King Henry The Eighth

1 Enter Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury.
2 CRANMER.
3 I hope I am not too late, and yet the gentleman
4 That was sent to me from the Council prayed me
5 To make great haste. All fast? What means this? Ho!
6 Who waits there?
7 Enter Keeper.
8 Sure you know me?
9 KEEPER.
10 Yes, my lord,
11 But yet I cannot help you.
12 CRANMER.
13 Why?
14 KEEPER.
15 Your Grace must wait till you be called for.
16 Enter Doctor Butts.
17 CRANMER.
18 So.
19 BUTTS.
20 [_Aside_.] This is a piece of malice. I am glad
21 I came this way so happily. The King
22 Shall understand it presently.
23 [_Exit._]
24 CRANMER.
25 [_Aside_.] ’Tis Butts,
26 The King’s physician. As he passed along,
27 How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me!
28 Pray heaven he sound not my disgrace. For certain,
29 This is of purpose laid by some that hate me—
30 God turn their hearts! I never sought their malice—
31 To quench mine honour. They would shame to make me
32 Wait else at door, a fellow councillor,
33 ’Mong boys, grooms, and lackeys. But their pleasures
34 Must be fulfilled, and I attend with patience.
35 Enter the King and Butts at a window above.
36 BUTTS.
37 I’ll show your Grace the strangest sight.
38 KING.
39 What’s that, Butts?
40 BUTTS.
41 I think your Highness saw this many a day.
42 KING.
43 Body o’ me, where is it?
44 BUTTS.
45 There, my lord:
46 The high promotion of his Grace of Canterbury,
47 Who holds his state at door, ’mongst pursuivants,
48 Pages, and footboys.
49 KING.
50 Ha! ’Tis he, indeed.
51 Is this the honour they do one another?
52 ’Tis well there’s one above ’em yet. I had thought
53 They had parted so much honesty among ’em—
54 At least good manners—as not thus to suffer
55 A man of his place, and so near our favour,
56 To dance attendance on their lordships’ pleasures,
57 And at the door too, like a post with packets.
58 By holy Mary, Butts, there’s knavery!
59 Let ’em alone, and draw the curtain close.
60 We shall hear more anon.
61 [_Exeunt._]
62 A council table brought in with chairs and stools and placed under the
63 state. Enter Lord Chancellor, places himself at the upper end of the
64 table on the left hand, a seat being left void above him, as for
65 Canterbury’s seat. Duke of Suffolk, Duke of Norfolk, Surrey, Lord
66 Chamberlain, Gardiner seat themselves in order on each side; Cromwell
67 at lower end, as secretary.
