine And Cromwels vertues in thy face shall shine Come goe along and see me leaue my breath And I le leaue thee vpon the floure of death Son O father I shall die to see this wound Your blood being spilt will make my hart to sound Crom. How boy not looke vpon the Axe How shall I doe then to haue my head stroke off Come on my childe and see the end of all And after say that Gardiner was my fall Gar. My Lord you speake it of an enuious hart I haue done no more then law and equitie Bed O good my Lord of Winchester for beare It would better seemed you to beene absent Then with your words disturbe a dying man Crom. Who me my Lord no he disturbes not me My mind he stirres not though his mightie shocke Hath brought mo peeres heads downe to the blocke Farewell my boy all Cromwell can bequeath My hartie blessing so I take my leaue Hang. I am your deathâ— man pray my Lord forgiue me Crom. Euen with my soule why man thou art my Doctor And brings me Precious phisicke for my soule My Lord of Bedford I desire of you Before my death a corporall imbrace Bedford comes to him Cromwell 〈◊〉 him Farewell great Lord my loue I doe commend My hart to you my soule to lieauen I send This is my ioy that ere my body fleete Your honourd armes is my true winding sheete Farewell deare Bedford my pâ—â—ce is made in heauen Thus falles great Cromwell a poore ell in length To rise to vnmeasured height 〈◊〉 with new strength The land of Wormea which dying men discouer My soule is shrinde with heauens 〈◊〉 couer Exit Cromwell and the 〈◊〉 and others â—id Well farewell Cromweâ—â— the 〈◊〉 friend That euer Bedford shall possesse againe Well Lords I feare when this man is dead You le wish in vaine that Cromwell had a head Enter one with Cromwels head Offi. Here is the head of the deceased Cromwell Bed Pray thee goe hence and beare his head away Vnto his body interre them both in clay Enter for Raulph Salder Sad. Ho now my Lords what is Lord Cromwell dead Bed Lord Cromwels body now doth want a head Sad. O God a little speede had saued his life Here is a kinde repriue come from the King To bring him straight vnto his Maiestie Suff. I I sir Raulph repriues comes now too late Gar. My conscience now tels me this deede was ill Would Christ that Cromwell were aliue againe Nor. Come let vs to the King whom well I know Will grieue for Cromwell that his death was so Exeunt â—mnes FINIS
THE True Chronicle Historie of the whole life and death of Thomas Lord Cromwell As it hath beene sundry times publikely Acted by the Kings Maiesties Seruants Written by W. S. LONDON Printed by THOMAS SNODHAM 1613. The life and death of the Lord Cromwell Enter three Smiths Hodge and two other old Cromwels men Hodge COme Maisters I thinke it be past fiue a clock Is it not time we were at worke My old Maister hee le be stirring anon 1 I cannot tell whether my old master will be stirring or no but I am sure I can hardly take my afternoones nap for my young maister Thomas He keepes such a quile in his studie With the Sunne and the Moone and the seauen starres That I doe verily thinke hee le read out his wits Hod He skill of the starres there 's good-man Car of Fulhum He that carried vs to the strong Ale where goody Trundell Had her maide got with childe O he knowes the Starres Hee le tickle you Charles Waine in nine degrees That same man will tell goody Trundell When her Ale shall miscary onely by the starres 2 I that 's a great vertue indeed I thinke Thomas Be no body in comparison to him 1 Well Maisters come shall we to our hammers Hod. I content first le ts take our mornings draught And then to worke roundly 2 I agreed goe in Hodge Exit omnes Enter young Cromwell Crom. Good morrow morne I doe salute thy brightnesse The night seemes tedious to my troubled soule Whose black obscuritie binds in my minde A thousand sundry cogitations And now Aurora with a liuely dye Addes comfort to my spirit that mounts on high Too high indeede my state being so meane My study like a minerall of gold Makes my hart proude wherein my hope 's inrowld My bookes is all the wealth I doe possesse Here within they must beate with their hammers And vnto them I haue ingaged my hart O learning how deuine thou seemes to me Within whose armes is all felicity Peace with your hammers leaue your knocking there