I knew him, and I know him; so I leave him 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? Excuse me; CHAM. NOR. Thanks, my good lord chamberlain. [Exit Lord Chamberlain. NORFOLK opens a folding-door. The King is discovered sitting, and reading pensively.s SUF. How sad he looks! sure, he is much afflicted. The stage direction, in the old copy, is a singular one. Exit Lord Chamberlain, and the King draws the curtain, and sits reading pensively. STEEVENS. This stage direction was calculated for, and ascertains precisely the state of, the theatre in Shakspeare's time. When a person was to be discovered in a different apartment from that in which the original speakers in the scene are exhibited, the artless mode of our author's time was to place such person in the back part of the stage, behind the curtains, which were occasionally suspended across it. These the person who was to be discovered, (as Henry, in the present case,) drew back just at the proper time. Mr. Rowe, who seems to have looked no further than the modern stage, changed the direction thus: "The scene opens, and discovers the King," &c. but, besides the impropriety of introducing scenes when there were none, such an exhibition would not be proper here, for Norfolk has just said "Let's in,”—and therefore should himself do some act, in order to visit the King. This, indeed, in the simple state of the old stage, was not attended to; the King very civilly disCovering himself. See An Account of our old Theatres, Vol. III. MALONE. 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, I be not found a talker." WOL. [To WOLSEY. Sir, you cannot. I would, your grace would give us but an hour Of private conference. 9 have great care I be not found a talker.] 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. JOHNSON. So, in King Richard III: 66 we will not stand to prate, K. HEN. We are busy; go. [TO NORFOLK and SUFFOLK. NOR. This priest has no pride in him? SUF. Not to speak of; I would not be so sick though, for his [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, Have their free voices; Rome, the nurse of judg ment, Invited by your noble self, hath sent One general tongue unto us, this good man, 1 1- so sick though,] That is, so sick as he is proud. JOHNSON. 1one heave at him.] So, in King Henry VI. Part II: "To heave the traitor Somerset from hence." The first folio gives the passage thus: Ile venture one; haue at him. The reading in the text is that of the second folio. STEEVENS. 3 Have their free voices;] The construction is, have sent their free voices; the word sent, which occurs in the next line, being understood here. MALONE. 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 K. HEN. Two equal men. The queen shall be acquainted Forthwith, for what you come:-Where's Gardiner? A woman of less place might ask by law, K. HEN. Ay, and the best, she shall have; and my favour To him that does best; God forbid else. Cardinal, Re-enter WOLSEY, with GARDINER. WOL. Give me your hand: much joy and favour GARD. But to be commanded For ever 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. CAM. Was he not held a learned man? WOL. Yes, he was. 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 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. [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 bedfellow? But, conscience, consci ence, O, 'tis a tender place, and I must leave her. 4 [Exeunt. Kept him a foreign man still;] Kept him out of the king's presence, employed in foreign embassies. JOHNSON. |