68 CHANCELLOR.
69 Speak to the business, master secretary.
70 Why are we met in council?
71 CROMWELL.
72 Please your honours,
73 The chief cause concerns his Grace of Canterbury.
74 GARDINER.
75 Has he had knowledge of it?
76 CROMWELL.
77 Yes.
78 NORFOLK.
79 Who waits there?
80 KEEPER.
81 Without, my noble lords?
82 GARDINER.
83 Yes.
84 KEEPER.
85 My lord Archbishop,
86 And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures.
87 CHANCELLOR.
88 Let him come in.
89 KEEPER.
90 Your Grace may enter now.
91 Cranmer approaches the council table.
92 CHANCELLOR.
93 My good lord Archbishop, I’m very sorry
94 To sit here at this present and behold
95 That chair stand empty. But we all are men,
96 In our own natures frail, and capable
97 Of our flesh—few are angels—out of which frailty
98 And want of wisdom, you that best should teach us,
99 Have misdemeaned yourself, and not a little,
100 Toward the King first, then his laws, in filling
101 The whole realm, by your teaching and your chaplains’—
102 For so we are informed—with new opinions,
103 Divers and dangerous, which are heresies
104 And, not reformed, may prove pernicious.
105 GARDINER.
106 Which reformation must be sudden too,
107 My noble lords; for those that tame wild horses
108 Pace ’em not in their hands to make ’em gentle,
109 But stop their mouth with stubborn bits and spur ’em
110 Till they obey the manage. If we suffer,
111 Out of our easiness and childish pity
112 To one man’s honour, this contagious sickness,
113 Farewell, all physic. And what follows then?
114 Commotions, uproars, with a general taint
115 Of the whole state, as of late days our neighbours,
116 The upper Germany, can dearly witness,
117 Yet freshly pitied in our memories.
118 CRANMER.
119 My good lords, hitherto in all the progress
120 Both of my life and office, I have laboured,
121 And with no little study, that my teaching
122 And the strong course of my authority
123 Might go one way, and safely; and the end
124 Was ever to do well. Nor is there living—
125 I speak it with a single heart, my lords—
126 A man that more detests, more stirs against,
127 Both in his private conscience and his place,
128 Defacers of a public peace than I do.
129 Pray heaven the King may never find a heart
130 With less allegiance in it! Men that make
131 Envy and crooked malice nourishment
132 Dare bite the best. I do beseech your lordships
133 That, in this case of justice, my accusers,
134 Be what they will, may stand forth face to face
135 And freely urge against me.
136 SUFFOLK.
137 Nay, my lord,
138 That cannot be. You are a councillor,
139 And by that virtue no man dare accuse you.
140 GARDINER.
141 My lord, because we have business of more moment,
142 We will be short with you. ’Tis his Highness’ pleasure
143 And our consent, for better trial of you,
144 From hence you be committed to the Tower,
145 Where, being but a private man again,
146 You shall know many dare accuse you boldly—
147 More than, I fear, you are provided for.
148 CRANMER.
149 Ah, my good Lord of Winchester, I thank you.
150 You are always my good friend. If your will pass,
151 I shall both find your lordship judge and juror,
152 You are so merciful. I see your end:
153 ’Tis my undoing. Love and meekness, lord,
154 Become a churchman better than ambition.
155 Win straying souls with modesty again;
156 Cast none away. That I shall clear myself,
157 Lay all the weight ye can upon my patience,
158 I make as little doubt as you do conscience
159 In doing daily wrongs. I could say more,
160 But reverence to your calling makes me modest.
161 GARDINER.
162 My lord, my lord, you are a sectary,
163 That’s the plain truth. Your painted gloss discovers,
164 To men that understand you, words and weakness.
165 CROMWELL.
166 My Lord of Winchester, you are a little,
167 By your good favour, too sharp. Men so noble,
168 However faulty, yet should find respect
169 For what they have been. ’Tis a cruelty
170 To load a falling man.
171 GARDINER.
172 Good master secretary,
173 I cry your honour mercy: you may worst
174 Of all this table say so.
175 CROMWELL.
176 Why, my lord?
177 GARDINER.
178 Do not I know you for a favourer
179 Of this new sect? Ye are not sound.
180 CROMWELL.
181 Not sound?
182 GARDINER.
183 Not sound, I say.
184 CROMWELL.
185 Would you were half so honest!
186 Men’s prayers then would seek you, not their fears.
187 GARDINER.
188 I shall remember this bold language.
189 CROMWELL.
190 Do.
191 Remember your bold life too.
192 CHANCELLOR.
193 This is too much.
194 Forbear, for shame, my lords.
195 GARDINER.
196 I have done.
197 CROMWELL.
198 And I.
199 CHANCELLOR.
200 Then thus for you, my lord: it stands agreed,
201 I take it, by all voices, that forthwith
202 You be conveyed to th’ Tower a prisoner,
203 There to remain till the King’s further pleasure
204 Be known unto us. Are you all agreed, lords?
205 ALL.
206 We are.
207 CRANMER.
208 Is there no other way of mercy
209 But I must needs to th’ Tower, my lords?
210 GARDINER.
211 What other
212 Would you expect? You are strangely troublesome.
213 Let some o’ th’ guard be ready there.
214 Enter the guard.
215 CRANMER.
216 For me?
217 Must I go like a traitor thither?
218 GARDINER.
219 Receive him,
220 And see him safe i’ th’ Tower.
221 CRANMER.
222 Stay, good my lords,
223 I have a little yet to say. Look there, my lords.
224 By virtue of that ring, I take my cause
225 Out of the gripes of cruel men and give it
226 To a most noble judge, the King my master.
227 CHAMBERLAIN.
228 This is the King’s ring.
229 SURREY.
230 ’Tis no counterfeit.
