Shakspeare's Dramatic Works

Her times of preservation, which, perforce,
I her frail fon, amongst my brethren mortal,
Muft give my tendance to.

King. You have faid well.

Wol. And ever may your highness yoke together,
As I will lend you cause, my doing well
With my well faying!

King. "Tis well faid again;

And 'tis a kind of good deed, to say well:

And yet words are no deeds. My father lov'd you:
He faid, he did; and with his deed did crown
His word upon you. Since I had my office,
I have kept you next my heart; have not alone
Employ'd you where high profits might come

King. 'Tis nobly spoken:

Take notice, lords, he has a loyal breast,
For you have seen him open 't.-Read o'er this;
[Giving him papers.

5 And, after, this: and then to breakfast, with
What appetite you have.

[Exit King, frowning upon Cardinal Welfty; the Nobles throng after him, whispering and Smiling.

Wel. What should this mean?

What fudden anger's this? how have I reap'd it?
He parted frowning from me, as if ruin
Leap'd from his eyes: So looks the chafed lion
Upon the daring huntsman that has gall'd him;
15 Then makes him nothing. I muft read this paper;
I fear, the ftory of his anger.-'Tis fo:
This paper has undone me :-'Tis the account
Of all that world of wealth I have drawn together
For mine own ends: indeed, to gain the popedom,
20 And fee my friends in Rome. O negligence,
Fit for a fool to fall by! What cross devil
Made me put this main fecret in the packet
I fent the king? Is there no way to cure this?
No new device to beat this from his brains?
I know, 'twill stir him strongly; Yet I know
A way, if it take right, in fpight of fortune
Will bring me off again. What's this-To the Pope?
The letter, as I live, with all the bufinefs

The prime man of the ftate? I pray you, tell me,
If what I now pronounce, you have found true :
And, if you may confefs it, fay withal,
If you are bound to us, or no. What fay you?
Wal. My fovereign, I confefs, your royal graces, 25
Shower'd on me daily, have been more, than could
My ftudied purposes requite; which went
Beyond all man's endeavours : my endeavours
Have ever come too fhort of my defires,
Yet, fil'd with my abilities: Mine own ends
Have been mine fo, that evermore they pointed
To the good of your most facred person, and
The profit of the state. For your great graces
Heap'd upon me, poor undeferver, I
Can nothing render but allegiant thanks;
My prayers to heaven for you; my loyalty,
Which ever has, and ever shall be growing,
"Till death, that winter, kill it.

King. Fairly answer'd:

A loyal and obedient subject is
Therein illuftrated: the honour of it
Does pay the act of it; as, i' the contrary,
The foulness is the punishment. I prefume,
That, as my hand has open'd bounty to you,

I writ to his holiness. Nay then, farewel!
30I have touch'd the highest point of all my greatness;
And, from that full meridian of my glory,

I hafte now to my fetting: I fhall fall
Like a bright exhalation in the evening,
And no man fee me more.

35 Re-enter the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, the Ear!
of Surrey, and the Lord Chamberlain.
Nor. Hear the king's pleasure, cardinal: who
commands you

To render up the great feal presently

40 Into our hands; and to confine yourself
To Efher houfe, my lord of Winchester's,
"Till you hear further from his highness.

Wol. Stay,

[carry

Where's your commiffion, lords? words cannot

My heart dropp'd love, my power rain'd honour, 45 Authority fo mighty.

On you, than any; fo your hand, and heart,
Your brain, and every function of your power,
Should, notwithstanding that your bond of duty,
As 'twere in love's particular, be more
To me, your friend, than any.

Wol. I do profess,

That for your highnefs' good I ever labour'd
More than mine own; that am, have, and will be.
Though all the world fhould crack their duty 55

Suf. Who dare cross 'em?

Bearing the king's will from his mouth exprefsly?

