ALL IS TRUE (HENRY VIII)

Act 1 Scene 4

(Hautboys. Enter servants with a small table for Cardinal Wolsey which they place under the cloth of state, and a longer table for the guests. Then enter at one door Anne Boleyn and divers other ladies and gentlemen as guests, and at another door enter Sir Henry Guildford)
l1l	Guildford	 Ladies, a general welcome from his grace
l2l		Salutes ye all. This night he dedicates
l3l		To fair content and you. None here, he hopes,
l4l		In all this noble bevy, has brought with her
l5l		One care abroad. He would have all as merry
l6l		As feast, good company, good wine, good welcome
l7l		Can make good people.
		(Enter the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Sands, and Sir Thomas Lovell)
		
		(To the Lord Chamberlain)
		 O, my lord, you’re tardy.
l8l		The very thought of this fair company
l9l		Clapped wings to me.
	Lord Chamberlain	You are young, Sir Harry Guildford.
l10l	Sands	Sir Thomas Lovell, had the Cardinal
l11l		But half my lay thoughts in him, some of these
l12l		Should find a running banquet, ere they rested,
l13l		I think would better please ’em. By my life,
l14l		They are a sweet society of fair ones.
l15l	Lovell	O, that your lordship were but now confessor
l16l		To one or two of these.
	Sands	I would I were.
l17l		They should find easy penance.
	Lovell	Faith, how easy?
l18l	Sands	As easy as a down bed would afford it.
l19l	Lord Chamberlain	Sweet ladies, will it please you sit?
		(To Guildford)
		 Sir Harry,
l20l		Place you that side, I’ll take the charge of this.
		(They sit about the longer table. A noise within)
l21l		His grace is ent’ring. Nay, you must not freeze—
l22l		Two women placed together makes cold weather.
l23l		My lord Sands, you are one will keep ’em waking.
l24l		Pray sit between these ladies.
	Sands	By my faith,
l25l		And thank your lordship.
		(He sits between Anne and another)
		 By your leave, sweet ladies.
l26l		If I chance to talk a little wild, forgive me.
l27l		I had it from my father.
	Anne	Was he mad, sir?
l28l	Sands	O, very mad# exceeding mad—in love, too.
l29l		But he would bite none. Just as I do now,
l30l		He would kiss you twenty with a breath.
		(He kisses her)
		 
	Lord Chamberlain	 Well said, my lord.
l31l		So now you’re fairly seated. Gentlemen,
l32l		The penance lies on you if these fair ladies
l33l		Pass away frowning.
l34l	Sands	For my little cure,
l35l		Let me alone.
		(Hautboys. Enter Cardinal Wolsey who takes his seat at the small table under the state)
l36l	Cardinal Wolsey	 You’re welcome, my fair guests. That noble lady
l37l		Or gentleman that is not freely merry
l38l		Is not my friend. This, to confirm my welcome,
l39l		And to you all, good health!
		(He drinks)
		
	Sands	 Your grace is noble.
l40l		Let me have such a bowl may hold my thanks,
l41l		And save me so much talking.
	Cardinal Wolsey	My lord Sands,
l42l		I am beholden to you. Cheer your neighbours.
l43l		Ladies, you are not merry! Gentlemen,
l44l		Whose fault is this?
	Sands	The red wine first must rise
l45l		In their fair cheeks, my lord, then we shall have ’em
l46l		Talk us to silence.
	Anne	You are a merry gamester,
l47l		My lord Sands.
	Sands	Yes, if I make my play.
l48l		Here’s to your ladyship# and pledge it, madam,
l49l		For ’tis to such a thing—
	Anne	You cannot show me.
l50l	Sands	(to Wolsey)
		 I told your grace they would talk anon.
		(Drum and trumpet. Chambers discharged)
		 
	Cardinal Wolsey	 What’s that?
l51l	Lord Chamberlain	(to the servants)
		 Look out there, some of ye.
		(Exit a servant)
		
