| ACT I 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 |
| That gentleman of Buckingham's; in person | 5 |
| 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 | Arise, and take place by us: half your suit | 10 |
| 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. |
| That you would love yourself, and in that love | 15 |
| 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 | I am solicited, not by a few, | 20 |
| 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, |
| My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches | 25 |
| 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 |
| Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks | 30 |
| The sides of loyalty, and almost appears |
| In loud rebellion. |
| NORFOLK | Not almost appears, |
| It doth appear; for, upon these taxations, |
| The clothiers all, not able to maintain | 35 |
| 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 |
| Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar, | 40 |
| 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, |
| Know you of this taxation? | 45 |
| 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 | No, my lord, | 50 |
| 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, |
| Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are | 55 |
| 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 | Still exaction! | 60 |
| 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 |
| Under your promised pardon. The subjects' grief | 65 |
| 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: |
| Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze | 70 |
| 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 |
| Would give it quick consideration, for | 75 |
| There is no primer business. |
| KING HENRY VIII | By my life, |
| This is against our pleasure. |
| CARDINAL WOLSEY | And for me, |
| I have no further gone in this than by | 80 |
| 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 |
| The chronicles of my doing, let me say | 85 |
| '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, |
| As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow | 90 |
| 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, |
| Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up | 95 |
| 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 | Things done well, | 100 |
| 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. |
| We must not rend our subjects from our laws, | 105 |
| 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, |
| The air will drink the sap. To every county | 110 |
| 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 | A word with you. | 115 |
[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 |
| And pardon comes: I shall anon advise you | 120 |
| 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: |
| The gentleman is learn'd, and a most rare speaker; | 125 |
| 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 |
| Not well disposed, the mind growing once corrupt, | 130 |
| 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 |
| His hour of speech a minute; he, my lady, | 135 |
| 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 |
| Things to strike honour sad. Bid him recount | 140 |
| 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 |
| Out of the Duke of Buckingham. | 145 |
| 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 |
| To make the sceptre his: these very words | 150 |
| 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 |
| This dangerous conception in this point. | 155 |
| 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, |
| Deliver all with charity. | 160 |
| 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 | He was brought to this | 165 |
| 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 |
| With words of sovereignty. | 170 |
| 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 |
| What was the speech among the Londoners | 175 |
| 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 |
| 'Twould prove the verity of certain words | 180 |
| 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: |
| Whom after under the confession's seal | 185 |
| 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, |
| Tell you the duke, shall prosper: bid him strive | 190 |
| 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 |
| On the complaint o' the tenants: take good heed | 195 |
| 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. |
| Go forward. | 200 |
| 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 |
| It forged him some design, which, being believed, | 205 |
| 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 |
| Should have gone off. | 210 |
| 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 | Being at Greenwich, | 215 |
| After your highness had reproved the duke |
| About Sir William Blomer,-- |
| KING HENRY VIII | I remember |
| Of such a time: being my sworn servant, |
| The duke retain'd him his. But on; what hence? | 220 |
| 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, |
| Made suit to come in's presence; which if granted, | 225 |
| 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, |
| and this man out of prison? | 230 |
| 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, |
| Another spread on's breast, mounting his eyes | 235 |
| 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 | There's his period, | 240 |
| 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, |
| He's traitor to the height. | 245 |
| [Exeunt] |
The Essential Student History Quiz (with answers and illustrations)