| 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 |
| set out for London, a man of my lord cardinal's, by | 5 |
| 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.' |
| I fear he will indeed: well, let him have them: | 10 |
| 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? |
| Chamberlain | I left him private, | 15 |
| 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. |
| SUFFOLK | No, his conscience | 20 |
| 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, |
| Turns what he list. The king will know him one day. | 25 |
| 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, |
| He dives into the king's soul, and there scatters | 30 |
| 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 |
| That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years | 35 |
| 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, |
| Will bless the king: and is not this course pious? | 40 |
| 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, |
| The French king's sister. Heaven will one day open | 45 |
| 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, |
| And heartily, for our deliverance; | 50 |
| 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. |
| SUFFOLK | For me, my lords, | 55 |
| 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. |
| I knew him, and I know him; so I leave him | 60 |
| 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: |
| My lord, you'll bear us company? | 65 |
| Chamberlain | Excuse me; |
| The king has sent me otherwhere: besides, |
| You'll find a most unfit time to disturb him: |
| Health to your lordships. |
| NORFOLK | Thanks, my good lord chamberlain. | 70 |
| [
Exit Chamberlain; and KING HENRY VIII draws the
curtain, 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 |
| Into my private meditations? | 75 |
| 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 |
| To know your royal pleasure. | 80 |
| 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, with
a commission
] |
| Who's there? my good lord cardinal? O my Wolsey, |
| The quiet of my wounded conscience; | 85 |
| 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. |
[To CARDINAL WOLSEY] |
| My good lord, have great care | 90 |
| I be not found a talker. |
| CARDINAL WOLSEY | Sir, you cannot. |
| I would your grace would give us but an hour |
| Of private conference. |
| KING HENRY VIII | [To NORFOLK and SUFFOLK] | 95 |
| We are busy; go. |
| NORFOLK | [Aside to SUFFOLK] |
| This priest has no pride in him? |
| SUFFOLK | [Aside to NORFOLK] Not to speak of:
|
| I would not be so sick though for his place: | 100 |
| But this cannot continue. |
| NORFOLK | [Aside to SUFFOLK] If it do,
|
| I'll venture one have-at-him. |
| SUFFOLK | [Aside to NORFOLK] I another.
|
| [Exeunt NORFOLK and SUFFOLK] |
| CARDINAL WOLSEY | Your grace has given a precedent of wisdom | 105 |
| 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, |
| Must now confess, if they have any goodness, | 110 |
| 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 |
| One general tongue unto us, this good man, | 115 |
| 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: |
| They have sent me such a man I would have wish'd for. | 120 |
| 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 |
| Cardinal of York, are join'd with me their servant | 125 |
| 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 |
| So dear in heart, not to deny her that | 130 |
| 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, |
| Prithee, call Gardiner to me, my new secretary: | 135 |
| I find him a fit fellow. |
| [Exit CARDINAL WOLSEY] |
| [Re-enter CARDINAL WOLSEY, with GARDINER] |
| CARDINAL WOLSEY | [Aside to GARDINER] Give me your hand much joy and
|
| favour to you; |
| You are the king's now. |
| GARDINER | [Aside to CARDINAL WOLSEY] | 140 |
| But to be commanded |
| 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? | 145 |
| CARDINAL WOLSEY | Yes, he was. |
| 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. | 150 |
| CARDINAL WOLSEY | How! of me? |
| 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. | 155 |
| CARDINAL WOLSEY | Heaven's peace be with him! |
| 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: | 160 |
| I will have none so near else. Learn this, brother, |
| 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; | 165 |
| There ye shall meet about this weighty business. |
| 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. | 170 |
| [Exeunt] |
The Essential Student History Quiz (with answers and illustrations)