ALL IS TRUE (HENRY VIII)

Act 1 Scene 1

(A cloth of state throughout the play. Enter the Duke of Norfolk at one door; at the other door enter the Duke of Buckingham and the Lord Abergavenny)
l1l	Buckingham	(to Norfolk)
		 Good morrow, and well met. How have ye done
l2l		Since last we saw in France?
	Norfolk	I thank your grace,
l3l		Healthful, and ever since a fresh admirer
l4l		Of what I saw there.
	Buckingham	An untimely ague
l5l		Stayed me a prisoner in my chamber when
l6l		Those suns of glory, those two lights of men,
l7l		Met in the vale of Ardres.
	Norfolk	’Twixt Guisnes and Ardres.
l8l		I was then present, saw them salute on horseback,
l9l		Beheld them when they lighted, how they clung
l10l		In their embracement as they grew together,
l11l		Which had they, what four throned ones could have weighed
l12l		Such a compounded one?
	Buckingham	All the whole time
l13l		I was my chamber’s prisoner.
	Norfolk	Then you lost
l14l		The view of earthly glory. Men might say
l15l		Till this time pomp was single, but now married
l16l		To one above itself. Each following day
l17l		Became the next day’s master, till the last
l18l		Made former wonders its. Today the French,
l19l		All clinquant all in gold, like heathen gods
l20l		Shone down the English# and tomorrow they
l21l		Made Britain India. Every man that stood
l22l		Showed like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
l23l		As cherubim, all gilt# the mesdames, too,
l24l		Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bear
l25l		The pride upon them, that their very labour
l26l		Was to them as a painting. Now this masque
l27l		Was cried incomparable, and th’ ensuing night
l28l		Made it a fool and beggar. The two kings
l29l		Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst,
l30l		As presence did present them. Him in eye
l31l		Still him in praise, and being present both,
l32l		’Twas said they saw but one, and no discerner
l33l		Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these suns—
l34l		For so they phrase ’em—by their heralds challenged
l35l		The noble spirits to arms, they did perform
l36l		Beyond thought’s compass, that former fabulous story
l37l		Being now seen possible enough, got credit
l38l		That Bevis was believed.
	Buckingham	O, you go far!
l39l	Norfolk	As I belong to worship, and affect
l40l		In honour honesty, the tract of ev’rything
l41l		Would by a good discourser lose some life
l42l		Which action’s self was tongue to. All was royal.
l43l		To the disposing of it naught rebelled.
l44l		Order gave each thing view. The office did
l45l		Distinctly his full function.
	Buckingham	Who did guide—
l46l		I mean, who set the body and the limbs
l47l		Of this great sport together, as you guess?
l48l	Norfolk	One, certes, that promises no element
l49l		In such a business.
	Buckingham	I pray you who, my lord?
l50l	Norfolk	All this was ordered by the good discretion
l51l		Of the right reverend Cardinal of York.
l52l	Buckingham	The devil speed him! No man’s pie is freed
l53l		From his ambitious finger. What had he
l54l		To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder
l55l		That such a keech can, with his very bulk,
l56l		Take up the rays o’ th’ beneficial sun,
l57l		And keep it from the earth.
	Norfolk	Surely, sir,
l58l		There’s in him stuff that puts him to these ends.
l59l		For being not propped by ancestry, whose grace
l60l		Chalks successors their way, nor called upon
l61l		For high feats done to th’ crown, neither allied
l62l		To eminent assistants, but spider-like,
l63l		Out of his self-drawing web, a gives us note
l64l		The force of his own merit makes his way—
l65l		A gift that heaven gives for him which buys
l66l		A place next to the King.
	Abergavenny	I cannot tell
l67l		What heaven hath given him—let some graver eye
l68l		Pierce into that# but I can see his pride
l69l		Peep through each part of him. Whence has he that?
l70l		If not from hell, the devil is a niggard
l71l		Or has given all before, and he begins
l72l		A new hell in himself.
	Buckingham	Why the devil,
l73l		Upon this French going out, took he upon him
l74l		Without the privity o’ th’ King t’ appoint
l75l		Who should attend on him? He makes up the file
l76l		Of all the gentry, for the most part such
l77l		To whom as great a charge as little honour
l78l		He meant to lay upon# and his own letter,
l79l		The honourable board of council out,
l80l		Must fetch him in, he papers.
