first gaue me life Alas what dutie is too much for him This man in time of need did saue my life And therefore cannot do too much for him By this old man I often times was fed Els might I haue gone supperlesse to bed Such kindnesse haue I had of these three men That Cromwell no way can repaie againe Now in to dinner for we stay too long And to good stomacks is no greater wrong Exit omnes Enter Gardiner in his studie and his man Gard. Sirra where be those men I causd to stay Ser. They do attend your pleasure sir within Gard. 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 Wee le worie him vnto his latest home Or Gardiner will faile in his intent As for the Dukes of Suffolke and of Norffolke Whom I haue sent for to come speake with me Howsoeuer outwardlie they shadow it Yet in their hearts I know they loue him not As for the Earle of Bedford he is but one And dares not gaine-say what we do set downe Enter the two witnesses Now my friends you know I sau'd your liues When by the law you had deserued death And then you promised me vpon your othes To venture both your liues to do me good Both wit We swore no more then that we will performe Gard. I take your words and that which you must do Is seruice for you God and for your King To roote a rebell from this flourishing land One that 's an enemie 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 wil here absolue you both This Crucifix I lay vpon your head And sprinckle holy-water on your browes The deed is meritorious that you do 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 presentlie 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 vpon thy owne head lights vpon For thou art he hath changd religion But now no more for here the Dukes are come Enter Suffolke Norffolke and the Earle of Bedford Suff. Goodden to my Lord Bishop Nor. How fares my Lord what are you all alone Gar. No not alone my Lords my mind is troubled I know your honours muse wherefore I sent And in such hast What came you from the King Norff. 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 alreadie gone And Thomas Moore he followed after him Another Thomas yet there doth remaine That is farre worsse 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 of 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 treacherie Gar. 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 like your grace Norff. 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 yeare and more Suff. How long i st since you heard him speake these words 2. wit Some halfe yeare since Bed How chance that you conceald 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 manifest He calles his seruants to him round about Telles them of Wolsayes life and of his fall Saies that himselfe hath manie 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 fearfull 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 Norff. My friends take heed of that which you haue said Your soules must answer what your tongues reports Therefore take heed be warie what you doe 2. wit My Lord we speake no more but truth Norff. Let them depart my Lord of Winchester Let these men be close kept Vntill the day of triall Gar. They shall my Lord here take in these two men Exit witnesses My Lords if Cromwell haue a publike triall That which we do 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 do for to attache him then Gard. Marie my Lords thus by an Acte 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 executed without a publike triall This Act my Lords he causd 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 slack it t is for Englands good We must be warie els hee le go beyond vs Gar. Well hath your Grace said my Lord of Norffolke 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 go downe Gard. Along my Lords well Cromwell is halfe dead He shaked my hart but I will shaue his head Exeunt Enter Bedford solus Bed My soule is like a water troubled And Gardiner is the man that makes it so O Cromwell I do 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
I freelie giue to you Bow And Maister Banister if so you please I le beare you companie when you crosse the Seas Ban. If it please you sir my companie is but meane Stands with your liking I le waite on you Gou. I am glad that all things do accorde so well Come Maister Bowser let vs in to dinner And Misterisse 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 Hod. Call yee this seeing of fashions Marrie would I had staide at Putnaie 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 go wetshod the roagues would not leaue me a shooe to my feete for my hoase they scorned them with their heeles but for my Dublet and Hatte O Lord they imbrased me and vnlased me and tooke away my cloathes and so disgraced me Crom. Well Hodge what remedie What shift shall we make now Hodge Naie 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 when I haue one legge in my hand if he should vp and laie tother of my chops I were gone there laie I there laie Hodge Crom. Hodge I beleeue thou must worke for vs both Hodge O