King Henry The Eighth

1 Enter Lord Chamberlain, reading this letter.
2 CHAMBERLAIN.
3 _My lord, the horses your lordship sent for, with all the care had I
4 saw well chosen, ridden, and furnished. They were young and handsome,
5 and of the best breed in the north. When they were ready to set out for
6 London, a man of my Lord Cardinal’s, by commission and main power, took
7 ’em from me, with this reason: his master would be served before a
8 subject, if not before the King; which stopped our mouths, sir._
9 I fear he will indeed. Well, let him have them.
10 He will have all, I think.
11 Enter to the Lord Chamberlain, the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk.
12 NORFOLK.
13 Well met, my Lord Chamberlain.
14 CHAMBERLAIN.
15 Good day to both your Graces.
16 SUFFOLK.
17 How is the King employed?
18 CHAMBERLAIN.
19 I left him private,
20 Full of sad thoughts and troubles.
21 NORFOLK.
22 What’s the cause?
23 CHAMBERLAIN.
24 It seems the marriage with his brother’s wife
25 Has crept too near his conscience.
26 SUFFOLK.
27 No, his conscience
28 Has crept too near another lady.
29 NORFOLK.
30 ’Tis so.
31 This is the Cardinal’s doing, the king-cardinal.
32 That blind priest, like the eldest son of Fortune,
33 Turns what he list. The King will know him one day.
34 SUFFOLK.
35 Pray God he do! He’ll never know himself else.
36 NORFOLK.
37 How holily he works in all his business,
38 And with what zeal! For, now he has cracked the league
39 Between us and the Emperor, the Queen’s great nephew,
40 He dives into the King’s soul and there scatters
41 Dangers, doubts, wringing of the conscience,
42 Fears and despairs—and all these for his marriage.
43 And out of all these to restore the King,
44 He counsels a divorce, a loss of her
45 That like a jewel has hung twenty years
46 About his neck, yet never lost her lustre;
47 Of her that loves him with that excellence
48 That angels love good men with; even of her
49 That, when the greatest stroke of fortune falls,
50 Will bless the King. And is not this course pious?
51 CHAMBERLAIN.
52 Heaven keep me from such counsel! ’Tis most true:
53 These news are everywhere, every tongue speaks ’em,
54 And every true heart weeps for’t. All that dare
55 Look into these affairs see this main end,
56 The French king’s sister. Heaven will one day open
57 The King’s eyes, that so long have slept upon
58 This bold bad man.
59 SUFFOLK.
60 And free us from his slavery.
61 NORFOLK.
62 We had need pray,
63 And heartily, for our deliverance,
64 Or this imperious man will work us all
65 From princes into pages. All men’s honours
66 Lie like one lump before him, to be fashioned
67 Into what pitch he please.
68 SUFFOLK.
69 For me, my lords,
70 I love him not, nor fear him; there’s my creed.
71 As I am made without him, so I’ll stand,
72 If the King please. His curses and his blessings
73 Touch me alike, they’re breath I not believe in.
74 I knew him, and I know him; so I leave him
75 To him that made him proud, the Pope.
76 NORFOLK.
77 Let’s in,
78 And with some other business put the King
79 From these sad thoughts that work too much upon him.
80 My lord, you’ll bear us company?
81 CHAMBERLAIN.
82 Excuse me;
83 The King has sent me otherwhere. Besides,
84 You’ll find a most unfit time to disturb him.
85 Health to your lordships.
86 NORFOLK.
87 Thanks, my good Lord Chamberlain.
88 [_Exit Lord Chamberlain, and the King draws the curtain and sits
89 reading pensively._]
90 SUFFOLK.
91 How sad he looks! Sure, he is much afflicted.
92 KING.
93 Who’s there? Ha?
94 NORFOLK.
95 Pray God he be not angry.
96 KING.
97 Who’s there, I say? How dare you thrust yourselves
98 Into my private meditations?
99 Who am I? Ha?
100 NORFOLK.
101 A gracious king that pardons all offences
102 Malice ne’er meant. Our breach of duty this way
103 Is business of estate, in which we come
104 To know your royal pleasure.
105 KING.
106 Ye are too bold.
107 Go to; I’ll make ye know your times of business.
108 Is this an hour for temporal affairs, ha?
109 Enter Wolsey and Campeius with a commission.
110 Who’s there? My good Lord Cardinal? O my Wolsey,
111 The quiet of my wounded conscience,
112 Thou art a cure fit for a king. [_To Campeius_.] You’re welcome,
113 Most learned reverend sir, into our kingdom;
114 Use us and it. [_To Wolsey_.] My good lord, have great care
115 I be not found a talker.
116 WOLSEY.
117 Sir, you cannot.
118 I would your Grace would give us but an hour
119 Of private conference.
120 KING.
121 [_To Norfolk and Suffolk_.] We are busy. Go.
