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.

Cham. It seems the marriage with his brother's wife

Has crept too near his conscience.

Suf.

No, his conscience

"Tis so:

Has crept too near another lady.
Nor.
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.
Suf. Pray God he do! he'll never know himself else.
Nor. How holily he works in all his business!

And with what zeal! for, now he has crack'd 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

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That, when the greatest stroke of fortune falls,

Will bless the king: and is not this course pious?

Cham. Heaven keep me from such counsel! 'Tis most true

These news are everywhere; every tongue speaks 'em,

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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.

Suf.

And free us from his slavery.

Nor. 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 fashion'd
Into what pitch he please.

Suf.

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 are breath I not believe in.
I knew him, and I know him; so I leave him
To him that made him proud, the pope.

Nor.

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?

Cham.
Excuse me ;
The king hath sent me other where: besides,
You'll find a most unfit time to disturb him:
Health to your lordships.

Nor.

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Thanks, my good lord chamberlain.
[Exit Lord Chamberlain.

NORFOLK opens a folding-door. The KING is discovered sitting, and reading pensively.

Suf. How sad he looks! sure, he is much afflicted.
K. Hen. Who's there, ha?

Nor.

Pray God he be not angry.

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K. Hen. Who's there, I say? How dare you thrust yourselves 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 estate, in which we come

To know your royal pleasure.

K. Hen.

Ye are too bold:

Go to; I'll make ye know your times of business:
Is this an hour for temporal affairs, ha?

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70

Enter WOLSEY and CAMPEIUS.

Who's there? my good lord cardinal? O my Wolsey,
The quiet of my wounded conscience,

Thou art a cure fit for a king. [To CAMPEIUS.] You're welcome, Most learned reverend sir, into our kingdom:

Use us and it. [To WOLSEY.] My good lord, have great care 75 I be not found a talker.

Wol.

Sir, you cannot.

I would your grace would give us but an hour

Of private conference.

K. Hen. [To NORFOLK and SUFFOLK.] We are busy; go. Nor. [Aside to SUFFOLK.] This priest has no pride in him? Suf. [Aside to NORFOLK.] Not to speak of:

I would not be so sick though for his place:

But this cannot continue.

Nor. [Aside to SUFFOLK.] If it do,

I'll venture one have-at-him.

Suf. [Aside to NORFOLK.] I another.

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[Exeunt NORFOLK and SUFFOLK.

Wol. 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,

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Have their free voices: Rome, the nurse of judgment,
Invited by your noble self, hath sent

One general tongue unto us, this good man,

This just and learned priest, Cardinal Campeius;

Whom once more I present unto your highness.

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K. Hen. 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 wish'd for.

Cam. 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 join'd with me their servant
In the unpartial judging of this business.

K. Hen. Two equal men.
Forthwith for what you come.

The queen

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shall be acquainted 105 Where's Gardiner?

Wol. I know your majesty has always lov'd her

So dear in heart, not to deny her that

A woman of less place might ask by law,
Scholars allow'd freely to argue for her.

K. Hen. Ay, and the best she shall have; and my favour
To him that does best: God forbid else. Cardinal,
Prithee, call Gardiner to me, my new secretary:
I find him a fit fellow.

Re-enter WOLSEY, with GARDINER.

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[Exit WOLSEY.

Wol. [Aside to GARDINER.] Give me your hand: much joy and favour to you;

You are the king's now.

Gard. [Aside to WOLSEY.] But to be commanded For ever by your grace, whose hand has rais'd me. K. Hen. Come hither, Gardiner.

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[They converse apart. Cam. My Lord of York, was not one Doctor Pace In this man's place before him?

Wol.

Yes, he was.

Yes, surely.

Cam. Was he not held a learned man?
Wol.
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 envied him,
And fearing he would rise, he was so virtuous,
Kept him a foreign man still; which so griev'd him,
That he ran mad and died.

Wol.
Heaven'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 grip'd by meaner persons.

K. Hen. Deliver this with modesty to the queen.

The most convenient place that I can think of
For such receipt of learning is Black-friars;
There ye shall meet about this weighty business.
My Wolsey, see it furnish'd. O, my lord,
Would it not grieve an able man to leave

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[Exit GARDINER.

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So sweet a bedfellow? But, conscience, conscience!
O, 'tis a tender place; and I must leave her.

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[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-An Antechamber in the Queen's Apartments. Enter ANNE BULLEN and an old Lady.

Anne. Not for that neither: here's the pang that pinches : His highness having liv'd so long with her, and she

So good a lady that no tongue could ever
Pronounce dishonour of her-by my life,
She never knew harm-doing-O, now, after
So many courses of the sun enthron'd,

Still growing in a majesty and pomp, the which
To leave a thousandfold more bitter than
"Tis sweet at first to acquire-after this process,
To give her the avaunt! it is a pity

Would move a monster.

Old L.

Melt and lament for her.

Hearts of most hard temper

Anne.
She ne'er had known pomp: though 't be temporal,
Yet, if that quarrel, fortune, do divorce

O, God's will! much better

It from the bearer, 'tis a sufferance panging

As soul and body's severing.

Old L.

She's a stranger now again.

Anne.

Alas, poor lady!

So much the more
Must pity drop upon her. Verily,

I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born
And range with humble livers in content,
Than to be perk'd up in a glistering grief
And wear a golden sorrow.

Old L.

Is our best having.

Anne.

Our content

By my troth and maidenhood,

I would not be a queen.

Old L.

Beshrew me, I would,

And venture maidenhood for 't; and so would you,
For all this spice of your hypocrisy :

You, that have so fair parts of woman on you,

Have too a woman's heart; which ever yet

Affected eminence, wealth, sovereignty;

Which, to say sooth, are blessings; and which gifts—
Saving your mincing-the capacity

Of your soft cheveril conscience would receive,
If you might please to stretch it.

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