Your enemies Are many, and not small; their practices Crun. God, and your majesty, Protect mine innocence, or I fall into The trap is laid for me! K. Hen. Be of good cheer; They shall no more prevail, than we give way to. Fail not to use, and with what vehemency Deliver them, and your appeal to us There make before them.-Look, the good man weeps! 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, And do as I have bid you.-[Exit Cranmer.] He has strangled His language in his tears. Enter an old Lady. Gent. [Within.] Come back; What mean you? Lady. 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 Under their blessed wings! K. Hen. Now, by thy looks I guess thy message. Is the queen deliver❜d? Say, ay; and of a boy. Lady. Ay, ay, my liege; And of a lovely boy: The God of heaven Acquainted with this stranger; 'tis as like you, [Exit king. Lady. An hundred marks! By this light, I'll have more. An ordinary groom is for such payment. SCENE II. Lobby before the Council-Chamber. [Exeunt. Enter CRANMER; Servants, Door-keeper, &c. Cran. I hope, I am not too late; and yet the gen tleman, That was sent to me from the council, pray'd me To make great haste. All fast? what means this?— Hoa! Who waits there?-Sure, you know me? D. Keep. But yet I cannot help you. Cran. Yes, my lord; Why? D. Keep. Your grace must wait, till you be call'd Butts. This is a piece of malice. I am glad, I came this way so happily: The king Shall understand it presently. Cran. [Aside.] So. [Exit Butts. 'Tis Butts, The king's physician; As he past along, Pray heaven, he sound not my disgrace! For certain, (God turn their hearts! I never sought their malice,) To quench mine honour: they would shame to make me Wait else at door; a fellow counsellor, Among boys, grooms, and lackeys. But their plea sures Must be fulfill'd, and I attend with patience. Enter, at a window above, the King and BUTTS. Butts. I'll show your grace the strangest sight,- Butts. There, my lord: The high promotion of his grace of Canterbury; Who holds his state at door, 'mongst pursuivants, Pages, and footboys. K. Hen. Ha! 'Tis he, indeed : Is this the honour they do one another? "Tis well, there's one above them yet. I had thought, They had parted so much honesty among them, (At least, good manners,) as not thus to suffer A man of his place, and so near our favour, 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 them alone, and draw the curtain close ; Enter the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of SUFFOLK, Earl of SURREY, Lord Chamberlain, GARDINER, and CROMWELL. The Chancellor places himself at the upper end of the table on the left hand; a seat being left void above him, as for the Archbishop of Canterbury. The rest seat themselves in order on each side. CROMWELL at the lower end, as se cretary. Chan. 38 Speak to the business, master Secretary: Why are we met in council? Crom. Please your honours, The chief cause concerns his grace of Canterbury. Gar. Has he had knowledge of it? And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures. Chan. Let him come in. D. Keep. Your grace may enter now. [Cranmer approaches the Council-table. Chan. My good lord archbishop, I am very sorry To sit here at this present, and behold That chair stand empty: But we all are men, In our own natures frail; and capable Of our flesh, few are angels 39: out of which frailty, |