PERSONS REPRESENTE D.

King HENRY the Eighth.

Cardinal WOLSEY. Cardinal CAMPFIUS.
CAPUCIUS, Ambassador from the Emperor
Charles V.

CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Duke of NORFOLK. Duke of BUCKINGHAM.
Duke of SUFFOLK. Earl of SURREY.
Lord Chamberlain.

Sir THOMAS AUDLEY, Lord Keeper.
GARDINER, Bishop of Winchefter.
Bishop of LINCOLN.

Lord ABERGAVENNY. Lord SANDS.
Sir HENRY GUILDFORD.

Sir THOMAS LOVELL,

Sir ANTHONY DENNY.

Sir NICHOLAS VAUX.
Sir WILLIAM SANDS .
CROMWELL, Servant to Wolfey.

GRIFFITH, Gentleman-Ufer to Queen Katha

rine.

Three other Gentlemen.

Doctor BUTTS, Phyfician to the King.
GARTER, King at Arms.

Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham.
BRANDON, and a Serjeant at Arms,
Door-keeper of the Council Chamber.
Porter, and his Man.

Queen KATHARINE.
ANNE BULLEN.

An old Lady, Friend to Anne Bullen.
PATIENCE, Woman to Queen Katharine.
Several Lords and Ladies in the dumb fhows.
Women attending upon the Queen. Spirits,
which appear to ber. Sevibes, Officers,
Guards, and other Attendants.

The SCENE lies mofly in London and Weftminster; once, at Kimbolton.

PROLOGU

COME no more to make you laugh; things now,
That bear a weighty and a serious brow,
Sad, high, and working, full of jiate and woe,
Such noble fcenes as draw the eye to flow,
We now prefent. Those that can pity, bere
May, if they think it well, let fall a tear ;
The fubject will deferve it. Such, as give
Their money out of hope they may believe,
May here find truth too. Thofe, that come to fee
Only a fhow or two, and jo agree,

The play may pajs; if they be fill and willing,
I'll undertake, may fee away their filling
Richly in two bort hours. Only they,
That come to bear a merry, bawdy play,
A noife of targets; or to fee a fellow

In a long molley coat2, guarded with yellaw,

SCÈNE
London.

E.

Will be deceiv'd: for, gentle hearers, knot,
To rank our hojen truth with such a show
As fool and fight is, (befide forfeiting
Our own brains, and the opinion that we bring
To make that only true we now intend 3)
Will leave us never an underflanding friend.
Therefore, for goodnef? jake, and as you are known
The first and happiest bearers of the town,
Be fad, as we would make ye: Think, ye fee
The very perfons of our noble flory,

As they were living; think, you fee them great,
And follow'd with the general throng, and fweat
Of thoufand friends; then, in a moment, fee
How foon this mightiness meets mifery!
And, if you can be merry then, I'll fay,
A man may weep upon his wedding-day.

ACT

I.

I.

Nor. I thank your grace:

Healthful; and ever fince a fresh 4 admirer
Of what I faw there.

Buck. An untimely ague

Stay'd me a prifoner in my chamber, when
Thofe fons of glory, thofe two lights of men,
Met in the vale of Arde.

Nor. 'Twixt Guines and Arde:

1 Mr. Steevens obferves, that Sir William Sands was created Lord Sand's about this time, but is here introduced among the perfons of the drama, as a distinct character. Sir William has not a fingle 1peech alligned to him; and, to make the blunder the greater, is brought on after Lord Sands has already made his appearance. 2 Alluding to the fools and buffoons, introduced for the generality in the plays a little before our author's time; and of whom he has left us a fmall tafte in his own. 3. e. pretend. 4 i. e. an untired admirer,

I was then prefent, faw them falute on horfe-back;
Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clung]
In their embracement, as they grew together ;-
Which had they, what four thron'd ones could
have weigh'd

Such a compounded one?

