ALL IS TRUE (HENRY VIII)

Act 5 Scene 2

(Enter pursuivants, pages, footboys, and grooms. Then enter Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury)
l1l	Cranmer	 I hope I am not too late, and yet the gentleman
l2l		That was sent to me from the council prayed me
l3l		To make great haste. All fast? What means this?
		( Calling at the door)
		 Ho!
l4l		Who waits there?
		(Enter a Doorkeeper)
		 Sure you know me?
	Doorkeeper	Yes, my lord,
l5l		But yet I cannot help you.
	Cranmer	Why?
		(Enter Doctor Butts, passing over the stage)
l6l	Doorkeeper	 Your grace must wait till you be called for.
	Cranmer	So.
l7l	Butts	(aside)
		 This is a piece of malice. I am glad
l8l		I came this way so happily. The King
l9l		Shall understand it presently.
		(Exit)
		
	Cranmer	
		( 9B aside)
		 ’Tis Butts,
l10l		The King’s physician. As he passed along
l11l		How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me!
l12l		Pray heaven he found not my disgrace. For certain
l13l		This is of purpose laid by some that hate me—
l14l		God turn their hearts, I never sought their malice—
l15l		To quench mine honour. They would shame to make me
l16l		Wait else at door, a fellow Councillor,
l17l		’Mong boys, grooms, and lackeys. But their pleasures
l18l		Must be fulfilled, and I attend with patience.
		(Enter King Henry and Doctor Butts at a window, above)
l19l	Butts	 I’ll show your grace the strangest sight— 
	King Henry	What’s that, Butts?
l20l	Butts	I think your highness saw this many a day.
l21l	King Henry	Body o’ me, where is it?
	Butts	
		(pointing at Cranmer, below)
		 There, my lord.
l22l		The high promotion of his grace of Canterbury,
l23l		Who holds his state at door, ’mongst pursuivants,
l24l		Pages, and footboys.
	King Henry	Ha? ’Tis he indeed.
l25l		Is this the honour they do one another?
l26l		’Tis well there’s one above ’em yet. I had thought
l27l		They had parted so much honesty among ’em—
l28l		At least good manners—as not thus to suffer
l29l		A man of his place and so near our favour
l30l		To dance attendance on their lordships’ pleasures,
l31l		And at the door, too, like a post with packets!
l32l		By holy Mary, Butts, there’s knavery!
l33l		Let ’em alone, and draw the curtain close.
l34l		We shall hear more anon.
		(Cranmer and the doorkeeper stand to one side. Exeunt the lackeys)
l35l		(Above, Butts partly draws the curtain close. Below, a council table is brought in along with chairs and stools, and placed under the cloth of state. Enter the Lord Chancellor, who places himself at the upper end of the table, on the left hand, leaving a seat void above him at the table's head as for Canterbury's seat. The Duke of Suffolk, the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Surrey, the Lord Chamberlain, and Gardiner, the Bishop of Winchester, seat themselves in order on each side of the table. Cromwell sits at the lower end, and acts as secretary)
		Lord Chancellor	(to Cromwell)
		 Speak to the business, master secretary.
l36l		Why are we met in council?
	Cromwell	Please your honours,
l37l		The chief cause concerns his grace of Canterbury.
l38l	Gardiner	Has he had knowledge of it?
	Cromwell	Yes.
	Norfolk	
		(to the Doorkeeper)
		 Who waits there?
l39l	Doorkeeper	(coming forward)
		 Without, my noble lords?
	Gardiner	Yes.
	Doorkeeper	My lord Archbishop#
l40l		And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures.
l41l	Lord Chancellor	Let him come in.
	Doorkeeper	
		(to Cranmer)
		 Your grace may enter now.
		(Cranmer approaches the Council table)
l42l	Lord Chancellor	 My good lord Archbishop, I’m very sorry
l43l		To sit here at this present and behold
l44l		That chair stand empty, but we all are men
l45l		In our own natures frail, and capable
l46l		Of our flesh# few are angels# out of which frailty
l47l		And want of wisdom, you, that best should teach us,
l48l		Have misdemeaned yourself, and not a little,
l49l		Toward the King first, then his laws, in filling
l50l		The whole realm, by your teaching and your chaplains’—
l51l		For so we are informed—with new opinions,
l52l		Diverse and dangerous, which are heresies,
l53l		And, not reformed, may prove pernicious.
l54l	Gardiner	Which reformation must be sudden too,
l55l		My noble lords# for those that tame wild horses
l56l		Pace ’em not in their hands to make ’em gentle,
l57l		But stop their mouths with stubborn bits and spur ’em
l58l		Till they obey the manège. If we suffer,
l59l		Out of our easiness and childish pity
l60l		To one man’s honour, this contagious sickness,
l61l		Farewell all physic—and what follows then?
