The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 6 of 9]

ACT V.

Scene I. London. A gallery in the palace.[727]

Enter Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, a Page with a torch before him, met by Sir Thomas Lovell.

Gar. It's one o'clock, boy, is't not?

Boy. It hath struck.

Gar. These should be hours for necessities,
Not for delights; times to repair our nature
With comforting repose, and not for us
To waste these times. Good hour of night, Sir Thomas!
Whither so late? 5

Lov. Came you from the king, my lord?[728]

Gar. I did, Sir Thomas, and left him at primero [729]
With the Duke of Suffolk.

Lov. I must to him too,
Before he go to bed. I'll take my leave.

Gar. Not yet, Sir Thomas Lovell. What's the matter? 10
It seems you are in haste: an if there be [730]
No great offence belongs to't, give your friend
Some touch of your late business: affairs that walk,
As they say spirits do, at midnight, have
In them a wilder nature than the business 15
That seeks dispatch by day.

Lov. My lord, I love you;
And durst commend a secret to your ear
Much weightier than this work. The queen's in labour,[731]
They say, in great extremity; and fear'd [732]
She'll with the labour end.

Gar. The fruit she goes with [733] 20
I pray for heartily, that it may find
Good time, and live: but for the stock, Sir Thomas,
I wish it grubb'd up now.

Lov. Methinks I could
Cry the amen; and yet my conscience says [734]
She's a good creature, and, sweet lady, does 25
Deserve our better wishes.

Gar. But, sir, sir,
Hear me, Sir Thomas: you're a gentleman [735]
Of mine own way; I know you wise, religious;[736]
And, let me tell you, it will ne'er be well,
'Twill not, Sir Thomas Lovell, take't of me, 30
Till Cranmer, Cromwell, her two hands, and she,
Sleep in their graves.

Lov. Now, sir, you speak of two
The most remark'd i' the kingdom. As for Cromwell,
Beside that of the jewel house, is made master [737]
O' the rolls, and the king's secretary; further, sir,[738] 35
Stands in the gap and trade of moe preferments,[739]
With which the time will load him. The archbishop [740]
Is the king's hand and tongue; and who dare speak [741]
One syllable against him?

Gar. Yes, yes, Sir Thomas,[742]
There are that dare; and I myself have ventured 40
To speak my mind of him: and indeed this day,[743]
Sir, I may tell it you, I think I have
Incensed the lords o' the council that he is—[744]
For so I know he is, they know he is—
A most arch-heretic, a pestilence 45
That does infect the land: with which they moved
Have broken with the king; who hath so far
Given ear to our complaint, of his great grace [745]
And princely care foreseeing those fell mischiefs
Our reasons laid before him, hath commanded [746] 50
To-morrow morning to the council-board
He be convented. He's a rank weed, Sir Thomas,[747]
And we must root him out. From your affairs
I hinder you too long: good night, Sir Thomas.

Lov. Many good nights, my lord: I rest your servant. 55

[Exeunt Gardiner and Page.

Enter King and Suffolk.[748]

King. Charles, I will play no more to-night;[749]
My mind's not on't; you are too hard for me.

Suf. Sir, I did never win of you before.

King. But little, Charles,
Nor shall not, when my fancy's on my play.[750] 60
Now, Lovell, from the queen what is the news?

Lov. I could not personally deliver to her
What you commanded me, but by her woman
I sent your message; who return'd her thanks
In the great'st humbleness, and desired your highness [751] 65
Most heartily to pray for her.

King. What say'st thou, ha?
To pray for her? what, is she crying out?

Lov. So said her woman, and that her sufferance made
Almost each pang a death.

King. Alas, good lady!

Suf. God safely quit her of her burthen, and 70
With gentle travail, to the gladding of [752]
Your highness with an heir!

King. 'Tis midnight, Charles;
Prithee, to bed; and in thy prayers remember
The estate of my poor queen. Leave me alone;
For I must think of that which company 75
Would not be friendly to.

