King Henry VIII

King Henry VIII

ACT IV SCENE I	A street in Westminster.
	Enter two Gentlemen, meeting one another
First Gentleman	You're well met once again.
Second Gentleman	So are you.
First Gentleman	You come to take your stand here, and behold
	The Lady Anne pass from her coronation?	5
Second Gentleman	'Tis all my business. At our last encounter,
	The Duke of Buckingham came from his trial.
First Gentleman	'Tis very true: but that time offer'd sorrow;
	This, general joy.
Second Gentleman	'Tis well: the citizens,	10
	I am sure, have shown at full their royal minds--
	As, let 'em have their rights, they are ever forward--
	In celebration of this day with shows,
	Pageants and sights of honour.
First Gentleman	Never greater,	15
	Nor, I'll assure you, better taken, sir.
Second Gentleman	May I be bold to ask at what that contains,
	That paper in your hand?
First Gentleman	Yes; 'tis the list
	Of those that claim their offices this day	20
	By custom of the coronation.
	The Duke of Suffolk is the first, and claims
	To be high-steward; next, the Duke of Norfolk,
	He to be earl marshal: you may read the rest.
Second Gentleman	I thank you, sir: had I not known those customs,	25
	I should have been beholding to your paper.
	But, I beseech you, what's become of Katharine,
	The princess dowager? how goes her business?
First Gentleman	That I can tell you too. The Archbishop
	Of Canterbury, accompanied with other	30
	Learned and reverend fathers of his order,
	Held a late court at Dunstable, six miles off
	From Ampthill where the princess lay; to which
	She was often cited by them, but appear'd not:
	And, to be short, for not appearance and	35
	The king's late scruple, by the main assent
	Of all these learned men she was divorced,
	And the late marriage made of none effect
	Since which she was removed to Kimbolton,
	Where she remains now sick.	40
Second Gentleman	Alas, good lady!
	Trumpets
	The trumpets sound: stand close, the queen is coming.
	Hautboys
	THE ORDER OF THE CORONATION
	1. A lively flourish of Trumpets.
	2. Then, two Judges.
	3. Lord Chancellor, with the purse and mace	45
	before him.
	4. Choristers, singing.
	Music
	5. Mayor of London, bearing the mace. Then
	Garter, in his coat of arms, and on his
	head a gilt copper crown.	50
	6. Marquess Dorset, bearing a sceptre of gold,
	on his head a demi-coronal of gold. With
	him, SURREY, bearing the rod of silver with
	the dove, crowned with an earl's coronet.
	Collars of SS.	55
	7. SUFFOLK, in his robe of estate, his coronet
	on his head, bearing a long white wand, as
	high-steward. With him, NORFOLK, with the
	rod of marshalship, a coronet on his head.
	Collars of SS.	60
	8. A canopy borne by four of the Cinque-ports;
	under it, QUEEN ANNE in her robe; in her hair
	richly adorned with pearl, crowned. On each
	side her, the Bishops of London and
	Winchester.	65
	9. The old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronal of
	gold, wrought with flowers, bearing QUEEN
	ANNE's train.
	10. Certain Ladies or Countesses, with plain
	circlets of gold without flowers.	70
	They pass over the stage in order and state
Second Gentleman	A royal train, believe me. These I know:
	Who's that that bears the sceptre?
First Gentleman	Marquess Dorset:
	And that the Earl of Surrey, with the rod.
Second Gentleman	A bold brave gentleman. That should be	75
	The Duke of Suffolk?
First Gentleman	'Tis the same: high-steward.
Second Gentleman	And that my Lord of Norfolk?
First Gentleman	Yes;
Second Gentleman	Heaven bless thee!	80
	Looking on QUEEN ANNE
	Thou hast the sweetest face I ever look'd on.
	Sir, as I have a soul, she is an angel;
	Our king has all the Indies in his arms,
	And more and richer, when he strains that lady:
	I cannot blame his conscience.	85
First Gentleman	They that bear
	The cloth of honour over her, are four barons
	Of the Cinque-ports.
Second Gentleman	Those men are happy; and so are all are near her.
	I take it, she that carries up the train	90
	Is that old noble lady, Duchess of Norfolk.
First Gentleman	It is; and all the rest are countesses.
Second Gentleman	Their coronets say so. These are stars indeed;
	And sometimes falling ones.
First Gentleman	No more of that.	95
	Exit procession, and then a great flourish of trumpets
	Enter a third Gentleman
First Gentleman	God save you, sir! where have you been broiling?
Third Gentleman	Among the crowd i' the Abbey; where a finger
	Could not be wedged in more: I am stifled
	With the mere rankness of their joy.
Second Gentleman	You saw	100
	The ceremony?
Third Gentleman	That I did.
First Gentleman	How was it?
Third Gentleman	Well worth the seeing.
Second Gentleman	Good sir, speak it to us.	105
Third Gentleman	As well as I am able. The rich stream
	Of lords and ladies, having brought the queen
	To a prepared place in the choir, fell off
	A distance from her; while her grace sat down
	To rest awhile, some half an hour or so,	110
	In a rich chair of state, opposing freely
	The beauty of her person to the people.
	Believe me, sir, she is the goodliest woman
	That ever lay by man: which when the people
	Had the full view of, such a noise arose	115
	As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest,
	As loud, and to as many tunes: hats, cloaks--
	Doublets, I think,--flew up; and had their faces
	Been loose, this day they had been lost. Such joy
	I never saw before. Great-bellied women,	120
	That had not half a week to go, like rams
	In the old time of war, would shake the press,
	And make 'em reel before 'em. No man living
	Could say 'This is my wife' there; all were woven
	So strangely in one piece.	125
Second Gentleman	But, what follow'd?
Third Gentleman	At length her grace rose, and with modest paces
	Came to the altar; where she kneel'd, and saint-like
	Cast her fair eyes to heaven and pray'd devoutly.
	Then rose again and bow'd her to the people:	130
	When by the Archbishop of Canterbury
	She had all the royal makings of a queen;
	As holy oil, Edward Confessor's crown,
	The rod, and bird of peace, and all such emblems
	Laid nobly on her: which perform'd, the choir,	135
	With all the choicest music of the kingdom,
	Together sung 'Te Deum.' So she parted,
	And with the same full state paced back again
	To York-place, where the feast is held.
First Gentleman	Sir,	140
	You must no more call it York-place, that's past;
	For, since the cardinal fell, that title's lost:
	'Tis now the king's, and call'd Whitehall.
Third Gentleman	I know it;
	But 'tis so lately alter'd, that the old name	145
	Is fresh about me.
Second Gentleman	What two reverend bishops
	Were those that went on each side of the queen?
Third Gentleman	Stokesly and Gardiner; the one of Winchester,
	Newly preferr'd from the king's secretary,	150
	The other, London.
Second Gentleman	He of Winchester
	Is held no great good lover of the archbishop's,
	The virtuous Cranmer.
Third Gentleman	All the land knows that:	155
	However, yet there is no great breach; when it comes,
	Cranmer will find a friend will not shrink from him.
Second Gentleman	Who may that be, I pray you?
Third Gentleman	Thomas Cromwell;
	A man in much esteem with the king, and truly	160
	A worthy friend. The king has made him master
	O' the jewel house,
	And one, already, of the privy council.
Second Gentleman	He will deserve more.
Third Gentleman	Yes, without all doubt.	165
	Come, gentlemen, ye shall go my way, which
	Is to the court, and there ye shall be my guests:
	Something I can command. As I walk thither,
	I'll tell ye more.
Both	You may command us, sir.	170
	Exeunt