Foretold, should be his last,) full of repentance,
Continual meditations, tears and sorrows,
He gave his honours to the world again,
His blessed part to hear'n, and slept in peace.

His Vices and Virtues.

So may he reft, his faults lie gently on him!
Yet thus far, Griffith, give me leave to speak hiin,
And yet with charity; he was a man
Of an unbounded stomach, ever ranking
Himself with princes ; (10) one, that by suggestion
Ty'd all the kingdom: fimony was fair play ;
His own opinion was his law. I'th' presence
He would say untruths, and be ever double

Both

(10) One that, &c.] Mr. Warburton explains this paffage thus, « One that by giving the king pernicious counsel, ty’d or enAav'd the kingdom.” And he observes, that Shakespear uses the word suggestion, with a great propriety and seeming knowledge of the Latin tongue. For the late Roman writers and their glofles agree to give this fense to it; Suggtftio, eft cum magistratus quilibet principi fahubre confilium suggerit

. A suggestion, is, when a magistrate gives a prince wholesome counsel.

" So that nothing could be severer than this reflection, that that wholesome. counsel, which it is the minister's duty to give his prince, was so impoisoned by him, as to produce Navery to his country.” The commentator here (with great Thew of reason) seems to strike out a meaning his author most probably never meant ; if the reading be just, the paffage is plain and easy, should we take fuga gestion in its vulgar acceptation ; but it seems very exceptionable, nor can I be satisfied with tyd, especially when I consider the words immediately following; indeed, it may be said, he is. particularizing his vices without any connection: The Oxford editor reads tytb’d, which is too forc'd, and unwarrantable : Wolscy certainly had great sway in the kingdom by means of the high credit he was in with the king, but he could not be faid: properly, I think, by suggestion, by underhand dealings, or by pernicious counsel (which you will,) to tye the kingdom, properly; the word is printed very imperfectly in the old editions ; perhaps it was fway'd; but I pretend not to say any thing cera tain ; the judicious reader will foon see whether the explication. given satisies him.

*

*

*

*

Both in his words and meaning. He was never,
But where he went to ruin, pitiful.
His promises were, as he then was, mighty;
But his performance, as he now is, nothing.
Of his own body he was ill, and

gave The clergy ill example.

GrifNoble Madam, (11) Men's evil manners live in brass; their virtues We write in water.

*. This cardinal, Tho' from an humble stock, undoubtedly Was fashion'd to much honour from his cradle ; He was a scholar, and a ripe and good one; Exceeding wise; fair spoken, and persuading; Lofty and four to them that lov'd him not : But to those men that sought him, sweet as summer. And though he was unsatisfy'd in getting, (Which was a fin) yet in bestowing, madam, He was most princely: ever witness for him Those twins of learning that he rais’d in you, Ipswich and Oxford! one of which fell with him, Unwilling to out-live the good he did it: The other, though unfinish'd, yet fo famous, So excellent in art, and still so rising, That. Christendom shall ever speak his virtue. His overthrow heap'd happiness upon him ; For then, and not till then, he felt hiinseif, And found the blessedness of being little ; And to add greater honours to his age Than man could give him, he dy'd, fearing God.

ACT

(11) Men's, &c.] Braumont and Ficésbe borrowed this senti. ment from Shakespear in their Philafter. Act 5.

- All your better deeds Shall be in water writ, but this in marble.

Malicious Men.
(12)

-Men that make
Envy and crooked malice nourishment,
Dare bite the best..

A Church-Man.

-Love and meekness, Lord,
Become a church-man better than ambition :
Win straying fouls with modelty again;
Cast none away.

Inhumanity.
(13) "Tis a cruelty
To load a falling man.
SCENE VIII. Archbishop Cranmer's Prophecy.

--Let me speak, Sir ; (For heav'n now bids nie) and the words I utter,

Let

(12) Men, &c.] In Paftor Fido, there is a fine sentiment not unlike this. Act 5. Sc. i.

Who now can boast of earth's felicity.

When envy treads on virtue's heel? S. R. Fanshaw. (13) 'Tis, &c.] The poet, in the former part of the play, ves us the same humane and tender sentiment.

-O my lord,
Press not a falling man too far; 'tis virtue.

Act. 3. S. 6. Nothing can afford us a better idea of the author's excellent mind; and we are assured, from the account we have of his character, he was remarkable for his humanity, benevolence, and

I et none think flatt'ry, for they'll find 'em truth.
This royal infant, (heav'n still move about her)
Tho' in a cradle, yet now promises
Upon this land a thousand, thousand blessings,
Which time shall bring to ripeness. She shall be
(But few now living can behold that goodness)
A pattern to all princes living with her,
And all that shall succeed. Shoba was never
More covetous of wisdom and fair virtue,
Than this blest soul shall be. All princely graces,
That mould up such a mighty piece as this,
With all the virtues that attend the good,
Shall still be doubled on her. Truth shall nurse her:
Holy and heav'nly thoughts still counsel her:
She shall be lov'd and fear'd. Her own fhall bleft

her :
Her foes shake like a field of beaten corn,
And hang their heads with sorrow. Good grows with

her.
(14) In her days, ev'ry man fhall eat in safety,
Under his own vine, what he plants ; and fing
The merry songs of peace to all his neighbours.
God shall be truly known, and those about her,
From her shall read the perfect ways of honour,
And claim by those their goodness, not by blood.

Nor

Look how the father's face, (says Ben Fohnfond
Lives in his issue, even fo the race
Of Shakespar's mind and manners brightly shines,

In his well-torned, and true filed lines.
(14) In, &c.] The poet's excellence in so beautifully keeping
up the propriety of his characters, can never be sufficiently ad-
mired ; no expreflions could have so well become the mouth of
an archbishop as scripture ones; and we may observe, what
fraces this elegant compliment to his princess gains from thence;
the blessings of Solomon's reign are set forth in the first of Kings,
Ch. iv. where particularly 'tis said, “ Every man dwelt fafely
under his vine;" and fo in the prophet Micah, “ They shall fit
every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree: and none shalt
make them afraid ; for all people will walk every one in the
name of his God, &c. See Ch. iv. Ver. 4.

Nor shall this peace feep with her; but as wher
The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phænix,
Her ashes new create another heir,
As great in admiration as herself;
So shall the leave her blessedness to one,
(15) (When heav'n fhall call her from this cloud of

darkness)
Who from the facred ashes of her honour
Shall star-like rise, as great in fame as she was,
And so stand fix'd. Peace, plenty, love, truth, terror,
That were the servants to this chosen infant,
Shall then be his, and like a vine grow to him :
Wherever the bright sun of heav'n fall shine,
His honour and the greatness of his name
Shall le, and make new nations. He shall flourish,
And like a mountain cedar, reach his branches
To all the plains about him; children's children
Shall see this, and bless heav'n.

(15) This cloud of darkness.] Milton in his Comus, at the begin. ning, thus speaks in contempt of the earth :

Above the smoak and stir of this dim spot,
Which men call earth, and with low-thoughted care
Confin'd, and pester'd in this pinfold here,
Strive to keep up a frail and feverith being,
Vnnindful of the crown that virtue gives.

General Observations.

The historical facts (says Mrs. Lenox) upon which this play is founded, are all extracted from Holing sixd; the characters generally drawn closely after this historian, and many of the speeches copied almost literally from him.

The accusation, trial, and death of the Duke of Buckingłam, makes a very affecting incident in this play.

Sbatfpar has been exactly just to historical truth, in making Cardinal Volley the sole contriver of this nobleman's fall; whose character as it is summed up by King Henry, is perfectly agreeable to that given him by Holing bed.

Thod