and sent into every shire, and commissioners appointed, and privy instructions sent to them how they should proceed in their sittings, and order the people to bring them to their purpose; which was, that the sixth part of every man's substance should be paid in money or plate to the king. Hereof followed such cursing, weeping, and exclamation against both king and cardinal, that pity it was to hear. The Duke of Suffolk, sitting in commission about this subsidy, persuaded by courteous means the rich clothiers to assent thereto : but when they came home, and went about to discharge and put from them their spinners, carders, fullers, weavers, and other artificers, which they kept in work aforetime, the people began to assemble in companies. The king then came to Westminster to the cardinal's palace, and assembled there a council, in the which he openly protested, that his mind was never to ask any thing of his commons which might sound to the breach of his laws, wherefore he willed to know by whose means the commissions were so strictly given forth, to demand the sixth part of every man's goods. The cardinal excused himself, and said, that when it was moved in council how to levy money to the king's use; the king's council, and namely the judges, said, that he might lawfully demand any sum by commission, and that by consent of the whole council it was done, and took God to witness that he never desired the hinderance of the commons, but like a true counsellor devised how to enrich the king. The king, indeed, was much offended that his commons were thus intreated, and thought it touched his honour, that his council should attempt such a doubtful matter in his name, and to be denied both of the spirualty and tem. poralty. Therefore he would- no more of that trouble, but caused letters to be sent into all shires, that the matter should no further be talked of: and he pardoned all them that had denied the demand openly or secretly. The cardinal, to deliver himself of the evil will of the commons, purchased by procuring and advancing of this demand, affirmed, and caused it to be bruited abroad, that through his intercession the king had pardoned and released all things." The accordance of Shakspeare's scene with these passages is strikingly obvious, but the part of Wolsey's defence beginning with "If I am traduced by ignorant tongues +," is Shakspeare's own, and who but Shakspeare could have interwoven so much worldly knowledge and such delicious poetry? The representation in the play of the sumptuous entertainment given by the cardinal at York House, is extremely judicious, as an instance at once illustrative of the unlimited confidence and high estimation in which he was held by the king; of the profuse magnificence which characterised Wolsey's mode of life, and of the little value he set upon that austerity and selfdenial which it was his duty to inculcate by precept and example. Shakspeare has done little more than convert the account which he found of this entertainment in Holinshed (who copied it from Stowe) into action and dialogue: the introduction of Anne Bullen is unauthorised, the idea of presenting her to Henry on this occasion being entirely the poet's, evidently suggested by the dramatic convenience and effect of the arrangement. In assigning the refusal of the emperor to present Wolsey to the "archbishopric of Toledo *," as the origin of his desire of divorcing Katharine from the king, Shakspeare strictly adheres to the truth of history. “The cardinal verily was put in most blame for this scruple now cast into the king's conscience, for the hate he bare to the * Act II. sc. 1. emperor, because he would not grant to him the archbishopric of Toledo, for which he was a suitor. And, therefore, he did not only procure the king of England to join in friendship with the French king, but also sought a divorce betwixt the king and the queen, that the king might have had in marriage the duchess of Alençon, sister unto the French king. Whilst these things were thus in hand, the cardinal of York was advised that the king had set his affections upon a young gentlewoman, named Anne, the daughter of Sir Thomas Bullen, Viscount Rochford, which did wait upon the queen. This was a great grief unto the cardinal, as he that perceived aforehand, that the king would marry the said gentlewoman, if the divorce took place. Wherefore he began with all diligence to disappoint that match, which.by reason of the misliking that he had to the woman, he judged ought to be avoided more than present death. While the matter stood in this state, and that the cause of the queen was to be heard and judged at Rome, by reason of the appeal which by her was put in, the cardinal required the pope, by letters and secret messengers, that, in anywise, he would defer the judgement of the divorce till he might frame the king's mind to his purpose. Howbeit, he went about nothing so secretly, but that the same came to the king's knowledge, who took so high displeasure with such his cloaked dissimulation, that he determined to abase his degree, sith as an unthankful person he forgot himself and his duty towards him that had so highly advanced him to all honour and dignity." The preceding quotation pleasingly exemplifies the propriety of the soliloquy which Shakspeare assigns to Wolsey. "It shall be to the duchess of Alençon, The French king's sister: he shall marry her. No, we'll no Bullens. Speedily I wish To hear from Rome.-The marchioness of Pembroke ! * The late queen's gentlewoman; a knight's daughter, The endeavour to thwart this match was the primary cause of Wolsey's ruin, a subject which Shakspeare has perplexed by departure from historic truth. He had evidently, however, a correct view of the causes which led to the cardinal's decline from the favour of his imperious master, for, in reference to Anne Bullen, he makes Wolsey say, * Act III. sc. 2. |