KING Henry the Eight.

Cardinal Wolfey, his firft Minifter and Favourite.
Cranmer. Archbishop of Canterbury.

Duke of Norfolk.

Duke of Buckingham.
Duke of Suffolk.

Earl of Surrey.

Lord Chamberlain.

Cardinal Campeius, the Pope's Legat.

Capucius, Ambaffador from the Emperor Charles the Fifth.

Gardiner, Bishop of Winchefter.

Lord Abergavenny.

Lord Sands.

Sir Henry Guildford.
Sir Thomas Lovell.
Sir Anthony Denny,
Sir Nicholas Vaux.

Cromwell, firft Servant to Wolfey, afterwards to the
King.

Griffith, Gentleman-Usher to Queen Katharine..
Three Gentlemen.

Dr. Butts, Phyfician to the King.

Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham.
Porter and his Man.

Queen Katharine, firft Wife to King Henry, afterwards Divorc'd.

Anne Bullen, belov'd by the King, and afterwards married to him.

An eld Lady, Friend to Anne Bullen.

Patience, Woman of the Bed-Chamber to Queen Katharine.

Several Lords and Ladies in the dumb Shews. Women attending upon the Queen. Spirits which appear to her. Scribes, Officers, Guards, and other Attendants.

The SCENE lies moftly in LONDON.

The LIFE of

HENRY VIII.

ACTI SCENE I.

Enter the Duke of Norfolk at one door: at the other the Duke of Buckingham, and the Lord Abergavenny.

BUCKINGHAM,

OOD morrow, and well met.

have you done

Since last we faw y'in France?

Nor. I thank your Grace:

How

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

Buck. An untimely ague

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

Nor. 'Twixt Guynes and Arde:

I was then prefent, faw 'em falute on horfe-back,
Beheld 'em 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

*

fons.

A 3

Such

Such a compounded one?

Buck. All the whole time

I was my chamber's prifoner.
Nor. Then you lost

The view of earthly glory: men might fay
'Till this time pomp was fingle, but now marry'd'
To one above it felf. Each following day
Became the next day's mafter, 'till the laft
Made former wonders, its. To-day the French,
All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,
Shone down the English; and to-morrow they
Made Britain, India: every man that stood,
Shew'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
As Cherubins, all gilt; the Madams too,
Not us'd to toil, did almost sweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour.
Was to them as a painting. Now this mask
Was cry'd incomparable, and th' enfuing night
Made it a fool and beggar. The two Kings
Equal in luftre, were now beft, now worst,
As prefence did prefent them; him in eye,
Still him in praife; and being present both,
'Twas faid they faw but one, and no difcerner
Durft wag his tongue in cenfure. When thefe funs,
(For fo they phrafe 'em) by their heralds, challeng'd
The noble fpirits to arms, they did perform
Beyond thought's compafs, that old fabulous story
(Being now feen poffible enough) got credit;
That Bevis was believ'd.

Buck. Oh, you go far!

Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect
In honour, honefty; the tract of every thing
Would by a good difcourfer lofe fome life,
Which action's felf was tongue to.

Buck. All was royal;

To the difpofing of it nought rebell'd,

Order gave each thing view.

Diftinely his full function. Who did guide,

The office did

Of

I mean, who set the body and the limbs

The old romantic legend of Bevis of Southampton.

Of this great fport together, as you guess?
Nor. One fure, that promifes no
* element

In fuch a business.

Buck. Pray you, who, my lord?'

Nor. All this was order'd by the good difcretion Of the right rev'rend Cardinal of York.

Buck. The devil fpeed him: no man's pye is freed From his ambitious finger. What had he To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder That fuch a†ketch can with his very bulk Take up the rays o'th' beneficial fun, And keep it from the earth.

Nor. Yet furely, Sir,

There's in him ftuff that puts him to these ends i
For being not propt by ancestry, whofe grace
Chalks fucceffors their way; nor call'd upon
For high feats done to th' crown; neither ally'd
To eminent affiftants; but fpider-like,

Out of his felf-drawn web; this gives us note,
The force of his own merit makes his way,
A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys
A place next to the King.

Aber. I cannot tell

What heav'n hath giv'n him; let fome graver eye Pierce into that: but I can fee his pride

Peep through each part of him; whence has he that,
If not from hell, the devil is a niggard,

Or has giv'n all before, and he begins
A new hell in himself.

Buck. Why the devil,

Upon this French going out, took he upon him,
Without the privity o'th' King, t'appoint
Who fhould attend him? he makes up the file
Of all the gentry; for the moft part fuch
To whom as great a charge as little honour
He meant to lay upon: And his own letter
(The honourable board of council out)

*

no rudiment or beginning.

A 4

Muft

t ketch, from the Italian Caicchio, fignifyng a Tab, Barrel,

or Hogfhead. Skinner,

Kinsmen of mine, three at the leaft, that have
By this fo ficken'd their eftates, that never
They fhall abound as formerly.

Buck. O many

Have broke their backs with laying mannors on 'em
For this great journey. What did this great vanity,
But minifter communication of

A most poor iffue?

Nor. Grievingly, I think,

The peace between the French and us, not values
The coft that did conclude it.

Buck. Every Man,

After the hideous ftorm that follow'd, was
A thing infpir'd; and not confulting, broke
Into a general prophefie; that this tempeft,
Dafhing the garment of this peace, aboaded
The fudden breach on't.

Nor. Which is budded out:

For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd
Our merchants goods at Bourdeaux.

Aber. Is it therefore
Th'ambaffador is filenc'd?

Nor. Marry is't.

Aber. A proper title of a peace, and purchas'd, At a fuperfluous rate!

Buck. Why, all this business

Our rev'rend Cardinal carry'd.

Nor. Like it your Grace,

The state takes notice of the private difference
Betwixt and the Cardinal. I advife you
(And take it from a heart that wishes

you

you

Honour and plenteous fafety) that you read
The Cardinal's malice and his potency
Together to confider further, that

What

he papers, a verb; His own letter, By his own fingle authority, and without the concurrence of the Council, must fetch in Him whom he papers down. I don't understand it, unless this be the meaning.

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