Wol. 'Till I find more than will, or words, to

do it,

50(I mean your malice) know, officious lords,
I dare, and muft deny it. Now I feel
Of what coarfe metal ye are moulded,-envy.
How eagerly ye follow my difgrace,
As if it fed ye? and how fleek and wanton
Ye appear in every thing may bring my ruin?
Follow your envious courfes, men of malice;
You have chriftian warrant for them, and, no doubt,
In time will find their fit rewards. That feal,
You afk with fuch a violence, the king
[me;

60 (Mine, and your mafter) with his own hand gave
Bade me enjoy it, with the place and honours,
During my life; and, to confirm his goodness,

The fenfe is, my purposes went beyond all human endeavour. equal pace with my abilities.

2 i. e. ranked, or have gone an

Ty'd

Ty'd it by letters patents: Now, who'll take it?|
Sur. The king, that gave it.

Wel. It must be himself then.

Sur. Thou art a proud traitor, priest.
V. Proud lord, thou lieft;

Within these forty hours Surrey durft better
Have burnt that tongue, than said so.

Sur. Thy ambition,

Thou scarlet fin, robb'd this bewailing land
Of noble Buckingham, my father-in-law:
The heads of all thy brother cardinals

(With thee, and all thy best parts bound together)
Weigh'd not a hair of his. Plague of your policy!
You fent me deputy for Ireland;

Far from his fuccour, from the king, from all
That might have mercy on the fault thou gav'st him;
Whilft your great goodness, out of holy pity,
Abfolv'd him with an axe.

Wel. This, and all elfe

This talking lord can lay upon my credit,

I answer, is moft falfe. The duke by law
Found his deferts: how innocent I was
From any private malice in his end,
His noble jury and foul caufe can witness.

If I lov'd many words, lord, I fhould tell you,
You have as little honefty as honour;
That I, in the way of loyalty and truth
Toward the king, my ever royal master,

Dare mate a founder man than Surrey can be,
And all that love his follies.

Sur. By my foul,

[feel

Your long coat, priest, protects you; thou should'ft
My fword i' the life-blood of thee elfe.-My lords,
Can ye endure to hear this arrogance ?
And from this fellow? If we live thus tamely,
To be thus jaded by a piece of scarlet,
Farewel nobility; let his grace go forward,
And dare us with his cap, like larks 1.
Wd. All goodness

Is poison to thy ftomach.

Sur. Yes, that goodness

Of gleaning all the land's wealth into one,

Into your own hands, cardinal, by extortion;
The goodness of your intercepted packets,

Wel. Speak on, fir;

I dare your worst objections: if I blush,

It is, to fee a nobleman want manners. [at you.
Sur. I'd rather want thofe, than my head. Have
First, that, without the king's affent, or knowledge,
You wrought to be a legate; by which power
You maim'd the jurifdiction of all bishops.

Nor. Then, that, in all you writ to Rome, or elfe 20 To foreign princes, Ego & Rex meus

Was ftill infcrib'd; in which you brought the king
To be your fervant.

Suf. Then, that, without the knowledge
Either of king or council, when you went
25 Ambassador to the emperor, you made bold
To carry into Flanders the great feal.

Sur. Item, you fent a large commiffion
To Gregory de Caffalis, to conclude,
Without the king's will, or the state's allowance,
30 A league between his highnefs and Ferrara.

Suf. That, out of mere ambition, you have caus'd
Your holy hat to be stampt on the king's coin.
Sur. Then, that you have fent innumerable sub-
stance

35 (By what means got, I leave to your own conscience)
To furnish Rome, and to prepare the ways
You have for dignities; to the mere 3 undoing
Of all the kingdom. Many more there are;
Which, fince they are of you, and odious,
40I will not taint my mouth with.
Cham. O my lord,

Prefs not a falling man too far; 'tis virtue:
His faults lie open to the laws; let them,
Not you, correct him. My heart weeps to fee him

You writ to the pope, against the king: your 45 So little of his great felf.

Suf. Lord cardinal, the king's further pleasure
Because all thofe things, you have done of late
By your power legatine within this kingdom,
50 Fall into the compass of a Præmunire,-
That therefore fuch a writ be fu'd against you;
To forfeit all your goods, lands, tenements,
Caftles, and whatsoever, and to be
Out of the king's protection +:-This is my charge.
Nor. And fo we'll leave you to your meditations
How to live better. For your stubborn answer,
About the giving back the great feal to us,

[man, 55

Wel. How much, methinks, I could defpife this But that I am bound in charity against it!

