ALL IS TRUE (HENRY VIII)

Act 5 Scene 1

(Enter at one door Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester; before him, a Page with a torch)
l1l	Gardiner	 It’s one o’clock, boy, is ’t not?
	Page	It hath struck.
l2l	Gardiner	These should be hours for necessities,
l3l		Not for delights# times to repair our nature
l4l		With comforting repose, and not for us
l5l		To waste these times.
		(Enter at another door Sir Thomas Lovell, meeting them)
		 Good hour of night, Sir Thomas!
l6l		Whither so late?
	Lovell	Came you from the King, my lord?
l7l	Gardiner	I did, Sir Thomas, and left him at primero
l8l		With the Duke of Suffolk.
	Lovell	I must to him too,
l9l		Before he go to bed. I’ll take my leave.
l10l	Gardiner	Not yet, Sir Thomas Lovell—what’s the matter?
l11l		It seems you are in haste. An if there be
l12l		No great offence belongs to ’t, give your friend
l13l		Some touch of your late business. Affairs that walk,
l14l		As they say spirits do, at midnight, have
l15l		In them a wilder nature than the business
l16l		That seeks dispatch by day.
	Lovell	My lord, I love you,
l17l		And durst commend a secret to your ear
l18l		Much weightier than this work. The Queen’s in labour—
l19l		They say in great extremity—and feared
l20l		She’ll with the labour end.
	Gardiner	The fruit she goes with
l21l		I pray for heartily, that it may find
l22l		Good time, and live. But, for the stock, Sir Thomas,
l23l		I wish it grubbed up now.
	Lovell	Methinks I could
l24l		Cry the amen, and yet my conscience says
l25l		She’s a good creature and, sweet lady, does
l26l		Deserve our better wishes.
	Gardiner	But sir, sir,
l27l		Hear me, Sir Thomas. You’re a gentleman
l28l		Of mine own way. I know you wise, religious.
l29l		And let me tell you, it will ne’er be well—
l30l		’Twill not, Sir Thomas Lovell, take ’t of me—
l31l		Till Cranmer, Cromwell—her two hands—and she,
l32l		Sleep in their graves.
	Lovell	Now, sir, you speak of two
l33l		The most remarked i’ th’ kingdom. As for Cromwell,
l34l		Beside that of the Jewel House is made Master
l35l		O’ th’ Rolls and the King’s secretary. Further, sir,
l36l		Stands in the gap and trade of more preferments
l37l		With which the time will load him. Th’ Archbishop
l38l		Is the King’s hand and tongue, and who dare speak
l39l		One syllable against him?
	Gardiner	Yes, yes, Sir Thomas—
l40l		There are that dare, and I myself have ventured
l41l		To speak my mind of him, and, indeed, this day,
l42l		Sir—I may tell it you, I think—I have
l43l		Incensed the lords o’ th’ Council that he is—
l44l		For so I know he is, they know he is—
l45l		A most arch heretic, a pestilence
l46l		That does infect the land# with which they, moved,
l47l		Have broken with the King, who hath so far
l48l		Given ear to our complaint, of his great grace
l49l		And princely care, foreseeing those fell mischiefs
l50l		Our reasons laid before him, hath commanded
l51l		Tomorrow morning to the Council board
l52l		He be convented. He’s a rank weed, Sir Thomas,
l53l		And we must root him out. From your affairs
l54l		I hinder you too long. Good night, Sir Thomas.
l55l	Lovell	Many good nights, my lord# I rest your servant.
		( 55 Exeunt Gardiner and Page at one door)
l56l		(Enter King Henry and Suffolk at another door)
		King Henry	
		(to Suffolk)
		 Charles, I will play no more tonight.
l57l		My mind’s not on ’t. You are too hard for me.
l58l	Suffolk	Sir, I did never win of you before.
l59l	King Henry	But little, Charles,
l60l		Nor shall not when my fancy’s on my play.
l61l		Now, Lovell, from the Queen what is the news?
l62l	Lovell	I could not personally deliver to her
l63l		What you commanded me, but by her woman
l64l		I sent your message, who returned her thanks
l65l		In the great’st humbleness, and desired your highness
l66l		Most heartily to pray for her.
	King Henry	What sayst thou? Ha?
l67l		To pray for her? What, is she crying out?
l68l	Lovell	So said her woman, and that her suffrance made
l69l		Almost each pang a death.
	King Henry	Alas, good lady.
l70l	Suffolk	God safely quit her of her burden, and
l71l		With gentle travail, to the gladding of
l72l		Your highness with an heir.
	King Henry	’Tis midnight, Charles.
l73l		Prithee to bed, and in thy prayers remember
l74l		Th’ estate of my poor queen. Leave me alone,
l75l		For I must think of that which company
l76l		Would not be friendly to.
	Suffolk	I wish your highness
l77l		A quiet night, and my good mistress will
l78l		Remember in my prayers.
	King Henry	Charles, good night.
		(Exit Suffolk)
l79l		(Enter Sir Anthony Denny)
		 Well, sir, what follows?
l80l	Denny	Sir, I have brought my lord the Archbishop,
l81l		As you commanded me.
	King Henry	Ha, Canterbury?
l82l	Denny	Ay, my good lord.
	King Henry	’Tis true—where is he, Denny?
l83l	Denny	He attends your highness’ pleasure.
	King Henry	Bring him to us.
		(Exit Denny)
l84l	Lovell	(aside)
		 This is about that which the Bishop spake.
l85l		I am happily come hither.
		(Enter Cranmer the Archbishop, ushered by Denny)
l86l	King Henry	(to Lovell and Denny)
		 Avoid the gallery.
		(Denny begins to depart. Lovell seems to stay)
l87l		Ha? I have said. Be gone.
l88l		What?
		(Exeunt Lovell and Denny)
		