Suf. I wish your highness
A quiet night, and my good mistress will
Remember in my prayers.

King. Charles, good night. [Exit Suffolk.

Enter Sir Anthony Denny.[753]

Well, sir, what follows?

Den. Sir, I have brought my lord the archbishop, 80
As you commanded me.

King. Ha! Canterbury?

Den. Ay, my good lord.[754]

King. 'Tis true: where is he, Denny?

Den. He attends your highness' pleasure.

King. Bring him to us.

[Exit Denny.[755]

Lov. [Aside] This is about that which the bishop spake:[756]
I am happily come hither.[757] 85

Re-enter Denny, with Cranmer.

King. Avoid the gallery. [Lovell seems to stay] Ha! I have said. Be gone.[758]
What! [Exeunt Lovell and Denny.

Cran. [Aside] I am fearful: wherefore frowns he thus?[759]
'Tis his aspect of terror. All's not well.

King. How now, my lord! you do desire to know [760]
Wherefore I sent for you.[760]

Cran. [Kneeling] It is my duty [761] 90
To attend your highness' pleasure.[762]

King. Pray you, arise,
My good and gracious Lord of Canterbury.
Come, you and I must walk a turn together;
I have news to tell you: come, come, give me your hand.[763]
Ah, my good lord, I grieve at what I speak, 95
And am right sorry to repeat what follows:
I have, and most unwillingly, of late
Heard many grievous, I do say, my lord,
Grievous complaints of you; which, being consider'd,
Have moved us and our council, that you shall 100
This morning come before us; where, I know,
You cannot with such freedom purge yourself,
But that, till further trial in those charges
Which will require your answer, you must take
Your patience to you and be well contented 105
To make your house our Tower: you a brother of us,[764]
It fits we thus proceed, or else no witness
Would come against you.

Cran. [Kneeling] I humbly thank your highness;[761]
And am right glad to catch this good occasion
Most throughly to be winnow'd, where my chaff 110
And corn shall fly asunder: for, I know,
There's none stands under more calumnious tongues
Than I myself, poor man.[765]

King. Stand up, good Canterbury:
Thy truth and thy integrity is rooted
In us, thy friend: give me thy hand, stand up:[766] 115
Prithee, let's walk. Now, by my holidame,[767]
What manner of man are you? My lord, I look'd
You would have given me your petition, that
I should have ta'en some pains to bring together
Yourself and your accusers, and to have heard you,[768] 120
Without indurance, further.

Cran. Most dread liege,
The good I stand on is my truth and honesty:[769]
If they shall fail, I, with mine enemies,[770]
Will triumph o'er my person; which I weigh not,
Being of those virtues vacant. I fear nothing 125
What can be said against me.[771]

King. Know you not
How your state stands i’ the world, with the whole world?
Your enemies are many, and not small; their practices [772]
Must bear the same proportion; and not ever
The justice and the truth o' the question carries 130
The due o' the verdict with it: at what ease [773]
Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt
To swear against you? Such things have been done.
You are potently opposed, and with a malice [774]
Of as great size. Ween you of better luck, 135
I mean, in perjured witness, than your master,
Whose minister you are, whiles here he lived [775]
Upon this naughty earth? Go to, go to;
You take a precipice for no leap of danger,[776]
And woo your own destruction.[777]

Cran. God and your majesty 140
Protect mine innocence, or I fall into
The trap is laid for me!

King. Be of good cheer;
They shall no more prevail than we give way to.
Keep comfort to you; and this morning see
You do appear before them. If they shall chance,[778] 145
In charging you with matters, to commit you,
The best persuasions to the contrary
Fail not to use, and with what vehemency
The occasion shall instruct you: if entreaties
Will render you no remedy, this ring 150
Deliver them, and your appeal to us
There make before them. Look, the good man weeps![779]
He's honest, on mine honour. God's blest mother!
I swear he is true-hearted, and a soul
None better in my kingdom. Get you gone, 155
And do as I have bid you. [Exit Cranmer.] He has strangled [780][781]
His language in his tears.[781][782]

Enter Old Lady; Lovell following.