I The hat of a cardinal was scarlet; and the method of daring larks was by small mirrors faftened on fcarlet cloth, which engaged the attention of these birds while the fowler drew his net over them. 2 The little bell, which is rung to give notice of the Heft approaching when it is carried in proceffion, as alfo in other offices of the Romish church, is called the facring or confecration bell; from the French word, facrer. 3 i. e. abfolute. 4 The judgment in a writ of Præmunire is, that the defendant fhall be out of the king's protection; and his lands and tenements, gods and chattels, forfeited to the king; and that his body shall remain in prifon at the king's pleasure. Y ya

The

The king fhall know it, and, no doubt, fhall Inftall'd lord archbishop of Canterbury.

thank you.

So fare you well, my little good lord cardinal.
[Exeunt all but Wolfey.
Wal. So farewel to the little good you bear me.
Farewel, a long farewel, to all my greatness!
This is the ftate of man; To-day he puts forth
The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blossoms,
And bears his blushing honours thick upon him:
The third day, comes a froft, a.killing froft;
And, when he thinks, good easy man, full furely
His greatnefs is a-ripening,-nips his root,
And then he falls, as I do. I have ventur'd,
Like little wanton boys that swim on bladders,
Thefe many fummers in a fea of glory;

But far beyond my depth: my high-blown pride
At length broke under me; and now has left me,
Weary, and old with fervice, to the mercy
Of a rude ftream, that muft for ever hide me.
Vain pomp, and glory of this world, I hate ye;
I feel my heart new open'd: O, how wretched
Is that poor man, that hangs on princes' favours!
There is, betwixt that fmile we would afpire to,
That fweet afpect of princes, and our ruin,

Wol. That's news indeed.

Crom. Laft, that the lady Anne,

Whom the king hath in fecrecy long marry'd,
5 This day was view'd in open, as his queen,
Going to chapel; and the voice is now
Only about her coronation.

Wel. There was the weight that pull'd me down.
O Cromwell,

10 The king has gone beyond me, all my glories
In that one woman I have loft for ever:
No fun fhall ever usher forth mine honours,
Or gild again the noble troops that waited
Upon my fmiles. Go, get thee from me, Cromwell;
15I am a poor fallen man, unworthy now
To be thy lord and mafter: Seek the king;
That fun, I pray, may never fet! I have told him
What, and how true thou art: he will advance
Some little memory of me will ftir him, [thee;
20I know his noble nature, not to let

Thy hopeful fervice perifh too: Good Cromwell,
Neglect him not; make ufe now, and provide
For thine own future safety.
Crom. O my lord,

More pangs and fears than wars or women have ; 25 Must I then leave you? must I needs forego And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer,

So good, fo noble, and fo true a mafter?Bear witnefs, all that have not hearts of iron, With what a forrow Cromwell leaves his lord.The king fhall have my service; but my prayers 30 For ever, and for ever, fhall be yours.

Wol. Cromwell, I did not think to shed a tear In all my miferies; but thou haft forc'd me, Out of thy honest truth, to play the woman. Let's dry our eyes: And thus far hear me, Cromwell; 35 And,-when I am forgotten, as I fhall be; And fleep in dull cold marble, where no mention Of me more must be heard of,-fay, I taught thee, Say, Wolfey, that once trod the ways of glory, And founded all the depths and fhoals of honour,Found thee a way, out of his wreck, to rife in; A fure and fafe one, though thy mafter mifs'd it. Mark but my fall, and that that ruin'd me. Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition; By that fin fell the angels, how can man then, The image of his Maker, hope to win by't? [thee; Love thyfelf laft: cherish thofe hearts that hate Corruption wins not more than honesty. Still in thy right hand carry-gentle peace, To filence envious tongues. Be juft, and fear not: 50 Let all the ends, thou aim'ft at, be thy country's, Thy God's, and truth's; then if thou fall'ft, O

A ftill and quiet confcience. The king has cur'd me, 40
I humbly thank his grace; and from thefe fhoulders,
Thefe ruin'd pillars, out of pity, taken

A load would fink a navy, too much honour:

Q, 'tis a burden, Cromwell, 'tis a burden,

Too heavy for a man that hopes for heaven.
Crom. I am glad, your grace has made that right

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Crem. That Cranmer is return'd with welcome, [65]

I dare now call mine own. O Cromwell, Cromwell,

Had I but fery'd my God with half the zeal

ferv'd my king, he would not in mine age Have,left me naked to mine enemies 2.

