The Vision. Enter, solemnly tripping one after | What is your pleasure with me?
another, six Personages, clad in white robes,
wearing on their heads garlands of bays, and
golden vizards on their faces; branches of bays
or palm in their hands. They first congee unto
her, then dance; and, at certain changes, the
first two hold a spare garland over her head; at
which the other four make reverent court'sies:
then the two that held the garland deliver the
same to the other next two, who observe the same
order in their changes, and holding the garland
over her head which done, they deliver the same
garland to the last two, who likewise observe the
same order: at which, as it were by inspiration,
she makes in her sleep signs of rejoicing, and
holdeth up her hands to heaven: and so in their
dancing vanish, carrying the garland with them.
The music continues.
First, mine own service to your grace; the next,
The king's request that I would visit you ;
Who grieves much for your weakness, and by me
Sends you his princely commendations,
And heartily entreats you take good comfort.
Kath. O my good lord, that comfort comes
too late ;
Kath. Spirits of peace, where are ye? are ye
all gone,
And leave me here in wretchedness behind ye?
Grif. Madam, we are here.
Kath.
It is not you I call for :
Saw ye none enter since I slept?
Grif.
Kath. No? Saw you not, even now, a blessed
troop
Invite me to a banquet; whose bright faces
Cast thousand beams upon me, like the sun?
They promis'd me eternal happiness,
And brought me garlands, Griffith, which I feel
I am not worthy yet to wear: I shall, assuredly,
Grif. I am most joyful, madam, such good
'Tis like a pardon after execution :
That gentle physic, given in time, had cur'd me ;
But now I am past all comforts here but prayers.
How does his highness?
Cap.
Madam, in good health.
Kath. So may he ever do! and ever flourish,
When I shall dwell with worms, and my poor
Banish'd the kingdom. Patience, is that letter
I caus'd you write yet sent away?
Pat.
No, madam.
Giving it to KATHARINE
Kath. Sir, I most humbly pray you to deliver
This to my lord the king.
Cap.
Most willing, madam. 12 Kath. In which I have commended to his goodness
The model of our chaste loves, his young
The dews of heaven fall thick in blessings on
her!
She is young, and of a noble modest nature,
Beseeching him to give her virtuous breeding,-
I hope she will deserve well,-and a little
To love her for her mother's sake, that lov'd him.
Heaven knows how dearly. My next poor petition
Is, that his noble grace would have some pity
Upon my wretched women, that so long
Have follow'd both my fortunes faithfully:
Of which there is not one, I dare avow,
For virtue, and true beauty of the soul,
And now I should not lie, but will deserve,
For honesty, and decent carriage,
A right good husband, let him be a noble ;
And, sure, those men are happy that shall have
'em.
The last is, for my men: they are the poorest,
But poverty could never draw 'em from me;
That they may have their wages duly paid 'em,
And something over to remember me by:
If heaven had pleas'd to have given me longer
Call in more women. When I am dead, good | Stands in the gap and trade of more preferwench,
ments,
Let me be us'd with honour: strew me over With maiden flowers, that all the world may know
With which the time will load him. The archbishop
169
Is the king's hand and tongue; and who dare
speak
I was a chaste wife to my grave: embalm me,
Then lay me forth: although unqueen'd, yet like
A queen, and daughter to a king, inter me.
I can no more. Exeunt, leading KATHARINE.
42
One syllable against him?
Gar.
Yes, yes, Sir Thomas,
There are that dare; and I myself have ventur'd
To speak my mind of him: and indeed this day,
Sir, I may tell it you, I think I have
Insens'd the lords o' the council that he is,
For so I know he is, they know he is,
A most arch heretic, a pestilence
That does infect the land: with which they
mov'd
ACT V.
SCENE I.-London. A Gallery in the Palace. Enter GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester, a Paye with a torch before him, met by Sir THOMAS
LOVELL.
Gar. It's one o'clock, boy, is 't not?
Boy.
It hath struck.
Gar. These should be hours for necessities,
Not for delights; times to repair our nature
With comforting repose, and not for us
To waste these times. Good hour of night, Sir
Thomas!
Whither so late?
Lov.
Came you from the king, my lord? Gar. I did, Sir Thomas; and left him at
primero
With the Duke of Suffolk.
Lov.
I must to him too.
Before he go to bed. I'll take my leave.
Gar. Not yet, Sir Thomas Lovell. What's the
matter?
10
Enter the KING and SUFFOLK.
K. Hen. Charles, I will play no more to-night;
My mind's not on 't; you are too hard for me.
