Early modern literature
Drama, gender & the body
Modern spelling. Stage directions omitted.
CHAMBERLAIN
My lord, the horses your lordship sent for, with all the care had I saw well chosen, ridden, and furnished. They were young and handsome, and of the best breed in the north. When they were ready to set out for London, a man of my Lord Cardinal’s, by commission and main power, took ’em from me, with this reason: his master would be served before a subject, if not before the King; which stopped our mouths, sir.
I fear he will indeed. Well, let him have them.
He will have all, I think.
NORFOLK
Well met, my Lord Chamberlain.
CHAMBERLAIN
Good day to both your Graces.
SUFFOLK
How is the King employed?
CHAMBERLAIN
I left him private,
Full of sad thoughts and troubles.
NORFOLK
What’s the cause?
CHAMBERLAIN
It seems the marriage with his brother’s wife
Has crept too near his conscience.
SUFFOLK
No, his conscience
Has crept too near another lady.
NORFOLK
so.
This is the Cardinal’s doing, the king-cardinal.
That blind priest, like the eldest son of Fortune,
Turns what he list. The King will know him one day.
SUFFOLK
Pray God he do! He’ll never know himself else.
NORFOLK
How holily he works in all his business,
And with what zeal! For, now he has cracked the league
Between us and the Emperor, the Queen’s great nephew,
He dives into the King’s soul and there scatters
Dangers, doubts, wringing of the conscience,
Fears and despairs—and all these for his marriage.
And out of all these to restore the King,
He counsels a divorce, a loss of her
That like a jewel has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never lost her lustre;
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! 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.
NORFOLK
We had need pray,
And heartily, for our deliverance,
Or this imperious man will work us all
From princes into pages. All men’s honours
Lie like one lump before him, to be fashioned
Into what pitch he please.
SUFFOLK
For me, my lords,
I love him not, nor fear him; there’s my creed.
As I am made without him, so I’ll stand,
If the King please. His curses and his blessings
Touch me alike, they’re breath I not believe in.
I knew him, and I know him; so I leave him
To him that made him proud, the Pope.
NORFOLK
Let’s in,
And with some other business put the King
From these sad thoughts that work too much upon him.
My lord, you’ll bear us company?
CHAMBERLAIN
Excuse me;
The King has sent me otherwhere. Besides,
You’ll find a most unfit time to disturb him.
Health to your lordships.
NORFOLK
Thanks, my good Lord Chamberlain.
SUFFOLK
How sad he looks! Sure, he is much afflicted.
KING
Who’s there? Ha?
NORFOLK
Pray God he be not angry.
KING
Who’s there, I say? How dare you thrust yourselves
Into my private meditations?
Who am I? Ha?
NORFOLK
A gracious king that pardons all offences
Malice meant. Our breach of duty this way
Is business of estate, in which we come
To know your royal pleasure.
KING
are too bold.
Go to; I’ll make know your times of business.
Is this an hour for temporal affairs, ha?
KING
Who’s there? My good Lord Cardinal? O my Wolsey,
The quiet of my wounded conscience,
art a cure fit for a king. You’re welcome,
Most learned reverend sir, into our kingdom;
Use us and it. My good lord, have great care
I be not found a talker.
WOLSEY
Sir, you cannot.
I would your Grace would give us but an hour
Of private conference.
KING
We are busy. Go.
NORFOLK
This priest has no pride in him?
SUFFOLK
Not to speak of.
I would not be so sick, though, for his place.
But this cannot continue.
NORFOLK
If it do,
I’ll venture one have-at-him.
SUFFOLK
I another.
WOLSEY
Your Grace has given a precedent of wisdom
Above all princes in committing freely
Your scruple to the voice of Christendom.
Who can be angry now? What envy reach you?
The Spaniard, tied by blood and favour to her,
Must now confess, if they have any goodness,
The trial just and noble. All the clerks—
I mean the learned ones in Christian kingdoms—
Have their free voices. Rome, the nurse of judgement,
Invited by your noble self, sent
One general tongue unto us, this good man,
This just and learned priest, Cardinal Campeius,
Whom once more I present unto your Highness.
KING
And once more in mine arms I bid him welcome,
And thank the holy conclave for their loves.
They have sent me such a man I would have wished for.
CAMPEIUS
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.
KING
Ay, and the best she shall have, and my favour
To him that does best. God forbid else. Cardinal,
call Gardiner to me, my new secretary.
I find him a fit fellow.
WOLSEY
Give me your hand. Much joy and favour to you;
You are the King’s now.
GARDINER
But to be commanded
For ever by your Grace, whose hand has raised me.
KING
Come , Gardiner.
CAMPEIUS
My lord of York, was not one Doctor Pace
In this man’s place before him?
WOLSEY
Yes, he was.
CAMPEIUS
Was he not held a learned man?
WOLSEY
Yes, surely.
CAMPEIUS
Believe me, there’s an ill opinion spread, then
Even of yourself, Lord Cardinal.
WOLSEY
How? Of me?
CAMPEIUS
They will not stick to say you envied him
And fearing he would rise—he was so virtuous—
Kept him a foreign man still, which so grieved him
That he ran mad and died.
WOLSEY
Heav’n’s peace be with him!
That’s Christian care enough. For living murmurers
There’s places of rebuke. He was a fool,
For he would needs be virtuous. That good fellow,
If I command him, follows my appointment.
I will have none so near else. Learn this, brother:
We live not to be griped by meaner persons.
KING
Deliver this with modesty to th’ Queen.
KING
The most convenient place that I can think of
For such receipt of learning is Blackfriars.
There shall meet about this weighty business.
My Wolsey, see it furnished. O, my lord,
Would it not grieve an able man to leave
So sweet a bedfellow? But, conscience, conscience!
O, a tender place, and I must leave her.
Open Henry VIII in the 1623 First Folio. See its words in the cloud.
Modern spelling for reading. The edition is public domain in the United States. Edition source.