The Famous History of the Life of Henry the Eighth: ACT I , SCENE II. The same. The council-chamber.

The Famous History of the Life of Henry the Eighth: ACT I


	Introduction

	THE PROLOGUE

	ACT I

		SCENE I. London. An ante-chamber in the palace.

		SCENE II. The same. The council-chamber.

		SCENE III. An ante-chamber in the palace.

		SCENE IV. A Hall in York Place.

	ACT II

	ACT III

	ACT IV

	ACT V

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SCENE II. The same. The council-chamber.

Cornets. Enter KING HENRY VIII, leaning on CARDINAL WOLSEY's shoulder, the Nobles, and LOVELL; CARDINAL WOLSEY places himself under KING HENRY VIII's feet on his right side

KING HENRY VIII

      My life itself, and the best heart of it,
      Thanks you for this great care: I stood i' the level
      Of a full-charged confederacy, and give thanks
      To you that choked it. Let be call'd before us
5     That gentleman of Buckingham's; in person
      I'll hear him his confessions justify;
      And point by point the treasons of his master
      He shall again relate.

A noise within, crying 'Room for the Queen!' Enter QUEEN KATHARINE, ushered by NORFOLK, and SUFFOLK: she kneels. KING HENRY VIII riseth from his state, takes her up, kisses and placeth her by him

QUEEN KATHARINE

Nay, we must longer kneel: I am a suitor.

KING HENRY VIII

10    Arise, and take place by us: half your suit
      Never name to us; you have half our power:
      The other moiety, ere you ask, is given;
      Repeat your will and take it.

QUEEN KATHARINE

      Thank your majesty.
15    That you would love yourself, and in that love
      Not unconsider'd leave your honour, nor
      The dignity of your office, is the point
      Of my petition.

KING HENRY VIII

Lady mine, proceed.

QUEEN KATHARINE

20    I am solicited, not by a few,
      And those of true condition, that your subjects
      Are in great grievance: there have been commissions
      Sent down among 'em, which hath flaw'd the heart
      Of all their loyalties: wherein, although,
25    My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches
      Most bitterly on you, as putter on
      Of these exactions, yet the king our master--
      Whose honour heaven shield from soil!--even he
      escapes not
30    Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks
      The sides of loyalty, and almost appears
      In loud rebellion.

NORFOLK

      Not almost appears,
      It doth appear; for, upon these taxations,
35    The clothiers all, not able to maintain
      The many to them longing, have put off
      The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who,
      Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger
      And lack of other means, in desperate manner
40    Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar,
      And danger serves among then!

KING HENRY VIII

      Taxation!
      Wherein? and what taxation? My lord cardinal,
      You that are blamed for it alike with us,
45    Know you of this taxation?

CARDINAL WOLSEY

      Please you, sir,
      I know but of a single part, in aught
      Pertains to the state; and front but in that file
      Where others tell steps with me.

QUEEN KATHARINE

50    No, my lord,
      You know no more than others; but you frame
      Things that are known alike; which are not wholesome
      To those which would not know them, and yet must
      Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions,
55    Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are
      Most pestilent to the bearing; and, to bear 'em,
      The back is sacrifice to the load. They say
      They are devised by you; or else you suffer
      Too hard an exclamation.

KING HENRY VIII

60    Still exaction!
      The nature of it? in what kind, let's know,
      Is this exaction?

QUEEN KATHARINE

      I am much too venturous
      In tempting of your patience; but am bolden'd
65    Under your promised pardon. The subjects' grief
      Comes through commissions, which compel from each
      The sixth part of his substance, to be levied
      Without delay; and the pretence for this
      Is named, your wars in France: this makes bold mouths:
70    Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze
      Allegiance in them; their curses now
      Live where their prayers did: and it's come to pass,
      This tractable obedience is a slave
      To each incensed will. I would your highness
75    Would give it quick consideration, for
      There is no primer business.

KING HENRY VIII

By my life,
This is against our pleasure.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

      And for me,
80    I have no further gone in this than by
      A single voice; and that not pass'd me but
      By learned approbation of the judges. If I am
      Traduced by ignorant tongues, which neither know
      My faculties nor person, yet will be
85    The chronicles of my doing, let me say
      'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake
      That virtue must go through. We must not stint
      Our necessary actions, in the fear
      To cope malicious censurers; which ever,
90    As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow
      That is new-trimm'd, but benefit no further
      Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
      By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is
      Not ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft,
95    Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up
      For our best act. If we shall stand still,
      In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
      We should take root here where we sit, or sit
      State-statues only.

KING HENRY VIII

100   Things done well,
      And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;
      Things done without example, in their issue
      Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent
      Of this commission? I believe, not any.
105   We must not rend our subjects from our laws,
      And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each?
      A trembling contribution! Why, we take
      From every tree lop, bark, and part o' the timber;
      And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd,
110   The air will drink the sap. To every county
      Where this is question'd send our letters, with
      Free pardon to each man that has denied
      The force of this commission: pray, look to't;
      I put it to your care.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

115 A word with you.

To the Secretary

      Let there be letters writ to every shire,
      Of the king's grace and pardon. The grieved commons
      Hardly conceive of me; let it be noised
      That through our intercession this revokement
120   And pardon comes: I shall anon advise you
      Further in the proceeding.