231 SUFFOLK.
232 ’Tis the right ring, by heaven! I told ye all,
233 When we first put this dangerous stone a-rolling,
234 ’Twould fall upon ourselves.
235 NORFOLK.
236 Do you think, my lords,
237 The King will suffer but the little finger
238 Of this man to be vexed?
239 CHAMBERLAIN.
240 ’Tis now too certain.
241 How much more is his life in value with him?
242 Would I were fairly out on’t!
243 CROMWELL.
244 My mind gave me,
245 In seeking tales and informations
246 Against this man, whose honesty the devil
247 And his disciples only envy at,
248 Ye blew the fire that burns ye. Now have at ye!
249 Enter King, frowning on them; takes his seat.
250 GARDINER.
251 Dread sovereign, how much are we bound to heaven
252 In daily thanks, that gave us such a prince,
253 Not only good and wise, but most religious;
254 One that, in all obedience, makes the Church
255 The chief aim of his honour and, to strengthen
256 That holy duty out of dear respect,
257 His royal self in judgement comes to hear
258 The cause betwixt her and this great offender.
259 KING.
260 You were ever good at sudden commendations,
261 Bishop of Winchester. But know I come not
262 To hear such flattery now, and in my presence
263 They are too thin and bare to hide offences.
264 To me you cannot reach, you play the spaniel,
265 And think with wagging of your tongue to win me;
266 But whatsoe’er thou tak’st me for, I’m sure
267 Thou hast a cruel nature and a bloody.
268 [_To Cranmer_.] Good man, sit down. Now let me see the proudest
269 He, that dares most, but wag his finger at thee.
270 By all that’s holy, he had better starve
271 Than but once think this place becomes thee not.
272 SURREY.
273 May it please your Grace—
274 KING.
275 No, sir, it does not please me.
276 I had thought I had had men of some understanding
277 And wisdom of my Council, but I find none.
278 Was it discretion, lords, to let this man,
279 This good man—few of you deserve that title—
280 This honest man, wait like a lousy footboy
281 At chamber door? And one as great as you are?
282 Why, what a shame was this! Did my commission
283 Bid ye so far forget yourselves? I gave ye
284 Power as he was a councillor to try him,
285 Not as a groom. There’s some of ye, I see,
286 More out of malice than integrity,
287 Would try him to the utmost, had ye mean,
288 Which ye shall never have while I live.
289 CHANCELLOR.
290 Thus far,
291 My most dread sovereign, may it like your Grace
292 To let my tongue excuse all. What was purposed
293 Concerning his imprisonment was rather,
294 If there be faith in men, meant for his trial
295 And fair purgation to the world than malice,
296 I’m sure, in me.
297 KING.
298 Well, well, my lords, respect him.
299 Take him, and use him well; he’s worthy of it.
300 I will say thus much for him: if a prince
301 May be beholding to a subject, I
302 Am, for his love and service, so to him.
303 Make me no more ado, but all embrace him.
304 Be friends, for shame, my lords! My Lord of Canterbury,
305 I have a suit which you must not deny me:
306 That is, a fair young maid that yet wants baptism.
307 You must be godfather and answer for her.
308 CRANMER.
309 The greatest monarch now alive may glory
310 In such an honour. How may I deserve it,
311 That am a poor and humble subject to you?
312 KING.
313 Come, come, my lord, you’d spare your spoons. You shall have two noble
314 partners with you: the old Duchess of Norfolk and Lady Marquess Dorset.
315 Will these please you?
316 Once more, my Lord of Winchester, I charge you,
317 Embrace and love this man.
318 GARDINER.
319 With a true heart
320 And brother-love I do it.
321 CRANMER.
322 And let heaven
323 Witness how dear I hold this confirmation.
324 KING.
325 Good man, those joyful tears show thy true heart.
326 The common voice, I see, is verified
327 Of thee, which says thus: “Do my Lord of Canterbury
328 A shrewd turn, and he is your friend for ever.”
329 Come, lords, we trifle time away. I long
330 To have this young one made a Christian.
331 As I have made ye one, lords, one remain.
332 So I grow stronger, you more honour gain.
333 [_Exeunt._]