You doe disturbe my study and my rest Leaue off I say you madde me with the noyse Enter Hodge and the two Men. Hod. Why how now Maister Thomas how now Will you not let vs worke for you Crom. You fret my hart with making of this noise Hod. How fret your hart I but Thomas you le Fret your fathers purse if you let vs from working 2 I this t is for him to make him a gentleman Shall we leaue worke for your musing that 's well I faith But here comes my old Maister now Enter old Cromwell Old Crom. You idle knaues what are you loytring now No hammers walking and my worke to doe What not a heate among your worke to day Hod. Marry sir your sonne Thomas will not let vs worke at all Old Crom. Why knaue I say haue I thus carkde and car'd And all to keepe thee like a gentleman And dost thou let my seruants at their worke That sweat for thee knaue labour thus for thee Crom. Father their hammers doe offend my studie Old Crom. Out of my doores knaue if thou likest it not I cry you mercy is your cares so fine I tell thee knaue these get when I doe sleepe I will not haue my Anuill stand for thee Crom. There 's mony father I will pay your men He throwes many among them Old Cro. Haue I thus brought thee vp vnto my cost In hope that one day thou wouldst releeue my age And art thee now so lauish of thy coine To scatter it among these idle knaues Crom. Father be patient and content your selfe The time will come I shall hold golde as trash And here I speake with a presaging soule To build a pallace where now this cottage stands As fine as is King Henries house at Sheene Old Crow You build a house you knaue you le be a begger Now afore God all is but cast away That is bestowed vpon this thriftlesse lad Well had I bound him to some honest trade This had not beene but it was his mothers doing To send him to the Vniuersitie How builde a house where now this cottage stands As faire as that at Sheene he shall not here me A good boy Tom I con thee thanke Tom Well said Tom gramarcies Tom Into your worke knaues hence you sausie boy Exit all but young Cromwell Cro. Why should my birth keepe downe my mounting spirit Are not all creatures subiect vnto time To time who doth abuse the world And filles it full of hodge-podge bastardy There 's legions now of beggars on the earth That their originall did spring from Kings And many Monarkes now whose fathers were The riffe-raffe of their age for time and Fortune Weares out a noble traine to beggery And from the dunghill minions doe aduance To state and marke in this admiring world This is but course which in the name of Fate Is seene as often as it whirles about The Riuer Thames that by our doore doth passe His first beginning is but small and shallow Yet keeping on his course groues to a sea And likewise Wâ—lsay the wonder of our age His birth as meane as mine a Butchers sonne Now who within this land a greaterman Then Cromwell cheere thee vp and tell thy soule That thou maist liue to flourish and controule Enter old Cromwell Old Crom. Tom Cromwell what Tom I say Crom. Doe you call sir Old Crom. Here is Maister Bowser come to know if you haue dispatched his petition for the Lords of the counsell or no. Crom. Father I haue please you to call him in Old Crom. That 's well said Tom a good lad Tom. Enter Maister Bowser Bow Now Maister Cromwell haue you dispatched this petition Crom. I haue sir here it is please you peruse it Bow It shall not need wee le read it as we goe by water And Maister Cromwell I haue made a motion May doe you good and of you like of it Our Secretarie at Antwarpe sir is dead And the Marchants there hath sent to me For to prouide a man fit for the place Now I doe know none fitter then your selfe If with your liking it stand Maister Cromwell Crom. With all my hart sir and I much am bound In loue and duty for your kindnesse showne Old Crom. Body of me Tom make hast least some body Get betweene thee and home Tom. I thanke you good Maister Bowser I thanke you for my boy I thanke you alwayes I thanke you most hartely sir Hoe a cup of Beere there for Maister Bowser Bow It shall not need sir Maister Cromwell will you goe Crom. I will attend you sir Old Crom. Farewell Tom God blesse thee Tom God speed thee good Tom. Exit omnes Enter Bagot a Broker â—olus Bag. I hope this day is fatall vnto some And by their losse must Bagot seeke to gaine This is the lodging of Maister Friskiball a liberall Marchant and a Florentine To whom Banister owes a thousand pound
