140

I am a poor fallen man, unworthy now
To be thy lord and master: Seek the king;
That sun, I pray, may never set! I have told

him
What, and how true thou art : he will advance

thee : 27

28

a

Some little memory of me will stir him (I know his noble nature), not to let

145 Thy hopeful service perish too : Good Cromwell, Neglect him not ; make use now, and provide

, For thine own future safety. Crom.

O my lord, Must I then leave you ? must I needs forego 150 So good, so noble, and so true a master ? Bear witness, all that have not hearts of iron, With what a sorrow Cromwell leaves his lord. The king shall have my service; but my prayers For ever, and for ever, shall be yours. ,

155 Wol. Cromwell, I did not think to shed a

tear
In all my miseries; but thou hast forc'd me
Out of thy honest truth to play the woman.
Let's dry our eyes : and thus far hear me,

Cromwell;
And,—when I am forgotten, as I shall be ;
And sleep in dull cold marble, where no men-

tion Of me more must be heard of,-say, I taught

I

29

160

thee;

Say, Wolsey,—that once trod the ways of glory And sounded so all the depths and shoals of

31

in ;

170

Found thee a way, out of his wrack, to rise

165 A sure and safe one, though thy master miss'd

it.
Mark but my fall, and that that ruin'd me.
Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition ;
By that sin fell the angels; how can man then,
The image of his Maker, hope to win by 't?
Love thyself last : cherish those hearts that

hate thee;
Corruption wins not more than honesty.
Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace,
To silence envious tongues. Be just, and fear

not: Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country's, 175 Thy God's and truth's ; then if thou fall’st, o

Cromwell,
Thou fall’st a blessed martyr. Serve the king;
And,-Prithee, lead me in :
There take an inventory S2 of all I have,
To the last penny; 'tis the king's: my robe,
And my integrity to heaven, is all
I dare now call mine own. O Cromwell, Crom-

well,
Had I but serv'd my God with half the zeal
I serv'd my king, he would not in mine age
Have left me naked to mine enemies.

185 Crom. Good sir, have patience. Wol.

So I have. Farewell The hopes of court! my hopes in heaven do dwell.

[Exeunt.

32

180 NOTES ON THE FALL OF WOLSEY,

1 (l. 24). Full meridian, &c., the 17 (!. 95). An you weep. If you weep.

highest point of my greatness. 18 (1. 97). Grace, the title given to an 2 (l. 26). Exhalation, steam, vapour. archbishop or a duke. Cardinal 3 (l. 29). The Great Seal of England, Wolsey was Archbishop of York.

affixed to all Acts of Parliament, 19 (1.101 ). Dignities, titles, honours. Proclamations and State docu- 20 (I. 110). Fortitude, &c., the strength ments. It was kept by the Lord of mind which now enables me to High-Chancellor.

meet troubles with strength and 4 (l. 29). Presently, at once, in. calmness. stantly.

21 (l. 117). Sir Thomas More, chosen 5 (l. 34). Commission. The docu- chancellor in place of Wolsey, was,

ment authorising and conferring when he lost the king's favour, power on you to do this.

beheaded. 6 (ĉ. 52). Letters patent. A sealed 22 (1. 129). Orphans' tears. By virtue

writing by wbich authority and of his office the Lord Chancellor power were granted to a person is guardian of orphans. to do some act or enjoy some 23 (l. 124). Lady Anne. Anne Boleyn, right.

Henry's second wife, whom he 7 (1. 57). Power legatine. The power had afterwards beheaded.

exercised by Wolsey as the Pope's 24 (l. 132). The voice, the common legate or ambassador.

talk. 8 (l. 58). Præmunire, the offence of 25 (1. 134). The weight, &c. That

introducing or attempting to in- Anne was the chief person controduce into England the autho- cerned in effecting the disgrace rity of a foreign rule.

of Wolsey with the king. 9 (!. 60). Tenements, dwellings. 26 (!. 137). Usher, introduce or go 10 (l. 61). Chattels, movable goods, before.

such as household furniture. 27 (1. 143). Advance thee, the king did 11 (1. 62). Outside the King's protec- this. He became very rich and

tion. Outside the law of the was created Earl of Essex, but land, whereby he could obtain no was afterwards beheaded on Tower

redress for any wrong donc him. Hill on a charge of heresy. 12 (1. 72). Blushing honours. New, 28 (l. 150). Forego, resign, give up. young honours.

29 (1. 158). Play the woman, to weep. 13 (1. 77). Wanton, playful.

30 (l. 164). Sounded, &c. Wolsey had 14 (!. 86). Aspire to, eagerly wish to had experience of all kinds and have.

degrees of honour. 15 (l. 87). Aspect here means dis- 31 (l. 165). Wrack, ruin, destruction, position, temper.

wreck. 16 (1. 89). Lúcifer. fa angel, 32 (l. 179). Inventory, a list or account Satau,

of a person's goods.

PAUL REVERE'S RIDE.

2

LISTEN, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; ?
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year. 5

3

IO

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry-arch
Of the North Church : tower as a signal

light,
One, if by land, and two, if by sea ;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex * village and farm,
For the country-folk to be up and to arm.”
Then he said, “Good-night!” and with muffled

4

oar

15

5

20

Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore :
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom-ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison-bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.
Meanwhile, his friend, through alley and street,
Wanders and watches with eager ears,

25
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack-door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore. 30
Then he climbed to the tower of the church,
Up the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry-chamber overhead,

And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round lim made
Masses and moving shapes of shade, —
Up the trembling ladder, steep and tall,

To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town,
And the moonlight flowing over all,

40