SCENE II.
The Council-Chamber.
Cornet. Enter King Henry, leaning on the Cardinal's
shoulder; the Nobles, and Sir Thomas Lovel. The
Cardinal places himself under the King's feet, on his
right side.
King.
My life itself, 1 note
and the best heart of it,
Thanks you for this great care: 2 note
I stood i' the level
Of a full-charg'd confederacy; and give thanks
To you that choak'd it.—Let be call'd before us
That gentleman of Buckingham's: in person
I'll hear him his confessions justify;
And point by point the treasons of his master
He shall again relate.
A noise within, crying, Room for the Queen. Enter
the Queen, ushered by the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk:
she kneels. The King riseth from his state, takes her up,
kisses, and placeth her by him.
Queen.
Nay, we must longer kneel; I am a suitor.
-- 196 --
King.
Arise, and take your place by us:—Half your suit
Never name to us; you have half our power:
The other moiety, ere you ask, is given;
Repeat your will, and take it.
Queen.
Thank your majesty.
That you would love yourself; and, in that love,
Not unconsider'd leave your honour, nor
The dignity of your office, is the point
Of my petition.
King.
Lady mine, proceed.
Queen.
I am solicited, not by a few,
And those of true condition, that your subjects
Are in great grievance: There have been commissions
Sent down among them, which have flaw'd the heart
Of all their loyalties:—wherein, although,
[To Wolsey.
My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches
Most bitterly on you, as putter-on
Of these exactions, 9Q0888 yet the king our master,
(Whose honour heaven shield from soil!) even he escapes not
Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks
The sides of loyalty, and almost appears
In loud rebellion.
Nor.
Not almost appears,
It doth appear: for, upon these taxations,
The clothiers all, not able to maintain
3 note
The many of them 'longing, have put off
The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who,
Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger
-- 197 --
4 note
And lack of other means, in desperate manner
Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar,
5 note
And Danger serves among them.
King.
Taxation!
Wherein? and what taxation?—My lord cardinal,
You that are blam'd for it alike with us,
Know you of this taxation?
Wol.
Please you, sir,
I know but of a single part, in aught
Pertains to the state; 6 noteand front but in that file
Where others tell steps with me.
Queen.
No, my lord,
-- 198 --
You know no more than others: but you frame
Things, that are known alike; which are not wholesome
To those which would not know them, and yet must
Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions,
Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are
Most pestilent to the hearing; and, to bear them,
The back is sacrifice to the load. They say,
They are devis'd by you; or else you suffer
Too hard an exclamation.
King.
Still exaction!
The nature of it? In what kind, let's know,
Is this exaction?
Queen.
I am much too venturous
In tempting of your patience; but am bolden'd
Under your promis'd pardon. The subject's grief
Comes through commissions, which compel from each
The sixth part of his substance, to be levy'd
Without delay; and the pretence for this
Is nam'd, your wars in France: This makes bold mouths:
Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze
Allegiance in them; their curses now,
Live where their prayers did; and it's come to pass,
That tractable obedience7 note is a slave
To each incensed will. 9Q0889 I would, your highness
Would give it quick consideration, for
8 note
There is no primer business. 9Q0890
-- 199 --
King.
By my my life,
This is against our pleasure.
Wol.
And for me,
I have no further gone in this, than by
A single voice; and that not past me, but
By learned approbation of the judges. If I am
Traduc'd by ignorant tongues,—which neither know
My faculties, nor person, yet will be
The chronicles of my doing,—let me say,
'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake
That virtue must go through. We must not stint9 note
Our necessary actions, in the fear
1 noteTo cope malicious censurers; which ever,
As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow
That is new trimm'd; but benefit no further
Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,
2 note
By sick interpreters, once weak ones3, is
-- 200 --
Not ours, or not allow'd; 4 note
what worst, as oft,
Hitting a grosser quality, is cry'd up
For our best act. If we shall stand still,
In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,
We should take root here where we sit, or sit
State statues only.
King.
Things done well,
And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;
Things done without example, in their issue
Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent
Of this commission? I believe, not any.
We must not rend our subjects from our laws,
And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each?
A trembling contribution! Why, we take,
5 noteFrom every tree, lop, bark, and part o' the timber;
And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd,
The air will drink the sap. To every county,
Where this is question'd, send our letters, with
Free pardon to each man that has deny'd
The force of this commission: Pray, look to't;
I put it to your care.
Wol.
A word with you.
[To the Secretary.
Let there be letters writ to ever shire,
Of the king's grace and pardon. The griev'd commons
Hardly conceive of me; let it be nois'd,
That, through our intercession6 note, this revokement
-- 201 --
And pardon comes: I shall anon advise you
Further in the proceeding.
[Exit Secretary.
Enter Surveyor.
Queen.
I am sorry, that the duke of Buckingham
Is run in your displeasure.
King.