	Abergavenny	I do know
l81l		Kinsmen of mine—three at the least—that have
l82l		By this so sickened their estates that never
l83l		They shall abound as formerly.
	Buckingham	O, many
l84l		Have broke their backs with laying manors on ’em
l85l		For this great journey. What did this vanity
l86l		But minister communication of
l87l		A most poor issue?
	Norfolk	Grievingly I think
l88l		The peace between the French and us not values
l89l		The cost that did conclude it.
	Buckingham	Every man,
l90l		After the hideous storm that followed, was
l91l		A thing inspired, and, not consulting, broke
l92l		Into a general prophecy—that this tempest,
l93l		Dashing the garment of this peace, aboded
l94l		The sudden breach on ’t.
	Norfolk	Which is budded out—
l95l		For France hath flawed the league, and hath attached
l96l		Our merchants’ goods at Bordeaux.
	Abergavenny	Is it therefore
l97l		Th’ ambassador is silenced?
	Norfolk	Marry is ’t.
l98l	Abergavenny	A proper title of a peace, and purchased
l99l		At a superfluous rate.
	Buckingham	Why, all this business
l100l		Our reverend Cardinal carried.
	Norfolk	Like it your grace,
l101l		The state takes notice of the private difference
l102l		Betwixt you and the Cardinal. I advise you—
l103l		And take it from a heart that wishes towards you
l104l		Honour and plenteous safety—that you read
l105l		The Cardinal’s malice and his potency
l106l		Together# to consider further that
l107l		What his high hatred would effect wants not
l108l		A minister in his power. You know his nature,
l109l		That he’s revengeful# and I know his sword
l110l		Hath a sharp edge—it’s long, and ’t may be said
l111l		It reaches far# and where ’twill not extend
l112l		Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel,
l113l		You’ll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that rock
l114l		That I advise your shunning.
		(Enter Cardinal Wolsey, the purse containing the great seal borne before him. Enter with him certain of the guard, and two secretaries with papers. The)
l115l		Cardinal in his passage fixeth his eye on Buckingham and Buckingham on him, both full of disdain
	Cardinal Wolsey	
		(to a secretary)
		 The Duke of Buckingham’s surveyor, ha?
l116l		Where’s his examination?
	Secretary	Here, so please you.
l117l	Cardinal Wolsey	Is he in person ready?
	Secretary	Ay, please your grace.
l118l	Cardinal Wolsey	Well, we shall then know more, and Buckingham
l119l		Shall lessen this big look.
		(Exeunt Wolsey and his train)
l120l	Buckingham	 This butcher’s cur is venom-mouthed, and I
l121l		Have not the power to muzzle him# therefore best
l122l		Not wake him in his slumber. A beggar’s book
l123l		Outworths a noble’s blood.
	Norfolk	What, are you chafed?
l124l		Ask God for temp’rance# that’s th’ appliance only
l125l		Which your disease requires.
	Buckingham	I read in ’s looks
l126l		Matter against me, and his eye reviled
l127l		Me as his abject object. At this instant
l128l		He bores me with some trick. He’s gone to th’ King—
l129l		I’ll follow, and outstare him.
	Norfolk	Stay, my lord,
l130l		And let your reason with your choler question
l131l		What ’tis you go about. To climb steep hills
l132l		Requires slow pace at first. Anger is like
l133l		A full hot horse who, being allowed his way,
l134l		Self-mettle tires him. Not a man in England
l135l		Can advise me like you. Be to yourself
l136l		As you would to your friend.
	Buckingham	I’ll to the King,
l137l		And from a mouth of honour quite cry down
l138l		This Ipswich fellow’s insolence, or proclaim
l139l		There’s difference in no persons.
	Norfolk	Be advised.
l140l		Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot
l141l		That it do singe yourself. We may outrun
l142l		By violent swiftness that which we run at,
l143l		And lose by over-running. Know you not
l144l		The fire that mounts the liquor till ’t run o’er
l145l		In seeming to augment it wastes it? Be advised.
l146l		I say again there is no English soul
l147l		More stronger to direct you than yourself,
l148l		If with the sap of reason you would quench
l149l		Or but allay the fire of passion.
	Buckingham	Sir,
l150l		I am thankful to you, and I’ll go along
l151l		By your prescription# but this top-proud fellow—
l152l		Whom from the flow of gall I name not, but
l153l		From sincere motions—by intelligence,
l154l		And proofs as clear as founts in July when
l155l		We see each grain of gravel, I do know
l156l		To be corrupt and treasonous.