Back. All the whole time

I was my chamber's prifoner,
Nor. Then you loft

The view of earthly glory: Men might say,
"Till this time, pomp was fingle; but now marry'd
To one above itself. Each following day
Became the next day's mafter, 'till the laft
Made former wonders it's: To-day, the French,
All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,
Shone down the Englih; and, to-morrow, they
Made Britain, India: every man, that flood,
Shew'd like a mine. Their dwarfifh pages were
As cherubims, all gilt: the madams too,
Not us'd to toil, did almoft fweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a painting: now this mak
Was cry'd incomparable; and the enfuing night
Made it a fool, and beggar. The two kings,
Equal in luftre, were now beit, now worft,
As prefence did prefent them; him in eye,
Still him in praife. and, being prefent both,
'Twas faid, they faw but one: and no difcerner
Durft wag his tongue in cenfure 2. When thefe
funs,

(For fo they phrafe 'em) by their heralds challeng'd
The noble ípirits to arms, they did perform
Beyond thought's compaís; that former fabulous
ftory,

Being now feen poffible enough, got credit,
That Pevis 3 was believ'd.

Buck. Oh, you go far.

Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect
In honour honcfty, the tract of every thing
Would by a good difcourfer lofe fome life,
Which action's felf was tongue to. All was royal;
To the difpofing of it nought rebell'd,

Order gave each thing view; the office did.
Diftinctly his full function 4.

Buck. Who did guide,

I mean, who fet the body and the limbs
Of this great fport together, as you guefs?

Nor. One, certes, that promifes no element 5

In fuch a bulinefs.

Buck. I pray you, who, my lord?

A thing infpir'd; and, not confulting, broke Into a general prophecy,-That this tempeft, Nor. All this was order'd by the good discretion | Dashing the garment of this peace, aboaded Of the right reverend cardinal of York.

The fudden breach on't.

1 i e. all glittering, all shining. Cerfure for determination of which had the noblest appear ance. 3 The old romantic legend of Bevis of Southampton. This Bevis (or Beavois) a saxom, was for his prowefs created by William the Conqueror carl of Southampton. 4 i. e. the commiffion for regulating this fellivity was well executed. 5 No initiation, no previous practices. 61. e. proud. 7 A keeth is a folid lump or mafs. A cake of wax or tallow formed in a mould is called yet in fome places a keech. There may, perhaps, be a fingular propriety in this term of contempt. Wolfey was the fon of a butcher, and in the Second Part of King Henry ÍV, a butcher's wile is called--Goody Keech. 9 That is, all mention of the board of 19 i. e. His own letter, by his own fingle authority, and without the concurrence of the council, muft fetch in him whom he papers down. 11 i. e. What effect had this pompous how but the production of a wretched conclufion?

council being left out of his letter.

81. r. the lift.

Nor. Which is budded out;

Buck. I'll to the king;

For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd And from a mouth of honour quite cry down Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux.

elber. L it therefore

The ambailador is filene'd?

Nor. Marry, is't.

This Ipfwich fellow's infolence; or proclaim,
There's difference in no perfons.

Nor. Be advis'd;

Heat not a furnace for your foe fo hot

der. A proper title of a peace 2; and purchas'd That it do finge yourfelf: We may out run,

At a fuperfluous rate!

Back. Why, all this business

Our reverend cardinal carry'd.

Nor. Like it your grace,

The ftate takes notice of the private difference
Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you,
(And take it from a heart that wishes towards you
Honour and plenteous fafety) that you read
The cardinal's malice and his potency
Together: to confider further, that
What his high hatred would effect, wants not
A minifter in his power: You know his nature,
That he's revengeful; and I know, his fword
Hath a fharp edge; it's long, and, it may be faid,
It reaches far; and where 'twill not extend,
Thither he darts it. Bofom up my counfel, [rock,
You'll find it wholefome. Lo, where comes that
That I advife your fhunning.

Enter Cardinal Wolfey, the purfe borne before him,
certain of the guard, and two Secretaries with
papers. The Cardinal in his passage fixeth his
eye on Buckingham, and Buckingham on him, both
full of difdain.

