He's honest, on mine honour. God's blest mother!

I swear, he is true-hearted; and a soul

None better in my kingdom.-Get you gone,

And do as I have bid you.

He has strangled

His language in his tears.

Enter an old Lady.

[Exit CRANMER,

Gent. [Within.] Come back; What mean you? Lady. I'll not come back, the tidings that I bring Will make my boldness manners. Now, good angels Fly o'er thy royal head, and shade thy person Under their blessed wings!

K. Hen. Now, by thy looks

I guess thy message. Is the queen deliver'd?
Say, ay; and of a boy.

Lady. Ay, ay, my liege;

And of a lovely boy: The God of heaven
Both now and ever bless her !-'tis a girl,
Promises boys hereafter. Sir, your queen
Desires your visitation, and to be

Acquainted with this stranger; 'tis as like you,
As cherry is to cherry.

K.Hen. Lovell,

Lov. Sir.

Enter LovELL.

K.Hen. Give her an hundred marks. I'll to the queen.

[Exit King.

Lady. An hundred marks! By this light, I'll have more.
An ordinary groom is for such payment.
I will have more, or scold it out of him.

Said I for this, the girl is like to him?
I will have more, or else unsay't; and now

While it is hot, I'll put it to the issue.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Lobby before the Council-chamber. Enter CRANMER; Servants, Door-keeper, &c. attending.

Cran. I hope, I am not too late; and yet the gentleman, That was sent to me from the council, pray'd me To make great haste. All fast? what means this?-Hoa! Who waits there ?-Sure, you know me?

D. Keep. Yes, my lord;

But yet I cannot help you.
Cran. Why?

D. Keep. Your grace must wait, till you be call'd for.

Cran. So.

Enter Doctor BUTTS.

Butts. This is a piece of malice. I am glad,

I came this way so happily: The king
Shall understand it presently.

Cran. [Aside.] 'Tis Butts,

The king's physician; As he past along,

How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me !

[Exit BUTTS.

Pray heaven, he sound not my disgrace! For certain, This is of purpose lay'd, by some that hate me,

(God turn their hearts' I never sought their malice,) To quench mine honour: they would shame to make me Wait else at door; a fellow counsellor,

Among boys, grooms, and lackeys. But their pleasures Must be fulfilld, and I attend with patience.

Enter, at a window above, the King and BUTTS.9
Butts. I'll show your grace the strangest sight,-
K.Hen. What's that, Butts?

Butts. I think, your highness saw this many a day.
K.Hen. Body o'me, where is it?
Butts. There, my lord :

The high promotion of his grace of Canterbury;
Who holds his state at door, 'mongst pursuivants,
Pages, and footboys.

K.Hen. Ha! 'Tis he, indeed:

Is this the honour they do one another?

'Tis well, there's one above them yet. I had thought,
They had parted so much honesty among them,
(At least, good manners,) as not thus to suffer
A man of his place, and so near our favour,
To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasures,
And at the door too, like a post with packets.
By holy Mary, Butts, there's knavery :
Let them alone, and draw the curtain close;
We shall hear more anon.-

THE COUNCIL-CHAMBER.

[Exeunt

Enter the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of SUFFOLK, Earl of SURREY, Lord Chamberlain, GARDINER, and CROMWELL. The

[9] The suspicious vigilance of our ancestors contrived windows which overlooked the insides of chapels, halls, kitchens, passages, &c. Some of these convenient peep-holes may still be found in colleges, and such ancient houses as have not suffered from the reformations of modern architecture. Without a previous knowledge of this custom, Shakspeare's scenery, in the present instance, would be obscure. STEEV.

1

Chancellor places himself at the upper end of the table on the left hand; a seat being left void above him, as for the Archbishop of Canterbury. The rest seat themselves in order on each side. CROMWELL at the lower end, as secretary

Chan. Speak to the business, master secretary :

Why are we met in council?

Crom. Please your honours,

The chief cause concerns his grace of Canterbury.

Gar. Has he had knowledge of it?

Crom. Yes.

D.Keep. My lord archbishop;

And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures.
Chan. Let him come in.

D.Keep. Your grace may enter now.

[CRANMER approaches the Council-table.