Crom. Good fir, have patience.

Wol. So I have. Farewel

The hopes of court! my hopes in heaven do dwell.

The chancellor is the general guardian of orphans. This fentence was really uttered by Wolfey.

ACT

2 Gen. I thank you, fir; had I not known those customs,

I should have been beholden to your paper.
But, I beseech you, what's become of Katharine,
The princefs dowager? how goes her but nefs?
1 Gen. That I can tell you too. The archbishop
Of Canterbury, accompanied with other
Learn'd and reverend fathers of his order,
Held a late court at Dunstable, fix miles off
From Ampthill, where the princess lay; to which
She oft was cited by them, but appear'd not:
And, to be short, for not appearance, and
The king's late fcruple, by the main affent
Of all these learned men, she was divorc'd,
And the late marriage made of none effect:
Since which, she was remov'd to Kimbolton,
Where the remains now, fick.

1 Gen. Alas, good lady!

The trumpets found: 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 purfe and mace before him.

4. Chorifters finging.

IV.

6. Marquis Dorfet, bearing a fcepter of gold, on his head a demi-coronal of gold. With him, the Earl of Surrey, bearing the rod of filver with the dove, crown'd with an earl's coronet. Collars of SS. 7. Duke of Suffolk, in his robe of eftate, his coronet on his head, bearing a long white wand, as high steward. With him the Duke of Norfolk, with the rod of marfhalfhip, a coronet on his head.Collars of SS. 8. A canopy borne by four of the Cinque ports; under it the Queen in her robe; her hair richly adorn'd with pearl, crowned. On each fide her, the bishops of London and Winchester.

9. The old Dutchefs of Norfolk, in a coronal of gold, wrought with flowers, bearing the Queen's train.

to. Certain Ladies or Counteffes, with plain circlets of gold without flowers.

They pafs over the ftage in order and state.

2 Gen. A royal train, believe me.-Thefe I Who's that, that bears the fceptre ? [know ;1 Gen. Marquis Dorfet :

And that the earl of Surrey, with the rod.

2 Gen. A bold brave gentleman. That should be The duke of Suffolk.

1 Gen. 'Tis the fame, high-fteward.

2 Gen. And that my lord of Norfolk. 1 Gen. Yes.

2 Gen. Heaven bless thee! [Looking on the Queen. Thou haft the fweeteft face I ever look'd on-d Sir, as I have a foul, fhe is an angel;

Our king has all the Indies in his arms,

And more, and richer, when he ftrains that lady: I cannot blame his confcience.

1 Gen. They, that bear

50 God fave you, fir! Where have you been broiling? 3 Gen. Among the crowd i' the abbey; where a Could not be wedg'd in more: I am stified [finger With the mere ranknefs of their joy.

5. Mayor of London, bearing the mace. Garter, in his coat of arms, and on his head a gilt copper crown.

2 Gen. You faw the ceremony?

3 Gen. That I did.

1 Gen. How was it?

3 Gen. Well worth the feeing.

2 Gen. Good fir, fpeak it to us.

1 Alluding to their former meeting in the second act.

Y y 3

3 Gen.

3 Gen. As well as I am able. The rich ftream Of lords, and ladies, having brought the queen To a prepar'd place in the choir, fell off A diftance from her; while her grace fat down To reft awhile, fome half an hour, or fo, In a rich chair of state, opposing freely The beauty of her person to the people. Believe me, fir, fhe is the goodlieft woman That ever lay by man: which when the people Had the full view of, such a noife arose As the fhrouds make at fea in a stiff tempeft, As loud, and to as many tunes: Hats, cloaks, (Doublets, I think) flew up; and had their faces Been loofe, this day they had been loft. Such joy I never faw before. Great-belly'd women, That had not half a week to go, like rams I In the old time of war, would shake the prefs, And make 'em reel before 'em. No man living Could fay, This is my wife, there; all were woven So ftrangely in one piece.

