His fecond marriage fhall be publifh'd, and
Her Coronation. Catharine no more
Shall be call'd Queen; but Princess dowager,
And widow to Prince Arthur.
Nor. This fame Cranmer's
A worthy fellow, and hath ta'en much pain
In the King's business.
Suf. He has, and we fhall fee him
For it an Archbishop.
Nor. So I hear.
Suf. 'Tis fo.
Enter Wolfey and Cromwell.
Nor. Obferve, obferve, he's moody.
Wol. The packet, Cromwell,
Gave it you the King?
Crom. To his own hand, in's bed-chamber.
Wol. Look'd he o' th' infide of the paper?
Crom. Presently
He did unfeal them, and the first he view'd,
He did it with a ferious mind; a heed
Was in his countenance. You he bad
Attend him here this morning.
Wol. Is he ready to come abroad?
Crom. I think, by this he is.
Wol. Leave me a while.
It fhall be to the Dutchefs of Alanson,
The French King's fifter; he fhall marry her.
Anne Bullen!-no, I'll no Anne Bullens for him,
There's more in't than fair visage — Bullen!·
No, we'll no Bullens!fpeedily, I wish
To hear from Rome-the marchionefs of Pembroke !
Nor. He's difcontented.
Suf. May be, he hears the King
Does whet his anger to him.
Wol. [Afide.] The late Queen's gentlewoman! a To be her mistress' miftrefs! the Queen's Queen!
This candle burns not clear: 'tis I must snuff it,
Then out it goes-what though I know her virtuous,
And well-deferving? yet I know her for
A fpleeny Lutheran; and not wholesome to
Our caufe, that she should lye i'th' bosome of
Our hard-rul'd King. Again, there is fprung up
An heretick, an arch one, Cranmer; one,
Hath crawl'd into the favour of the King,
And is his oracle.
Nor. He's vex'd at fomething.
Enter King, reading of a schedule; and Lovel. Sur. I would, 'twere fomething that would fret the ftring, The mafter-cord of's heart!
Suf. The King, the King.
King. What piles of wealth hath he accumulated
To his own portion! what expence by th' hour
Seems to flow from him! how, i'th' name of thrift,
Does he rake this together! Now, my lords;
Saw you the Cardinal?
Stood here observing him. Some ftrange commotion
Is in his brain; he bites his lip, and starts ;
Stops on a fudden, looks upon the ground,
Then lays his finger on his temple; strait,
Springs out into faft gate, then stops again;
Strikes his breast hard, and then anon he cafts
His eye against the moon; in moft strange postures
We've seen him fet himself.
There is a mutiny in's mind. This morning
Papers of ftate he fent me to peruse,
As I requir'd; and, wot you, what I found
There, on my confcience put unwittingly?
Forfooth, an inventory, thus importing;
The feveral parcels of his plate, his treasure,
Rich ftuffs and ornaments of houfhold, which
I find at Such proud rate, that it out-speaks
Poffeffion of a fubject.
Nor. It's heavn's will;
Some spirit put this paper in the packet,
To bless your eye withal.
King. If we did think,
His contemplations were above the earth,
And fix'd on fpiritual objects, he should still
Dwell in his mufings; but, I am afraid,
His thinkings are below the moon, nor worth
His ferious confidering.
[He takes his feat, whispers Lovel, who goes to Wolfey. Wol. Heav'n forgive me
Ever God bless your Highness!
King. Good my Lord,
You are full of heav'nly ftuff, and bear the inventory
Of
your best graces in your 'mind; the which
You were now running o'er; you have fcarce time
To steal from spiritual leisure a brief span,
To keep your earthly audit; fure, in that
I deem you an ill husband, and am glad
To have you therein my companion.
Wol. Sir,
For holy offices I have a time;
A time, to think upon the part of business
I bear i'th' ftate; and nature does require
Her times of prefervation, which, perforce,
I her frail fon, amongst my brethren mortal,
Muft give my tendance to.
King. You have faid well.
Wol. And ever may your Highness yoke together, As I will lend you caufe, my doing well
With my well faying!
King. 'Tis well said again;
And 'tis a kind of good deed to fay well.
And yet words are no deeds. My father lov'd you;
He faid, he did and with his deed did crown
His word upon you. Since I had my office,
I've kept you next my heart; have not alone
Imploy'd you where high profits might come home
But par'd my present havings, to bestow
My bounties upon you,
Wol. What fhould this mean?
Sur. The lord increase this business!
King. Have I not made you
The prime man of the ftate? I pray you, tell me,
If what I now pronounce, you have found true :
And if you may confefs it, fay withal,
If you are bound to us, or no? what fay you?
Wol. My Soveraign, I confefs, your royal graces
Showr'd on me daily have been more than could
My studied purposes requite, which went
Beyond all man's endeavours. My endeavours
Have ever come too fhort of my defires,
Yet, fill'd with my abilities, mine own Ends
Have been mine fo, that evermore they pointed
To th' good of your most facred perfon, and
The profit of the state: For your great graces
Heap'd upon me, poor undeferver, I
Can nothing render but allegiant thanks,
My prayers to heav'n for you; my loyalty,
Which ever has, and ever fhall be growing,
'Till death, that winter, kill it.
King. Fairly anfwer'd :
A loyal and obedient fubject is
Therein illuftrated; the honour of it
Does pay the act of it, as i'th' contrary
The foulness is the punishment. I prefume,
That as my hand has open'd bounty to you,
My heart dropp'd love; my pow'r rain'd honour, more
On you, than any; fo your hand and heart,
Your brain, and every function of your power,
Should, notwithstanding that your bond of Duty,
As 'twere in love's particular, be more
To me, your friend, than any.
That for your Highness' good I ever labour'd,
More than mine own; that am I, have been, will be:
Though all the world fhould crack their duty to you,
And throw it from their foul; though perils did
Abound, as thick as thought could make 'em, and
Appear in forms more horrid; yet my duty,
As doth a rock against the chiding flood,
Should the approach of this wild river break,
And ftand unfhaken yours.
King. 'Tis nobly spoken;
Take notice, lords, he has a loyal breaft,
For you have seen him open't. Read o'er this,
[Giving him papers. And, after, this; and then to breakfait, with What appetite you may.
[Exit King, frowning upon Cardinal Wolfey; the Nobles throng after him, whispering and fmiling.
Wol. What fhould this mean?
What fudden anger's this? how have I reap'd it?
He parted frowning from me, as if ruin
Leap'd from his eyes. So looks the chafed lion
Upon the daring huntsman, that has gall'd him;
Then makes him nothing. I muft read this paper:
I fear, the story of his anger 'tis fo
This paper has undone me 'tis th' account
Of all that world of wealth I've drawn together
For mine own ends; indeed, to gain the Popedom,
And fee my friends in Rome. O negligence,
Fit for a fool to fall by! What cross devil
Made me put this main fecret in the packet
I fent the King? is there no way to cure this?
No new device to beat this from his brains?
I know, 'twill ftir him ftrongly; yet I know
A way, if it take right, in fpight of fortune
Will bring me off again. What's this To the Pope?
The letter, as I live, with all the business
I writ to's Holinefs. Nay, then farewel;
I've touch'd the highest point of all my Greatness
And from that full meridian of my glory,
I hate now to my fetting. I fhall fall,
Like a bright exhalation in the evening 3
And no man fee me more.
Enter to Wolley, the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, the Earl of Surrey, and the Lord Chamberlain.
Nor. Hear the King's pleasure, Cardinal; who com
|