It grieves many:
The gentleman is learn'd7 note, a most rare speaker,
To nature none more bound; his training such,
That he may furnish and instruct great teachers,
And never seek for aid 8 noteout of himself. Yet see,
When these so 9 note
noble benefits shall prove
Not well dispos'd, the mind growing once corrupt,
They turn to vicious forms, ten times more ugly
Than ever they were fair. 1 note
This man, so compleat,
-- 202 --
Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we,
Almost with ravish'd list'ning, could not find
His hour of speech a minute; he, my lady,
Hath into monstrous habits put the graces
That once were his, and is become as black2 note
As if besmear'd in hell. Sit by us; you shall hear
(This was his gentleman in trust) of him
Things to strike honour sad.—Bid him recount
The fore-recited practices; whereof
We cannot feel too little, hear too much.
Wol.
Stand forth; and with bold spirit relate what you,
Most like a careful subject, have collected
Out of the duke of Buckingham.
King.
Speak freely.
Surv.
First, it was usual with him, every day
It would infect his speech, That if the king
Should without issue die, he'd carry it so
To make the scepter his: These very words
I have heard him utter to his son-in-law,
Lord Aberga'ny; to whom by oath he menac'd
Revenge upon the cardinal.
Wol.
Please your highness, note
-- 203 --
3 noteThis dangerous conception in this point.
Not friended by his wish, to your high person
His will is most malignant; and it stretches
Beyond you, to your friends.
Queen.
My learn'd lord cardinal,
Deliver all with charity.
King.
Speak on:
How grounded he his title to the crown,
Upon our fail? to this point hast thou heard him
At any time speak ought?
Surv.
He was brought to this
4 note
By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.
King.
What was that Hopkins?
Surv.
Sir, a Chartreux friar,
His confessor; who fed him every minute
With words of sovereignty.
King.
How know'st thou this?
Surv.
Not long before your highness sped to France,
The duke being at the Rose, within the parish
Saint Lawrence Poultney, did of me demand
What was the speech among the Londoners
Concerning the French journey: I reply'd,
-- 204 --
Men fear'd, the French would prove perfidious,
To the king's danger. Presently the duke
Said, 'Twas the fear, indeed; and that he doubted,
'Twould prove the verity of certain words
Spoke by a holy monk; that oft, says he,
Hath sent to me, wishing me to permit
John de la Court, my chaplain, a choice hour
To hear from him a matter of some moment:
Whom after 5 note
under the confession's seal
He solemnly had sworn, that, what he spoke,
My chaplain to no creature living, but
To me, should utter, with demure confidence
This pausingly ensu'd,—Neither the king nor his heirs,
(Tell you the duke) shall prosper: bid him strive
For the love6 note of the commonalty; the duke
Shall govern England.—
Queen.
If I know you well,
You were the duke's surveyor, and lost your office
On the complaint o' the tenants: Take good heed,
You charge not in your spleen a noble person,
And spoil your nobler soul; I say, take heed;
Yes, heartily beseech you.
King.
Let him on:—
Go forward.
Surv.
On my soul, I'll speak but truth.
I told my lord the duke, By the devil's illusions
-- 205 --
The monk might be deceiv'd; and that 'twas dang'rous for him
To ruminate on this so far, until
It forg'd him some design, which, being believ'd,
It was much like to do: He answer'd, Tush!
It can do me no damage: adding further,
That, had the king in his last sickness fail'd,
The cardinal's and sir Thomas Lovel's heads
Should have gone off.
King.
Ha! what, so rank5 note? Ah, ha!
There's mischief in this man:—Canst thou say further?
Surv.
I can my liege.
King.
Proceed.
Surv.
Being at Greenwich,
After your highness had reprov'd the duke
About sir William Blomer,—
King.
I remember
Of such a time:—6 noteBeing my sworn servant,
The duke retain'd him his.—But on; What hence?
Surv.
If, quoth he, I for this had been committed,
As to the Tower, I thought, I would have play'd
The part my father meant to act upon
The usurper Richard: who, being at Salisbury,
Made suit to come in his presence; which if granted,
As he made semblance of his duty, would
Have put his knife into him.
King.
A giant traitor!
Wol.
Now, madam, may his highness live in freedom,
And this man out of prison?
-- 206 --
Queen.
God mend all!
King.
There's something more would out of thee; What say'st?
Surv.
After—the duke his father,—with—the knife,—
He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his dagger,
Another spread on his breast, mounting his eyes,
He did discharge a horrible oath; whose tenour
Was,—Were he evil us'd, he would out-go
His father, by as much as a performance
Does an irresolute purpose.
King.
There's his period,
To sheath his knife in us. He is attach'd;
Call him to present trial: if he may
Find mercy in the law, 'tis his; if none,
Let him not seek't of us: By day and night,
He's traitor to the height.
[Exeunt.
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
