Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham.
BRANDON, and a Sergeant at Arms.
Doorkeeper of the Council Chamber.

Page to Gardiner.

Porter and his Man. A Crier.

QUEEN KATHARINE, wife to King Henry, afterwards di vorced.

ANNE BULLEN, her maid of honor, afterwards queen.
An Old Lady, friend to Anne Bullen.

PATIENCE, woman to Queen Katharine.

Lords and Ladies in the dumb shows; Women attending upon the Queen, Scribes, Officers, Guards, and Attendants.

Spirits.

SCENE.-Chiefly in LONDON and WESTMINSTER; once at KIMBOLTON.

KING HENRY VIII.

PROLOGUE.

I come no more to make you laugh; things

now

That bear a weighty and a serious brow,
Sad, high, and working, full of state and woe,
Such noble scenes as draw the eye to flow,
We now present. Those that can pity, here
May, if they think it well, let fall a tear;
The subject will deserve it. Such as give
Their money out of hope they may believe,
May here find truth too. Those that come to

see

Only a show or two and so agree

The play may pass,-if they be still and willing,
I'll undertake may see away their shilling
Richly in two short hours. Only they
That come to hear a merry, wanton play,
A noise of targets, or to see a fellow

In a long motley coat guarded with yellow,
Will be deceiv'd; for, gentle hearers, know,
To rank our chosen truth with such a show
As fool and fight is, beside forfeiting

Our own brains and the opinion that we bring— 20 To make that only true we now intend

Will leave us ne'er an understanding friend. Therefore, for goodness' sake, and as you're known

25

The first and happiest hearers of the town,
Be sad, as we would make ye: think
The very persons of our noble story

ye see As they were living; think you see them great, And follow'd with the general throng and sweat. Of thousand friends; then, in a moment, see 30 How soon this mightiness meets misery: And, if you can be merry then, I'll say A man may weep upon his wedding-day.

SCENE I.-London.

ACT I.

An Antechamber in the

Palace.

Enter on one side the DUKE OF NORFOLK; on the other, the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM and the LORD ABERGAVENNY.

Buckingham. Good morrow, and well met. How have ye done

Since last we saw in France?

Nor.

I thank your grace,

Healthful, and ever since a fresh admirer
Of what I saw there.

Buck.
An untimely ague
Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber when
Those suns of glory, those two lights of men,
Met in the vale of Andren.

Nor.

'Twixt Guynes and Arde: I was then present, saw them salute on horse

back;

Beheld them, when they 'lighted, how they clung

5

In their embracement, as they grew together; 10 Which had they, what four thron'd ones could have weigh'd

Such a compounded one?

Buck.

All the whole time

Then you lost

I was my chamber's prisoner.
Nor.

The view of earthly glory: men might say
Till this time pomp was single, but now married 15
To one above itself. Each following day

Became the next day's master, till the last Made former wonders its. To-day the French, All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods, 20 Shone down the English; and to-morrow they Made Britain India: every man that stood Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were As cherubins, all gilt: the madams too, Not us'd to toil, did almost sweat to bear 25 The pride upon them, that their very labor Was to them as a painting: now this masque Was cried incomparable; and th' ensuing night Made it a fool and beggar. The two kings, Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst, 30 As presence did present them; him in eye, Still him in praise; and, being present both, 'Twas said they saw but one, and no discerner Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these

suns

For so they phrase 'em-by their heralds challeng'd

35 The noble spirits to arms, they did perform Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous story,

Being now seen possible enough, got credit,
That Bevis was believ'd.

Buck.

O, you go far,

Nor. As I belong to worship and affect 40 In honor honesty, the tract of everything Would by a good discourser lose some life Which action's self was tongue to. All was royal; To the disposing of it nought rebell'd; Order gave each thing view; the office did Distinctly his full function. 45 Buck.

Who did guide?