'Tis his afpéct of terror.

All's not well.

King. How now, my lord? You do defire to know

Wherefore I fent for you.

Cran. It is my duty,

To attend your highness' pleasure.

King. Pray you, arise,

My good and gracious lord of Canterbury.

Come, you and I must walk a turn together;

I have news to tell you: Come, come, give me your hand.
Ah, my good lord, I grieve at what I speak,
And am right forry to repeat what follows:

I have, and moft unwillingly, of late
Heard many grievous, I do fay, my lord,

Grievous complaints of you; which, being confider'd,
Have mov❜d us and our council, that you shall
This morning come before us; where, I know,
You cannot with fuch freedom purge yourself,
But that, till further trial, in those charges
Which will require your anfwer, you must take
Your patience to you, and be well contented

To make your houfe our Tower: You a brother of us,
It fits we thus proceed, or elfe no witness

Would come against you.

Cran. I humbly thank your highness;

And am right glad to catch this good occafion

Moft throughly to be winnow'd, where my chaff

And corn fhall fly afunder: for, I know,

There's none ftands under more calumnious tongues,
Than I myself, poor man 9.

King. Stand up, good Canterbury;

Thy truth, and thy integrity, is rooted

In us, thy friend: Give me thy hand, ftand up;
Pr'ythee, let's walk. Now, by my holy-dame,
What manner of man are you? My lord, I look'd
You would have given me your petition, that

8 You a brother of us,] You being one of the council, it is neceffary to imprifon you, that the witneffes against you may not be deterred. JOHNSON.

9 Than I myself, poor man.] Poor man belongs probably to the king's reply. GREY.

I 3

I should

I should have ta'en fome pains to bring together
Yourself and your accufers; and to have heard you
Without indurance, further.

Cran. Moft dread liege,

The good I stand on ' is my truth, and honesty;
If they fhall fail, I, with mine enemies 2,

Will triumph o'er my perfon; which I weigh not,
Being of thofe virtues vacant. I fear nothing

What can be faid against me.

King. Know you not

How your state ftands i' the world, with the whole world?
Your enemies are many, and not fmall; their practices
Muft bear the fame proportion: and not ever
The justice and the truth o' the question carries
The due o' the verdict with it: At what ease
Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt
'To fwear against you? fuch things have been done,
You are potently oppos'd; and with a malice
Of as great fize. Ween you of better luck3,
I mean, in perjur'd witness, than your master,
Whose minifter you are, whiles here he liv'd
Upon this naughty earth? Go to, go to;
You take a precipice for no leap of danger,
And woo your own deftruction.

Cran. God, and your majefty,

Protect mine innocence, or I fall into
The trap is laid for me!

King. Be of good cheer;

They fhall no more prevail, than we give way to.
Keep comfort to you; and this morning fee
You do appear before them: if they fhall chance,
In charging you with matters, to commit you,

1 The good I ftand on-] Though good may be taken for advantage or fuperiority, or any thing which may help or support, yet it would, I think, be more natural to fay, The ground I ftand on. JOHNSON.

2 I, with mine enemies,] Cranmer, I fuppofe, means, that whenever his honefty fails, he fhall rejoice as heartily as his enemies at his deftruction. MALONE.

3 Ween you of better luck,] To ween is to think, to imagine. Though now obfolete, the word was common to all our ancient writers. STEEV.

The

The beft perfuafions to the contrary

Fail not to use, and with what vehemency

The occafion shall inftruct you: if entreaties

Will render you no remedy, this ring

Deliver them, and your appeal to us

There make before them.-Look, the good man weeps!
He's honeft, on mine honour. God's bleft mother!
Ifwear, he is true-hearted; and a foul

None better in my kingdom.-Get you gone,
And do as I have bid you.-He has ftrangled
His language in his tears.

Enter an old Lady.

[Exit CRANMER.

Gen. [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 fhade thy person

Under their blessed wings!

