| ACT V SCENE V | The palace. | |
| | Enter trumpets, sounding; then two Aldermen, LordMayor, Garter, CRANMER, NORFOLK with his marshal'sstaff, SUFFOLK, two Noblemen bearing greatstanding-bowls for the christening-gifts; thenfour Noblemen bearing a canopy, under which theDuchess of Norfolk, g | |
| Garter | Heaven, from thy endless goodness, send prosperous | |
| | life, long, and ever happy, to the high and mighty | |
| | princess of England, Elizabeth! | |
| | Flourish. Enter KING HENRY VIII and Guard | |
| CRANMER | Kneeling | |
| | My noble partners, and myself, thus pray: | 5 |
| | All comfort, joy, in this most gracious lady, | |
| | Heaven ever laid up to make parents happy, | |
| | May hourly fall upon ye! | |
| KING HENRY VIII | Thank you, good lord archbishop: | |
| | What is her name? | 10 |
| CRANMER | Elizabeth. | |
| KING HENRY VIII | Stand up, lord. | |
| | KING HENRY VIII kisses the child | |
| | With this kiss take my blessing: God protect thee! | |
| | Into whose hand I give thy life. | |
| CRANMER | Amen. | 15 |
| KING HENRY VIII | My noble gossips, ye have been too prodigal: | |
| | I thank ye heartily; so shall this lady, | |
| | When she has so much English. | |
| CRANMER | Let me speak, sir, | |
| | For heaven now bids me; and the words I utter | 20 |
| | Let none think flattery, for they'll find 'em truth. | |
| | This royal infant--heaven still move about her!-- | |
| | Though in her cradle, yet now promises | |
| | Upon this land a thousand thousand blessings, | |
| | Which time shall bring to ripeness: she shall be-- | 25 |
| | But few now living can behold that goodness-- | |
| | A pattern to all princes living with her, | |
| | And all that shall succeed: Saba was never | |
| | More covetous of wisdom and fair virtue | |
| | Than this pure soul shall be: all princely graces, | 30 |
| | That mould up such a mighty piece as this is, | |
| | With all the virtues that attend the good, | |
| | Shall still be doubled on her: truth shall nurse her, | |
| | Holy and heavenly thoughts still counsel her: | |
| | She shall be loved and fear'd: her own shall bless her; | 35 |
| | Her foes shake like a field of beaten corn, | |
| | And hang their heads with sorrow: good grows with her: | |
| | In her days every man shall eat in safety, | |
| | Under his own vine, what he plants; and sing | |
| | The merry songs of peace to all his neighbours: | 40 |
| | God shall be truly known; and those about her | |
| | From her shall read the perfect ways of honour, | |
| | And by those claim their greatness, not by blood. | |
| | Nor shall this peace sleep with her: but as when | |
| | The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phoenix, | 45 |
| | Her ashes new create another heir, | |
| | As great in admiration as herself; | |
| | So shall she leave her blessedness to one, | |
| | When heaven shall call her from this cloud of darkness, | |
| | Who from the sacred ashes of her honour | 50 |
| | Shall star-like rise, as great in fame as she was, | |
| | And so stand fix'd: peace, plenty, love, truth, terror, | |
| | That were the servants to this chosen infant, | |
| | Shall then be his, and like a vine grow to him: | |
| | Wherever the bright sun of heaven shall shine, | 55 |
| | His honour and the greatness of his name | |
| | Shall be, and make new nations: he shall flourish, | |
| | And, like a mountain cedar, reach his branches | |
| | To all the plains about him: our children's children | |
| | Shall see this, and bless heaven. | 60 |
| KING HENRY VIII | Thou speakest wonders. | |
| CRANMER | She shall be, to the happiness of England, | |
| | An aged princess; many days shall see her, | |
| | And yet no day without a deed to crown it. | |
| | Would I had known no more! but she must die, | 65 |
| | She must, the saints must have her; yet a virgin, | |
| | A most unspotted lily shall she pass | |
| | To the ground, and all the world shall mourn her. | |
| KING HENRY VIII | O lord archbishop, | |
| | Thou hast made me now a man! never, before | 70 |
| | This happy child, did I get any thing: | |
| | This oracle of comfort has so pleased me, | |
| | That when I am in heaven I shall desire | |
| | To see what this child does, and praise my Maker. | |
| | I thank ye all. To you, my good lord mayor, | 75 |
| | And your good brethren, I am much beholding; | |
| | I have received much honour by your presence, | |
| | And ye shall find me thankful. Lead the way, lords: | |
| | Ye must all see the queen, and she must thank ye, | |
| | She will be sick else. This day, no man think | 80 |
| | Has business at his house; for all shall stay: | |
| | This little one shall make it holiday. | |
| | Exeunt | |
| | EPILOGUE | |
| | 'Tis ten to one this play can never please | |
| | All that are here: some come to take their ease, | 85 |
| | And sleep an act or two; but those, we fear, | |
| | We have frighted with our trumpets; so, 'tis clear, | |
| | They'll say 'tis naught: others, to hear the city | |
| | Abused extremely, and to cry 'That's witty!' | |
| | Which we have not done neither: that, I fear, | 90 |
| | All the expected good we're like to hear | |
| | For this play at this time, is only in | |
| | The merciful construction of good women; | |
| | For such a one we show'd 'em: if they smile, | |
| | And say 'twill do, I know, within a while | 95 |
| | All the best men are ours; for 'tis ill hap, | |
| | If they hold when their ladies bid 'em clap. | |
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