William Shakespeare

“ I make as little doubt as you do conscience
In doing daily wrongs. I could say more,
But reverence to your calling makes me modest.
GARDINER.
My lord, my lord, you are a sectary,
That’s the plain truth. Your painted gloss discovers,
To men that understand you, words and weakness.
CROMWELL.
My Lord of Winchester, you are a little,
By your good favour, too sharp. Men so noble,
However faulty, yet should find respect
For what they have been. ’Tis a cruelty
To load a falling man.
GARDINER.
Good master secretary,
I cry your honour mercy: you may worst
Of all this table say so. ”

“ You have as little honesty as honour,
That in the way of loyalty and truth
Toward the King, my ever royal master,
Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be,
And all that love his follies.
SURREY.
By my soul,
Your long coat, priest, protects you; thou shouldst feel
My sword i’ th’ lifeblood of thee else. 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,
Farewell, nobility. Let his Grace go forward
And dare us with his cap, like larks.
WOLSEY.
All goodness
Is poison to thy stomach. ”

“ CROMWELL.
The heaviest and the worst
Is your displeasure with the King.
WOLSEY.
God bless him.
CROMWELL.
The next is that Sir Thomas More is chosen
Lord Chancellor in your place.
WOLSEY.
That’s somewhat sudden.
But he’s a learned man. May he continue
Long in his Highness’ favour, and do justice
For truth’s sake and his conscience, that his bones,
When he has run his course and sleeps in blessings,
May have a tomb of orphans’ tears wept on him.
What more?
CROMWELL.
That Cranmer is returned with welcome,
Installed Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. ”

“ My Lord of Canterbury,
I have a suit which you must not deny me:
That is, a fair young maid that yet wants baptism.
You must be godfather and answer for her.
CRANMER.
The greatest monarch now alive may glory
In such an honour. How may I deserve it,
That am a poor and humble subject to you?
KING.
Come, come, my lord, you’d spare your spoons. You shall have two noble partners with you: the old Duchess of Norfolk and Lady Marquess Dorset. Will these please you?
Once more, my Lord of Winchester, I charge you,
Embrace and love this man. ”

“ WOLSEY.
What, amazed
At my misfortunes? Can thy spirit wonder
A great man should decline? Nay, an you weep,
I am fallen indeed.
CROMWELL.
How does your Grace?
WOLSEY.
Why, well.
Never so truly happy, my good Cromwell.
I know myself now, and I feel within me
A peace above all earthly dignities,
A still and quiet conscience. The King has cured me,
I humbly thank his Grace, and from these shoulders,
These ruined pillars, out of pity, taken
A load would sink a navy: too much honour.
O, ’tis a burden, Cromwell, ’tis a burden
Too heavy for a man that hopes for heaven. ”

“ In the great’st humbleness, and desired your Highness
Most heartily to pray for her.
KING.
What sayst thou, ha?
To pray for her? What, is she crying out?
LOVELL.
So said her woman, and that her suff’rance made
Almost each pang a death.
KING.
Alas, good lady!
SUFFOLK.
God safely quit her of her burden, and
With gentle travail, to the gladding of
Your Highness with an heir!
KING.
’Tis midnight, Charles.
Prithee, to bed, and in thy prayers remember
Th’ estate of my poor Queen. Leave me alone,
For I must think of that which company
Will not be friendly to. ”

“ BUCKINGHAM.
I pray you who, my lord?
NORFOLK.
All this was ordered by the good discretion
Of the right reverend Cardinal of York.
BUCKINGHAM.
The devil speed him! No man’s pie is freed
From his ambitious finger. What had he
To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder
That such a keech can with his very bulk
Take up the rays o’ th’ beneficial sun
And keep it from the earth.
NORFOLK.
Surely, sir,
There’s in him stuff that puts him to these ends;
For, being not propped by ancestry, whose grace
Chalks successors their way, nor called upon
For high feats done to th’ crown ”