Maister Thomas haue not I tolde you of this haue not I manie 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 Hod. The Bandetto doe you call them I know not what they are called here but I am sure wee call them plaine theeues in England O Thomas that we were now at Putnay at the ale there Cro. Content thee man here set vp these two billes And let vs keepe our standing on the bridge The fashion of this countrie is such If any stranger be oppressed with want To write the maner of his miserie And such as are disposed to succour him Will doe it what hast thou set them vp Hod. I their vp God send some to reade them And not onelie 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 gendeman T is pittie that his fortune was so hard To fall into the desperate handes of theeues I le question him of what estate he is God saue you sir are you an Englishman Cro. I am sir a distressed Englishman Fri. And what are you my friend Hod. Who I sir by my troth I do not know my self what I am now but sir I was a smith sir a poore Farrier of Putnay that 's my maister sir yonder I was robbed for his sake sir Fri. 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 coine I haue about about me is not much There 's sixteene Duckets for to cloath yourselues There 's sixteene more to buie your diet with And ther 's sixteene to paie for your horse hire 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 requite 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 hartie praier Fri. 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 Russell 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 ther 's no shift Fri. I le be no hinderer to so good an acte 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 leaue 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 yeare 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 treacherie Hodge Naye I le follow you God blesse vs from the theeuing Bandettoes againe Exit omnes Enter Bedforde 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 ouerpassed 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 do 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 bodie vnto France Bed First shall the Ocean be as drie as sand Before aliue they send me vnto France I le haue my bodie first bored like a Siue And die as Hector gainst the Myrmidons Eare France shall boast Bedfordes their prisoner Trecherous France that gainst the law of armes Hath here betraide thy enemie to death But be assured my bloud shal be reuenged Vpon the best liues that remaines in
This is the lodging of maister Fryskiball A liberall Marchant and a Florentine To whom Banister owes a thousand pound A Marchant Banckrout whose Father was my maister What do I care for pitie or regarde He once was wealthy but he now is falne And this morning haue I got him arested At the sute of maister Friskiball And by this meanes shall I be sure of coyne For dooing this same good to him vnknowne And in good time see where the marchant comes Enter Fryskiball Bag. God morrow to kind maister Friskiball Fri. God morrow to yourselfe good maister Bagot And what 's the newes you are so early stirring It is for gaine I make no doubt of that Bag. It is for the loue sir that I beare to you When did you see your debter Banister Fri. I promise you I haue not seene the man This two moneths day his pouertie is such As I do thinke he shames to see his friends Bag. Why then assure yourselfe to see him straight For at your sute I haue arrested him And here they will be with him presently Fry Arrest him at my sute you were to blame I know the mans misfortunes to be such As hee s not able for to pay the debt And were it knowne to some he were vndone Bag. This is your pittifull hart to thinke it so But you are much deceaued in Banister Why such as he will breake for fashion sake And vnto those they owe a thousand pound Pay scarce a hundred O sir beware of him The man is lewdly giuen to Dyce and Drabs Spends all he hath in harlots companies It is no mercy for to pitie him I speake the truth of him for nothing els But for the kindnesse that I beare to you Fry If it be so he hath deceiued me much And to deale strictly with such a one as he Better seuere then too much lenitie But here is Maister Banister himselfe And with him as I take the officers Enter Banister his wife and two officers Ban. O maister Friskiball you haue vndone me My state was well nigh ouerthrowne before Now altogether downe-cast by your meanes Mist. Ba. O maister Friskiball pity my husbands case He is a man hath liued as well as any Till enuious fortune and the rauenous sea Did rob disrobe and spoile vs of our owne Fri. Mistrisse Banister I enuie not your husband Nor willingly would I haue vsed him thus But that I here he is so lewdly giuen Haunts wicked company and hath enough To pay his debts yet will not be knowne thereof Ban. This is that damned Broker that same Bagot Whom I haue often from my Trencher fed Ingratefull Villaine for to vse me thus Bag. What I haue said to him is naught but truth Mi. Ban. What thou hast