be preiudiciall to the state And though that God hath raisde my fortune hyer Then any way I lookt for or deseru'de Yet my life no longer with me dwell Then I prooue true vnto my Soueraigne What say you maister Cromwell haue you those writings I or no Crom. Here are the writings and vpon my knees I giue them vp vnto the worthy Dukes Of Suffolke and of Norfolke he was my Maister And each vertuous part That liued in him I tendered with my hart But what his head complotted gainst the state My countries loue commands me that to hate His sudden death I greeue for not his fall Because he sought to worke my countries thrall Suff. Cromwell the King shall here of this thy dutie Whom I assure my selfe will well reward thee My Lord le ts goe vnto his Maiestie And show these writings which he longs to see Exit Norfolke and Suffolke Enter Bedford hastily Bed How now whos 's this Cromwell By my soule welcome to England Thou once didst saue my life didst not Cromwell Cro If I did so 't is greater glory for me that you remember it Then for my selfe vainely to report it Bed Well Cromwell now is the time I shall commend thee to my Soueraigne Cheere vp thy selfe for I will raise thy state A Russel yet was neuer found ingrate Exit Hales O how vncertaine is the wheele of state Who lately greater then the Cardinall For feare and loue and now who lower lies Gay honours are but Fortunes flatteries And whom this day pride and promotion swelâ— To morrow enuie and ambition quels Moore Who sees the Cob-web intangle the poore Flie May boldly say the wretches death is nigh Gard. I know his state and proud ambition Was too too violent to last ouer-long Hales Who soares too neare the sunne with golden winges Mealtes them to ruine his owne fortune brings Enter the Duke of Suffolke Suf. Cromwell kneele downe in king Henries name Arise sir Thomas Cromwell thus beginnes thy fame Enter the Duke of Norfolke Norf. Cromwell the Maiestie of England For the good liking he conceiues of thee Makes thee Maister of the iewell house Chiefe Secretary to himselfe and with all Creates thee one of his highnesse priue Counsell Enter the Earle of Bedford Bed Where is sir Thoma Cromwell is he knighted Suf. He is my Lord. Bed Then to adde honour to his name The King creates him Lord keeper of his priuie Sâ—ale And Maister of the Roules Which you sir Christopher doe now enioy The King determines higher place for you Crom. My Lords these honors are too high for my desert Moore O content thee man who would not choose it Yet thou art wise in seeming to refuse it Gard. Here 's honors titles and promotions I feare this climing will haue a sudden fall Norf. Then come my Lords le ts altogether bring This new made Counseller to Englands King Exit all but Gardiner Gard. But Gardiner meanes is glory shall be dim'd Shall Cromwell liue a greater men then I My enuie with his honour now is bred I hope to shorten Cromwell by the head Exit Enter Friskiball very poore Fris. O Friskiball what shall become so thee Where shalt thou goe or which way shalt thou turne Fortune that turnes her too vnconstant wheele Hath turn'd thy wealth and riches in the Sea All parts abroade where euer I haue beene Growes weary of me and denies me succour My debters they that should reserue my want Forsweares my mony saies they owe me none They know my state too meane to beare out law And here in London where I 〈…〉 beene And haue done good to many a wâ—â—ched man Am now most wretched here dispisd my selfe In vaine it is more of their hearts to try Be patient therefore laye thee downe and die He lies downe Enter-good man Seely and his wife Ioane Seely Come Ioane come le ts see what hee le doe for vs now I wis wee haue done for him when many a time and often hee might haue gone a hungry to bed Wife Alas man now he is made a Lord hee le neuer looke vpon vs hee le fulfill the old Prouerbe set Beggers a horse-backe thei le ride a wells day for my cow such as he hath made vs come behinde hand we had neuer pawnd our Cowe els to pay our rent Seely Well Ioane hee le come this way and by Gods dickers I le tell him roundly