Chan. My good lord archbishop, I am very sorry To sit here at this present, and behold That chair stand empty: But we all are men, In our own natures frail; and capable Of our flesh, few are angels: out of which frailty, And want of wisdom, you, that best should teach us, Have misdemean'd yourself, and not a little, Toward the king first, then his laws, in filling The whole realm, by your teaching, and your chaplains, (For so we are inform'd,) with new opinions, Divers, and dangerous, which are heresies, And, not reform'd, may prove pernicious.

Gar. Which reformation must be sudden too, My noble lords: for those, that tame wild horses, Pace them not in their hands to make them gentle ; But stop their mouths with stubborn bits, and spur them, Till they obey the manage. If we suffer (Out of our easiness, and childish pity To one man's honour) this contagious sickness, Farewell, all physic: And what follows then ? Commotions, uproars, with a general taint Of the whole state: as, of late days, our neighbours, The upper Germany, can dearly witness, Yet freshly pitied in our memories.

[Few are perfect while they remain in their mortal capacity STEEV. [2. Alluding to the heresy of Thomas Muntzer, which sprung up in Saxony in the years 1521 and 1522. GREY.

Cran. My good lords, hitherto, in all the progress
Both of my life and office, I have labour'd,
And with no little study, that my teaching,
And the strong course of my authority,
Might go one way, and safely; and the end
Was ever, to do well: nor is there living
(I speak it with a single heart, 3 my lords,)
A man, that more detests, more stirs against,
Both in his private conscience, and his place,
Defacers of a public peace, than I do.
'Pray heaven, the king may never find a heart
With less allegiance in it! Men, that make
Envy, and crooked malice, nourishment,
Dare bite the best. I do beseech your lordships,
That, in this case of justice, my accusers,
Be what they will, may stand forth face to face,
And freely urge against me.

Suf. Nay, my lord,

That cannot be; you are a counsellor,

And, by that virtue, no man dare accuse you.

Gar. My lord, because we have business of more

moment,

We will be short with you. 'Tis his highness' plea

sure,

And our consent, for better trial of you,
From hence you be committed to the Tower ;
Where, being but a private man again,
You shall know many dare accuse you boldly,
More than, I fear, you are provided for.

Cran. Ah, my good lord of Winchester, I thank you,
You are always my good friend; if you will pass,
I shall both find your lordship judge and juror,
You are so merciful : I see your end,
'Tis my undoing: Love, and meekness, lord,
Become a churchman better than ambition;
Win straying souls with modesty again,
Cast none away. That I shall clear myself,
Lay all the weight ye can upon my patience,
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.
Gar. My lord, my lord, you are a sectary,

[3] A heart void of duplicity or guile. MAL.-it is a scriptural expression. See Acts, ii. 46. REED.

That's the plain truth; your painted gloss discovers,
To men that understand you, words and weakness.
Crom. 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.

Gar. Good master secretary,

I cry your honour mercy; you may, worst
Of all this table, say so.

Crom. Why, my lord?

Gar. Do not I know you for a favourer

Of this new sect? ye are not sound.
Crom. Not sound ?

Gar. Not sound, I say.

Crom. 'Would you were half so honest ! Men's prayers then would seek you, not their fears. Gar. I shall remember this bold language. Crom. Do.

Remember your bold life too.

Cham. This is too much;

Forbear, for shame, my lords.
Gar. I have done.

Crom. And I.

Cham. Then thus for you, my lord, -It stands agreed,

I take it, by all voices, that forthwith

You be convey'd to the Tower a prisoner;

There to remain, till the king's further pleasure
Be known unto us: Are you all agreed, lords ?

All. We are,

Cran. Is there no other way of mercy,

But I must needs to the Tower, my lords?

Gard. What other

Would you expect? You are strangely troublesome.Let some o'the guard be ready there.

Cran. For me?

Enter Guard.

Must I go like a traitor thither ?
Gard. Receive him,

And see him safe i'the Tower.

Cran. Stay, good my lords,

I have a little yet to say. Look there, my lords;
By virtue of that ring, I take my cause

[4] Those that understand you, under this painted gloss, this fair outside, discover your empty talk and your false reasoning. JOHNS,