Enter the Duke of Norfolk at one door; at the other, the Duke of Buckingham and the Lord Abergavenny.
BUCKINGHAM.
Good morrow, and well met. How have ye done
Since last we saw in France?
NORFOLK.
I thank your Grace,
Healthful, and ever since a fresh admirer
Of what I saw there.
BUCKINGHAM.
An untimely ague
Stayed me a prisoner in my chamber when
Those suns of glory, those two lights of men,
Met in the vale of Andren.
NORFOLK.
’Twixt Guynes and Arde.
I was then present, saw them salute on horseback,
Beheld them when they lighted, how they clung
In their embracement, as they grew together—
Which had they, what four throned ones could have weighed
Such a compounded one?
BUCKINGHAM.
All the whole time
I was my chamber’s prisoner.
NORFOLK.
Then you lost
The view of earthly glory. Men might say,
Till this time pomp was single, but now married
To one above itself. Each following day
Became the next day’s master, till the last
Made former wonders its. Today the French,
All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,
Shone down the English; and tomorrow, they
Made Britain India: every man that stood
Showed like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
As cherubins, all gilt. The madams too,
Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a painting. Now this masque
Was cried incomparable; and th’ ensuing night
Made it a fool and beggar. The two kings,
Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst,
As presence did present them: him in eye,
Still him in praise; and being present both,
’Twas said they saw but one, and no discerner
Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these suns—
For so they phrase ’em—by their heralds challenged
The noble spirits to arms, they did perform
Beyond thought’s compass, that former fabulous story,
Being now seen possible enough, got credit,
That Bevis was believed.
BUCKINGHAM.
O, you go far.
NORFOLK.
As I belong to worship and affect
In honour honesty, the tract of everything
Would by a good discourser lose some life,
Which action’s self was tongue to. All was royal;
To the disposing of it nought rebelled;
Order gave each thing view; the office did
Distinctly his full function.
BUCKINGHAM.
Who did guide,
I mean, who set the body and the limbs
Of this great sport together, as you guess?