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SUFFOLK.

My Lord, your matter shall be tried;

Mean time, with patience content your self.

CROMWELL.

Perforce I must with patience be content.

O dear friend Bedford, doest thou stand so near?

Cromwell rejoiceth one friend sheds a tear.

And whether ist? which way must Cromwell now?

GARDINER.

My Lord, you must unto the tower. Lieutenant,

Take him to your charge.

CROMWELL.

Well, where you please; yet before I part,

Let me confer a little with my men.

GARDINER.

As you go by water, so you shall.

CROMWELL.

I have some business present to impart.

NORFOLK.

You may not stay. Lieutenant, take your charge.

CROMWELL.

Well, well, my Lord, you second Gardiner's text.

Norfolk, farewell; thy turn will be the next.

[Exit Cromwell and the Lieutenant.]

GARDINER.

His guilty conscience makes him rave, my Lord.

NORFOLK.

Aye, let him talk; his time is short enough.

GARDINER.

My Lord of Bedford, come; you weep for him,

That would not shed half a tear for you.

BEDFORD.

It grieves me for to see his sudden fall.

GARDINER.

Such success wish I to traitors still.

[Exeunt.]

ACT V. SCENE IV. London. A street.

[Enter two Citizens.]

FIRST CITIZEN.

Why, can this news be true? ist possible?

The great Lord Cromwell arrested upon treason!

I hardly will believe it can be so.

SECOND CITIZEN.

It is too true, sir; would it were otherwise,

Condition I spent half the wealth I had.

I was at Lambeth, saw him there arrested,

And afterward committed to the Tower.

FIRST CITIZEN.

What, wast for treason that he was committed?

SECOND CITIZEN.

Kind, noble Gentleman! I may rue the time.

All that I have, I did enjoy by him,

And if he die, then all my state is gone.

FIRST CITIZEN.

It may be doubted that he shall not die,

Because the King did favour him so much.

SECOND CITIZEN.

O sir, you are deceived in thinking so.

The grace and favour he had with the king

Hath caused him have so many enemies:

He that in court secure will keep himself,

Must not be great, for then he is envied at.

The Shrub is safe, when as the Cedar shakes;

For where the King doth love above compare,

Of others they as much more envied are.

FIRST CITIZEN.

Tis pity that this noble man should fall,

He did so many charitable deeds.

SECOND CITIZEN.

Tis true, and yet you see in each estate,

There's none so good, but some one doth him hate.

And they before would smile him in the face,

Will be the formost to do him disgrace:

What, will you go along unto the Court?

FIRST CITIZEN.

I care not if I do, and hear the news,

How men will judge what shall become of him.

SECOND CITIZEN.

Some will speak hardly, some will speak in pity.

Go you to the Court, I'll unto the City;

There I am sure to hear more news than you.

FIRST CITIZEN.

Why, then, soon will we meet again.

[Exit.]

ACT V. SCENE V. A room in the Tower.

[Enter Cromwell in the Tower.]

CROMWELL.

Now, Cromwell, hast thou time to meditate,

And think upon thy state, and of the time.

Thy honours came unsought, aye, and unlooked for;

Thy fall as sudden, and unlooked for too.

What glory was in England that I had not?

Who in this land commanded more than Cromwell?

Except the King who greater than my self?

But now I see, what after ages shall:

The greater men, more sudden is their fall.

And now do I remember the Earl of Bedford

Was very desirous for to speak to me,

And afterward sent to me a letter,

The which I think I have still in my pocket.

Now may I read it, for I now have leisure,

And this I take it is. [He reads the Letter.]

My Lord, come not this night to Lambeth,

For if you do, your state is overthrown.

And much I doubt your life, and if you come;

Then if you love your self, stay where you are,

O God! had I but read this letter,

Then had I been free from the Lion's paw;

Deferring this to read until to morrow,

I spurned at joy, and did embrace my sorrow.

[Enter the Lieutenant of the Tower and officers.]

Now, master Lieutenant, when's this day of death?

LIEUTENANT.

Alas, my Lord, would I might never see it.

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