said springs from an enuious hart A Canniball that doth eate men aliue But here vpon my knee beleeue me sir And what I speake so helpe me God is true We scarse haue meate to feed our little babes Most of our Plate is in that Brokers hand Which had we mony to dephray our debt O thinke we would not bide that penurie Be mercifull kinde maister Friskiball My husband children and my selfe will eate But one meale a day the other will we keepe and sell As part to pay the debt we owe to you If euer teares did pierce a tender minde Be pittifull let me some fauour finde Bag. Be not you so mad sir to beleeue hir teares Fri. Go to I see thou art an enuious man Good misteris Banister kneele not to me I pray rise vp you shall haue your desire Holde officers be gone there 's for your paines You know you owe to me a thousand pound Here take my hand if eare God make you able And place you in your former state againe Pay me but if still your fortune frowne Vpon my faith I le neuer aske you crowne I neuer yet did wrong to men in thrall For God doth know what to my selfe may fall Ban. This vnexpected fauour vndeserued Doth make my hart bleed inwardly with ioy Nere may ought prosper with me is my owne If I forget this kindnesse you haue showne Mi Ba. My children in their prayers both night and day For your good fortune and successe shall pray Fri. I thanke you both I pray goe dine with me Within these three dayes if God giue me leaue I will to Florence to my natiue home Bagot holde there 's a Portague to drinke Although you ill deserued it by your merit Giue not such cruell scope vnto your hart Be sure the ill you do will be requited Remember what I say Bagot farewell Come Maister Banister you shall with me My fare is but simple but welcome hartily Exit all but Bagot Bag. A plague goe with you would you had eate your last Is this the thankes I haue for all my paines Confusion light vpon you all for me Where he had wont to giue a score of crownes Doth he now foyst me with a Portague Well I will be reuenged vpon this Banister I le to his creditors buie all the debt he owes As seeming that I do it for good will I am sure to haue them at an easie rate And when t is done in christendome he staies not But I le make his hart to ake with sorrow And if that Banister become my debter By heauen and earth I le make his plague the greater Exit Bagot Enter Chorus Cho. Now gentlemen imagine that young Cromwell In Antwarpe Ledger for the English Marchantes And Banister to shunne this Bagots hate Hearing that he hath got some of his debts Is fled to Antwarpe with his wife and children Which Bagot hearing is gone after them And thether sendes his billes of debt before To be reuenged on wretched Banister What doth fall out with patience sit and see A iust requitall of false trecherie Exit Cromwell in his study with bagges of money before him casting of account Cro. Thus farre my reckoning doth go straight euen But Cromwell this same ployding fits not thee Thy minde is altogether set on trauell And not to liue thus cloystered like a Nunne It is not this same trash that I regard Experience is the iewell of my hart Enter a Post Post I praie sir are you readie to dispatch me Cro. Yes here 's those summes of monie you must carie You goe so farre as Frankford do you not Post I doe sir Cro. Well prethie make all the hast thou canst For there be certaine English gentlemen Are bound for Venice and may hapilie want And if that you should linger by the way But in hope that you le make good speed There 's two Angels to buie you spurres and wandes Po. I thanke you sir this will ad winges indeede Cro. Golde is of power would make an Eagles speed Enter Mistris Banister What gentlewoman is this that greeues so much It seemes she doth adresse her selfe to me Mi. Ba. God saue you sir praie is your name maister
Cromwell Cro. My name is Thomas Cromwell gentlewoman Mi. Ba. Know you not one Bagot sir that 's come to Antwarpe Cro. No trust me I neuer saw the man But here are billes of debt I haue receiued Against one Banister a Marchant fallen into decaie Mi. Ba. Into decaie indeede long of that wretch I am the wife to wofull Banister And by that bloudie villaine am persu'de From London here to Antwarpe My husband he is in the gouernours handes And God of heauen knowes how hee le deale with him Now sir your hart is framed of milder temper Be mercifull to a distressed soule And God no doubt will trebell blesse your gaine Cro. Good mistris Banister what I can I will In any thing that lies within my power Mi. Ba. O speake to Bagot that same wicked wretch An Angells voyce may mooue a damned diuell Cro. Why is he come to Antwarpe as you here Mi. Ba. I hard he landed some two houres since Cro. Well mistris Banister assure your selfe I le speake to Bagot in your owne behalfe And winne him to all the pittie that I can Meane time to comfort you in your distresse Receiue these Angells to releeue your neede And be assured that what I can effect To doe you good no way I will neglect Mi. Ba. That mighty God that knowes each