of it and if hee were tenne LORDS a shall know that I had not my Cheefe and my Bacon for nothing Wife Doe you remember husband how hee would mouch vp my Cheese cakes hee hath forgot this now but now wee le remember him Seely I we shall haue now three flappes with a Foxe taile but I faith I le gibber a ioynt but I le tell him his owne stay who comes here O stand vp here he comes stand vp Enter Hodge very fine with a Tipstafe Cromwell the Mace caryed before him Norfolke and Suffolke and attendants Hod. Come away with these beggars here rise vp sirra Come out good people runne afore there no. Friskiball riseth and stands a farre off Seely I vvee are kicked away now vvee come for our owne the time hath beene hee vvould a looked more friendly vpon vs And you Hodge we know you well inough though you are so fine Crom. Come hether sirrah stay what men are these My honest Host of Hounslow and his wife I owe thee mony father doe I not Seely I by the body of mee dooest thou vvould thou wouldest pay mee good foure pound it is I haue a the poste at home Crow I know t is true sirrah giue him ten Angels And looke your wife and you doe stay to dinner And while you liue I freely giue to you Foure pound a yeere for the soure pound I ought you Seely Art not changed art ould Tom still Now God blesse the good Lord Tom Home Ioane home I le dine with my Lord Tom to day And thou shalt come next weeke Fetch my Cow home Ioane home Wife Now God blesse thee my good Lord Tom I le fetch my Cow presently Exit Wife Enter Cardiner Crom. Sirra goe to yon stranger tell him I desire him Stay to dinner I must speake with him Gard. My Lord of Norfolke see you this same bubble That same puffe but marke the end my Lord marke the end Norf. I promise you I like not something he hath done But let that passe the King doth loue him well Crom. Good morrow to my Lord of Winchester I know you beare me hard about the Abby lands Gard. Haue I not reason when religion is wronged You had no colour for what you haue done Crom. Yes the abolishing of Antichrist And of his Popish order from our Realme I am no enemy to religion But what is done it is for Englands good What did they serue for but to feede a sort Of lazie Abbots and of full fed Fryers They neither plow nor sowe and yet they reape The
much for him By this old man I often times was sed Els might I haue gone supperlesse to bed Such kindnesse haue I had of these three men That Cromwell no way can repay againe Now in to dinner for we stay too long And to good stomackes is no greater wrong Exit omnes Enter Gardiner in his study and his man Gard. Sirra where be those men I caus'd to stay Ser. They doe attend your pleasure Sir within Gar. Bid them come hether and stay you without For by those men the Foxe of this same land That makes a Goose of better then himselfe Must woried be vnto his latest home or Gardiner will faile in his intent As for the Dukes of Suffolke and of Norfolke Whom I haue sent for to come speake with me Howsoeuer outwardly they shadow it Yet in their harts I know they loue him not As for the Earle of Bedford hee is but one And dares not gaine-â—ay what we doe set downe Enter the two Witnesses Now my friends you know I sau'd you liues When by the law you had deserued death And then you promised me vpon your othes To venture both your liues to doe me good Both wit We swore no more then that we will performe Gard. I take your words and that which you must doe Is seruice for your God and for your King To roote a rebell from this flourishing land One that 's an enemy vnto the Church And therefore must you take your solemne oathes That you heard Cromwell the Lord Chauncellor Did wish a dagger at King Henries hart Feare not to sweare it for I hard him speake it Therefore wee le shield you from insuing harmes 2 Wit If you will warrant vs the deed is good Wee le vndertake it Gar. Kneele downe and I will here absolue you both This Crucifixe I lay vpon you heads And sprinckle holy-water on your browes The deed is meritorious that you doe And by it shall you purchase grace from heauen 1 Now Sir wee le vndertake it by our soules 2 For Cromwell neuer loued none of our sort Gar. I know he doth not and for both of you I will preferre you to some place of worth Now get you in vntill I call for