Gent. [Within] Come back: what mean you?

Old L. I'll not come back; the tidings that I bring
Will make my boldness manners. Now, good angels
Fly o'er thy royal head, and shade thy person 160
Under their blessed wings!

King. Now, by thy looks
I guess thy message. Is the queen deliver'd?
Say, ay, and of a boy.

Old L. Ay, ay, my liege;
And of a lovely boy: the God of heaven
Both now and ever bless her! 'tis a girl, 165
Promises boys hereafter. Sir, your queen
Desires your visitation, and to be
Acquainted with this stranger: 'tis as like you
As cherry is to cherry.

King. Lovell!

Lov. Sir?[783]

King. Give her an hundred marks. I'll to the queen.[784] 170

[Exit.

Old L. An hundred marks! By this light, I 'll ha' more.[785]
An ordinary groom is for such payment.
I will have more, or scold it out of him.
Said I for this, the girl was like to him?[786][787]
I will have more, or else unsay't; and now,[786][788] 175
While it is hot, I'll put it to the issue. [Exeunt.[786][789]

Scene II. Before the council-chamber.

Pursuivants, Pages, &c. attending.

Enter Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury.[790]

Cran. I hope I am not too late; and yet the gentleman [791]
That was sent to me from the council pray'd me
To make great haste. All fast? what means this? Ho!
Who waits there? Sure, you know me?

Enter Keeper.

Keep. Yes, my lord;
But yet I cannot help you.[792] 5

Cran. Why?[792]

Enter Doctor Butts.[793]

Keep. Your grace must wait till you be call'd for.[792]

Cran. So.

Butts. [Aside] This is a piece of malice. I am glad [794]
I came this way so happily: the king [795]
Shall understand it presently. [Exit.

Cran. [Aside] 'Tis Butts,[796] 10
The king's physician: as he pass'd along,
How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me!
Pray heaven, he sound not my disgrace! For certain,[797]
This is of purpose laid by some that hate me—
God turn their hearts! I never sought their malice— 15
To quench mine honour: they would shame to make me
Wait else at door, a fellow-councillor,
'Mong boys, grooms and lackeys. But their pleasures [798]
Must be fulfill'd, and I attend with patience.[799]

Enter the King and Butts at a window above.

Butts. I'll show your grace the strangest sight—[800]

King. What's that, Butts?20

Butts. I think your highness saw this many a day.

King. Body o' me, where is it?[801]

Butts. There, my lord:
The high promotion of his grace of Canterbury;
Who holds his state at door, 'mongst pursuivants,
Pages and footboys.

King. Ha! 'tis he, indeed: 25
Is this the honour they do one another?
'Tis well there's one above 'em yet. I had thought [802]
They had parted so much honesty among 'em,[803]
At least good manners, as not thus to suffer
A man of his place and so near our favour 30
To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasures,
And at the door too, like a post with packets.
By holy Mary, Butts, there's knavery:
Let 'em alone, and draw the curtain close;
We shall hear more anon. [Exeunt.[804] 35

Scene III. The council-chamber.

Enter Lord Chancellor, places himself at the upper end of the table on the left hand; a seat being left void above him, as for Canterbury's seat; Duke of Suffolk, Duke of Norfolk, Surrey, Lord Chamberlain, Gardiner, seat themselves in order on each side. Cromwell at lower end, as secretary. Keeper at the door.[805]

Chan. Speak to the business, master secretary:[806]
Why are we met in council?[807]

Crom. Please your honours,
The chief cause concerns his grace of Canterbury.[808]

Gar. Has he had knowledge of it?

Crom. Yes.

Nor. Who waits there?

Keep. Without, my noble lords?

Gar. Yes.[809]

Keep. My lord archbishop; 5
And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures.

Chan. Let him come in.

Keep. Your grace may enter now.