l62l		Commotions, uproars—with a general taint
l63l		Of the whole state, as of late days our neighbours,
l64l		The upper Germany, can dearly witness,
l65l		Yet freshly pitied in our memories.
l66l	Cranmer	My good lords, hitherto in all the progress
l67l		Both of my life and office, I have laboured,
l68l		And with no little study, that my teaching
l69l		And the strong course of my authority
l70l		Might go one way, and safely# and the end
l71l		Was ever to do well. Nor is there living—
l72l		I speak it with a single heart, my lords—
l73l		A man that more detests, more stirs against,
l74l		Both in his private conscience and his place,
l75l		Defacers of a public peace than I do.
l76l		Pray heaven the King may never find a heart
l77l		With less allegiance in it. Men that make
l78l		Envy and crooked malice nourishment
l79l		Dare bite the best. I do beseech your lordships
l80l		That, in this case of justice, my accusers,
l81l		Be what they will, may stand forth face to face,
l82l		And freely urge against me.
	Suffolk	Nay, my lord,
l83l		That cannot be. You are a Councillor,
l84l		And by that virtue no man dare accuse you.
l85l	Gardiner	(to Cranmer)
		 My lord, because we have business of more moment,
l86l		We will be short with you. ’Tis his highness’ pleasure
l87l		And our consent, for better trial of you,
l88l		From hence you be committed to the Tower
l89l		Where, being but a private man again,
l90l		You shall know many dare accuse you boldly,
l91l		More than, I fear, you are provided for.
l92l	Cranmer	Ah, my good lord of Winchester, I thank you.
l93l		You are always my good friend. If your will pass,
l94l		I shall both find your lordship judge and juror,
l95l		You are so merciful. I see your end—
l96l		’Tis my undoing. Love and meekness, lord,
l97l		Become a churchman better than ambition.
l98l		Win straying souls with modesty again#
l99l		Cast none away. That I shall clear myself,
l100l		Lay all the weight ye can upon my patience,
l101l		I make as little doubt as you do conscience
l102l		In doing daily wrongs. I could say more,
l103l		But reverence to your calling makes me modest.
l104l	Gardiner	My lord, my lord—you are a sectary,
l105l		That’s the plain truth. Your painted gloss discovers,
l106l		To men that understand you, words and weakness.
l107l	Cromwell	(to Gardiner)
		 My lord of Winchester, you’re a little,
l108l		By your good favour, too sharp. Men so noble,
l109l		However faulty, yet should find respect
l110l		For what they have been. ’Tis a cruelty
l111l		To load a falling man.
	Gardiner	Good master secretary,
l112l		I cry your honour mercy. You may worst
l113l		Of all this table say so.
	Cromwell	Why, my lord?
l114l	Gardiner	Do not I know you for a favourer
l115l		Of this new sect? Ye are not sound.
	Cromwell	Not sound?
l116l	Gardiner	Not sound, I say.
	Cromwell	Would you were half so honest!
l117l		Men’s prayers then would seek you, not their fears.
l118l	Gardiner	I shall remember this bold language.
	Cromwell	Do.
l119l		Remember your bold life, too.
	Lord Chancellor	This is too much.
l120l		Forbear, for shame, my lords.
	Gardiner	I have done.
	Cromwell	And I.
l121l	Lord Chancellor	(to Cranmer)
		 Then thus for you, my lord. It stands agreed,
l122l		I take it, by all voices, that forthwith
l123l		You be conveyed to th’ Tower a prisoner,
l124l		There to remain till the King’s further pleasure
l125l		Be known unto us. Are you all agreed, lords?
l126l	All The Council	We are.
	Cranmer	Is there no other way of mercy,
l127l		But I must needs to th’ Tower, my lords?
	Gardiner	What other
l128l		Would you expect? You are strangely troublesome.
l129l		Let some o’ th’ guard be ready there.
		(Enter the guard)
		 
	Cranmer	 For me?
l130l		Must I go like a traitor thither?
	Gardiner	
		(to the guard)
		 Receive him,
l131l		And see him safe i’ th’ Tower.
	Cranmer	Stay, good my lords.
l132l		I have a little yet to say. Look there, my lords—
		(He shows the King's ring)
l133l		By virtue of that ring I take my cause
l134l		Out of the grips of cruel men, and give it
l135l		To a most noble judge, the King my master.
l136l	Lord Chamberlain	This is the King’s ring.
	Surrey	’Tis no counterfeit.
l137l	Suffolk	’Tis the right ring, by heav’n. I told ye all
l138l		When we first put this dangerous stone a-rolling
l139l		’Twould fall upon ourselves.
	Norfolk	Do you think, my lords,
l140l		The King will suffer but the little finger
l141l		Of this man to be vexed?
	Lord Chamberlain	’Tis now too certain.
l142l		How much more is his life in value with him!
l143l		Would I were fairly out on ’t.
		(Exit King with Butts above)
		
