Nor. What's the cause?

Cham. It seems, the marriage with his brother's wife Has crept too near his conscience.

Suff. No, his conscience

Has crept too near another lady.

Nor. 'Tis so ;

This is the cardinal's doing, the king-cardinal:

That blind priest, like the eldest son of fortune,

Turns what he lists. 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
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 every where; every tongue speaks them,
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:7 all men's honours
Lie in one lump before him, to be fashion'd
Into what pitch he please.

Suf. For me, my lords,

8

[7] This may allude to the retinue of the cardinal, who had several of the nobility among his menial servants. JOHNS.

[8] The allusion seems to be to the 21st verse of the 9th chapter of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans: "Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump, to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishon

Out?

COLLINS.

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. 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 is there? ha?

Nor. 'Pray God, he be not angry.

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. You are too bold;

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

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.-You're welcome,

[To CAMPEIUS. Most learned reverend sir, into our kingdom; Use us, and it :-My good lord, have great care I be not found a talker.9

Wol. Sir, you cannot.

[TO WOLSEY.

[9] I take the meaning to be, Let care be taken that my promise be performed, that my professions of welcome be not found empty talk. JOHNS.

I would, your grace would give us but an hour

Of private conference.

K.Hen. We are busy; go.

[To NORF. and Suf.

Nor. This priest has no pride in him?
Suf. Not to speak of;

I would not be so sick though, for his place :'

But this cannot continue.

Nor. If it do,

I'll venture one heave at him.

Suf. I another.

Aside.

[Exeunt NORF. and SUF.

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, ty'd 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,
Have their free voices ; 2 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.

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. Twoequal men. The queen shall be acquainted
Forthwith, for what you come :-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, Pr'ythee, call Gardiner to me, my new secretary ;

I find him a fit fellow.

[1] That is, so sick as he is proud. JOHNS.
[2] The construction is, have sent their free voices.

[Exit WOLSEY.

MALS

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

Forever by your grace, whose hand has rais'd me. [Aside.
K.Hen. Come hither, Gardiner. [They converse 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, surely.

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 ; And, fearing he would rise, he was so virtuous, Kept him a foreign man still ;3 which so griev'd him, That he run mad, and dy'd.

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.
[Exit GARDINER.

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

So sweet a bed-fellow? But, conscience, conscience,-
O, 'tis a tender place, and I must leave her.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

An Ante-chamber 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,

[3] Kept him out of the king's presence, employed in foreign embassies.

VOL. VI.

JOHNS.

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 is a thousand-fold more bitter, than
'Tis sweet at first to acquire,-after this process,
To give her the avaunt !4 it is a pity

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,
Yet, if that quarrel, fortune,5 do divorce

It from the bearer, it is a sufferance, panging
As soul and body's severing.

Old L. Alas, poor lady!
She's a stranger now again."
Anne. 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. Our content

Is our best having.7

Anne. By my troth, and maidenhead,

I would not be a queen.

Old L. Beshrew me, I would,

And venture maidenhead 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.

Anne. Nay, good troth,

Old L. Yes,troth, and troth,-You would not be a queen?

14] To send her away contemptuously: to pronounce against her a sentence of ejection. JOHNS.

[5] She calls Fortune a quarrel or arrow, from her striking so deep and suddenly. Quarrel was a large arrow so called. Thus Fairfax:

"

-twang'd the string, out flew the quarrel long." WARE. [6] Again an alien; not only no longer queen, but no longer an English woman. JOHNS.

17] That is, our best possession. In Spanish, hazienda. 8] Cheveril is kid-skin, soft leather. JOHNS.

JOHN'S.