Wol. The duke of Buckingham's furveyor? ha? Where's his examination ?

Wel. Well, we fhall then know more; and BuckShall leffen this big look.

[Exeunt Cardinal, and his train. Buck. This butcher's cur 3 is venom-mouth'd, and I Have not the power to muzzle him; therefore, best Not wake him in his flumber. A beggar's book Out-worths a noble's blood 4.

Nor. What, are you chaf'd?

[as ftrong

Nor. Say not, treasonous.
Buck. To the king I'll say 't ; and make my vouch
As shore of rock. Attend. This holy fox,
Or wolf, or both, (for he is equal ravenous
As he is fubtle; and as prone to mischief
As able to perform 't: his mind and place
Infecting one another, yea, reciprocally)
Only to fhew his pomp as well in France
As here at home, fuggefts 7 the king our mafter
To this laft coftly treaty, the interview,
That fwallow'd fo much treafure, and like a glafs
Did break i' the rinfing.

Nor. 'Faith, and fo it did.

[cardinal

Buck. Pray, give me favour, fir. This cunning
The articles o' the combination drew,
As himfelf pleas'd; and they were ratify'd;
As he cry'd, Thus let be: to as much end,
As give a crutch to the dead: But our court cardinal
Has done this, and 'tis well; for worthy Wolfey,
Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows,

Afk God for temperance; that's the appliance only, (Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy

Which your difeafe requires.

Buck. I read in his looks

Matter against me; and his eye revil'd
Me, as his abject object : at this inftant

[king;

He bores me with fome trick: He's gone to the
I'll follow, and out-ftare him.

Nor. Stay, my lord,

And let your reason with your choler question
What 'tis you go about: To climb fteep hills,
Requires flow pace at firft: Anger is like
A full-hot horfe; who being allow'd his way,
Self-mettle tires him. Not a man in England
Can advite me like you: be to yourself,
As you would to your friend.

To the old dam, treafon)-Charles the emperor,
Under pretence to fee the queen his aunt,
(For 'twas, indeed, his colour; but he came
To whisper Wolfey) here makes vifitation:
His fears were, that the interview, betwixt
England and France, might, through their amity,
Breed him fome prejudice; for from this league
Peep'd harms that menac'd him: He privily
Deals with our cardinal; and, as I trow,
Which I do well; for, I am fure, the emperor
Pay'd ere he promis'd; whereby his fuit was granted,
Ere it was afk'd-bat when the way was made,
And pav'd with gold, the emperor thus defii'd ;-
That he would pleafe to alter the king's courfe,

1 Silenc'd for recalled. 2 A fine name of a peace! fpoken ironically. 3 Wolley, as has been before obferved, is faid to have been the fon of a butcher. 4 That is, the literary qualifica tions of a bookish beggar are more prized than the high defcent of hereditary greatnefs. This is a contemptuous exclamation very naturally put into the mouth of one of the antient, unletter'd, mar tial nobility. 5 i. e. he ftabs or wounds me by fome artifice or fifion. i. c. from honeft indignation; warmth of integrity. 7 i. e. excites.

And break the forefaid peace. Let the king know,|Of a full-charg'd confederacy; and give thanks

You fhall to the Tower.

Buck. It will help me nothing,

To plead mine innocence; for that dye is on me, Which makes my whiteft part black. The will of heaven

Be done in this and all things!
O my lord Aberga'ny, fare you well.
Bran. Nay, he must bear you company :-The
king
[To Aberg.
Is pleas'd, you shall to the Tower, 'till you know

How he determines further.

Aber. As the duke faid,

The will of heaven be done, and the king's pleafure In loud rebellion.
By me obey'd!

Bran. Here is a warrant from

The king, to attach lord Montacute; and the bodies
Of the duke's confeffor, John de la Court,
One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor,

These are the limbs of the plot: No more, I hope. And lack of other means, in defperate manner

2 i. c. I am but firft in the row of counsellors.