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Enter two Gentlemen, meeting one another. |
| First Gentleman |
You’re well met once again. |
| Second Gentleman |
So are you. |
| First Gentleman |
You come to take your stand here, and behold
The Lady Anne pass from her coronation?
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| Second Gentleman |
’Tis all my business. At our last encounter,
The Duke of Buckingham came from his trial.
|
| First Gentleman |
’Tis very true: but that time offer’d sorrow;
This, general joy.
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| Second Gentleman |
’Tis well: the citizens,
I am sure, have shown at full their royal minds—
As, let ’em have their rights, they are ever forward—
In celebration of this day with shows,
Pageants and sights of honour.
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| First Gentleman |
Never greater,
Nor, I’ll assure you, better taken, sir.
|
| Second Gentleman |
May I be bold to ask at what that contains,
That paper in your hand?
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| First Gentleman |
Yes; ’tis the list
Of those that claim their offices this day
By custom of the coronation.
The Duke of Suffolk is the first, and claims
To be high-steward; next, the Duke of Norfolk,
He to be earl marshal: you may read the rest.
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| Second Gentleman |
I thank you, sir: had I not known those customs,
I should have been beholding to your paper.
But, I beseech you, what’s become of Katharine,
The princess dowager? how goes her business?
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| First Gentleman |
That I can tell you too. The Archbishop
Of Canterbury, accompanied with other
Learned and reverend fathers of his order,
Held a late court at Dunstable, six miles off
From Ampthill where the princess lay; to which
She was often cited by them, but appear’d not:
And, to be short, for not appearance and
The king’s late scruple, by the main assent
Of all these learned men she was divorced,
And the late marriage made of none effect:
Since which she was removed to Kimbolton,
Where she remains now sick.
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| Second Gentleman |
Alas, good lady! Trumpets.
The trumpets sound: stand close, the queen is coming. Hautboys.
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A lively flourish of Trumpets.
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Then, two Judges.
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Lord Chancellor, with the purse and mace before him.
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Choristers, singing. Music.
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Mayor of London, bearing the mace. Then Garter, in his coat of arms, and on his head a gilt copper crown.
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Marquess Dorset, bearing a sceptre of gold, on his head a demi-coronal of gold. With him, the Earl of Surrey, bearing the rod of silver with the dove, crowned with an earl’s coronet. Collars of SS.
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Duke of Suffolk, in his robe of estate, his coronet on his head, bearing a long white wand, as high-steward. With him, the Duke of Norfolk, with the rod of marshalship, a coronet on his head. Collars of SS.
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A canopy borne by four of the Cinque-ports; under it, the Queen in her robe; in her hair richly adorned with pearl, crowned. On each side her, the Bishops of London and Winchester.
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The old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronal of gold, wrought with flowers, bearing the Queen’s train.
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Certain Ladies or Countesses, with plain circlets of gold without flowers.
They pass over the stage in order and state.
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| Second Gentleman |
A royal train, believe me. These I know:
Who’s that that bears the sceptre?
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| First Gentleman |
Marquess Dorset:
And that the Earl of Surrey, with the rod.
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| Second Gentleman |
A bold brave gentleman. That should be
The Duke of Suffolk?
|
| First Gentleman |
’Tis the same: high-steward. |
| Second Gentleman |
And that my Lord of Norfolk? |
| First Gentleman |
Yes; |
| Second Gentleman |
Heaven bless thee! Looking on the Queen.
Thou hast the sweetest face I ever look’d on.
Sir, as I have a soul, she is an angel;
Our king has all the Indies in his arms,
And more and richer, when he strains that lady:
I cannot blame his conscience.
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| First Gentleman |
They that bear
The cloth of honour over her, are four barons
Of the Cinque-ports.
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| Second Gentleman |
Those men are happy; and so are all are near her.
I take it, she that carries up the train
Is that old noble lady, Duchess of Norfolk.
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| First Gentleman |
It is; and all the rest are countesses. |
| Second Gentleman |
Their coronets say so. These are stars indeed;
And sometimes falling ones.
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| First Gentleman |
No more of that. Exit procession, and then a great flourish of trumpets. |
|
Enter a Third Gentleman. |
| First Gentleman |
God save you, sir! where have you been broiling? |
| Third Gentleman |
Among the crowd i’ the Abbey; where a finger
Could not be wedged in more: I am stifled
With the mere rankness of their joy.
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| Second Gentleman |
You saw
The ceremony?
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| Third Gentleman |
That I did. |
| First Gentleman |
How was it? |
| Third Gentleman |
Well worth the seeing. |
| Second Gentleman |
Good sir, speak it to us. |
| Third Gentleman |
As well as I am able. The rich stream
Of lords and ladies, having brought the queen
To a prepared place in the choir, fell off
A distance from her; while her grace sat down
To rest awhile, some half an hour or so,
In a rich chair of state, opposing freely
The beauty of her person to the people.
Believe me, sir, she is the goodliest woman
That ever lay by man: which when the people
Had the full view of, such a noise arose
As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest,
As loud, and to as many tunes: hats, cloaks—
Doublets, I think—flew up; and had their faces
Been loose, this day they had been lost. Such joy
I never saw before. Great-bellied
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