	Cardinal Wolsey	 What warlike voice,
l52l		And to what end is this? Nay, ladies, fear not.
l53l		By all the laws of war you’re privileged.
		(Enter the servant)
l54l	Lord Chamberlain	 How now—what is ’t?
	Servant	A noble troop of strangers,
l55l		For so they seem. They’ve left their barge and landed,
l56l		And hither make as great ambassadors
l57l		From foreign princes.
	Cardinal Wolsey	Good Lord Chamberlain,
l58l		Go give ’em welcome—you can speak the French tongue.
l59l		And pray receive ’em nobly, and conduct ’em
l60l		Into our presence where this heaven of beauty
l61l		Shall shine at full upon them. Some attend him.
		(Exit Chamberlain, attended)
l62l		(All rise, and some servants remove the tables)
		 You have now a broken banquet, but we’ll mend it.
l63l		A good digestion to you all, and once more
l64l		I shower a welcome on ye—welcome all.
		(Hautboys. Enter, ushered by the Lord Chamberlain, King Henry and others as masquers habited like shepherds. They pass directly before Cardinal Wolsey and gracefully salute him)
l65l		A noble company. What are their pleasures?
l66l	Lord Chamberlain	Because they speak no English, thus they prayed
l67l		To tell your grace, that, having heard by fame
l68l		Of this so noble and so fair assembly
l69l		This night to meet here, they could do no less,
l70l		Out of the great respect they bear to beauty,
l71l		But leave their flocks, and, under your fair conduct,
l72l		Crave leave to view these ladies, and entreat
l73l		An hour of revels with ’em.
	Cardinal Wolsey	Say, Lord Chamberlain,
l74l		They have done my poor house grace, for which I pay ’em
l75l		A thousand thanks, and pray ’em take their pleasures.
		(The masquers choose ladies. The King chooses Anne Boleyn)
l76l	King Henry	(to Anne)
		 The fairest hand I ever touched. O beauty,
l77l		Till now I never knew thee.
		(Music. They dance)
l78l	Cardinal Wolsey	(to the Lord Chamberlain)
		 My lord.
l79l	Lord Chamberlain	Your grace.
l80l	Cardinal Wolsey	Pray tell ’em thus much from me.
l81l		There should be one amongst ’em by his person
l82l		More worthy this place than myself, to whom,
l83l		If I but knew him, with my love and duty
l84l		I would surrender it.
	Lord Chamberlain	I will, my lord.
		(He whispers with the masquers)
l85l	Cardinal Wolsey	 What say they?
	Lord Chamberlain	Such a one they all confess
l86l		There is indeed, which they would have your grace
l87l		Find out, and he will take it.
	Cardinal Wolsey	
		( 87B standing)
		 Let me see then.
l88l		By all your good leaves, gentlemen, here I’ll make
l89l		My royal choice.
		(He bows before the King)
		
	King Henry	
		(unmasking)
		 Ye have found him, Cardinal.
l90l		You hold a fair assembly. You do well, lord.
l91l		You are a churchman, or I’ll tell you, Cardinal,
l92l		I should judge now unhappily.
	Cardinal Wolsey	I am glad
l93l		Your grace is grown so pleasant.
	King Henry	My Lord Chamberlain,
l94l		Prithee come hither.
		(Gesturing towards Anne)
		 What fair lady’s that?
l95l	Lord Chamberlain	An ’t please your grace, Sir Thomas Boleyn’s daughter—
l96l		The Viscount Rochford—one of her highness’ women.
l97l	King Henry	By heaven, she is a dainty one.
		(To Anne)
		 Sweetheart,
l98l		I were unmannerly to take you out
l99l		And not to kiss you
		(kisses her)
		 . A health, gentlemen#
		(He drinks)
l100l		Let it go round.
l101l	Cardinal Wolsey	Sir Thomas Lovell, is the banquet ready
l102l		I’ th’ privy chamber?
	Lovell	Yes, my lord.
	Cardinal Wolsey	
		(to the King)
		 Your grace
l103l		I fear with dancing is a little heated.
l104l	King Henry	I fear too much.
l105l	Cardinal Wolsey	There’s fresher air, my lord,
l106l		In the next chamber.
l107l	King Henry	Lead in your ladies, every one.
		(To Anne)
		 Sweet partner,
l108l		I must not yet forsake you.
		(To Wolsey)
		 Let’s be merry,
l109l		Good my lord Cardinal. I have half a dozen healths
l110l		To drink to these fair ladies, and a measure
l111l		To lead ’em once again, and then let’s dream
l112l		Who’s best in favour. Let the music knock it.
		(Exeunt with trumpets)
	[[ACT INTERVAL]]
	?Shakespeare>