[Cranmer enters and approaches the council-table.[810]

Chan. My good lord archbishop, I'm very sorry
To sit here at this present and behold
That chair stand empty: but we all are men, 10
In our own natures frail and capable [811]
Of our flesh; few are angels: out of which frailty[811][812]
And want of wisdom, you, that best should teach us,
Have misdemean'd yourself, and not a little,
Toward the king first, then his laws, in filling 15
The whole realm, by your teaching and your chaplains—
For so we are inform'd—with new opinions,
Divers and dangerous; which are heresies,
And, not reform'd, may prove pernicious.

Gar. Which reformation must be sudden too, 20
My noble lords; for those that tame wild horses
Pace 'em not in their hands to make 'em gentle,
But stop their mouths with stubborn bits and spur 'em,
Till they obey the manage. If we suffer,
Out of our easiness and childish pity 25
To one man's honour, this contagious sickness,
Farewell all physic: and what follows then?
Commotions, uproars, with a general taint
Of the whole state: as of late days our neighbours,
The upper Germany, can dearly witness, 30
Yet freshly pitied in our memories.

Cran. My good lords, hitherto, in all the progress
Both of my life and office, I have labour'd,
And with no little study, that my teaching
And the strong course of my authority 35
Might go one way, and safely; and the end
Was ever to do well: nor is there living,
I speak it with a single heart, my lords,
A man that more detests, more stirs against,[813]
Both in his private conscience and his place, 40
Defacers of a public peace, than I do.[814]
Pray heaven, the king may never find a heart
With less allegiance in it! Men that make
Envy and crooked malice nourishment
Dare bite the best. I do beseech your lordships, 45
That, in this case of justice, my accusers,
Be what they will, may stand forth face to face,
And freely urge against me.

Suf. Nay, my lord,
That cannot be: you are a councillor,
And, by that virtue, no man dare accuse you. 50

Gar. My lord, because we have business of more moment,[815]
We will be short with you. 'Tis his highness' pleasure,
And our consent, for better trial of you,
From hence you be committed to the Tower;
Where, being but a private man again, 55
You shall know many dare accuse you boldly,
More than, I fear, you are provided for.

Cran. Ah, my good Lord of Winchester, I thank you;[816]
You are always my good friend; if your will pass,
I shall both find your lordship judge and juror, 60
You are so merciful. I see your end;
'Tis my undoing. Love and meekness, lord,
Become a churchman better than ambition:
Win straying souls with modesty again,
Cast none away. That I shall clear myself, 65
Lay all the weight ye can upon my patience,
I make as little doubt as you do conscience
In doing daily wrongs. I could say more,
But reverence to your calling makes me modest.

Gar. My lord, my lord, you are a sectary; 70
That's the plain truth: your painted gloss discovers,
To men that understand you, words and weakness.[817]

Crom. My Lord of Winchester, you are a little,[818]
By your good favour, too sharp; men so noble,
However faulty, yet should find respect 75
For what they have been: 'tis a cruelty [819]
To load a falling man.

Gar. Good master secretary,[820]
I cry your honour mercy; you may, worst
Of all this table, say so.

Crom. Why, my lord?

Gar. Do not I know you for a favourer 80
Of this new sect? ye are not sound.

Crom. Not sound?

Gar. Not sound, I say.

Crom. Would you were half so honest!
Men's prayers then would seek you, not their fears.

Gar. I shall remember this bold language.

Crom. Do.
Remember your bold life too.

Chan. This is too much;[821] 85
Forbear, for shame, my lords.

Gar. I have done.[822]

Crom. And I.

Chan. Then thus for you, my lord: it stands agreed,[823]
I take it, by all voices, that forthwith
You be convey'd to the Tower a prisoner;
There to remain till the king's further pleasure 90
Be known unto us: are you all agreed, lords?[824]

All. We are.

Cran. Is there no other way of mercy.
But I must needs to the Tower, my lords?

Gar. What other
Would you expect? you are strangely troublesome.[825]
Let some o' the guard be ready there.

Enter Guard.[826]