you For presently the Dukes meanes to be here Exit wit Cromwell sit fast thy time 's not long to raigne The Abbies that were puld downe by thy meanes Is now a meane for me to pull thee downe Thy pride also thy owne head lights vpon For thou art he hath chang'd religion But now no more for here the Dukes are come Enter Suffolke Norfolke and the Earle of Bedford Suff. Good euen to my Lord Bishop Nor. How fares my Lord what are you all alone Gar. No not alone my Lords my minde is troubled I know your honours muse wherefore I sent And in such hast What came you from the King Nor. We did and left none but Lord Cromwell with him Gard. O what a dangerous time is this we liue in There 's Thomas Wolsay hee 's already gone And Thomas Moore he followed after him Another Thomas yet there doth remaine That is farre worse then either of those twaine And if with speed my Lords we not pursue it I feare the King and all the land will rue it Bed Another Thomas pray God it be not Cromwell Gard. My Lord Bedford it is that traitor Cromwell Bed Is Cromwell false my hart will neuer thinke it Suff. My Lord of Winchester what likelihood Or proofe haue you of this his treachery Gard. My Lord too much call in the men within Enter witnesses These men my Lord vpon their othes affirme That they did here Lord Cromwell in his garden Wished a dagger sticking at the hart Of our King Henrie what is this but treason Bed If it be so my hart doth bleed with sorrow Suff. How say you friends what did you here these words 1 Wit We did and 't like your grace Norf. In what place was Lord Cromwell when he spake them 2 Wit In his Garden where we did attend a sute Which we had waited for two yeere and more Suff. How long i st since you heard him speake these words 2 Wit Some halfe yeere since Bed How chance that you conceal'd it all this time 1 Wit His greatnesse made vs feare that was the cause Gard. I I his greatnesse that 's the cause indeed And to make his treason here more mainfest He calles his seruants to him round about Tels them of Wâ—lsayes life and of his fall Saies that himselfe hath many enemies And giues to some of them a Parke or Manor To others Leases Lands to other some What need he doe thus in his prime of life And if he were not fearefull of his death Suff. My Lord these likelihoods are very great Bed Pardon me Lords for I must needs depart Their proofes are great but greater is my heart Exit Bedford Norf. My friends take heed of that which you haue said Your soules must answer what your tongues reports Therefore take heed be wary what you doe 2 Wit My Lord we speake no more but truth Norf. Let them depart my Lord of Winchester Let these men be close kept Vntill the day of triall Gar. They shall my Lord hoe take in these two men Exit witnesses My Lords if Cromwell haue a publike triall That which we doe is voide by his deniall You know the King will credit none but him Nor. T is true he rules the King euen as he pleases Suff. How shall we doe for to attache him then Gar. Mary my Lords thus by an Act he made himselfe With an intent to intrap some of our liues And this it is If any Councellor Be conuicted of high treason He shall be excecuted without a publike triall This Act my Lords he caused the King to make Suff. A did indeed and I remember it And now it is like to fall vpon himselfe Nor. Let vs not slak it t is for Englands good We must be warry els hee le goe beyond vs. Gar. Well hath your Grace said my Lord of Norfolke Therefore let vs presently to Lambeth Thether comes Cromwell from the Court to night Let vs arest him send him to the Tower And in the morning cut off the traitors head Norf. Come then about it let vs guard the towne This is the day that Cromwell must goe downe Gard. Along my Lords well Cromwell is halfe dead He shak'd my harâ—â— but I will shaue his head Ethenus Enter Bedford 〈◊〉 Bed My soule is like a water troubled And Gardiner is the man that makes it so O Cromwell I doe feare thy end is neare Yet I le preuent their malice if I can And in good time see where the man doth come Who little knowes how neares his day of dome Enter Cromwell with his traine Bedford makes as though be would speake to him he goes on Crom. Your well encountered my good Lord of Bedford I see your honour is adressed to talke Pray