Suf. Sir, I did never win of you before.
K. Hen. But little, Charles;
60
Nor shall not when my fancy's on my play.
Now, Lovell, from the queen what is the news?
Lov. I could not personally deliver to her
What you commanded me, but by her woman
I sent your message; who return'd her thanks
In the greatest humbleness, and desir'd your
highness
Most heartily to pray for her.
K. Hen.
What say'st thou, ha? Lov. My lord, I love you, To pray for her? what! is she crying out? And durst commend a secret to your ear Lov. So said her woman; and that her sufferMuch weightier than this work. The queen 's in ance made
It seems you are in haste: an if there be
No great offence belongs to 't, give your friend
Some touch of your late business: affairs, that
walk
As they say spirits do, at midnight, have
In them a wilder nature than the business
That seeks dispatch by day.
Have broken with the king; who hath so far
Given ear to our complaint, of his great grace
And princely care, foreseeing those fell mischiefs
Our reasons laid before him, hath commanded
To-morrow morning to the council-board
51
He be convented. He's a rank weed, Sir
Thomas,
And we must root him out. From your affairs
I hinder you too long: good night, Sir Thomas!
Lov. Many good nights, my lord. I rest your
Exeunt GARDINER and Page.
servant.
Lov.
Now, sir, you speak of two
The most remark'd i' the kingdom. As for
Cromwell,
Beside that of the jewel house, is made master
O' the rolls, and the king's secretary; further,
sir,
K. Hen.
Bring him to us.
Exit DENNY. Lov. Aside. This is about that which the bishop spake :
I am happily come hither.
Ha! I have said. Be gone.
What!
Re-enter DENNY, with CRANMER.
K. Hen.
Avoid the gallery.
LOVELL seems to stay.
Exeunt LOVELL and DENNY.
Cran. I am fearful. Wherefore frowns he
thus?
'Tis his aspect of terror: all's not well. K. Hen. How now, my lord! You do desire to know
Wherefore I sent for you.
Cran. Kneeling.
It is my duty
To attend your highness' pleasure.
K. Hen.
Pray you, arise,
My good and gracious lord of Canterbury.
Come, you and I must walk a turn together;
I have news to tell you: come, come, give me
your hand.
Ah! my good lord, I grieve at what I speak,
And am right sorry to repeat what follows.
I have, and most unwillingly, of late
Heard many grievous, I do say, my lord,
Grievous complaints of you; which, being con-
sider'd,
99
Have mov'd us and our council, that you shall
This morning come before us; where, I know,
You cannot with such freedom purge yourself,
But that, till further trial in those charges
Which will require your answer, you must take
Your patience to you, and be well contented
To make your house our Tower: you a brother
of us,
It fits we thus proceed, or else no witness Would come against you.
Cran. Kneeling.
Must bear the same proportion; and not ever The justice and the truth o' the question
carries
highness;
And am right glad to catch this good occasion
Most throughly to be winnow'd, where my chaff
And corn shall fly asunder; for I know
There's none stands under more calumniously
tongues
111
Your enemies are many, and not small; their
practices
The due o' the verdict with it. At what ease Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt To swear against you? such things have been done.
You are potently oppos'd, and with a malice
Of as great size. Ween you of better luck,
I mean in perjur'd witness, than your master,
Whose minister you are, whiles here he liv'd
Upon this naughty earth? Go to, go to;
You take a precipice for no leap of danger,
And woo your own destruction.
Cran.
God and your majesty
Protect mine innocence! or I fall into
The trap is laid for me.
K. Hen.
Be of good cheer;
They shall no more prevail than we give way to.
Keep comfort to you; and this morning see
You do appear before them. If they shall
chance,
In charging you with matters, to commit you,
The best persuasions to the contrary
Fail not to use, and with what vehemency
The occasion shall instruct you: if entreaties
Will render you no remedy, this ring
Deliver them, and your appeal to us
There make before them. Look! the good man
God's blest
His language in his tears.
weeps;
He's honest, on mine honour.
mother!
I swear he is true-hearted; and a soul
None better in my kingdom. Get you gone,
And do as I have bid you.
Exit CRANMER.
He has strangled
Enter an old Lady.
Gent. Within. Come back: what mean you! Old Lady. I'll not come back; the tidings that I bring
Will make my boldness manners. Now, good
139
angels o'er thy royal head, and shade thy person Under their blessed wings! K. Hen.
Now, by thy looks Is the queen deliver'd!
I guess thy message.
