Suf. It was, my lord, but very wrongfully.

K. Henry. I know it was: for Huntington here tells

me

They have been very bountiful of late.

Suf. And ftill they vow, my gracious lord, to be so, Hoping your majefty will think on them

As of your loving fubjects, and fupprefs
All fuch malicious errors as begin

To spot their calling, and disturb the church.

K. Henry. God elfe forbid !-Why, Suffolk, is there Any new rupture to disquiet them ?

Suf. No new, my lord; the old is great enough; And fo increafing, as, if not cut down, Will breed a scandal to your royal state, And fet your kingdom quickly in an uproar. The Kentish knight, lord Cobham, in despite Of any law, or fpiritual discipline, Maintains this upftart new religion ftill; And divers great affemblies, by his means, And private quarrels, are commenc'd abroad, As by this letter more at large, my liege, Is made apparent.

K. Henry. We do find it here,

There was in Wales a certain fray of late
Between two noblemen. But what of this?
Follows it ftraight, lord Cobham must be he
Did cause the fame? I dare be fworn, good knight,
He never dream'd of any fuch contention.
Roch. But in his name the quarrel did begin,
About the opinion which he held, my liege.
K. Henry. What if it did? was either he in place
To take part with them, or abet them in it?
If brabbling fellows, whofe enkindled blood
Seeths in their firy veins, will needs go fight,
Making their quarrels of fome words that pafs'd
Either of you, or you, amongst their cups,
Is the fault yours? or are they guilty of it?
Suf. With pardon of your highnefs, my dread lord,

T3

Such

Such little sparks, neglected, may in time
Grow to a mighty flame. But that's not all
He doth befide maintain a ftrange religion,
And will not be compell'd to come to mass.

Roch. We do befeech you therefore, gracious prince,

Without offence unto your majefty,

We may be bold to ufe authority.
K. Henry. As how?

Roch. To fummon him unto the arches",
Where fuch offences have their punishment.

K. Henry. To anfwer perfonally? is that your meaning?

Roch. It is, my lord.

K. Henry. How, if he appeal?

Roch. My lord, he cannot in fuch a cafe as this.
Suf. Not where religion is the plca, my lord,
K. Henry. I took it always, that ourself stood on't
As a fufficient refuge, unto whom

Not any but might lawfully appeal:
But we'll not argue now upon that point.
For fir John Oldcastle, whom you accufe,
Let me intreat you to difpenfe a while
With your high title of preheminence,
Report did never yet condemn him fo,
But he hath always been reputed loyal:
And, in my knowledge, I can fay thus much,
That he is virtuous, wife, and honourable,
If any way his confcience be feduc'd
To waver in his faith, I'll fend for him,
And fchool him privately if that ferve not,
Then afterward you may proceed against him,
Butler, be you the meffenger for us,
And will him, prefently repair to court.

[Exeunt King Henry, Huntington, Suffolk, and Butler,

• To fummon him unto the arches,] The court of arches, fo called because it was anciently held in the church of Saint Mary Bo Sancta Maria de arcubus. MALONE,

S. John

S. John. How now, my lord? why stand you difcontent?

Infooth, methinks the king hath well decreed.
Roch. Ay, ay, fir John, if he would keep his word:
But I perceive he favours him fo much

As this will be to fmall effect, I fear.

S. John. Why then I'll tell you what you're best to do:

If you fufpect the king will be but cold

In reprehending him, send you a process too,
To ferve upon him; fo you may be fure
To make him answer it, howfoe'er it fall.

Roch. And well remember'd; I will have it fo;

A fumner shall be fent about it ftraight,

[Exit. S. John. Yea, do fo. In the mean space this re

mains

For kind fir John of Wrotham, honeft Jack.
Methinks the purfe of gold the bishop gave
Made a good fhew, it had a tempting look:
Befhrew me, but my fingers' ends do itch

To be upon thofe golden ruddocks. Well, 'tis thus ;
I am not as the world doth take me for:
If ever wolf were cloathed in sheep's coat,
Then I am he; old huddle and twang i'faith:
A prieft in fhew, but, in plain terms, a thief.
Yet let me tell you too, an honeft thief;
One that will take it where it may be fpar'd,
And spend it freely in good fellowship.
I have as many fhapes as Proteus had;
That still when any villainy is done,
There may be none fufpect it was fir John.
Befides, to comfort me, (for what's this life,

* A fumner shall be fent-] A fumner is an apparitor or mes. lenger employed to fummon perfons to appear in the fpiritual court. MALONE.

To be upon thofe golden ruddocks.] The ruddock is the robin red-breaft. The word is here used as a cant term for money. The vulgar ftill call our gold coins, gold-finches. STEEVENS.

Except the crabbed bitterness thereof
Be fweeten'd now and then with lechery?)
I have my Doll, my concubine as 'twere,
To frolick with; a lufty bouncing girl.
But whilst I loiter here, the gold may fcape,
And that must not be fo: it is mine own.
Therefore I'll meet him on his way to court,
And fhrive him of it; there will be the fport. [Exit.

SCENE III.

Kent.

An outer court before lord Cobham's house. A publick road leading to it; and an alehoufe appearing at a little diftance.

Enter two old Men, and two Soldiers.

1 Sold. God help, God help! there's law for punishing, But there's no law for our neceffity:

There be more ftocks to fet poor foldiers in,
Than there be houses to relieve them at.

1 Old M. Ay, house-keeping decays in every place, Even as Saint Peter writ, ftill worfe and worse.

2 Old M. Master mayor of Rochester has given command, that none fhall go abroad out of the parifh; and has fet down an order forfooth, what every poor houfholder muft give for our relief; where there be fome 'feffed', I may fay to you, had almost as much need to beg as we.

1 Old M. It is a hard world the while.

2 Old M. If a poor man afk at door for God's

And thrive him of it ;-] To fhrive a man, was to ease him of his burden of fins, by confeffion. The parfon applies the term to the act of lightening a purfe, and confequently unloading the bearer of it. STEEVENS.

there be fome 'feffed-] i. e. taxed. Hence the phrase "out of all cefs," STEEVENS,

fake,

fake, they ask him for a licence, or a certificate from a juftice.

Sold. Faith we have none, but what we bear upon our bodies, our maim'd limbs, God help us.

2 Sold. And yet as lame as I am, I'll with the king into France, if I can but crawl a fhip-board. I had rather be flain in France, than ftarve in England.

1 Old M. Ha, were I but as lufty as I was at Shrewsbury battle, I would not do as I do :—but we are now come to the good lord Cobham's, the best man to the poor in all Kent.

2 Old M. God blefs him! there be but few fuch.

Enter lord Cobham and Harpool.

Cob. Thou peevish froward man, what wouldst thou have?

Har. This pride, this pride, brings all to beggary. I ferv'd your father, and your grandfather;

Shew me fuch two men now: no, no; your backs, Your backs, the devil and pride, has cut the throat Of all good houfe-keeping; they were the best Yeomens' mafters that ever were in England.

Cob. Yea, except thou have a crew of filthy knaves And sturdy rogues, ftill feeding at my gate, There is no hofpitality with thee.

Har. They may fit at the gate well enough, but the devil of any thing you give them, except they'll eat stones.

Cob. 'Tis 'long then of fuch hungry knaves as you: Yea, fir, here's your retinue; your guests be come; They know their hours, I warrant you.

2 your backs, your backs,-] The meaning I believe is-It is the fumptuoufness of your apparel that has leffened your ability to fift the poor. So, in King Henry VIII.

66

many

"Have broke their backs with laying manors on them,
For this great journey." MALONE,

1 Old M.