	Cromwell	 My mind gave me,
l144l		In seeking tales and informations
l145l		Against this man, whose honesty the devil
l146l		And his disciples only envy at,
l147l		Ye blew the fire that burns ye. Now have at ye!
		(Enter, below, King Henry frowning on them. He takes his seat)
l148l	Gardiner	 Dread sovereign, how much are we bound to heaven
l149l		In daily thanks, that gave us such a prince,
l150l		Not only good and wise, but most religious.
l151l		One that in all obedience makes the church
l152l		The chief aim of his honour, and, to strengthen
l153l		That holy duty, out of dear respect,
l154l		His royal self in judgement comes to hear
l155l		The cause betwixt her and this great offender.
l156l	King Henry	You were ever good at sudden commendations,
l157l		Bishop of Winchester. But know I come not
l158l		To hear such flattery now# and in my presence
l159l		They are too thin and base to hide offences.
l160l		To me you cannot reach. You play the spaniel,
l161l		And think with wagging of your tongue to win me.
l162l		But whatsoe’er thou tak’st me for, I’m sure
l163l		Thou hast a cruel nature and a bloody.
l164l		(To Cranmer)
		 Good man, sit down.
		(Cranmer takes his seat at the head of the Council table)
		 Now let me see the proudest,
l165l		He that dares most, but wag his finger at thee.
l166l		By all that’s holy, he had better starve
l167l		Than but once think this place becomes thee not.
l168l	Surrey	May it please your grace—
	King Henry	No, sir, it does not please me!
l169l		I had thought I had had men of some understanding
l170l		And wisdom of my Council, but I find none.
l171l		Was it discretion, lords, to let this man,
l172l		This good man—few of you deserve that title—
l173l		This honest man, wait like a lousy footboy
l174l		At chamber door? And one as great as you are?
l175l		Why, what a shame was this! Did my commission
l176l		Bid ye so far forget yourselves? I gave ye
l177l		Power as he was a Councillor to try him,
l178l		Not as a groom. There’s some of ye, I see,
l179l		More out of malice than integrity,
l180l		Would try him to the utmost, had ye mean#
l181l		Which ye shall never have while I live.
	Lord Chancellor	Thus far,
l182l		My most dread sovereign, may it like your grace
l183l		To let my tongue excuse all. What was purposed
l184l		Concerning his imprisonment was rather—
l185l		If there be faith in men—meant for his trial
l186l		And fair purgation to the world than malice,
l187l		I’m sure, in me.
	King Henry	Well, well, my lords—respect him.
l188l		Take him and use him well, he’s worthy of it.
l189l		I will say thus much for him—if a prince
l190l		May be beholden to a subject, I
l191l		Am for his love and service so to him.
l192l		Make me no more ado, but all embrace him.
l193l		Be friends, for shame, my lords.
		(To Cranmer)
		 My lord of Canterbury,
l194l		I have a suit which you must not deny me:
l195l		That is a fair young maid that yet wants baptism—
l196l		You must be godfather, and answer for her.
l197l	Cranmer	The greatest monarch now alive may glory
l198l		In such an honour# how may I deserve it,
l199l		That am a poor and humble subject to you?
l200l	King Henry	 Come, come, my lord—you’d spare your
l201l		spoons. You shall have two noble partners with you—
l202l		the old Duchess of Norfolk and Lady Marquis Dorset.
l203l		Will these please you?
l204l		(To Gardiner)
		 Once more, my lord of Winchester, I charge you
l205l		Embrace and love this man.
	Gardiner	With a true heart
l206l		And brother-love I do it.
		(Gardiner and Cranmer embrace)
		
	Cranmer	
		(weeping)
		 And let heaven
l207l		Witness how dear I hold this confirmation.
l208l	King Henry	Good man, those joyful tears show thy true heart.
l209l		The common voice, I see, is verified
l210l		Of thee which says thus, “Do my lord of Canterbury
l211l		A shrewd turn, and he’s your friend for ever.”
l212l		Come, lords, we trifle time away. I long
l213l		To have this young one made a Christian.
l214l		As I have made ye one, lords, one remain—
l215l		So I grow stronger, you more honour gain.
		(Exeunt)