Say, ay; and of a boy.
Old Lady.
And of a lovely boy: the God of heaven
Ay, ay, my liege;
Both now and ever bless her! 'tis a girl,
Promises boys hereafter. Sir, your queen
Desires your visitation, and to be
Acquainted with this stranger: 'tis as like you
As cherry is to cherry.
K. Hen.
Lovell!
Re-enter LOVELL.
Lov.
169
Sir !
K. Ien. Give her an hundred marks. I'll to
the queen.
Exit.
Old Lady. An hundred marks! By this light,
I'll ha' more.
An ordinary groom is for such payment:
I will have more, or scold it out of him.
Said I for this the girl was like to him?
I will have more, or else unsay 't; and now,
While it is hot, I'll put it to the issue. Exeunt.
Must be fulfill'd, and I attend with patience.
Enter the KING and BUTTS at a window above.
Butts. I'll show your grace the strangest sight,-
K. Hen.
What's that, Butts?
Butts. Ithink your highness saw this many a day.
K. Hen. Body o' me, where is it?
Butts.
There, my lord:
The high promotion of his grace of Canterbury;
Who holds his state at door, 'mongst pursuivants,
Pages, and footboys.
n
K. Hen.
Ha! 'tis he, indeed.
Is this the honour they do one another?
'Tis well there's one above 'em yet. I had thought
They had parted so much honesty among 'em,
At least good manners, as not thus to suffer
A man of his place, and so near our favour,
Todanceattendance on their lordships' pleasures,
And at the door too, like a post with packets.
By holy Mary, Butts, there's knavery:
Let 'em alone, and draw the curtain close;
We shall hear more anon.
Exeunt.
Crom.
The chief cause concerns his grace of Canterbury.
Please your honours,
Gar. Has he had knowledge of it?
Crom.
Yes.
Nor.
Who waits there?
Keep. Without, my noble lords?
Gar.
Keep.
Yes.
My lord archbishop; And has done half-an-hour, to know your
pleasures.
Chan. Let him come in.
Keep.
Your grace may enter now.
CRANMER enters, and approaches the council-table.
Chan. My good lord archbishop, I'm very sorry
To sit here at this present and behold
That chair stand empty: but we all are men, 10
In our own natures frail, and capable
Of our flesh; few are angels: out of which frailty
And want of wisdom, you, that best should
teach us,
Have misdemean'd yourself, and not a little,
Toward the king first, then his laws, in filling
The whole realm, by your teaching and your
chaplains,
For so we are inform'd, with new opinions,
Divers and dangerous; which are heresies,
And, not reform'd, may prove pernicious.
19
Gar. Which reformation must be sudden too, My noble lords; for those that tame wild horses Pace 'em not in their hands to make 'em gentle, But stop their mouths with stubborn bits, and spur 'em,
Till they obey the manage. If we suffer,
Out of our easiness and childish pity
To one man's honour, this contagious sickness,
Farewell all physic: and what follows then?
Commotions, uproars, with a general taint
Of the wholestate: as, of late days, our neighbours,
The upper Germany, can dearly witness,
Yet freshly pitied in our memories.
Cran. My good lords, hitherto, in all the progress
Both of my life and office, I have labour'd,
And with no little study, that my teaching
And the strong course of my authority
Might go one way, and safely; and the end
Was ever to do well: nor is there living,
I speak it with a single heart, my lords,
A man that more detests, more stirs against,
Both in his private conscience and his place, 40
Defacers of a public peace, than I do.
Pray heaven the king may never find a heart
With less allegiance in it! Men that make
Envy and crooked malice nourishment
Dare bite the best. I do beseech your lordships
That in this case of justice, my accusers,
Be what they will, may stand forth face to face,
And freely urge against me.
SCENE III.-The Council-Chamber.
Enter the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of SUFFOLK,
the Duke of NORFOLK, the Earl of SURREY, the
Lord Chamberlain, GARDINER, and CROM-
WELL. The Chancellor places himself at the upper
end of the table on the left hand; a seat being left
void above him, as for the Archbishop of CAN-
TERBURY. The rest seat themselves in order on
each side. CROMWELL at the lower end, as secre-
tary. Keeper at the door.
And our consent, for better trial of you,
From hence you be committed to the Tower;
Where, being but a private man again,
Chan. Speak to the business, Master secretary: You shall know many dare accuse you boldly,
Why are we met in council?
More than, I fear, you are provided for.
Suf.