King. Now, by thy looks

I guess thy meffage.

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 4!-'tis a girl,
Promises boys hereafter. Sir, your queen
Defires your vifitation, and to be

Acquainted with this ftranger; 'tis as like
As cherry is to cherry.

King, Lovels,

Lov. Sir.

Enter LOVEL.

you,

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

[Exit King.

4- blefs ber!] It is doubtful whether ber is referred to the queen or the girl. JOHNSON.

As I believe this play was calculated for the ear of Elizabeth, I imagine, ber relates to the girl. MALONE.

5 Lovel,-] Lovel has been just sent out of the prefence, and no notice is given of his return: I have placed it here at the inftant when the king calls for him. STEEVENS.

I 4

Lady.

Lady. An hundred marks! By this light, I'll have more. An ordinary groom is for fuch payment. I will have more, or fcold it out of him. Said I for this, the girl is like to him? I will have more, or else unfay't; and now, While it is hot, I'll put it to the issue.

SCENE II.

Before the Council-Chamber.

[Exeunt

Enter CRANMER; Servants, Door-keeper, &c. attending. Cran. I hope, I am not too late; and yet the gentle

man,

That was sent to me from the council, pray'd me

To make great hafte. All faft? what means this?-Hoa! Who waits there?-Sure, you know me?

But

D. Keep. Yes, my lord;

yet

I cannot help you.

Cran. Why?

D. Keep. Your grace muft wait, till you be call'd for.
Enter Doctor BUTTS.

Cran, So.

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

I came this way fo happily: The king
Shall understand it prefently.

Cran. [Afide.] 'Tis Butts,

The king's phyfician; As he paft along,
How earnestly he caft his eyes upon me!

[Exit BUTTS.

Pray heaven, he found not my difgrace! For certain,
This is of purpofe lay'd, by fome that hate me,

(God turn their hearts! I never fought their malice,)
To quench mine honour: they would fhame to make me
Wait elfe at door; a fellow counsellor,

Among boys, grooms, and lackeys. But their pleasures Muft be fulfill'd, and I attend with patience.

Enter, above, the King and BUTTS.

Butts. I'll fhew your grace the ftrangeft fight,-
King. What's that, Butts?

Butts. I think, your highnefs faw this many a day.

King. Body o'me, where is it?

Butts. There, my lord:

The high promotion of his grace of Canterbury;
Who holds his ftate at door, 'mongst pursuivants,
Pages, and foot-boys.

King. 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 fo much honefty among them,
(At least, good manners,) as not thus to fuffer
A man of his place, and fo near our favour,
To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasures,
And at the door too, like a poft with packets.
By holy Mary, Butts, there's knavery:

Let them alone, and draw the curtain close;
We shall hear more anon.-

Enter the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of SUFFOLK, Earl of SURREY, Lord Chamberlain, GARDINER, and CROMWELL. The Chancellor places himself at the upper end of the table on the left hand; a feat being left void above him, as for the Archbishop of Canterbury. The reft feat themselves in order on each fide. CROMWELL at the lower end, as fecretary.

Chan. Speak to the business, mafter Secretary: Why are we met in council?

Crom. Please your honours,

The chief caufe concerns his grace of Canterbury.
Gar. Has he had knowledge of it?

Crom. Yes.

6 Enter the Lord Chancellor,-] In the preceding fcene we have heard of the birth of Elizabeth, and from the conclufion of the present it appears that he is not yet chriftened. She was born September 7, 1533, and baptized on the 11th of the fame month. Cardinal Wolfey was chancellor of England from September 7, 1516, to the 25th of October 1530, on which day the feals were given to Sir Thomas More. He held them till the 20th of May, 1533, when Sir Thomas Audley was appointed Lord Keeper. He therefore is the perfon here introduced; but Shakspeare has made a mistake in calling him Lord Chancellor, for he did not obtain that title till the January after the birth of Elizabeth. MALONE.

Nor.