“ SURREY.
I am joyful
To meet the least occasion that may give me
Remembrance of my father-in-law the Duke,
To be revenged on him.
SUFFOLK.
Which of the peers
Have uncontemned gone by him, or at least
Strangely neglected? When did he regard
The stamp of nobleness in any person
Out of himself?
CHAMBERLAIN.
My lords, you speak your pleasures.
What he deserves of you and me I know;
What we can do to him—though now the time
Gives way to us—I much fear. If you cannot
Bar his access to th’ King, never attempt
Anything on him, for he hath a witchcraft
Over the King in ’s tongue. ”

“ And am I thus rewarded? ’Tis not well, lords.
Bring me a constant woman to her husband,
One that ne’er dreamed a joy beyond his pleasure,
And to that woman, when she has done most,
Yet will I add an honour: a great patience.
WOLSEY.
Madam, you wander from the good we aim at.
QUEEN KATHERINE.
My lord, I dare not make myself so guilty
To give up willingly that noble title
Your master wed me to. Nothing but death
Shall e’er divorce my dignities.
WOLSEY.
Pray hear me. ”

“ SANDYS.
’Tis time to give ’em physic, their diseases
Are grown so catching.
CHAMBERLAIN.
What a loss our ladies
Will have of these trim vanities!
LOVELL.
Ay, marry,
There will be woe indeed, lords. The sly whoresons
Have got a speeding trick to lay down ladies.
A French song and a fiddle has no fellow.
SANDYS.
The devil fiddle ’em! I am glad they are going,
For sure, there’s no converting of ’em. Now
An honest country lord, as I am, beaten
A long time out of play, may bring his plainsong
And have an hour of hearing, and, by ’r Lady,
Held current music too. ”

“ 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 joined with me their servant
In the unpartial judging of this business.
KING.
Two equal men. The Queen shall be acquainted
Forthwith for what you come. Where’s Gardiner?
WOLSEY.
I know your Majesty has always loved her
So dear in heart not to deny her that
A woman of less place might ask by law:
Scholars allowed freely to argue for her. ”

“ Enter to Wolsey, the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, the Earl of Surrey, and the Lord Chamberlain.
NORFOLK.
Hear the King’s pleasure, Cardinal, who commands you
To render up the great seal presently
Into our hands, and to confine yourself
To Asher House, my Lord of Winchester’s,
Till you hear further from his Highness.
WOLSEY.
Stay.
Where’s your commission, lords? Words cannot carry
Authority so weighty.
SUFFOLK.
Who dares cross ’em,
Bearing the King’s will from his mouth expressly? ”

“ Marquess Dorset,
And that the Earl of Surrey with the rod.
SECOND GENTLEMAN.
A bold brave gentleman. That should be
The Duke of Suffolk.
FIRST GENTLEMAN.
’Tis the same: High Steward.
SECOND GENTLEMAN.
And that my Lord of Norfolk?
FIRST GENTLEMAN.
Yes.
SECOND GENTLEMAN.
[Sees the Queen.] Heaven bless thee!
Thou hast the sweetest face I ever looked 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. ”

“ 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?
CHAMBERLAIN.
Heaven keep me from such counsel! ’Tis most true:
These news are everywhere, 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
The King’s eyes, that so long have slept upon
This bold bad man.
SUFFOLK.
And free us from his slavery. ”

“ To the Cardinal’s.
Your lordship is a guest too.
CHAMBERLAIN.
O, ’tis true.
This night he makes a supper, and a great one,
To many lords and ladies. There will be
The beauty of this kingdom, I’ll assure you.
LOVELL.
That churchman bears a bounteous mind indeed,
A hand as fruitful as the land that feeds us.
His dews fall everywhere.
CHAMBERLAIN.
No doubt he’s noble;
He had a black mouth that said other of him.
SANDYS.
He may, my lord; has wherewithal. In him
Sparing would show a worse sin than ill doctrine.
Men of his way should be most liberal ”

“ Commend me to his Grace,
And if he speak of Buckingham, pray tell him
You met him half in heaven. My vows and prayers
Yet are the King’s and, till my soul forsake,
Shall cry for blessings on him. May he live
Longer than I have time to tell his years;
Ever beloved and loving may his rule be;
And when old Time shall lead him to his end,
Goodness and he fill up one monument!
LOVELL.
To th’ waterside I must conduct your Grace,
Then give my charge up to Sir Nicholas Vaux,
Who undertakes you to your end. ”

