Look into these affairs, fee this main end',— The French king's fifter. Heaven will one day open This bold bad man. Suf. And free us from his flavery. And heartily, for our deliverance; Suf. For me, my lords, I love him not, nor fear him; there's my creed: If the king please; his curfes and his bleffings Nor. Let's in; And, with fome other bufinefs, put the king Cham. Excufe me; The king hath fent me other-where: befides, 8-fee this main end,] Thus the old copy. All, &c. perceive this main end of these counfels, namely, the French king's fifter. The editor of the fourth folio and all the fubfequent editors read-bis; but ys or this were not likely to be confounded with bis. Befides, the king, not Wolfey, is the perfon last mentioned; and it was the main end or object of Wolfey to bring about a marriage between Henry and the French king's fifter. End has already been used for caufe, and may be fo here. See p. 40: "The cardinal is the end of this." MALONE. 9 The French king's fifter.] i. e. the duchefs of Alençon. STEEV. 1 From princes into pages:] This may allude to the retinue of the cardinal, who had feveral of the nobility among his menial fervants. JOHNS. 2 Into what pitch be pleafe.] The mafs must be fashioned into pitch or height, as well as into particular form. The meaning is, that the cardinal can, as he pleafes, make high or low. JOHNSON. The allufion feems to be to the 21ft verfe of the 9th chapter of the Epiftle of St. Paul to the Romans: "Hath not the potter power over the clay of the fame lump, to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" COLLINS, You' You'll find a moft unfit time to disturb him: Nor. Thanks, my good lord chamberlain. [Exit Lord Chamberlain: Norfolk opens a folding-door. The king is difcovered fittings and reading penfively 3. Suf. How fad he looks! fure, he is much afflicted. Nor. 'Pray God, he be not angry. King. Who's there, I fay? How dare you thrust your felves Into my private meditations? Who am I? ha? Nor. A gracious king, that pardons all offences Malice ne'er meant: our breach of duty, this way, Is business of eftate; in which, we come To know your royal pleasure. King. You are too bold; Go to; I'll make ye know your times of business: Enter WOLSEY, and CAMPEIUS. Who's there? my good lord cardinal ?-O my Wolfey, Exit Lord 3 The ftage-direction in the old copy is a fingular one. Chamberlain, and the King draws the curtain, and fits reading penfively. STEEVENS. This stage direction was calculated for, and afcertains precifely the ftate of, the theatre in Shakspeare's time. When a perfon was to be difcovered in a different apartment from that in which the original fpeakers in the scene are exhibited, the artless mode of our author's time, was to place fuch perfon in the back part of the flage behind the curtains, which were occafionally fufpended acrofs it. Thefe the perfon, who was to be difcovered, (as Henry, in the prefent cafe,) drew back just at the proper time. Mr. Rowe, who feems to have looked no further than the modern ftage, changed the direction thus: "The fcene opens, and difcovers the king," &c. but, befides the impropriety of introducing scenes, when there were none, fuch an exhibition would not be proper here, for Norfolk has juft faid-" Let's in," and therefore fhould himfelf do fome act, in order to vifit the king. This indeed, in the fimple ftate of the old ftage, was not attended to; the king very civilly difcovering himfelf. See An Account of our old Theatres, Vol. I. MALONE. The The quiet of my wounded confcience, [To Campeius. Moft learned reverend fir, into our kingdom; Wol. Sir, you cannot. I would, your grace would give us but an hour Of private conference. King. We are bufy; go. [To Wolfey. [To Norf, and Suf. Nor. This priest has no pride in him? Suf. Not to speak of; I would not be fo fick though, for his place: Nor. If it do, I'll venture one have at him. SUF.j Suf. I another. [Exeunt NOR, and SUF.J Afide. Wol. Your grace has given a precedent of wisdom I mean, the learned ones, in christian kingdoms, One general tongue unto us, this good man, This juft and learned prieft, cardinal Campeius; Whom, once more, I prefent unto your highness. 1 King. And, once more, in mine arms I bid him welcome, And thank the holy conclave for their loves; They have fent me fuch a man I would have wish'd for. 4- bave great care I be not found a talker.] I take the meaning to be, Let care be taken that my promife be performed, that my profeffions of welcome be not found empty talk. JOHNSON. 5 —fo fick ] That is, fo fick as he is proud. JOHNSON. Have their free voices ;] The conftruction is, have fent their free voices; the word fent, which occurs in the next line, being underflood here. MALONE. Cam. Cam. Your grace muft needs deserve all strangers' loves, You are so noble: To your highness' hand I tender my commiffion; by whose virtue, King. Two equal men. The queen fhall be acquainted A woman of lefs place might afk by law, King. Ay, and the beft, fhe fhall have; and [Exit WOLSEY, Re-enter WOLSEY, with GARDINER. Wol. Give me your hand; much joy and favour to you; You are the king's now. Gard. But to be commanded For ever by your grace, whofe hand has rais'd me. [Afide, King. Come hither, Gardiner. [They converfe apart. Cam. My lord of York, was not one doctor Pace In this man's place before him? Wol. Yes, he was. Cam. Was he not held a learned man? Wol. Yes, furely. Cam. Believe me, there's an ill opinion spread then Even of yourself, lord cardinal. Wol. How! of me? Cam. They will not stick to say, you envy'd him; Wol. Heaven's peace be with him! That's chriftian care enough: for living murmurers, 6 Kept him a foreign man ftill:] Kept him out of the king's prefence, employed in foreign embaffies. JOHNSON. For For he would needs be virtuous: That good fellow, So fweet a bedfellow? But, confcience, confcience,- SCENE III. An Antechamber in the Queen's Apartments, [Exeunt. Anne. Not for that neither;-Here's the pang that pinches : His highness having liv'd so long with her; and the Still growing in a majesty and pomp,-the which Would move a monster. Old L. Hearts of most hard temper Melt and lament for her. Anne. O, God's will! much better, She ne'er had known pomp: though it be temporal, 8 ➡To leave is—] The latter word was added by Mr. Theobald. It MALONE. 7 To give her the avaunt -] To fend her away contemptuously; to pronounce against her a sentence of ejection. JOHNSON. 8 Yet, if that quarrel, fortune,-] She calls Fortune a quarrel or E 2 arrow, |