King Henry VIII

King Henry VIII

ACT II SCENE II	An ante-chamber in the palace.
	Enter Chamberlain, reading a letter
Chamberlain	'My lord, the horses your lordship sent for, with
	all the care I had, I saw well chosen, ridden, and
	furnished. They were young and handsome, and of the
	best breed in the north. When they were ready to	5
	set out for London, a man of my lord cardinal's, by
	commission and main power, took 'em from me; with
	this reason: His master would be served before a
	subject, if not before the king; which stopped our
	mouths, sir.'	10
	I fear he will indeed: well, let him have them:
	He will have all, I think.
	Enter, to Chamberlain, NORFOLK and SUFFOLK
NORFOLK	Well met, my lord chamberlain.
Chamberlain	Good day to both your graces.
SUFFOLK	How is the king employ'd?	15
Chamberlain	I left him private,
	Full of sad thoughts and troubles.
NORFOLK	What's the cause?
Chamberlain	It seems the marriage with his brother's wife
	Has crept too near his conscience.	20
SUFFOLK	No, his conscience
	Has crept too near another lady.
NORFOLK	'Tis so:
	This is the cardinal's doing, the king-cardinal:
	That blind priest, like the eldest son of fortune,	25
	Turns what he list. The king will know him one day.
SUFFOLK	Pray God he do! he'll never know himself else.
NORFOLK	How holily he works in all his business!
	And with what zeal! for, now he has crack'd the league
	Between us and the emperor, the queen's great nephew,	30
	He dives into the king's soul, and there scatters
	Dangers, doubts, wringing of the conscience,
	Fears, and despairs; and all these for his marriage:
	And out of all these to restore the king,
	He counsels a divorce; a loss of her	35
	That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years
	About his neck, yet never lost her lustre;
	Of her that loves him with that excellence
	That angels love good men with; even of her
	That, when the greatest stroke of fortune falls,	40
	Will bless the king: and is not this course pious?
Chamberlain	Heaven keep me from such counsel! 'Tis most true
	These news are every where; every tongue speaks 'em,
	And every true heart weeps for't: all that dare
	Look into these affairs see this main end,	45
	The French king's sister. Heaven will one day open
	The king's eyes, that so long have slept upon
	This bold bad man.
SUFFOLK	And free us from his slavery.
NORFOLK	We had need pray,	50
	And heartily, for our deliverance;
	Or this imperious man will work us all
	From princes into pages: all men's honours
	Lie like one lump before him, to be fashion'd
	Into what pitch he please.	55
SUFFOLK	For me, my lords,
	I love him not, nor fear him; there's my creed:
	As I am made without him, so I'll stand,
	If the king please; his curses and his blessings
	Touch me alike, they're breath I not believe in.	60
	I knew him, and I know him; so I leave him
	To him that made him proud, the pope.
NORFOLK	Let's in;
	And with some other business put the king
	From these sad thoughts, that work too much upon him:	65
	My lord, you'll bear us company?
Chamberlain	Excuse me;
	The king has sent me otherwhere: besides,
	You'll find a most unfit time to disturb him:
	Health to your lordships.	70
NORFOLK	Thanks, my good lord chamberlain.
	Exit Chamberlain; and KING HENRY VIII draws thecurtain, and sits reading pensively
SUFFOLK	How sad he looks! sure, he is much afflicted.
KING HENRY VIII	Who's there, ha?
NORFOLK	Pray God he be not angry.
KING HENRY VIII	Who's there, I say? How dare you thrust yourselves	75
	Into my private meditations?
	Who am I? ha?
NORFOLK	A gracious king that pardons all offences
	Malice ne'er meant: our breach of duty this way
	Is business of estate; in which we come	80
	To know your royal pleasure.
KING HENRY VIII	Ye are too bold:
	Go to; I'll make ye know your times of business:
	Is this an hour for temporal affairs, ha?
	Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY and CARDINAL CAMPEIUS, witha commission
	Who's there? my good lord cardinal? O my Wolsey,	85
	The quiet of my wounded conscience;
	Thou art a cure fit for a king.
