King Henry VIII

King Henry VIII

	THE PROLOGUE
	I come no more to make you laugh: things now,
	That bear a weighty and a serious brow,
	Sad, high, and working, full of state and woe,
	Such noble scenes as draw the eye to flow,	5
	We now present. Those that can pity, here
	May, if they think it well, let fall a tear;
	The subject will deserve it. Such as give
	Their money out of hope they may believe,
	May here find truth too. Those that come to see	10
	Only a show or two, and so agree
	The play may pass, if they be still and willing,
	I'll undertake may see away their shilling
	Richly in two short hours. Only they
	That come to hear a merry bawdy play,	15
	A noise of targets, or to see a fellow
	In a long motley coat guarded with yellow,
	Will be deceived; for, gentle hearers, know,
	To rank our chosen truth with such a show
	As fool and fight is, beside forfeiting	20
	Our own brains, and the opinion that we bring,
	To make that only true we now intend,
	Will leave us never an understanding friend.
	Therefore, for goodness' sake, and as you are known
	The first and happiest hearers of the town,	25
	Be sad, as we would make ye: think ye see
	The very persons of our noble story
	As they were living; think you see them great,
	And follow'd with the general throng and sweat
	Of thousand friends; then in a moment, see	30
	How soon this mightiness meets misery:
	And, if you can be merry then, I'll say
	A man may weep upon his wedding-day.
ACT I SCENE I	London. An ante-chamber in the palace.
	Enter NORFOLK at one door; at the other, BUCKINGHAMand ABERGAVENNY
BUCKINGHAM	Good morrow, and well met. How have ye done	35
	Since last we saw in France?
NORFOLK	I thank your grace,
	Healthful; and ever since a fresh admirer
	Of what I saw there.
BUCKINGHAM	An untimely ague	40
	Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber when
	Those suns of glory, those two lights of men,
	Met in the vale of Andren.
NORFOLK	'Twixt Guynes and Arde:
	I was then present, saw them salute on horseback;	45
	Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clung
	In their embracement, as they grew together;
	Which had they, what four throned ones could have weigh'd
	Such a compounded one?
BUCKINGHAM	All the whole time	50
	I was my chamber's prisoner.
NORFOLK	Then you lost
	The view of earthly glory: men might say,
	Till this time pomp was single, but now married
	To one above itself. Each following day	55
	Became the next day's master, till the last
	Made former wonders its. To-day the French,
	All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,
	Shone down the English; and, to-morrow, they
	Made Britain India: every man that stood	60
	Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
	As cherubins, all guilt: the madams too,
	Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bear
	The pride upon them, that their very labour
	Was to them as a painting: now this masque	65
	Was cried incomparable; and the ensuing night
	Made it a fool and beggar. The two kings,
	Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst,
	As presence did present them; him in eye,
	Still him in praise: and, being present both	70
	'Twas said they saw but one; and no discerner
	Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these suns--
	For so they phrase 'em--by their heralds challenged
	The noble spirits to arms, they did perform
	Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous story,	75
	Being now seen possible enough, got credit,
	That Bevis was believed.
BUCKINGHAM	O, you go far.
NORFOLK	As I belong to worship and affect
	In honour honesty, the tract of every thing	80
	Would by a good discourser lose some life,
	Which action's self was tongue to. All was royal;
	To the disposing of it nought rebell'd.
	Order gave each thing view; the office did
	Distinctly his full function.	85
BUCKINGHAM	Who did guide,
	I mean, who set the body and the limbs
	Of this great sport together, as you guess?
NORFOLK	One, certes, that promises no element
	In such a business.	90
BUCKINGHAM	I pray you, who, my lord?
NORFOLK	All this was order'd by the good discretion
	Of the right reverend Cardinal of York.
BUCKINGHAM	The devil speed him! no man's pie is freed
	From his ambitious finger. What had he	95
	To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder
	That such a keech can with his very bulk
	Take up the rays o' the beneficial sun
	And keep it from the earth.
NORFOLK	Surely, sir,	100
	There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends;
	For, being not propp'd by ancestry, whose grace
	Chalks successors their way, nor call'd upon
	For high feats done to the crown; neither allied
	For eminent assistants; but, spider-like,	105
	Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note,
	The force of his own merit makes his way
	A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys
	A place next to the king.