Exit Secretary

Enter Surveyor

QUEEN KATHARINE

I am sorry that the Duke of Buckingham
Is run in your displeasure.

KING HENRY VIII

      It grieves many:
125   The gentleman is learn'd, and a most rare speaker;
      To nature none more bound; his training such,
      That he may furnish and instruct great teachers,
      And never seek for aid out of himself. Yet see,
      When these so noble benefits shall prove
130   Not well disposed, the mind growing once corrupt,
      They turn to vicious forms, ten times more ugly
      Than ever they were fair. This man so complete,
      Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we,
      Almost with ravish'd listening, could not find
135   His hour of speech a minute; he, my lady,
      Hath into monstrous habits put the graces
      That once were his, and is become as black
      As if besmear'd in hell. Sit by us; you shall hear--
      This was his gentleman in trust--of him
140   Things to strike honour sad. Bid him recount
      The fore-recited practises; whereof
      We cannot feel too little, hear too much.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

      Stand forth, and with bold spirit relate what you,
      Most like a careful subject, have collected
145   Out of the Duke of Buckingham.

KING HENRY VIII

Speak freely.

Surveyor

      First, it was usual with him, every day
      It would infect his speech, that if the king
      Should without issue die, he'll carry it so
150   To make the sceptre his: these very words
      I've heard him utter to his son-in-law,
      Lord Abergavenny; to whom by oath he menaced
      Revenge upon the cardinal.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

      Please your highness, note
155   This dangerous conception in this point.
      Not friended by by his wish, to your high person
      His will is most malignant; and it stretches
      Beyond you, to your friends.

QUEEN KATHARINE

My learn'd lord cardinal,
160 Deliver all with charity.

KING HENRY VIII

      Speak on:
      How grounded he his title to the crown,
      Upon our fail? to this point hast thou heard him
      At any time speak aught?

Surveyor

165 He was brought to this
By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.

KING HENRY VIII

What was that Hopkins?

Surveyor

      Sir, a Chartreux friar,
      His confessor, who fed him every minute
170   With words of sovereignty.

KING HENRY VIII

How know'st thou this?

Surveyor

      Not long before your highness sped to France,
      The duke being at the Rose, within the parish
      Saint Lawrence Poultney, did of me demand
175   What was the speech among the Londoners
      Concerning the French journey: I replied,
      Men fear'd the French would prove perfidious,
      To the king's danger. Presently the duke
      Said, 'twas the fear, indeed; and that he doubted
180   'Twould prove the verity of certain words
      Spoke by a holy monk; 'that oft,' says he,
      'Hath sent to me, wishing me to permit
      John de la Car, my chaplain, a choice hour
      To hear from him a matter of some moment:
185   Whom after under the confession's seal
      He solemnly had sworn, that what he spoke
      My chaplain to no creature living, but
      To me, should utter, with demure confidence
      This pausingly ensued: neither the king nor's heirs,
190   Tell you the duke, shall prosper: bid him strive
      To gain the love o' the commonalty: the duke
      Shall govern England.'

QUEEN KATHARINE

      If I know you well,
      You were the duke's surveyor, and lost your office
195   On the complaint o' the tenants: take good heed
      You charge not in your spleen a noble person
      And spoil your nobler soul: I say, take heed;
      Yes, heartily beseech you.

KING HENRY VIII

Let him on.
200 Go forward.

Surveyor

      On my soul, I'll speak but truth.
      I told my lord the duke, by the devil's illusions
      The monk might be deceived; and that 'twas dangerous for him
      To ruminate on this so far, until
205   It forged him some design, which, being believed,
      It was much like to do: he answer'd, 'Tush,
      It can do me no damage;' adding further,
      That, had the king in his last sickness fail'd,
      The cardinal's and Sir Thomas Lovell's heads
210   Should have gone off.

KING HENRY VIII

Ha! what, so rank? Ah ha!
There's mischief in this man: canst thou say further?

Surveyor

I can, my liege.

KING HENRY VIII

Proceed.

Surveyor

215   Being at Greenwich,
      After your highness had reproved the duke
      About Sir William Blomer,--

KING HENRY VIII

      I remember
      Of such a time: being my sworn servant,
220   The duke retain'd him his. But on; what hence?

Surveyor

      'If,' quoth he, 'I for this had been committed,
      As, to the Tower, I thought, I would have play'd
      The part my father meant to act upon
      The usurper Richard; who, being at Salisbury,
225   Made suit to come in's presence; which if granted,
      As he made semblance of his duty, would
      Have put his knife to him.'

KING HENRY VIII

A giant traitor!

CARDINAL WOLSEY

Now, madam, may his highness live in freedom,
230 and this man out of prison?

QUEEN KATHARINE

God mend all!

KING HENRY VIII

There's something more would out of thee; what say'st?

Surveyor

      After 'the duke his father,' with 'the knife,'
      He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his dagger,
235   Another spread on's breast, mounting his eyes
      He did discharge a horrible oath; whose tenor
      Was,--were he evil used, he would outgo
      His father by as much as a performance
      Does an irresolute purpose.

KING HENRY VIII

240   There's his period,
      To sheathe his knife in us. He is attach'd;
      Call him to present trial: if he may
      Find mercy in the law, 'tis his: if none,
      Let him not seek 't of us: by day and night,
245   He's traitor to the height.

Exeunt

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