Suf. For me, my lords, If the king please; his curses and his blessings 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. 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. Go to; I'll make know your ye You are too bold; 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, Wol. [TO WOLSEY. Sir, you cannot. I would, your grace would give us but an hour Of private conference. K. Hen. Nor. This priest has no pride in him? Suf. Not to speak of; Aside. I would not be so sick though,3 for his place: Nor. If it do, I another. I'll venture one heave at him. Suf. [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: I mean, the learned ones, in christian kingdoms, 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. 3 so sick though,] That is, so sick as he is proud. 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, And thank the holy conclave for their loves; 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 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 to you; Have their free voices ;] The construction is, have sent their free voices; the word sent, which occurs in the next line, being understood here. You are the king's now. But to be commanded Gard. For ever by your grace, whose hand has rais'd me. K. Hen. Come hither, Gardiner. [Aside. [They converse apart. Cam. My lord of York, was not one doctor Pace In this man's place before him? Wol. Yes, he was. Yes, surely. Cam. Was he not held a learned man? 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, So sweet a bedfellow? But, conscience, conscience,- 5 Kept him a foreign man still;] Kept him out of the king's presence, employed in foreign embassies. SCENE III. 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 Still growing in a majesty and pomp,-the which Would move a monster. Old L. Melt and lament for her. Anne. Hearts of most hard temper O, God's will! much better, She ne'er had known pomp: though it be temporal, Yet, if that quarrel, fortune,' do divorce It from the bearer, 'tis a sufferance, panging As soul and body's severing. Old L. She's a stranger now again. Anne. Must pity drop upon her. Alas, poor lady! So much the more Verily, I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born, And range with humble livers in content, • To give her the avaunt !] To send her away contemptuously; to pronounce against her a sentence of ejection. 7 Yet, if that quarrel, fortune,] Perhaps for quarreller. 8 stranger now again.] Again an alien; not only no longer queen, but no longer an Englishwoman. JOHNSON. |