ABERGAVENNY	I cannot tell	110
	What heaven hath given him,--let some graver eye
	Pierce into that; but I can see his pride
	Peep through each part of him: whence has he that,
	If not from hell? the devil is a niggard,
	Or has given all before, and he begins	115
	A new hell in himself.
BUCKINGHAM	Why the devil,
	Upon this French going out, took he upon him,
	Without the privity o' the king, to appoint
	Who should attend on him? He makes up the file	120
	Of all the gentry; for the most part such
	To whom as great a charge as little honour
	He meant to lay upon: and his own letter,
	The honourable board of council out,
	Must fetch him in the papers.	125
ABERGAVENNY	I do know
	Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have
	By this so sickened their estates, that never
	They shall abound as formerly.
BUCKINGHAM	O, many	130
	Have broke their backs with laying manors on 'em
	For this great journey. What did this vanity
	But minister communication of
	A most poor issue?
NORFOLK	Grievingly I think,	135
	The peace between the French and us not values
	The cost that did conclude it.
BUCKINGHAM	Every man,
	After the hideous storm that follow'd, was
	A thing inspired; and, not consulting, broke	140
	Into a general prophecy; That this tempest,
	Dashing the garment of this peace, aboded
	The sudden breach on't.
NORFOLK	Which is budded out;
	For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd	145
	Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux.
ABERGAVENNY	Is it therefore
	The ambassador is silenced?
NORFOLK	Marry, is't.
ABERGAVENNY	A proper title of a peace; and purchased	150
	At a superfluous rate!
BUCKINGHAM	Why, all this business
	Our reverend cardinal carried.
NORFOLK	Like it your grace,
	The state takes notice of the private difference	155
	Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you--
	And take it from a heart that wishes towards you
	Honour and plenteous safety--that you read
	The cardinal's malice and his potency
	Together; to consider further that	160
	What his high hatred would effect wants not
	A minister in his power. You know his nature,
	That he's revengeful, and I know his sword
	Hath a sharp edge: it's long and, 't may be said,
	It reaches far, and where 'twill not extend,	165
	Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel,
	You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that rock
	That I advise your shunning.
	Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY, the purse borne before him,certain of the Guard, and two Secretaries withpapers. CARDINAL WOLSEY in his passage fixeth hiseye on BUCKINGHAM, and BUCKINGHAM on him, both fullof disdain
CARDINAL WOLSEY	The Duke of Buckingham's surveyor, ha?
	Where's his examination?	170
First Secretary	Here, so please you.
CARDINAL WOLSEY	Is he in person ready?
First Secretary	Ay, please your grace.
CARDINAL WOLSEY	Well, we shall then know more; and Buckingham
	Shall lessen this big look.	175
	Exeunt CARDINAL WOLSEY and his Train
BUCKINGHAM	This butcher's cur is venom-mouth'd, and I
	Have not the power to muzzle him; therefore best
	Not wake him in his slumber. A beggar's book
	Outworths a noble's blood.
NORFOLK	What, are you chafed?	180
	Ask God for temperance; that's the appliance only
	Which your disease requires.
BUCKINGHAM	I read in's looks
	Matter against me; and his eye reviled
	Me, as his abject object: at this instant	185
	He bores me with some trick: he's gone to the king;
	I'll follow and outstare him.
NORFOLK	Stay, my lord,
	And let your reason with your choler question
	What 'tis you go about: to climb steep hills	190
	Requires slow pace at first: anger is like
	A full-hot horse, who being allow'd his way,
	Self-mettle tires him. Not a man in England
	Can advise me like you: be to yourself
	As you would to your friend.	195
BUCKINGHAM	I'll to the king;
	And from a mouth of honour quite cry down
	This Ipswich fellow's insolence; or proclaim
	There's difference in no persons.