2 Gen. But what follow'd?

[paces

3 Gen. At length her grace rofe, and with modeft Came to the altar; where he kneel'd, and, faintlike,

Cast her fair eyes to heaven, and pray'd devoutly.
Then rofe again, and bow'd her to the people :
When by the archbishop of Canterbury,
She had all the royal makings of a queen;
As holy oil, Edward Confeffor's crown,
The rod, and bird of peace, and all fuch emblems
Lay'd nobly on her: which perform'd, the choir,
With all the choiceft mufick of the kingdom,
Together fung Te Deum. So the parted,
And with the fame full ftate pac'd back again
To York place, where the feaft is held.

1 Gen. You must no more call it York place, that's past:

For, fince the cardinal fell, that title's loft;
'Tis now the king's, and call'd-Whitehall.
3 Gen. I know it;

But 'tis fo lately alter'd, that the old name
Is fresh about me.

Both. You may command us, fir. [Exeunt. II.

SCENE Kimbolton.

Enter Katharine, Dowager, fick, led between Griffith ber Gentleman-ufher, and Patience her woman. Grif. How does your grace?

Kath. O, Griffith, fick to death:

My legs, like loaded branches, bow to the earth, Willing to leave their burden: Reach a chair;So,-now, methinks, I feel a little eafe.

Did'st thou not tell me, Griffith, as thou led'ft me, 20 That the great child of honour, cardinal Wolfey, Was dead?

Grif. Yes, madam: but, I think, your grace, Out of the pain you fuffer'd, gave no ear to 't. Kath. Pr'ythee, good Griffith, tell me how he dy'd: 25 If well, he stepp'd before me, happily 2, For my example.

Grif. Well, the voice goes, madam: For after the ftout earl Northumberland Arrefted him at York, and brought him forward 30(As a man forely tainted) to his answer, He fell fick fuddenly, and grew fo ill, He could not fit his mule.

[cefter,

Kath. Alas, poor man! Grif. At laft, with eafy roads 3 he came to Lei35 Lodg'd in the abbey; where the reverend abbot, With all his convent, honourably receiv'd him; To whom he gave these words-“ O father abbot, "An old man, broken with the storms of state,

Is come to lay his weary bones among ye; 40" Give him a little earth for charity!" So went to bed: where eagerly his sickness Purfu'd him ftill; and, three nights after this, About the hour of eight, (which he himself Foretold fhould be his laft) full of repentance, Continual meditations, tears, and forrows, He gave his honours to the world again, His bleffed part to heaven, and flept in peace. [him! Kath. So may he reft; his faults lie gently on Yet thus far, Griffith, give me leave to fpeak him,

2 Gen. What two reverend bishops Were thofe that went on each fide of the queen? 3 Gen. Stokely, and Gardiner; the one, of 45 Winchester,

(Newly preferr'd from the king's fecretary) The other, London.

2 Gen. He of Winchester

Is held no great good lover of the archbishop's, 50 And yet with charity,-He was a man
The virtuous Cranmer.

Of an unbounded ftomach, ever ranking Himfelf with princes; one, that by suggestion Ty'd all the kingdom: fimony was fair play; His own opinion was his law: I' the presence 55 He would fay untruths; and be ever double,

Both in his words and meaning: He was never,
But where he meant to ruin, pitiful:
His promifes were, as he then was, mighty:
But his performance, as he is now, nothing.

3 i. e.

1 i. e. like battering rams. Happily feems to mean on this occafion-peradventure, haply. by fhort ftages. 4 i. e. (fays Mr. Toilet) He was a man of an unbounded stomach, or pride, ranking himfelf with princes, and by fuggeftion to the king and the pope, he ty'd, i. e. limited, circumfcribed, and fet bounds to the liberties and properties of all perfons in the kingdom. That he did fo, appears from various paffages in the play.

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Shakspeare's Dramatic Works: With Explanatory Notes, Volume 2