William Shakespeare - King Henry the Eighth

William Shakespeare

King Henry the Eighth

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Prologue

I come no more to make you laugh: things now,

That bear a weighty and a serious brow,Sad, high, and working, full of state and woe,Such noble scenes as draw the eye to flow,We now present. Those that can pity, hereMay, if they think it well, let fall a tear;The subject will deserve it. Such as giveTheir money out of hope they may believe,May here find truth too. Those that come to seeOnly a show or two, and so agreeThe play may pass, if they be still and willing,I'll undertake may see away their shillingRichly in two short hours. Only theyThat come to hear a merry bawdy play,A noise of targets, or to see a fellowIn a long motley coat guarded with yellow,Will be deceived; for, gentle hearers, know,To rank our chosen truth with such a showAs fool and fight is, beside forfeitingOur own brains, and the opinion that we bring,To make that only true we now intend,Will leave us never an understanding friend.Therefore, for goodness' sake, and as you are knownThe first and happiest hearers of the town,Be sad, as we would make ye: think ye seeThe very persons of our noble storyAs they were living; think you see them great,And follow'd with the general throng and sweatOf thousand friends; then in a moment, seeHow soon this mightiness meets misery:And, if you can be merry then, I'll sayA man may weep upon his wedding-day.

London. An ante-chamber in the palace.

Enter NORFOLK at one door; at the other, BUCKINGHAM and ABERGAVENNY

BUCKINGHAM

Good morrow, and well met. How have ye done

Since last we saw in France?

NORFOLK

I thank your grace,

Healthful; and ever since a fresh admirerOf what I saw there.

BUCKINGHAM

An untimely ague

Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber whenThose suns of glory, those two lights of men,Met in the vale of Andren.

NORFOLK

'Twixt Guynes and Arde:

I was then present, saw them salute on horseback;Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clungIn their embracement, as they grew together;Which had they, what four throned ones could have weigh'dSuch a compounded one?

BUCKINGHAM

All the whole time

I was my chamber's prisoner.

NORFOLK

Then you lost

The view of earthly glory: men might say,Till this time pomp was single, but now marriedTo one above itself. Each following dayBecame the next day's master, till the lastMade former wonders its. To-day the French,All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,Shone down the English; and, to-morrow, theyMade Britain India: every man that stoodShow'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages wereAs cherubins, all guilt: the madams too,Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bearThe pride upon them, that their very labourWas to them as a painting: now this masqueWas cried incomparable; and the ensuing nightMade it a fool and beggar. The two kings,Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst,As presence did present them; him in eye,Still him in praise: and, being present both'Twas said they saw but one; and no discernerDurst wag his tongue in censure. When these suns--For so they phrase 'em--by their heralds challengedThe noble spirits to arms, they did performBeyond thought's compass; that former fabulous story,Being now seen possible enough, got credit,That Bevis was believed.

BUCKINGHAM

O, you go far.

NORFOLK

As I belong to worship and affect

In honour honesty, the tract of every thingWould by a good discourser lose some life,Which action's self was tongue to. All was royal;To the disposing of it nought rebell'd.Order gave each thing view; the office didDistinctly his full function.

BUCKINGHAM

Who did guide,

I mean, who set the body and the limbsOf this great sport together, as you guess?

NORFOLK

One, certes, that promises no element

In such a business.

BUCKINGHAM

I pray you, who, my lord?

NORFOLK

All this was order'd by the good discretion

Of the right reverend Cardinal of York.

BUCKINGHAM

The devil speed him! no man's pie is freed

From his ambitious finger. What had heTo do in these fierce vanities? I wonderThat such a keech can with his very bulkTake up the rays o' the beneficial sunAnd keep it from the earth.

NORFOLK

Surely, sir,

There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends;For, being not propp'd by ancestry, whose graceChalks successors their way, nor call'd uponFor high feats done to the crown; neither alliedFor eminent assistants; but, spider-like,Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note,The force of his own merit makes his wayA gift that heaven gives for him, which buysA place next to the king.

ABERGAVENNY

I cannot tell

What heaven hath given him,--let some graver eyePierce into that; but I can see his pridePeep through each part of him: whence has he that,If not from hell? the devil is a niggard,Or has given all before, and he beginsA new hell in himself.

BUCKINGHAM

Why the devil,

Upon this French going out, took he upon him,Without the privity o' the king, to appointWho should attend on him? He makes up the fileOf all the gentry; for the most part suchTo whom as great a charge as little honourHe meant to lay upon: and his own letter,The honourable board of council out,Must fetch him in the papers.

ABERGAVENNY

I do know

Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that haveBy this so sickened their estates, that neverThey shall abound as formerly.

BUCKINGHAM

O, many

Have broke their backs with laying manors on 'emFor this great journey. What did this vanityBut minister communication ofA most poor issue?

NORFOLK

Grievingly I think,

The peace between the French and us not valuesThe cost that did conclude it.

BUCKINGHAM

Every man,

After the hideous storm that follow'd, wasA thing inspired; and, not consulting, brokeInto a general prophecy; That this tempest,Dashing the garment of this peace, abodedThe sudden breach on't.

NORFOLK

Which is budded out;

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

ABERGAVENNY

Is it therefore

The ambassador is silenced?

NORFOLK

Marry, is't.

ABERGAVENNY

A proper title of a peace; and purchased

At a superfluous rate!

BUCKINGHAM

Why, all this business

Our reverend cardinal carried.

NORFOLK

Like it your grace,

The state takes notice of the private differenceBetwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you--And take it from a heart that wishes towards youHonour and plenteous safety--that you readThe cardinal's malice and his potencyTogether; to consider further thatWhat his high hatred would effect wants notA minister in his power. You know his nature,That he's revengeful, and I know his swordHath a sharp edge: it's long and, 't may be said,It reaches far, and where 'twill not extend,Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel,You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that rockThat I advise your shunning.

Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY, the purse borne before him, certain of the Guard, and two Secretaries with papers. CARDINAL WOLSEY in his passage fixeth his eye on BUCKINGHAM, and BUCKINGHAM on him, both full of disdain

CARDINAL WOLSEY

The Duke of Buckingham's surveyor, ha?

Where's his examination?

First Secretary

Here, so please you.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

Is he in person ready?

First Secretary

Ay, please your grace.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

Well, we shall then know more; and Buckingham

Shall lessen this big look.

Exeunt CARDINAL WOLSEY and his Train

BUCKINGHAM

This butcher's cur is venom-mouth'd, and I