	Norfolk	Say not “treasonous”.
l157l	Buckingham	To th’ King I’ll say ’t, and make my vouch as strong
l158l		As shore of rock. Attend: this holy fox,
l159l		Or wolf, or both—for he is equal rav’nous
l160l		As he is subtle, and as prone to mischief
l161l		As able to perform ’t, his mind and place
l162l		Infecting one another, yea, reciprocally—
l163l		Only to show his pomp as well in France
l164l		As here at home, suggests the King our master
l165l		To this last costly treaty, th’ interview
l166l		That swallowed so much treasure and, like a glass,
l167l		Did break i’ th’ rinsing.
	Norfolk	Faith, and so it did.
l168l	Buckingham	Pray give me favour, sir. This cunning Cardinal,
l169l		The articles o’ th’ combination drew
l170l		As himself pleased, and they were ratified
l171l		As he cried “Thus let be”, to as much end
l172l		As give a crutch to th’ dead. But our count-Cardinal
l173l		Has done this, and ’tis well for worthy Wolsey,
l174l		Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows—
l175l		Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy
l176l		To th’ old dam, treason—Charles the Emperor,
l177l		Under pretence to see the Queen his aunt—
l178l		For ’twas indeed his colour, but he came
l179l		To whisper Wolsey—here makes visitation.
l180l		His fears were that the interview betwixt
l181l		England and France might through their amity
l182l		Breed him some prejudice, for from this league
l183l		Peeped harms that menaced him. Privily he
l184l		Deals with our Cardinal and, as I trow—
l185l		Which I do well, for I am sure the Emperor
l186l		Paid ere he promised, whereby his suit was granted
l187l		Ere it was asked—but when the way was made,
l188l		And paved with gold, the Emperor thus desired
l189l		That he would please to alter the King’s course
l190l		And break the foresaid peace. Let the King know,
l191l		As soon he shall by me, that thus the Cardinal
l192l		Does buy and sell his honour as he pleases,
l193l		And for his own advantage.
	Norfolk	I am sorry
l194l		To hear this of him, and could wish he were
l195l		Something mistaken in ’t.
	Buckingham	No, not a syllable.
l196l		I do pronounce him in that very shape
l197l		He shall appear in proof.
		(Enter Brandon, a serjeant-at-arms before him, and two or three of the guard)
l198l	Brandon	 Your office, serjeant, execute it.
	Serjeant	Sir.
l199l		(To Buckingham)
		 My lord the Duke of Buckingham and Earl
l200l		Of Hereford, Stafford, and Northampton, I
l201l		Arrest thee of high treason in the name
l202l		Of our most sovereign King.
	Buckingham	
		(to Norfolk)
		 Lo you, my lord,
l203l		The net has fall’n upon me. I shall perish
l204l		Under device and practice.
	Brandon	I am sorry
l205l		To see you ta’en from liberty to look on
l206l		The business present. ’Tis his highness’ pleasure
l207l		You shall to th’ Tower.
	Buckingham	It will help me nothing
l208l		To plead mine innocence, for that dye is on me
l209l		Which makes my whit’st part black. The will of heav’n
l210l		Be done in this and all things. I obey.
l211l		O, my lord Abergavenny, fare you well.
l212l	Brandon	Nay, he must bear you company.
		(To Abergavenny)
		 The King
l213l		Is pleased you shall to th’ Tower till you know
l214l		How he determines further.
	Abergavenny	As the Duke said,
l215l		The will of heaven be done and the King’s pleasure
l216l		By me obeyed.
	Brandon	Here is a warrant from
l217l		The King t’ attach Lord Montague and the bodies
l218l		Of the duke’s confessor, John de la Car,
l219l		One Gilbert Perk, his chancellor—
	Buckingham	So, so#
l220l		These are the limbs o’ th’ plot. No more, I hope.
l221l	Brandon	A monk o’ th’ Chartreux.
	Buckingham	O, Nicholas Hopkins?
l222l	Brandon	He.
l223l	Buckingham	My surveyor is false. The o’er-great Cardinal
l224l		Hath showed him gold. My life is spanned already.
l225l		I am the shadow of poor Buckingham,
l226l		Whose figure even this instant cloud puts on
l227l		By dark’ning my clear sun.
		(To Norfolk)
		 My lord, farewell.
		(Exeunt Norfolk at one door, Buckingham and Abergavenny under guard at another)