“ She is going, wench. Pray, pray.
PATIENCE.
Heaven comfort her!
Enter a Messenger.
MESSENGER.
An’t like your Grace—
QUEEN KATHERINE.
You are a saucy fellow.
Deserve we no more reverence?
GRIFFITH.
You are to blame,
Knowing she will not lose her wonted greatness,
To use so rude behaviour. Go to, kneel.
MESSENGER.
I humbly do entreat your Highness’ pardon.
My haste made me unmannerly. There is staying
A gentleman sent from the King to see you.
QUEEN KATHERINE.
Admit him entrance, Griffith. But this fellow
Let me ne’er see again.
[Exit Messenger.]
Enter Lord Caputius. ”

“ The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who,
Unfit for other life, compelled by hunger
And lack of other means, in desperate manner
Daring the event to th’ teeth, are all in uproar,
And danger serves among them.
KING.
Taxation?
Wherein? And what taxation? My Lord Cardinal,
You that are blamed for it alike with us,
Know you of this taxation?
WOLSEY.
Please you, sir,
I know but of a single part in aught
Pertains to th’ state, and front but in that file
Where others tell steps with me.
QUEEN KATHERINE.
No, my lord?
You know no more than others? ”

“ QUEEN KATHERINE.
How now?
GENTLEMAN.
An’t please your Grace, the two great Cardinals
Wait in the presence.
QUEEN KATHERINE.
Would they speak with me?
GENTLEMAN.
They willed me say so, madam.
QUEEN KATHERINE.
Pray their Graces
To come near.
[Exit Gentleman.]
What can be their business
With me, a poor weak woman, fallen from favour?
I do not like their coming. Now I think on’t,
They should be good men, their affairs as righteous.
But all hoods make not monks.
Enter the two Cardinals, Wolsey and Campeius.
WOLSEY.
Peace to your Highness. ”

“ Say Wolsey, that once trod the ways of glory
And sounded all the depths and shoals of honour,
Found thee a way, out of his wreck, to rise in,
A sure and safe one, though thy master missed it.
Mark but my fall and that that ruined me.
Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition!
By that sin fell the angels; how can man, then,
The image of his maker, hope to win by it?
Love thyself last; cherish those hearts that hate thee.
Corruption wins not more than honesty. ”

“ SURREY.
Sharp enough,
Lord, for thy justice!
WOLSEY.
[Aside.] The late queen’s gentlewoman, a knight’s daughter,
To be her mistress’ mistress? The Queen’s Queen?
This candle burns not clear. ’Tis I must snuff it;
Then out it goes. What though I know her virtuous
And well deserving? Yet I know her for
A spleeny Lutheran, and not wholesome to
Our cause, that she should lie i’ th’ bosom of
Our hard-ruled King. Again, there is sprung up
An heretic, an arch-one, Cranmer, one
Hath crawled into the favour of the King
And is his oracle.
NORFOLK.
He is vexed at something. ”

“ He’s gone to th’ King.
I’ll follow, and outstare him.
NORFOLK.
Stay, my lord,
And let your reason with your choler question
What ’tis you go about. To climb steep hills
Requires slow pace at first. Anger is like
A full hot horse, who being allowed his way,
Self-mettle tires him. Not a man in England
Can advise me like you; be to yourself
As you would to your friend.
BUCKINGHAM.
I’ll to the King,
And from a mouth of honour quite cry down
This Ipswich fellow’s insolence, or proclaim
There’s difference in no persons. ”

“ These are the youths that thunder at a playhouse and fight for bitten apples, that no audience but the tribulation of Tower Hill or the limbs of Limehouse, their dear brothers, are able to endure. I have some of ’em in Limbo Patrum, and there they are like to dance these three days, besides the running banquet of two beadles that is to come.
Enter Lord Chamberlain.
CHAMBERLAIN.
Mercy o’ me, what a multitude are here!
They grow still too. ”