And, to relief of lazars and weak age,
Of indigent faint souls past corporal toil, 16
A hundred almshouses right well supplied;
And to the coffers of the king beside,
A thousand pounds by the year. Thus runs the bill.
Ely. This would drink deep.
Cant.'T would drink the cup and all.
Ely. But what prevention? 21
Cant. The king is full of grace and fair regard.
Ely. And a true lover of the holy church.
Cant. The courses of his youth promis'd it not. 24
The breath no sooner left his father's body
But that his wildness, mortified in him,
Seem'd to die too; yea, at that very moment,
Consideration like an angel came, 28
And whipp'd the offending Adam out of him,
Leaving his body as a paradise,
To envelop and contain celestial spirits.
Never was such a sudden scholar made; 32
Never came reformation in a flood,
With such a heady currance, scouring faults;
Nor never Hydra-headed wilfulness
So soon did lose his seat and all at once 36
As in this king.
Ely.We are blessed in the change.
Cant. Hear him but reason in divinity,
And, all-admiring, with an inward wish
You would desire the king were made a prelate: 40
Hear him debate of commonwealth affairs,
You would say it hath been all in all his study:
List his discourse of war, and you shall hear
15 lazars: beggars (especially lepers)
26 mortified: subdued
28 Consideration: reflection
34 heady currance: headlong current
35 Hydra-headed: many-headed; cf. n.
36 his: its
43 List: listen to
