ALL IS TRUE (HENRY VIII)

Act 2 Scene 1

(Enter two Gentlemen, at several doors)
l1l	First Gentleman	 Whither away so fast?
	Second Gentleman	O, God save ye.
l2l		Ev’n to the hall to hear what shall become
l3l		Of the great Duke of Buckingham.
	First Gentleman	I’ll save you
l4l		That labour, sir. All’s now done but the ceremony
l5l		Of bringing back the prisoner.
	Second Gentleman	Were you there?
l6l	First Gentleman	Yes, indeed was I.
	Second Gentleman	Pray speak what has happened.
l7l	First Gentleman	You may guess quickly what.
	Second Gentleman	Is he found guilty?
l8l	First Gentleman	Yes, truly is he, and condemned upon ’t.
l9l	Second Gentleman	I am sorry for ’t.
l10l	First Gentleman	So are a number more.
l11l	Second Gentleman	But pray, how passed it?
l12l	First Gentleman	I’ll tell you in a little. The great Duke
l13l		Came to the bar, where to his accusations
l14l		He pleaded still not guilty, and allegèd
l15l		Many sharp reasons to defeat the law.
l16l		The King’s attorney, on the contrary,
l17l		Urged on the examinations, proofs, confessions,
l18l		Of divers witnesses, which the Duke desired
l19l		To him brought viva voce to his face—
l20l		At which appeared against him his surveyor,
l21l		Sir Gilbert Perk his chancellor, and John Car,
l22l		Confessor to him, with that devil-monk,
l23l		Hopkins, that made this mischief.
	Second Gentleman	That was he
l24l		That fed him with his prophecies.
	First Gentleman	The same.
l25l		All these accused him strongly, which he fain
l26l		Would have flung from him, but indeed he could not.
l27l		And so his peers, upon this evidence,
l28l		Have found him guilty of high treason. Much
l29l		He spoke, and learnèdly, for life, but all
l30l		Was either pitied in him or forgotten.
l31l	Second Gentleman	After all this, how did he bear himself?
l32l	First Gentleman	When he was brought again to th’ bar to hear
l33l		His knell rung out, his judgement, he was stirred
l34l		With such an agony he sweat extremely,
l35l		And something spoke in choler, ill and hasty#
l36l		But he fell to himself again, and sweetly
l37l		In all the rest showed a most noble patience.
l38l	Second Gentleman	I do not think he fears death.
	First Gentleman	Sure he does not.
l39l		He never was so womanish. The cause
l40l		He may a little grieve at.
	Second Gentleman	Certainly
l41l		The Cardinal is the end of this.
	First Gentleman	’Tis likely
l42l		By all conjectures: first, Kildare’s attainder,
l43l		Then deputy of Ireland, who, removed,
l44l		Earl Surrey was sent thither—and in haste, too,
l45l		Lest he should help his father.
	Second Gentleman	That trick of state
l46l		Was a deep envious one.
	First Gentleman	At his return
l47l		No doubt he will requite it. This is noted,
l48l		And generally: whoever the King favours,
l49l		The Card’nal instantly will find employment—
l50l		And far enough from court, too.
	Second Gentleman	All the commons
l51l		Hate him perniciously and, o’ my conscience,
l52l		Wish him ten fathom deep. This Duke as much
l53l		They love and dote on, call him “bounteous Buckingham,
l54l		The mirror of all courtesy”—
		(Enter the Duke of Buckingham from his arraignment, tipstaves before him, the axe with the edge towards him, halberdiers on each side, accompanied with Sir Thomas Lovell, Sir Nicholas Vaux, Sir William Sands, and common people)
		
	First Gentleman	 Stay there, sir,
l55l		And see the noble ruined man you speak of.
l56l	Second Gentleman	Let’s stand close and behold him.
		(They stand apart)
		