	Cranmer	
		( 88B aside)
		 I am fearful. Wherefore frowns he thus?
l89l		’Tis his aspect of terror. All’s not well.
l90l	King Henry	How now, my lord? You do desire to know
l91l		Wherefore I sent for you.
	Cranmer	
		(kneeling)
		 It is my duty
l92l		T’ attend your highness’ pleasure.
	King Henry	Pray you, arise,
l93l		My good and gracious Lord of Canterbury.
l94l		Come, you and I must walk a turn together.
l95l		I have news to tell you. Come, come—give me your hand.
		(Cranmer rises. They walk)
l96l		Ah, my good lord, I grieve at what I speak,
l97l		And am right sorry to repeat what follows.
l98l		I have, and most unwillingly, of late
l99l		Heard many grievous—I do say, my lord,
l100l		Grievous—complaints of you, which, being considered,
l101l		Have moved us and our Council that you shall
l102l		This morning come before us, where I know
l103l		You cannot with such freedom purge yourself
l104l		But that, till further trial in those charges
l105l		Which will require your answer, you must take
l106l		Your patience to you, and be well contented
l107l		To make your house our Tower. You a brother of us,
l108l		It fits we thus proceed, or else no witness
l109l		Would come against you.
	Cranmer	
		(kneeling)
		 I humbly thank your highness,
l110l		And am right glad to catch this good occasion
l111l		Most throughly to be winnowed, where my chaff
l112l		And corn shall fly asunder. For I know
l113l		There’s none stands under more calumnious tongues
l114l		Than I myself, poor man.
	King Henry	Stand up, good Canterbury.
l115l		Thy truth and thy integrity is rooted
l116l		In us, thy friend. Give me thy hand. Stand up.
l117l		Prithee, let’s walk.
		(Cranmer rises. They walk)
		 Now, by my halidom,
l118l		What manner of man are you? My lord, I looked
l119l		You would have given me your petition that
l120l		I should have ta’en some pains to bring together
l121l		Yourself and your accusers, and to have heard you
l122l		Without indurance further.
	Cranmer	Most dread liege,
l123l		The good I stand on is my truth and honesty.
l124l		If they shall fail, I with mine enemies
l125l		Will triumph o’er my person, which I weigh not,
l126l		Being of those virtues vacant. I fear nothing
l127l		What can be said against me.
	King Henry	Know you not
l128l		How your state stands i’ th’ world, with the whole world?
l129l		Your enemies are many, and not small# their practices
l130l		Must bear the same proportion, and not ever
l131l		The justice and the truth o’ th’ question carries
l132l		The dew o’ th’ verdict with it. At what ease
l133l		Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt
l134l		To swear against you? Such things have been done.
l135l		You are potently opposed, and with a malice
l136l		Of as great size. Ween you of better luck,
l137l		I mean in perjured witness, than your master,
l138l		Whose minister you are, whiles here he lived
l139l		Upon this naughty earth? Go to, go to.
l140l		You take a precipice for no leap of danger,
l141l		And woo your own destruction.
	Cranmer	God and your majesty
l142l		Protect mine innocence, or I fall into
l143l		The trap is laid for me.
	King Henry	Be of good cheer.
l144l		They shall no more prevail than we give way to.
l145l		Keep comfort to you, and this morning see
l146l		You do appear before them. If they shall chance,
l147l		In charging you with matters, to commit you,
l148l		The best persuasions to the contrary
l149l		Fail not to use, and with what vehemency
l150l		Th’ occasion shall instruct you. If entreaties
l151l		Will render you no remedy,
		(giving his ring)
		 this ring
l152l		Deliver them, and your appeal to us
l153l		There make before them.
		(Cranmer weeps)
		 Look, the good man weeps.
l154l		He’s honest, on mine honour. God’s blest mother,
l155l		I swear he is true-hearted, and a soul
l156l		None better in my kingdom. Get you gone,
l157l		And do as I have bid you.
		(Exit Cranmer)
		 He has strangled
l158l		His language in his tears.
		(Enter the Old Lady)
		
	[Lovell]	
		(within)
		 Come back! What mean you?
		(Enter Lovell, following her)
l159l	Old Lady	 I’ll not come back. The tidings that I bring
l160l		Will make my boldness manners.
		(To the King)
		 Now good angels
l161l		Fly o’er thy royal head, and shade thy person
l162l		Under their blessèd wings.
	King Henry	Now by thy looks
l163l		I guess thy message. Is the Queen delivered?
l164l		Say, “Ay, and of a boy.”
	Old Lady	Ay, ay, my liege,
l165l		And of a lovely boy. The God of heaven
l166l		Both now and ever bless her! ’Tis a girl
l167l		Promises boys hereafter. Sir, your queen
l168l		Desires your visitation, and to be
l169l		Acquainted with this stranger. ’Tis as like you
l170l		As cherry is to cherry.
	King Henry	Lovell—
	Lovell	Sir?
l171l	King Henry	Give her an hundred marks. I’ll to the Queen.
		( 171 Exit)
l172l	Old Lady	 An hundred marks? By this light, I’ll ha’ more.
l173l		An ordinary groom is for such payment.
l174l		I will have more, or scold it out of him.
l175l		Said I for this the girl was like to him? I’ll
l176l		Have more, or else unsay ’t# and now, while ’tis hot,
l177l		I’ll put it to the issue.
		(Exeunt)
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