122 NORFOLK.
123 [A_side to Suffolk_.] This priest has no pride in him?
124 SUFFOLK.
125 [_Aside to Norfolk_.] Not to speak of.
126 I would not be so sick, though, for his place.
127 But this cannot continue.
128 NORFOLK.
129 [_Aside to Suffolk_.] If it do,
130 I’ll venture one have-at-him.
131 SUFFOLK.
132 [_Aside to Norfolk_.] I another.
133 [_Exeunt Norfolk and Suffolk._]
134 WOLSEY.
135 Your Grace has given a precedent of wisdom
136 Above all princes in committing freely
137 Your scruple to the voice of Christendom.
138 Who can be angry now? What envy reach you?
139 The Spaniard, tied by blood and favour to her,
140 Must now confess, if they have any goodness,
141 The trial just and noble. All the clerks—
142 I mean the learned ones in Christian kingdoms—
143 Have their free voices. Rome, the nurse of judgement,
144 Invited by your noble self, hath sent
145 One general tongue unto us, this good man,
146 This just and learned priest, Cardinal Campeius,
147 Whom once more I present unto your Highness.
148 KING.
149 And once more in mine arms I bid him welcome,
150 And thank the holy conclave for their loves.
151 They have sent me such a man I would have wished for.
152 CAMPEIUS.
153 Your Grace must needs deserve all strangers’ loves,
154 You are so noble. To your Highness’ hand
155 I tender my commission, by whose virtue,
156 The court of Rome commanding, you, my Lord
157 Cardinal of York, are joined with me their servant
158 In the unpartial judging of this business.
159 KING.
160 Two equal men. The Queen shall be acquainted
161 Forthwith for what you come. Where’s Gardiner?
162 WOLSEY.
163 I know your Majesty has always loved her
164 So dear in heart not to deny her that
165 A woman of less place might ask by law:
166 Scholars allowed freely to argue for her.
167 KING.
168 Ay, and the best she shall have, and my favour
169 To him that does best. God forbid else. Cardinal,
170 Prithee call Gardiner to me, my new secretary.
171 I find him a fit fellow.
172 Enter Gardiner.
173 WOLSEY.
174 [_Aside to Gardiner_.]
175 Give me your hand. Much joy and favour to you;
176 You are the King’s now.
177 GARDINER.
178 [_Aside to Wolsey_.] But to be commanded
179 For ever by your Grace, whose hand has raised me.
180 KING.
181 Come hither, Gardiner.
182 [_The King and Gardiner walk and whisper._]
183 CAMPEIUS.
184 My lord of York, was not one Doctor Pace
185 In this man’s place before him?
186 WOLSEY.
187 Yes, he was.
188 CAMPEIUS.
189 Was he not held a learned man?
190 WOLSEY.
191 Yes, surely.
192 CAMPEIUS.
193 Believe me, there’s an ill opinion spread, then
194 Even of yourself, Lord Cardinal.
195 WOLSEY.
196 How? Of me?
197 CAMPEIUS.
198 They will not stick to say you envied him
199 And fearing he would rise—he was so virtuous—
200 Kept him a foreign man still, which so grieved him
201 That he ran mad and died.
202 WOLSEY.
203 Heav’n’s peace be with him!
204 That’s Christian care enough. For living murmurers
205 There’s places of rebuke. He was a fool,
206 For he would needs be virtuous. That good fellow,
207 If I command him, follows my appointment.
208 I will have none so near else. Learn this, brother:
209 We live not to be griped by meaner persons.
210 KING.
211 Deliver this with modesty to th’ Queen.
212 [_Exit Gardiner._]
213 The most convenient place that I can think of
214 For such receipt of learning is Blackfriars.
215 There ye shall meet about this weighty business.
216 My Wolsey, see it furnished. O, my lord,
217 Would it not grieve an able man to leave
218 So sweet a bedfellow? But, conscience, conscience!
219 O, ’tis a tender place, and I must leave her.
220 [_Exeunt._]