mortalles hart Keepe you from trouble sorrow griefe and smart Exit Mistris Banister Crom. Thankes courteous woman For thy hartie praier It greeues my soule to see her miserie But we that liue vnder the worke of fate Maie hope the best yet knowes not to what state Our starres and destinies hath vs asignde Fickle is fortune and her face is blinde Enter Bagot solus Ba. So all goes well it is as I would haue it Banister he is with the Gouernour And shortlie shall haue guiues vpon his heeles It glads my hart to thinke vpon the slaue I hope to haue his bodie rot in prison And after here his wife to hang her selfe And all his children die for want of foode The Iewels that I haue brought to Antwarpe Are recond to be worth fiue thousand pound Which scarcelie stoode me in three hundreth pound I bought them at an easie kinde of rate I care not which way they came by them That sould them me it comes not neare my hart And least they should be stolne as sure they are I thought it meete to sell them here in Antwarpe And so haue left them in the Gouernours hand Who offers me within two hundreth pound Of all my price but now no more of that I must go see and if my billes be safe The which I sent to maister Cromwell That if the winde should keepe me on the sea He might arest him here before I came And in good time see where he is God saue you sir Cro. And you pray pardon me I know you not Bag. It may be so sir but my name is Bagot The man that sent to you the billes of debt Cro. O the man that persues Banister Here are the billes of debt you sent to me As for the man you know best where he is It is reported you haue a flintie hart A minde that will not stoope to anie pittie An eye that knowes not how to shed a teare A hand that 's alwaies open for reward But maister Bagot would you be ruled by me You should turne all these to the contrarie Your hart should still haue feeling of remorse Your minde according to your state be liberall To those that stand in neede and in distresse Your hand to helpe them that do stand in want Rather then with your poyse to holde them downe For euerie ill turne show your selfe more kinde Thus should I doe pardon I speake my minde Bag. I sir you speake to here what I would say But you must liue I know as well as I I know this place to be extortion And t is not for a man to keepe him But he must lie cog with his dearest friend And as for pittie scorne it hate all conscience But yet I doe commend your wit in this To make a show of what I hope you are not But I commend you and t is well done This is the onelie way to bring your gaine Cro. My gaine I had rather chaine me to an ore And like a slaue there toile out all my life Before I de liue so base a slaue as thou I like an hipocrite to make a show Of seeming vertue and a diuell within No Bagot would thy conscience were as cleare Poore Banister nere had beene troubled here Bag. Nay good maister Cromwell be not angrie sir I know full well you are no such man But if your conscience were as white as Snow It will be thought that you are other wise Cro. Will it be thought that I am other wise Let them that thinke so know they are deceiu'de Shall Cromwell liue to haue his faith misconstered Antwarpe for all the wealth within thy Towne I will not stay here not two houres longer As good lucke serues my accountes are all made euen Therefore I le straight vnto the treasurer Bagot I know you le to the gouernour Commend me to him say I am bound to trauaile To see the fruitefull partes of Italie And as you euer bore a Christian minde Let Banister some fauour of you finde Bag. For your sake sir I le helpe him all I can To starue his hart out eare he gets a groate So maister Cromwell doe I take my leaue For I must straight vnto the gouernour Exit Bagot Cro. Farewell sir pray you remember what I said No Cromwell no thy hart was nere so bace To liue by falshoode or by brokerie But falles out well I little it repent Hereafter time in trauell shal be spent Enter Hodge his fathers man Hod. Your sonne Thomas quoth you I haue beene Thomast I had thought it had beene no such matter to a gone by water for at Putnaie I le go you to Parish-garden for two pence sitte as still as may be without any wagging or ioulting in my guttes in a little boate too heere wee were scarce foure mile in the great greene water but I thinking to goe to my afternoones vnchines as t was my manner at home but I felt a kinde of rising in my guttes at last one a the Sailers spying of me be a good cheere sayes hee set downe thy victualles and vppe with it thou hast nothing but an Eele in thy belly Well toote went I to my victtualles went the Sailers and thinking I to bee a man of better experience then any in the shippe asked mee what Woode the shippe was made of they all swore I tould them as right as if I had beene acquainted with the Carpenter that made it at last wee grewe neere lande and I grewe villanous hungrie went to my bagge the diuell a bitte there was the Sailers had tickled mee yet I cannot blame them it was a parte of kindnesse for I in