London. A Gallery in the Palace. | |
| |
Enter GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester, a Page with a torch before him, met by SIR THOMAS LOVELL. | |
| Gar. It’s one o’clock, boy, is’t not? | |
| Boy. It hath struck. | 4 |
| 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! | 8 |
| 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. | 12 |
| 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? | |
| It seems you are in haste: an if there be | 16 |
| 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 | 20 |
| That seeks dispatch by day. | |
| Lov. My lord, I love you, | |
| And durst commend a secret to your ear | |
| Much weightier than this work. The queen’s in labour, | 24 |
| They say, in great extremity; and fear’d | |
| She’ll with the labour end. | |
| Gar. The fruit she goes with | |
| I pray for heartily, that it may find | 28 |
| Good time, and live: but for the stock, Sir Thomas, | |
| I wish it grubb’d up now. | |
| Lov. Methinks I could | |
| Cry the amen; and yet my conscience says | 32 |
| She’s a good creature, and, sweet lady, does | |
| Deserve our better wishes. | |
| Gar. But, sir, sir, | |
| Hear me, Sir Thomas: you’re a gentleman | 36 |
| Of mine own way; I know you wise, religious; | |
| And, let me tell you, it will ne’er be well, | |
| ’Twill not, Sir Thomas Lovell, take ’t of me, | |
| Till Cranmer, Cromwell, her two hands, and she, | 40 |
| Sleep in their graves. | |
| 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 | 44 |
| O’ the rolls, and the king’s secretary; further, sir, | |
| Stands in the gap and trade of moe preferments, | |
| With which the time will load him. The archbishop | |
| Is the king’s hand and tongue; and who dare speak | 48 |
| 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, | 52 |
| Sir,—I may tell it you,—I think I have | |
| Incens’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 | 56 |
| That does infect the land: with which they mov’d | |
| 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 | 60 |
| Our reasons laid before him,—hath commanded | |
| To-morrow morning to the council-board | |
| He be convented. He’s a rank weed, Sir Thomas, | |
| And we must root him out. From your affairs | 64 |
| I hinder you too long: good-night, Sir Thomas! | |
| Lov. Many good-nights, my lord. I rest your servant. [Exeunt GARDINER and Page. | |
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Enter the KING and SUFFOLK. | |
| K. Hen. Charles, I will play no more tonight; | 68 |
| 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; | |
| Nor shall not when my fancy’s on my play. | 72 |
| 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 | 76 |
| In the great’st humbleness, and desir’d your highness | |
| Most heartily to pray for her. | |
| K. Hen. What sayst thou, ha? | |
| To pray for her? what! is she crying out? | 80 |
| Lov. So said her woman; and that her sufferance made | |
| Almost each pang a death. | |
| K. Hen. Alas! good lady. | |
| Suf. God safely quit her of her burden, and | 84 |
| With gentle travail, to the gladding of | |
| Your highness with an heir! | |
| K. Hen. ’Tis midnight, Charles; | |
| Prithee, to bed; and in thy prayers remember | 88 |
| The estate of my poor queen. Leave me alone; | |
| For I must think of that which company | |
| Would not be friendly to. | |
| Suf. I wish your highness | 92 |
| A quiet night; and my good mistress will | |
| Remember in my prayers. | |
| K. Hen. Charles, good-night. [Exit SUFFOLK. | |
| |
Enter SIR ANTHONY DENNY. | 96 |
| Well, Sir, what follows? | |
| Den. Sir, I have brought my lord the archbishop, | |
| As you commanded me. | |
| K. Hen. Ha! Canterbury? | 100 |
| Den. Ay, my good lord. | |
| K. Hen. ’Tis true: where is he, Denny? | |
| Den. He attends your highness’ pleasure. | |
| K. Hen. Bring him to us. [Exit DENNY. | 104 |
| Lov. [Aside.] This is about that which the bishop spake: | |
| I am happily come hither. | |
| |
Re-enter DENNY, with CRANMER. | |
| K. Hen. Avoid the gallery. [LOVELL seems to stay. | 108 |
| Ha! I have said. Begone. | |
| What!— [Exeunt LOVELL and DENNY. | |
| Cran. I am fearful. Wherefore frowns he thus? | |
| ’Tis his aspect of terror: all’s not well. | 112 |
| 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. | 116 |
| 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. | 120 |
| 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, | 124 |
| Grievous complaints of you; which, being consider’d, | |
| 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, | 128 |
| 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, | 132 |
| It fits we thus proceed, or else no witness | |
| Would come against you. | |
| Cran. [Kneeling.] I humbly thank your highness; | |
| And am right glad to catch this good occasion | 136 |
| Most throughly to be winnow’d, where my chaff | |
| And corn shall fly asunder; for I know | |
| There’s none stands under more calumnious tongues | |
| Than I myself, poor man. | 140 |
| K. Hen. Stand up, good Canterbury: | |
| Thy truth and thy integrity is rooted | |
| In us, thy friend: give me thy hand, stand up: | |
| Prithee, let’s walk. Now, by my holidame, | 144 |
| What manner of man are you? My lord, I look’d | |
| You would have given me your petition, that | |
| I should have ta’en some pains to bring together | |
| Yourself and your accusers; and to have heard you, | 148 |
| Without indurance, further. | |
| Cran. Most dread liege, | |
| The good I stand on is my truth and honesty: | |
| If they shall fail, I, with mine enemies, | 152 |
| Will triumph o’er my person; which I weigh not, | |
| Being of those virtues vacant. I fear nothing | |
| What can be said against me. | |
| K. Hen. Know you not | 156 |
| How your state stands i’ the world, with the whole world? | |
| Your enemies are many, and not small; their practices | |
| Must bear the same proportion; and not ever | |
| The justice and the truth o’ the question carries | 160 |
| 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 | 164 |
| 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; | 168 |
| 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 | 172 |
| 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 | 176 |
| 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 | 180 |
| 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 weeps; | 184 |
| He’s honest, on mine honour. God’s blest 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 | 188 |
| His language in his tears. | |
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Enter an Old Lady. | |
| Gent. [Within.] Come back: what mean you? | |
| Old L. I’ll not come back; the tidings that I bring | 192 |
| Will make my boldness manners. Now, good angels | |
| Fly o’er thy royal head, and shade thy person | |
| Under their blessed wings! | |
| K. Hen. Now, by thy looks | 196 |
| I guess thy message. Is the queen deliver’d? | |
| Say, ay; and of a boy. | |
| Old L. Ay, ay, my liege; | |
| And of a lovely boy: the God of heaven | 200 |
| 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 | 204 |
| As cherry is to cherry. | |
| K. Hen. Lovell! | |
| |
Re-enter LOVELL. | |
| Lov. Sir! | 208 |
| K. Hen. Give her a hundred marks. I’ll to the queen. [Exit. | |
| Old L. A 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. | 212 |
| 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. | |