Nay, my lord,
That cannot be you are a counsellor,
And
that virtue no man dare accuse you. 50 Gar. My lord, because we have business of more moment,
We will be short with you. 'Tis his highness'
pleasure,
Cran. Ah! my good lord of Winchester, I thank you;
61
You are always my good friend: if your will pass,
I shall both find your lordship judge and juror,
You are so merciful. I see your end;
'Tis my undoing: love and meekness, lord,
Become a churchman better than ambition:
Win straying souls with modesty again,
Cast none away. That I shall clear myself,
Lay all the weight ye can upon my patience,
I make as little doubt, as you do conscience
In doing daily wrongs. I could say more,
But reverence to your calling makes me modest.
Gar. My lord, my lord, you are a sectary;
That's the plain truth: your painted gloss dis-
70
covers,
Tomen that understand you, words and weakness.
Crom. My lord of Winchester, you are a little,
By your good favour, too sharp; men so noble,
However faulty, yet should find respect
For what they have been: 'tis a cruelty
To load a falling man.
Gar.
Good Master secretary, I cry your honour mercy; you may, worst Of all this table, say so.
Crom.
Why, my lord? Gar. Do not I know you for a favourer Of this new sect? ye are not sound.
Crom.
Gar. Not sound, I say. Crom. Would you were half so honest! Men's prayers then would seek you, not their fears. Gar. I shall remember this bold language. Crom.
Do.
This is too much;
I have done.
Crom.
And I. Chan. Then thus for you, my lord: it stands agreed,
I take it, by all voices, that forthwith
You be convey'd to the Tower a prisoner;
There to remain till the king's further pleasure
Be known unto us. Are you all agreed, lords?
All. We are.
Cran.
Is there no other way of mercy,
But I must needs to the Tower, my lords?
What other
Would you expect? you are strangely troublesome.
Let some o' the guard be ready there.
Gar.
Enter Guard.
Remember your bold life too.
Chan.
Forbear, for shame, my lords.
Gar.
Cran.
Must I go like a traitor thither? Gar.
For me? Receive him,
And see him safe i' the Tower.
Cran.
Stay, good my lords;
I have a little yet to say. Look there, my lords;
By virtue of that ring I take my cause
Out of the gripes of cruel men, and give it
To a most noble judge, the king my master.
Chan. This is the king's ring.
Sur.
'Tis no counterfeit. Suf. 'Tis the right ring, by heaven! I told ye all. When we first put this dangerous stone a-rolling, "Twould fall upon ourselves.
Nor. Do you think, my lords, The king will suffer but the little finger
Of this man to be vex'd?
Chan.
'Tis now too certain :
How much more is his life in value with him?
Would I were fairly out on 't!
110
Crom. My mind gave me, In seeking tales and informations Against this man, whose honesty the devil And his disciples only envy at, Ye blew the fire that burns ye: now have at ye! Enter the KING, frowning on them; he takes his seat.
Gar. Dread sovereign, how much are we bound to heaven
In daily thanks, that gave us such a prince;
Not only good and wise, but most religious :
One that in all obedience makes the church
The chief aim of his honour; and, to strengthen
That holy duty, out of dear respect,
His royal self in judgment comes to hear
The cause betwixt her and this great offender.
K. Hen. You were ever good at sudden com-
mendations,
To me you cannot reach; you play the spaniel, And think with wagging of your tongue to win me; Not sound? But, whatsoe'er thou tak'st me for, I'm sure Thou hast a cruel nature and a bloody.
Bishop of Winchester; but know, I come not To hear such flattery now, and in my presence; They are too thin and bare to hide offences.
To CRANMER. Good man, sit down. Now let me see the proudest
120
He, that dares most, but wag his finger at thee:
By all that 's holy, he had better starve
Than but once think this place becomes thee not.
Sur. May it please your grace,—
K. Hen.
No, sir, it does not please me. I had thought I had had men of some under. standing
And wisdom of my council; but I find none.
Was it discretion, lords, to let this man,
This good man, few of you deserve that title,
This honest man, wait like a lousy footboy
At chamber-door? and one as great as you are?
Why, what a shame was this! Did my com-
mission
141
100
K. Hen. Well, well, my lords, respect him;
Take him, and use him well; he 's worthy of it.
I will say thus much for him, if a prince
May be beholding to a subject, I
Am, for his love and service, so to him.
Make me no more ado, but all embrace him :
Be friends, for shame, my lords! My lord of
Canterbury,
I have a suit which you must not deny me; 168
That is, a fair young maid that yet wants baptism,
You must be godfather, and answer for her.
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