Act 1, Scene 2

KING

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

QUEEN KATHERINE

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

KING

Arise, and take place by us.

KING

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 KATHERINE

Thank your Majesty.
That you would love yourself, and in that love
Not unconsidered leave your honour nor
The dignity of your office, is the point
Of my petition.

KING

Lady mine, proceed.

QUEEN KATHERINE

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 flawed the heart
Of all their loyalties; wherein, although,
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
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,
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, 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? 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
Most pestilent to the hearing, 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

Still exaction!
The nature of it? In what kind, let’s know,
Is this exaction?

QUEEN KATHERINE

I am much too venturous
In tempting of your patience, but am boldened
Under your promised pardon. The subjects’ grief
Comes through commissions, which compels 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
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
There is no primer business.

KING

By my life,
This is against our pleasure.

WOLSEY

And for me,
I have no further gone in this than by
A single voice, and that not passed 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
’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
That is new-trimmed, but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is
Not ours or not allowed; what worst, as oft,
Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up
For our best act. If we shall stand still
In fear our motion will be mocked or carped at,
We should take root here where we sit,
Or sit state-statues only.

KING

Things done well,
And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;
Things done without example, in their issue
Are to be feared. Have you a precedent
Of this commission? I believe, not any.
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’ t’ timber,
And though we leave it with a root, thus hacked,
The air will drink the sap. To every county
Where this is questioned 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.

WOLSEY

A word with you.
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
Further in the proceeding.

QUEEN KATHERINE

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

KING

It grieves many.
The gentleman is learned 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
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 enrolled ’mongst wonders, and when we,
Almost with ravished list’ning, could not find
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 besmeared in hell. Sit by us. You shall hear—
This was his gentleman in trust—of him
Things to strike honour sad. Bid him recount
The fore-recited practices, whereof
We cannot feel too little, hear too much.

WOLSEY

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

KING

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
I’ve heard him utter to his son-in-law,
Lord Abergavenny; to whom by oath he menaced
Revenge upon the Cardinal.

WOLSEY

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

QUEEN KATHERINE

My learned Lord Cardinal,
Deliver all with charity.

KING

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
By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Henton.

KING

What was that Henton?

SURVEYOR

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

KING

How know’st thou this?

SURVEYOR

Not long before your Highness sped to France,
The Duke being at the Rose, within the parish
Saint Laurence Poultney, did of me demand
What was the speech among the Londoners
Concerning the French journey. I replied,
Men fear 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
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
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
To gain the love o’ th’ commonalty. The Duke
Shall govern England.’”

QUEEN KATHERINE

If I know you well,
You were the Duke’s surveyor, and lost your office
On the complaint o’ th’ 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

Let him on.
Go forward.

SURVEYOR

On my soul, I’ll speak but truth.
I told my lord the Duke, by th’ 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,
It was much like to do. He answered, “Tush,
It can do me no damage,” adding further
That had the King in his last sickness failed,
The Cardinal’s and Sir Thomas Lovell’s heads
Should have gone off.

KING

Ha! What, so rank? Ah ha!
There’s mischief in this man. Canst thou say further?

SURVEYOR

I can, my liege.

KING

Proceed.

SURVEYOR

Being at Greenwich,
After your Highness had reproved the Duke
About Sir William Bulmer—

KING

I remember
Of such a time, being my sworn servant,
The Duke retained 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 played
The part my father meant to act upon
Th’ usurper Richard who, being at Salisbury,
Made suit to come in ’s presence; which if granted,
As he made semblance of his duty, would
Have put his knife into him.”

KING

A giant traitor!

WOLSEY

Now, madam, may his Highness live in freedom,
And this man out of prison?

QUEEN KATHERINE

God mend all.

KING

There’s something more would out of thee. What sayst?

SURVEYOR

After “the Duke his father,” with “the knife,”
He stretched him, and with one hand on his dagger,
Another spread on ’s breast, mounting his eyes,
He did discharge a horrible oath, whose tenour
Was, were he evil used, he would outgo
His father by as much as a performance
Does an irresolute purpose.

KING

There’s his period,
To sheathe his knife in us. He is attached.
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 th’ height!