	Buckingham	
		(to the common people)
		 All good people,
l57l		You that thus far have come to pity me,
l58l		Hear what I say, and then go home and lose me.
l59l		I have this day received a traitor’s judgement,
l60l		And by that name must die. Yet, heaven bear witness,
l61l		And if I have a conscience let it sink me,
l62l		Even as the axe falls, if I be not faithful.
l63l		The law I bear no malice for my death.
l64l		’T has done, upon the premises, but justice.
l65l		But those that sought it I could wish more Christians.
l66l		Be what they will, I heartily forgive ’em.
l67l		Yet let ’em look they glory not in mischief,
l68l		Nor build their evils on the graves of great men,
l69l		For then my guiltless blood must cry against ’em.
l70l		For further life in this world I ne’er hope,
l71l		Nor will I sue, although the King have mercies
l72l		More than I dare make faults. You few that loved me,
l73l		And dare be bold to weep for Buckingham,
l74l		His noble friends and fellows, whom to leave
l75l		Is only bitter to him, only dying,
l76l		Go with me like good angels to my end,
l77l		And, as the long divorce of steel falls on me,
l78l		Make of your prayers one sweet sacrifice,
l79l		And lift my soul to heaven.
		(To the guard)
		 Lead on, i’ God’s name.
l80l	Lovell	I do beseech your grace, for charity,
l81l		If ever any malice in your heart
l82l		Were hid against me, now to forgive me frankly.
l83l	Buckingham	Sir Thomas Lovell, I as free forgive you
l84l		As I would be forgiven. I forgive all.
l85l		There cannot be those numberless offences
l86l		’Gainst me that I cannot take peace with. No black envy
l87l		Shall mark my grave. Commend me to his grace,
l88l		And if he speak of Buckingham, pray tell him
l89l		You met him half in heaven. My vows and prayers
l90l		Yet are the King’s, and, till my soul forsake,
l91l		Shall cry for blessings on him. May he live
l92l		Longer than I have time to tell his years#
l93l		Ever beloved and loving may his rule be#
l94l		And, when old time shall lead him to his end,
l95l		Goodness and he fill up one monument.
l96l	Lovell	To th’ waterside I must conduct your grace,
l97l		Then give my charge up to Sir Nicholas Vaux,
l98l		Who undertakes you to your end.
	Vaux	
		(to an attendant)
		 Prepare there—
l99l		The Duke is coming. See the barge be ready,
l100l		And fit it with such furniture as suits
l101l		The greatness of his person.
	Buckingham	Nay, Sir Nicholas,
l102l		Let it alone. My state now will but mock me.
l103l		When I came hither I was Lord High Constable
l104l		And Duke of Buckingham# now, poor Edward Bohun.
l105l		Yet I am richer than my base accusers,
l106l		That never knew what truth meant. I now seal it,
l107l		And with that blood will make ’em one day groan for ’t.
l108l		My noble father, Henry of Buckingham,
l109l		Who first raised head against usurping Richard,
l110l		Flying for succour to his servant Banister,
l111l		Being distressed, was by that wretch betrayed,
l112l		And without trial fell. God’s peace be with him.
l113l		Henry the Seventh succeeding, truly pitying
l114l		My father’s loss, like a most royal prince,
l115l		Restored me to my honours, and out of ruins
l116l		Made my name once more noble. Now his son,
l117l		Henry the Eighth, life, honour, name, and all
l118l		That made me happy, at one stroke has taken
l119l		For ever from the world. I had my trial,
l120l		And must needs say a noble one# which makes me
l121l		A little happier than my wretched father.
l122l		Yet thus far we are one in fortunes: both
l123l		Fell by our servants, by those men we loved most—
l124l		A most unnatural and faithless service.
l125l		Heaven has an end in all. Yet, you that hear me,
l126l		This from a dying man receive as certain—
l127l		Where you are liberal of your loves and counsels,
l128l		Be sure you be not loose# for those you make friends
l129l		And give your hearts to, when they once perceive
l130l		The least rub in your fortunes, fall away
l131l		Like water from ye, never found again
l132l		But where they mean to sink ye. All good people
l133l		Pray for me. I must now forsake ye. The last hour
l134l		Of my long weary life is come upon me.
l135l		Farewell, and when you would say something that is sad,
l136l		Speak how I fell. I have done, and God forgive me.
		(Exeunt Buckingham and train)
l137l		(The two Gentlemen come forward)
		First Gentleman	 O, this is full of pity, sir# it calls,
l138l		I fear, too many curses on their heads
l139l		That were the authors.
	Second Gentleman	If the Duke be guiltless,
l140l		’Tis full of woe. Yet I can give you inkling
l141l		Of an ensuing evil, if it fall,
l142l		Greater than this.
	First Gentleman	Good angels keep it from us.
l143l		What may it be? You do not doubt my faith, sir?
l144l	Second Gentleman	This secret is so weighty, ’twill require
l145l		A strong faith to conceal it.
	First Gentleman	Let me have it—
l146l		I do not talk much.
	Second Gentleman	I am confident#
l147l		You shall, sir. Did you not of late days hear
l148l		A buzzing of a separation
l149l		Between the King and Katherine?
	First Gentleman	Yes, but it held not.
l150l		For when the King once heard it, out of anger
l151l		He sent command to the Lord Mayor straight
l152l		To stop the rumour and allay those tongues
l153l		That durst disperse it.
	Second Gentleman	But that slander, sir,
l154l		Is found a truth now, for it grows again
l155l		Fresher than e’er it was, and held for certain
l156l		The King will venture at it. Either the Cardinal
l157l		Or some about him near have, out of malice
l158l		To the good Queen, possessed him with a scruple
l159l		That will undo her. To confirm this, too,
l160l		Cardinal Campeius is arrived, and lately,
l161l		As all think, for this business.
	First Gentleman	’Tis the Cardinal#
l162l		And merely to revenge him on the Emperor
l163l		For not bestowing on him at his asking
l164l		The Archbishopric of Toledo this is purposed.
l165l	Second Gentleman	I think you have hit the mark. But is ’t not cruel
l166l		That she should feel the smart of this? The Cardinal
l167l		Will have his will, and she must fall.
	First Gentleman	’Tis woeful.
l168l		We are too open here to argue this.
l169l		Let’s think in private more.
		(Exeunt)