	To CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
	You're welcome,
	Most learned reverend sir, into our kingdom:
	Use us and it.	90
	To CARDINAL WOLSEY
	My good lord, have great care
	I be not found a talker.
CARDINAL WOLSEY	Sir, you cannot.
	I would your grace would give us but an hour
	Of private conference.	95
KING HENRY VIII	To NORFOLK and SUFFOLK
	We are busy; go.
NORFOLK	Aside to SUFFOLK
	This priest has no pride in him?
SUFFOLK	Aside to NORFOLK
	I would not be so sick though for his place:
	But this cannot continue.
NORFOLK	Aside to SUFFOLK
	I'll venture one have-at-him.	100
SUFFOLK	Aside to NORFOLK
	Exeunt NORFOLK and SUFFOLK
CARDINAL WOLSEY	Your grace has given a precedent of wisdom
	Above all princes, in committing freely
	Your scruple to the voice of Christendom:
	Who can be angry now? what envy reach you?
	The Spaniard, tied blood and favour to her,	105
	Must now confess, if they have any goodness,
	The trial just and noble. All the clerks,
	I mean the learned ones, in Christian kingdoms
	Have their free voices: Rome, the nurse of judgment,
	Invited by your noble self, hath sent	110
	One general tongue unto us, this good man,
	This just and learned priest, Cardinal Campeius;
	Whom once more I present unto your highness.
KING HENRY VIII	And once more in mine arms I bid him welcome,
	And thank the holy conclave for their loves:	115
	They have sent me such a man I would have wish'd for.
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS	Your grace must needs deserve all strangers' loves,
	You are so noble. To your highness' hand
	I tender my commission; by whose virtue,
	The court of Rome commanding, you, my lord	120
	Cardinal of York, are join'd with me their servant
	In the unpartial judging of this business.
KING HENRY VIII	Two equal men. The queen shall be acquainted
	Forthwith for what you come. Where's Gardiner?
CARDINAL WOLSEY	I know your majesty has always loved her	125
	So dear in heart, not to deny her that
	A woman of less place might ask by law:
	Scholars allow'd freely to argue for her.
KING HENRY VIII	Ay, and the best she shall have; and my favour
	To him that does best: God forbid else. Cardinal,	130
	Prithee, call Gardiner to me, my new secretary:
	I find him a fit fellow.
	Exit CARDINAL WOLSEY
	Re-enter CARDINAL WOLSEY, with GARDINER
CARDINAL WOLSEY	Aside to GARDINER
	favour to you;
	You are the king's now.
GARDINER	Aside to CARDINAL WOLSEY
	But to be commanded	135
	For ever by your grace, whose hand has raised me.
KING HENRY VIII	Come hither, Gardiner.
	Walks and whispers
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS	My Lord of York, was not one Doctor Pace
	In this man's place before him?
CARDINAL WOLSEY	Yes, he was.	140
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS	Was he not held a learned man?
CARDINAL WOLSEY	Yes, surely.
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS	Believe me, there's an ill opinion spread then
	Even of yourself, lord cardinal.
CARDINAL WOLSEY	How! of me?	145
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS	They will not stick to say you envied him,
	And fearing he would rise, he was so virtuous,
	Kept him a foreign man still; which so grieved him,
	That he ran mad and died.
CARDINAL WOLSEY	Heaven's peace be with him!	150
	That's Christian care enough: for living murmurers
	There's places of rebuke. He was a fool;
	For he would needs be virtuous: that good fellow,
	If I command him, follows my appointment:
	I will have none so near else. Learn this, brother,	155
	We live not to be grip'd by meaner persons.
KING HENRY VIII	Deliver this with modesty to the queen.
	Exit GARDINER
	The most convenient place that I can think of
	For such receipt of learning is Black-Friars;
	There ye shall meet about this weighty business.	160
	My Wolsey, see it furnish'd. O, my lord,
	Would it not grieve an able man to leave
	So sweet a bedfellow? But, conscience, conscience!
	O, 'tis a tender place; and I must leave her.
	Exeunt