Re-enter WOLSey, with Gardiner. Wol. Give me your hand: much joy and favour to you: You are the king's now. Gard. But to be commanded Forever by your grace, whose hand has rais'd me. [Aside. Wol. Yes, he was. Cam. Was he not held a learned man? Wol. Yes, surely. 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 envy'd him; Wol. Heaven's peace be with him ! That's Christian care enough for living murmurers, For he would needs be virtuous: That good fellow, K. Hen. Deliver this with modesty to the queen. The most convenient place that I can think of, So sweet a bed-fellow? But, conscience, conscience,- SCENE III. An Ante-chamber in the Queen's Apartment. BULLEN, and an old Lady. [Exeunt. Enter ANNE Anne. Not for that neither ;-Here's the pang that pinches : His highness having liv'd so long with her; and she Pronounce dishonour of her,-by my life, She never knew harm-doing;-0 now, after [3] Kept him out of the king's presence, employed in foreign embassies. JOHNS So many courses of the sun enthron'd, Still growing in a majesty and pomp,-the which 'Tis sweet at first to acquire,-after this process, Would move a monster. Old L. Hearts of most hard temper Melt and lament for her. Anne. O, God's will! much better, She ne'er had known pomp: though it be temporal, It from the bearer, 'tis a sufferance, panging Old L. Alas, poor lady! She's a stranger now again. Anne. So much the more Must pity drop upon her. Verily,' Old L. Our content Is our best having.7 Anne. By my troth, and maidenhead, I would not be a queen. Old L. Beshrew me, I would, And venture maidenhead for't; and so would you, For all this spice of your hypocrisy : You, that have so fair parts of woman on you, Have too a woman's heart; which ever yet Affected eminence, wealth, sovereignty; Which, to say sooth, are blessings and which gifts (Saving your mincing) the capacity Of your soft cheveril conscience would receive,® If you might please to stretch it. Anne. Nay, good troth, Old L. Yes, troth, and troth,-You would not be a queen? [4] To send her away contemptuously: to pronounce against her a sentence of ejection. JOHNSON. [5] She calls Fortune a quarrel or arrow from her striking so deep and suddenly. Quarrel was a large arrow so called. Thus Fairfax: "twang'd the string, out flew the quarrel long." WARBURTON. [6] Again an alien; not only no longer queen, but no longer an English woman. JOHNSON. [7] That is, our best possession. In Spanish, hazienda. 8 Cheveril--is kid-skin, soft leather. JOHNSON. JOHNSON. Anne. No, not for all the riches under heaven. Old L.'Tis strange; a three-pence bowed would hire me, Old as I am, to queen it: But, I pray you, What think you of a duchess? have you limbs Anne. No, in truth. Old L. Then you are weakly made; Pluck off a little ; I would not be a young count in your way, For more than blushing comes to: if your back Cannot vouchsafe this burden, 'tis too weak Anne. How you do talk! I swear again, I would not be a queen Old L. In faith, for little England You'd venture an emballing: I myself Would for Carnarvonshire, although there 'long'd Cham. Good morrow, ladies. What wer't worth to know The secret of your conference? Anne. My good lord, Not your demand; it values not your asking : Our mistress' sorrows we were pitying. Cham. It was a gentle business, and becoming The action of good women: there is hope, All will be well. Anne. Now I pray God, amen! Cham. You bear a gentle mind, and heavenly blessings Follow such creatures. That you may, fair lady, Perceive I speak sincerely, and high note's Ta'en of your many virtues, the king's majesty Anne. I do not know, What kind of my obedience I should tender; Are not words duly hallow'd, nor my wishes More worth than empty vanities; yet prayers, and wishes, Are all I can return. 'Beseech your lordship, Vouchsafe to speak my thanks, and my obedience, 10 VOL. VII G As from a blushing handmaid, to his highness; Cham. Lady, I shall not fail to approve the fair conceit, The king hath of you.-I have perus'd her well; [Aside. That they have caught the king: and who knows yet, To lighten all this isle ?-I'll to the king, And say, I spoke with you. Anne. My honour'd lord. [Exit Lord Chamberlain. Old L. Why, this it is; see, see! I have been begging sixteen years in court, This compell'd fortune!) have your mouth fill'd up, Anne. This is strange to me. Old L. How tastes it? is it bitter? forty pence, no. There was a lady once, ('tis an old story,) That would not be a queen, that would she not, Old L. With your theme, I could O'ermount the lark. The marchioness of Pembroke! A thousand pounds a year! for pure respect; No other obligation: By my life, That promises more thousands: Honour's train I know, your back will bear a duchess ;-Say, Anne. Good lady, Make yourself mirth with your particular fancy, To think what follows. The queen is comfortless, and we forgetful Old L. What do you think me? [Exeunt. [1] From the many artful strokes of address the poet has thrown in upon queen Elizabeth and her mother, it should seem that this play was written and performed in his royal mistress's time if so, some lines were added by him in the last scene, after the accession of king James. THEOBALD SCENE IV. A Hall in Black-Fryars. Trumpets, Sennet, and Cornets. Enter two Vergers, with short silver wands; next them, two Scribes, in the habits of doctors; after them, the Archbishop of CANTERBURY alone; after him, the Bishops of LINCOLN, ELY, ROCHESTER, and Saint ASAPH; next them, with some small distance, follows a Gentleman bearing the purse, with the great seal, and a Cardinal's hat; then two Priests, bearing each a silver cross; then a Gentleman-Usher bare-headed, accompanied with a Sergeant at Arms, bearing a silver mace; then two Gentlemen, bearing two great silver pillars after them, side by side, the two Cardinals WOLSEY and CAMPEIUS; two Noblemen with the sword and mace. Then enter the King and Queen, and their Trains. The King takes place under the cloth of state; the two Cardinals sit under him as judges. The Queen takes place at some distance from the King. The Bishops place themselves on each side the court, in manner of a consistory; between them, the Scribes. The Lords sit next the Bishops. The Crier and the rest of the Attendants stand in convenient order about the stage. Wol. Whilst our commission from Rome is read Let silence be commanded. K. Hen. What's the need? It hath already publicly been read, And on all sides the authority allow'd; You may then spare that time. Wol. Be't so :-Proceed. Scri. Say, Henry king of England, come into the court. Crier. Henry king of England, &c. K. Hen. Here. Scri. Say, Katharine queen of England come into court. Crier. Katharine, queen of England, &c. [The Queen makes no answer, rises out of her chair, goes about the court, comes to the King, and kneels at his feet; then speaks. A sennet appears to have signified a short flourish on Cornets. MALONE. Pillars were some of the ensigns of dignity carried before cardinals. Sir Thomas More, when he was speaker to the commons, advised them to admit Wolsey into the house with his maces and his pillars. JOHNS.---So, in The Treatous a satire on Cardinal Wolsey, no date, but published between the execution of the duke of Buckingham and the repudiation of Katharine : "With worldly pompe incredible, Before him rydeth two prestes strong; And they bare two crosses right longe, Gapying in every man's face: After them followe two laye men seculur, And each of them holdyng a pillar,__ In their hondes steade of a mace." STEEVENS. Wolsey had two great crosses of siiver, the one of his archbishopric, the other of his legacy, borne before him whithersoever he went or rode, by two of the tallest priests that he could get within the realm. TOLLET. |