NORFOLK	Be advised;	200
	Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot
	That it do singe yourself: we may outrun,
	By violent swiftness, that which we run at,
	And lose by over-running. Know you not,
	The fire that mounts the liquor til run o'er,	205
	In seeming to augment it wastes it? Be advised:
	I say again, there is no English soul
	More stronger to direct you than yourself,
	If with the sap of reason you would quench,
	Or but allay, the fire of passion.	210
BUCKINGHAM	Sir,
	I am thankful to you; and I'll go along
	By your prescription: but this top-proud fellow,
	Whom from the flow of gall I name not but
	From sincere motions, by intelligence,	215
	And proofs as clear as founts in July when
	We see each grain of gravel, I do know
	To be corrupt and treasonous.
NORFOLK	Say not 'treasonous.'
BUCKINGHAM	To the king I'll say't; and make my vouch as strong	220
	As shore of rock. Attend. This holy fox,
	Or wolf, or both,--for he is equal ravenous
	As he is subtle, and as prone to mischief
	As able to perform't; his mind and place
	Infecting one another, yea, reciprocally--	225
	Only to show his pomp as well in France
	As here at home, suggests the king our master
	To this last costly treaty, the interview,
	That swallow'd so much treasure, and like a glass
	Did break i' the rinsing.	230
NORFOLK	Faith, and so it did.
BUCKINGHAM	Pray, give me favour, sir. This cunning cardinal
	The articles o' the combination drew
	As himself pleased; and they were ratified
	As he cried 'Thus let be': to as much end	235
	As give a crutch to the dead: but our count-cardinal
	Has done this, and 'tis well; for worthy Wolsey,
	Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows,--
	Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy
	To the old dam, treason,--Charles the emperor,	240
	Under pretence to see the queen his aunt--
	For 'twas indeed his colour, but he came
	To whisper Wolsey,--here makes visitation:
	His fears were, that the interview betwixt
	England and France might, through their amity,	245
	Breed him some prejudice; for from this league
	Peep'd harms that menaced him: he privily
	Deals with our cardinal; and, as I trow,--
	Which I do well; for I am sure the emperor
	Paid ere he promised; whereby his suit was granted	250
	Ere it was ask'd; but when the way was made,
	And paved with gold, the emperor thus desired,
	That he would please to alter the king's course,
	And break the foresaid peace. Let the king know,
	As soon he shall by me, that thus the cardinal	255
	Does buy and sell his honour as he pleases,
	And for his own advantage.
NORFOLK	I am sorry
	To hear this of him; and could wish he were
	Something mistaken in't.	260
BUCKINGHAM	No, not a syllable:
	I do pronounce him in that very shape
	He shall appear in proof.
	Enter BRANDON, a Sergeant-at-arms before him, andtwo or three of the Guard
BRANDON	Your office, sergeant; execute it.
Sergeant	Sir,	265
	My lord the Duke of Buckingham, and Earl
	Of Hereford, Stafford, and Northampton, I
	Arrest thee of high treason, in the name
	Of our most sovereign king.
BUCKINGHAM	Lo, you, my lord,	270
	The net has fall'n upon me! I shall perish
	Under device and practise.
BRANDON	I am sorry
	To see you ta'en from liberty, to look on
	The business present: 'tis his highness' pleasure	275
	You shall to the Tower.
BUCKINGHAM	It will help me nothing
	To plead mine innocence; for that dye is on me
	Which makes my whitest part black. The will of heaven
	Be done in this and all things! I obey.	280
	O my Lord Abergavenny, fare you well!
BRANDON	Nay, he must bear you company. The king
	To ABERGAVENNY
	Is pleased you shall to the Tower, till you know
	How he determines further.
ABERGAVENNY	As the duke said,	285
	The will of heaven be done, and the king's pleasure
	By me obey'd!
BRANDON	Here is a warrant from
	The king to attach Lord Montacute; and the bodies
	Of the duke's confessor, John de la Car,	290
	One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor--
BUCKINGHAM	So, so;
	These are the limbs o' the plot: no more, I hope.
BRANDON	A monk o' the Chartreux.
BUCKINGHAM	O, Nicholas Hopkins?	295
BRANDON	He.
BUCKINGHAM	My surveyor is false; the o'er-great cardinal
	Hath show'd him gold; my life is spann'd already:
	I am the shadow of poor Buckingham,
	Whose figure even this instant cloud puts on,	300
	By darkening my clear sun. My lord, farewell.
	Exeunt